OIA2025 - 056
Mr Cody C
Via FYI.org
Dear Cody
I refer to your request under the Of icial Information Act 1982 (the Act), asking a range of questions
about the level crossing at Parker Street in Christchurch.
Please find our answer below, we have grouped our responses under the various question headings.
1. Decision to pause or defer design work
a. Who made the decision to place the design of the Parker Street level crossing signals and
cycleway integration on hold?
b. On what date was that decision made?
c. What was the rationale or justification for pausing or deferring this work?
d. Was a formal decision paper, briefing note, internal memo, or email trail produced? If so, please
provide a copy of all relevant documentation.
Design Work Pause
The Parker Street project design has been temporarily paused as both Christchurch City Council
(CCC) and KiwiRail continue to prioritise projects based on available funding, resources, and evolving
transport and safety needs across the wider regional network.
As part of this process, projects are regularly assessed against current priorities to ensure the best
outcomes for the community and transport users. In February 2025, following discussions between
KiwiRail and CCC Parker Street was put on hold. Please see attached email dated 28 February 2025.
At this time, other projects have taken precedence. KiwiRail and CCC remain committed to
progressing safe and effective transport infrastructure and wil continue to review the timing of the
Parker Street project as funding priorities evolve. We appreciate the community’s patience and wil
provide regular updates as more information is available.
2. Consultation
a. What communications were sent or received between KiwiRail and the Christchurch City Council
(or any other stakeholders) regarding the decision to pause design work?
b. Please provide any minutes, notes, or summaries from meetings or correspondence where the
Parker Street cycleway integration or related design delays were discussed.
Discussions between KiwiRail and Christchurch City Council regarding the Parker Street project have
been ongoing as part of regular programme coordination. These discussions form part of broader
conversations about programme priorities, scope, funding and resource planning across multiple
projects.
www.kiwirail.co.nz | 0800 801 070
Wel ington Railway Station, Bunny Street, Wel ington 6011
Private Bag 39988, Lower Hutt 5045, New Zealand
As per the response above, A formal email between KR and CCC is attached which confirmed the
design was being put on hold February 2025. This was confirmed by KiwiRail via email dated 28
February 2025.
Also attached are notes and emails related to the status and subsequent pause on Parker Street, as
noted the matter was discussed in the context of wider programme delivery meetings. In those
discussions, it was collectively recognised that progressing the Radcliffe Road Level Crossing
upgrade currently represents a higher priority in terms of outcomes and programme readiness, and
therefore resources have been directed accordingly – see attached meeting minutes of the
Cycleways & Other Shared Projects – Project Control Group Meetings (PCG).
3. Mitigation of delays
a. What specific actions is KiwiRail taking to mitigate the delays in design work on the Parker Street
crossing?
b. Have any resources (e.g., staff, funding, contractors) been reallocated away from this project? If
so, please detail when and why. If not, what is the cause for the delays?
c. What is the anticipated timeline or criteria that must first be achieved before restarting this now
paused design work?
As the Parker Street project is currently paused, there are no active mitigation actions underway
specific to its design timeline. KiwiRail and Christchurch City Council continue to coordinate closely
on programme priorities to ensure resources are focused where they wil deliver the most immediate
safety and network benefits.
The timing for resuming design work on Parker Street wil depend on a range of factors, including
progress on other priority projects, future funding availability within multi-year budget cycles, and
ongoing network safety and planning considerations. The project remains under active review as part
of the overall level crossing upgrade programme, and future reactivation wil be guided by programme
and budget alignment.
4. Project management
a. Has this pause been formally acknowledged through any internal project change controls, such as
a re-baselining or scheduled risk assessment? See response above.
b. What project governance or oversight mechanisms are in place to monitor progress and address
the status flagged as “amber” in recent Council reporting (if any)?
KiwiRail and CCC staff meet regularly to discuss issues: at a project level between Project Managers;
at a management level between KiwiRail and CCC staff; and more formally, through the Project
Control Group (PCG). The last meeting of the PCG was in February 25, and the minutes are
attached.
5. Contaminated land risk
a. What information does KiwiRail hold relating to the risk of contaminated land associated with this
package of work?
b. Has KiwiRail conducted or commissioned any site investigations or risk assessments? If so, please
provide copies of these reports.
www.kiwirail.co.nz | 0800 801 070
Wel ington Railway Station, Bunny Street, Wel ington 6011
Private Bag 39988, Lower Hutt 5045, New Zealand
As with many rail corridor sites, there is a recognised potential for the presence of contaminated land,
due to the long operational history of the rail network.
KiwiRail holds general information about typical contamination risks within rail corridors and manages
these risks in accordance with national environmental regulations and best practice. However, there
are no specific investigations associated with this package of work.
Any required site-specific investigations would be planned and scoped in alignment with the project’s
detailed design and construction phases, when more intrusive works are proposed.
6. Liability under law
a. Has KiwiRail sought or received legal advice regarding its duties under Section 145 of the Crimes
Act 1961, particularly as the risk of endangerment from level crossings is well known and there has
been a failure to take reasonable steps to mitigate or design safe infrastructure in a timely way?
b. Has KiwiRail ever assessed whether the deferral of this or any other level crossing design work
could give rise to liability under this section of the Act?
c. Has any internal risk register, health and safety report, or legal review identified this cycleway, the
Parker Street crossing or any other crossing as a safety risk that could trigger a duty of care under
criminal or civil law?
KiwiRail takes its obligations regarding safety and legal compliance extremely seriously and manages
level crossing risks through established national frameworks, including the national level crossing risk
register, which is maintained to guide the prioritisation of safety improvements.
The proposed improvements were initiated to support integration with a new South Express cycleway,
which would change how the crossing is used. KiwiRail has not sought any legal advice on this
matter.
We do however continual y review our obligations under relevant legislation, including the Crimes Act,
as part of our ongoing risk management processes. We routinely assess programme priorities and
risks across our national level crossing upgrade programme.
Parker Street is not currently flagged KiwiRail’s a as high-risk crossing requiring urgent safety
mitigation. The introduction of the cycleway would create new user interactions at the crossing, which
is why design upgrades were proposed in coordination with Christchurch City Council.
This information has been released under the OIA. You have the right to seek an investigation and
review of this response by the Ombudsman, in accordance with section 28(3) of the Act. The relevant
details can be found on the Ombudsman’s website:
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz. Yours sincerely
Dave Allard
Senior Government Relations Advisor, KiwiRail
www.kiwirail.co.nz | 0800 801 070
Wel ington Railway Station, Bunny Street, Wel ington 6011
Private Bag 39988, Lower Hutt 5045, New Zealand
