All we want for Christmas is ... our roads sorted out please, Minister.
New Transport Minister Simon Bridges will be given a tour of Northland's storm-battered roading network today.
The visit follows controversy in recent months over what was seen as a broken election promise by Mr Bridges' predecessor, Gerry Brownlee, who had pledged the Government would cover 90 per cent of the cost of repairing winter-storm damage.
The dispute over who pays how much seems to have been resolved, with the New Zealand Transport Agency upping payouts while the council's estimated repair bill has dropped from an initial $40 million to about $24 million.
Far North Mayor John Carter said Mr Bridges had been invited by Northland roading interests for a one-day tour today that would start in Whangarei.
Mr Carter would collect the minister in Kawakawa, take him over the Mangamukas then back via State Highway 10. He also hoped to show Mr Bridges some local roads. The tour would include the pinch-points where the highway network closed in heavy rain. Mr Carter said he aimed to show Mr Bridges not just the state of Far North roads but also the district's potential.
"We're hoping to get a realisation that this area is worth investing in," he said.
We asked Advocate readers via Facebook where they would show Mr Bridges, so he could see how bad our roading network was. Here are some of the responses:
*Hannah Rummery: Abbey Caves Rd, still not fixed, now has a pot-hole that is sinking in the middle of the wheel tracks.
*Sharlene Subritzky: I'd take him through the Mangamuka gorge a few times stuck behind logging trucks for 30 mins goin 20km and no passing lanes on an open state highway 1 and then a tiki tour west to Hokianga around through Herekino gorge and to Kaitaia. That's if he don't get 10 punctures along the way!!!!!
*Nicole Gurr: The patch of road between Hikurangi and Whananaki North rd!! The pot-holes and bumps are so bad they hurt my car!!
*Kay Nichols: Brenderwyn to Dargaville to Whangarei.
*Brynn Pitman-Peek: Take him south through the blue goose trenches and don't forget to let him know that stretch of road has been like that since june/july after the first big storm and i would like a rebate on 4xtyres for my car.
*Monique Wagener: Kaitaia to the cape, for a state highway its shocking!
*Vani Te Haara Wynyard: SH12 between Kaikohe & Waipoua!
*Joy Hoyle: Take him Otaika Valley Rd and Maungakahia Rds, let him play dodge the pot-holes.