Afterwards, mayor Aaron Hawkins said there was no appetite to sell or close the business. The council decided to request a report into extending the existing arrangements with the train company to June 30, 2022. It was a “significant decision”, Hawkins said.
Stuff
The Taieri Gorge Railway passes through a tunnel and over a viaduct. The report would investigate retaining the operation under city ownership, using either the KiwiRail network, or coupling it with the Taieri Gorge line. The council would also support the Otago Central Rail Trust in seeking funding for a feasibility study to link a cycle trail to the railway line between Middlemarch and Wingatui.
Blood On Our Hands: Local climate activists taking on big corporations
It’s easy to think that the future is already fucked. Activists of New Zealand past have lived and died fighting for nuclear disarmament, environmental protections, and the return of stolen land to tangata whenua, fed up by the unjust world they saw around them. But we still face apocalyptic scenes of an uncertain future today. Young activists today are just as fed up but are keen to make a real difference.
Local groups including Extinction Rebellion, Environmental Justice Ōtepoti, Students for Environmental Action, Generation Zero, and School Strike 4 Climate are organised, focused, and passionate about climate justice. Critic talked to some of those involved over the past year to hear about how they shut down a coal mine in Canterbury, and took on a local fertiliser company linked to armed conflict in the Western Sahara.
Gig Information
Join Seafog and noisy poprock upstarts, School Friend, for a Sunday afternoon gig in the convivial surroundings of the Arc Brewery Co on 7 March, 2021.
Seafog are looking forward to exploring some new tunes they’ve been wrangling lately along with a few of their favs from their albums. School Friend are playing like teens possessed - they re an exciting, fun unit revelling in the commotion they make. School Friend will be playing at 3pm for around 30 minutes and Seafog will follow soon after.
Along with the delicious refreshments available at the Arc Brewing Co, Mikey’s Kai Truck will be there to fill your bellies.
Dunedin Railway Station: Activists lock themselves to tracks to block coal train
27 Jan, 2021 10:30 PM
3 minutes to read
Activists lock themselves to tracks to block coal train. Video / ODT
Otago Daily Times
Climate activists have locked themselves to the railway tracks at the Dunedin Railway Station, blocking a train transporting coal.
There are about 15 activists from Extinction Rebellion at the protest this morning. About seven people are on the tracks and two of them are physically clipped onto the tracks wearing face masks that say no to coal .
They have been here since about 6.30am.
Several police officers are also at the scene.
A freight train passes as Extinction Rebellion activists remain chained to another track. At one point during the protest a police officer checked to see if activists had face masks, minutes before two large freight trains passed just metres away. While the two trains were allowed to pass via a separate track, Al Thea said if a coal train attempted to use the same method they would “try and stop it”.
Hamish McNeilly/Stuff
A police officer keeps watch as Extinction Rebellion activists remain on tracks outside the Dunedin Railway Station. Al Thea declined to say if the group would continue protesting of this type, but said it wanted to hold KiwiRail accountable until it stopped transporting coal.