At least two candidates standing in the Whanganui electorate believe more use of rail services would help overcome any shortcoming in the region's roading network.
Their comments follow National incumbent Chester Borrows talking up the Government spending more than $680 million on roads and highways across Wanganui and Manawatu since 2008.
Both Heather Marion Smith (Democrats for Social Credit) and Nancy Tuaine (Maori Party) said focus needed to shift to rail as a viable alternative while Labour's Hamish McDouall said Mr Borrows was trying to sweep the matter under the carpet.
Mr Borrows' comment was in response to a full-page advertisement in Saturday's Chronicle placed by the Wanganui District Council.
The council has gone on the front foot in its bid to secure more road funding from the Government via the NZ Transport Agency after a review of the funding model indicated Wanganui district's funding would be significantly trimmed.
The council argued even with less than 1 per cent of the country's population, the district generated more than $2 billion in gross domestic product with a roading network that accounted for $405 million in value from forestry, meat and dairy.
It said these figures were a clear indication "we are boxing well above our weight" but that NZTA's formula did not take that contribution to the nation's economy into account.
Mayor Annette Main said planned cuts in funding will have significant implications on council's 10-Year Plan and is "a matter of high community interest".
Ms Main said highlighting the issue in this way was seen as "advance consultation" with the community.
"Their views and questions will assist in early decision-making ahead of the draft 10-Year Plan," she said.
Mr Borrows said in spite of what the council claimed, the Government had invested more than $680 million in roads and highways in Wanganui and Manawatu since 2008.
"National is investing billions on transport initiatives to improve economic growth and road safety in the regions, recently announcing $212 million in a package of 14 regionally important State highway projects," he said.
He said the $212 million was on top of the $360 million proposed for regional roading in the draft Government policy statement on land transport, in the form of a fund of up to $90 million a year which can only be spent on regional projects.
But Ms Smith said while talking up the multi-million spend on roads "Mr Borrows hopes we will fail to see where he is really steering us".
"Reliable roads are essential and have been the chief means of opening up our farmlands and forests over time. What National is deliberately ignoring is another 'r' word - rail," she said.
She said rail freight and passenger services were in urgent need of restoration and development because they were often the safer and more efficient means of transport.
Ms Tuaine said the region faced challenges competing for any of investment and for that reason her party was pushing for better use of rail.
"It's something our region will need to definitely consider with half of our district's forest estates reaching harvesting age between 2020-2030, bringing about 270,000 truckloads of logs through our rural roads," she said.
"Public-private partnerships and collaboration with industry to manage the impact is needed now."
Mr McDouall said the reduction in the funding assistance for roading (FAR) "will suck over $1 million dollars out of the council's budget for local roads annually with ratepayers paying the difference".
"Each percentage point removed equates to $120,000 dollars so over nine years this would mean a rates rise of 2.5 per cent in Wanganui.
"The Government's roading priority is Auckland and we in Wanganui will be paying for that. My opponent has not advocated for our district. He's not even acknowledging this concern and pretends everything is going along swimmingly," he said.
Alan Davidson said during its terms in office, Labour "had stopped almost all infrastructure projects" but in six years National had been very active.
"It has built three new bridges across the Waikato River, a new bridge across the Puhoi River, started the Transmission Gully motorway, the Kapiti by-pass, and the Waikato and Hamilton expressways.
"There have also been by-passes and bridges, expressways in Tauranga and the Waterview tunnel in Auckland."
He said all were projects which will grow the country's economy.
"Provincial rail is an economic disaster," Mr Davidson said.