From Whats on Invers In-Depth Investigation team

What’s On Invers has been made aware of a massive infrastructure project that will have it’s beginnings in the south.

The project has to be the biggest of its type in New Zealand, possibly the southern hemisphere.

The project which will span several years will see an underground road and rail tunnel built that will traverse the South Island from bottom to top even going under Cook Strait to come out at Wellington.

Yes, a full length road rail tunnel from Southland to Wellington, or vice versa.

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It’s understood that a full length tunnel link from the south to Auckland was envisaged but getting around the volcano’s in the central North Island and around Lake Taupo were just a bridge too far, as one source put it.

It’s interesting to note that this as yet unnamed project has not been listed in the Government’s recently announced Roads of National Significance programme. Nor was it mentioned in the projects listed in the Fast Track Approvals Bill for urgent resource consents approvals earlier in this month.

However documents leaked to whatsoninvers show government department headings and signed by relevant high ranking officials but interestingly, not by relevant ministers.

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Costings are eye watering and come in to the mega, mega million dollar category but funded by private sources so in reality the Government doesn’t have to fork out a dime.

Sources spoken to by whatsoninvers were mostly reluctant to even admit that such papers exist but one or two admitted that the tunnel project was close to being in the starting gates for Cabinet to discuss.

“How the hell did you get hold of this?” One source gasped in horror. “This is for top eyes only!”

“Jeez, some one won’t have a job next week” said another source when we alerted them to the leak.

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It’s understood that the project has gone from pie in the sky to a “reality starter” following the new Government’s sudden cancellation of the new Cook Strait ferry’s.

It’s believed that the tunnel project has taken on even more urgency with a recent report floating the possibility that KiwiRail could exit the Cook Strait Inter Islander service completely.

One source said the Government recognized that a Cook Strait crossing is imperative for freight movements between the North and South Island’s as well as public transport but is at best reluctant to pour any more money in to it.

The papers show that and actual start and finish points have not been exactly pin pointed but it’s understood that an entry / exit point at Awarua would be a likely site.

The papers also show exit / entry points for both Christchurch and Dunedin for will be part of the build.

When quizzed about re-fuelling stations, one source believed to be close to the project could only say “argghh, ummm, that’s a work in progress”

As for the funding, one source close to the as yet unnamed proposer of the scheme said, yes the costings were well out of the ball park for New Zealand infrastructure projects but reassured whatsoinvers “that the money is there mate, don’t you worry about that!”

Apart from being non-committal about exactly where the money was coming from our source stressed that it was not part of China’s Belt and Braces programme of world wide infrastructure projects.

However our source re-stated that the money is definitely there and ready to be put to work. “Just give us the word, we can get shovels in the ground before you can say ministry of works” our source declared before terminating our call.

Experts in tunneling say the only real challenge is the length and the time it’ll take.

They say that projects like this have been undertaken in Europe have been completed. They say that there shouldn’t be difficulty attracting the highly skilled workforce to work on such a groundbreaking project.

Another source told us that the only real concession that the Government would be asked to make is for resource consents to issued quickly.

We asked another source if the Invercargill City Council would be in on this. “Hell no, they’ll read about it in the paper after it’s announced” was the reply.

With that we approached top councilor’s and officials, some denied any knowledge of the project while a couple of others tried to look the other way while muttering, “arrghh, ummm, we’ll let you know”

It’s understood that international experts in scoping and seismic testing are ready to be deployed at a moment’s notice.

As it’s the Easter break, we’ve been told that relevant cabinet ministers will be holding an urgent zoom conference this morning and that an announcement is expected to be made at midday today.

Massive Infrastructure Project For South To Be Revealed

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