Subject: Questions and Answers - March 4 KiwiRail—Discovery of Asbestos KiwiRail—Discovery of Asbestos 11. DARIEN FENTON (Labour) to the Minister of Transport: Does he have confidence in KiwiRail following the discovery of asbestos in DL locomotives? Hon GERRY BROWNLEE (Minister of Transport): Yes. KiwiRail specified in the contract that no asbestos was to be used in the manufacturing of the DL locomotives. After reports from Australia in November 2013 about Chinese-manufactured trains being found to have traces of asbestos, KiwiRail reiterated that no asbestos was to be used. Assurances were given, but these have turned out to be incorrect. The testing of the locomotives began after routine quality-control testing of flaking paint on Friday indicated a possible presence of asbestos. KiwiRail immediately suspended the trains from operation and organised independent testing of the locomotives over the weekend, and it will report to me this afternoon on its findings. KiwiRail will not resume using these locomotives until it is completely satisfied that there is no health risk to its employees or the wider public. Darien Fenton: How can he have confidence in KiwiRail when the asbestos was found on 25 February but the workers were not told until 28 February and the public were not told until 1 March? Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: I will be getting more information about all of these matters from KiwiRail this afternoon, and then I am sure I will be answering written questions that come from the member on those matters. Darien Fenton: Can he confirm that the inspection conducted on some of the 40 DL locomotives purchased from China has shown the asbestos to be in a shockingly degraded state and that there are at least two locomotives that are so toxic they will need to be laid up and quarantined? Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: No, I cannot confirm that. If the member has that information, presumably it has come from some of her friends in the union movement who are doing their best to shut KiwiRail down. Darien Fenton: How can New Zealanders have confidence—[Interruption] Mr SPEAKER: Order! I apologise. I cannot hear the question because of the interjections across the House. Darien Fenton: How can New Zealanders have confidence in his oversight of KiwiRail given that work on recovering the DC locomotive that rolled over in South Auckland on Saturday has also been halted by KiwiRail until further notice because of a significant amount of asbestos-laden material found in the soil underneath it? Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: There is no doubt about it, KiwiRail was a bit of a dead duck when it was announced by the Labour Government some years ago and continues to be a problem child for the Government. Darien Fenton: Is this his Government’s plan for creating new jobs: getting Kiwi workers to perform the highly dangerous task of removing killer asbestos from Chinese-built locomotives; and is that not ironic given that his Government did not have the confidence in Kiwi workers to build them in the first place? Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: I think that I need to clear up a couple of things there. Firstly, there have been no locomotives of significant size built in New Zealand since the 1960s—smaller shunt engines were built during the 1970s—and it would have taken millions and millions and millions of dollars to gear up the workforce to build these engines. The nonsense that the member talks needs to stop and the member needs to recognise that KiwiRail, if it is to be successful, does have to be able to perform inside the huge amount of capital the Government has made available to it to get on with things. As for the issue around asbestos, people are cleaning up asbestos all over this country every day, and a lot more these days than was the case under that party’s leadership. Rt Hon Winston Peters: How can the Minister have confidence in KiwiRail when it is so busy trying to fix up the locomotive and Aratere shambles that it has neglected necessary maintenance on the Arahura, which recently resulted in a wire holding up a lifeboat snapping, damaging and disabling that lifeboat? Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: I do have confidence in the management of KiwiRail to deliver on the Turnaround Plan—the $1.3 billion investment that the Government has made in the company. Naturally, there will be legacy assets that were overseen by another Government at another time that will have some maintenance issues with them. Rt Hon Winston Peters: How can any competent Minister still have confidence in KiwiRail in the light of its decision to save a measly $34,000— David Bennett: What about Huka Lodge? Rt Hon Winston Peters: Yeah, I will tell you about that shortly, son. Do not worry about it. I have got a reputation for getting my facts right. Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member will get back to the question; otherwise, he will lose it. Rt Hon Winston Peters: How can any competent Minister or Government have any confidence in KiwiRail in light of its decision to save a measly $34,000 by allowing the Arahura to make a number of sailings on one of the most dangerous stretches of water in the world, minus a lifeboat? Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: I am not aware that that happened. If the member has information about it, he should put it on my desk. Rt Hon Winston Peters: I seek leave for the Minister to go downtown and— Mr SPEAKER: Order! ENDS scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1403/S00037.htm
Posted on: Tue, 04 Mar 2014 06:27:39 +0000
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