24293 (2026). Tangi Utikere to the Minister of Transport

Written Question

Published date: 21 Jun 2026

Metadata

Document type:	Written Question
Parliament number:	54
Question number:	24293 (2026)
Question asked:	01 Jun 2026
Member asking:	Tangi Utikere
Portfolio:	Minister of Transport
Minister replying:	Hon Chris Bishop
Answer received:	16 Jun 2026
Status:	Question Answered
Reply type:	Reply
Document ID:	WQ_24293_2026
Document guid:	3c13ffb3-87e6-499d-9065-0e5fe030d65c

24293 (2026). Tangi Utikere to the Minister of Transport: What rail activities, if any, were reduced or deferred to generate the savings recorded in the Rail Network Investment Programme 2024–2027 – Reprioritisation initiative in Budget 2026, the proceeds of which are used to fund rail initiatives in the 2027–2030 programme, broken down by agency, department, Crown entity, company, or other organisation for which the Minister is responsible?

Hon Chris Bishop: KiwiRail returned $170m in Budget 2026, from tagged contingency funding for the current three-year Rail Network Investment Programme 2024 – 2027. This was the remaining funding after the freight programme was fully funded on approval in 2025. As such, no rail activities were reduced or deferred to generate the savings in this initiative.