Ernst Zollner
This month the New Zealand Transport Agency released details of its 2015-18 National Land Transport Programme.
The $460 million investment is something that touches the lives of everyone in Northland and across New Zealand.
It is one of the most progressive programmes Northland has seen.
We listened to your concerns about resilience and freight access and there are tangible steps to improve these areas.
Working with councils, we have new national standards to ensure consistent and fair investment decisions. We have developed more collaborative relationships with your councils and are now seeing the benefits of working together to get the best outcomes for Northland.
Improving state highways as well as local roads lies at the heart of most of Northland's key programmes, and over the next three years there is a 25 per cent increase in local road and operating investment in Northland, bringing the total to $191 million.
While we have not been able to agree to sealing entire stretches of road to deal with dust, we have set aside funds to help councils carry out localised dust-mitigation measures.
An efficient freight system remains vital to Northland's prosperity.
To help make it easier to move freight safely and efficiently, the transport agency has proposed designating the Northland Inland Freight Route as a state highway and will pay the $5 million annual maintenance costs, shifting the burden away from ratepayers.
Over the next three years, $32 million is available for low-cost works to help maintain a roading network that can reliably provide for the transport needs of Northland folk during regular severe-weather events, reduce the risk of slips and surface flooding and ensure communities can bounce back when nature strikes.
By the end of August, the NZ Transport Agency will have completed repair works on slips across the region caused during last year's flooding.
Another top priority is reducing deaths and serious injuries by improving and maintaining the segments of the road that have the highest risks.
The programme for 2015-18 includes $13 million to improve safety and resilience along state highways in Northland.
This includes continued investment in the Akerama Improvements project, SH1 Loop Rd improvements and the extensive work on the northern side of the Brynderwyn Hills.
Some of the activities we fund and manage are familiar, others are less well-known.
For example, the transport agency works with the Northland Regional Council to fund public transport. In this three-year period our shared public transport investment in Northland will reach $6.5 million.
The same goes for cycling investment. In the next three years the transport agency will be contributing to the most significant cycling investment made in Northland - $5 million will see the completion of the Kamo Cycling Route.
This will provide a safer connection for Whangarei's schoolchildren.
It is important we keep up the momentum of the progress we have made. There is still a lot to be done, which is why we have already started on the next stage, improving connections between Whangarei and Auckland.
A total of $48 million has been approved for further investigations and procurement of the Ara Tuhono-Puhoi to Warkworth project, with construction to begin in 2016.
All of this investment and work recognises the crucial contribution that Northland makes to the New Zealand economy and ensures Northland receives the investment it needs as part of our national land-transport system.
It is a journey we can look forward to making together.
-Ernst Zollner is the NZ Transport Agency Northland regional director