Grant McCallum has enjoyed a challenging first year as Northland MP.
It’s been just over a year since Grant McCallum was elected Northland MP. Reporter Jenny Ling finds out how he’s been dealing with the issues that matter.
Community meetings about youth crime, major SH1 closures, and a pylon that toppled over in a field causing Northland-wide power cuts – by all accounts, Grant McCallum’s first year on the job has been “really busy”.
So much so, the Northland MP and Maungatūroto farmer has had to buy new tyres for his Isuzu D-Max.
“It’s been a really busy year,” he said.
“I’ve just changed the tyres on my ute two days ago.
“Since April 6 last year I’ve done 70,000km and 42,000 of those have been since the election.”
Then there’s been a steady stream of visitors to McCallum’s Kerikeri office, along with emails and phone calls from constituents with concerns ranging from immigration to the quality of roading, and projects needing consent.
“People are approaching us all the time to help solve their problems.
“The privilege of the job is you get the opportunity to help ... I get schools approaching me with problems with their internet – it’s a whole range.
“The little wins are just as satisfying as big wins like lobbying for the roads.”
It was a nail-biting night at the Kerikeri Golf Club when National supporters gathered to hear the election results last October 14.
McCallum took back the Northland seat from Labour’s Willow-Jean Prime with 16,272 votes, for a majority of 6087, against Prime’s 10,185 votes.
While campaigning, and during his maiden speech in Parliament in February, McCallum promised to focus on “issues that matter” like the cost of living, crime, and roading.
Unexpected problems have also cropped up, like the fallen Transpower pylon, and a seaweed called caulerpa.
So, how’s that all been going?
The cost of living in Northland remains high and continues to be a challenge for many residents.
While fruit and vegetable prices have decreased, many Northlanders are still struggling with high food prices, and the average weekly rent in Northland is $580.
However, interest rates have dropped recently; in August, The Reserve Bank cut the official cash rate (OCR) by 25 basis points (bps) to 5.25%, the first reduction in over four years, and in October it was cut again by 50 bps to 4.75%.
McCallum said the coalition Government is focused on getting inflation under control.
“If inflation’s dropping that means the price of food is dropping across the country.
“The other big one around all that is interest rates.
“Anyone with a mortgage, any business with a loan ... a drop in interest rates makes a massive difference.
“So that’s really helping with the cost of living.
“Also, the pressure is coming off rents; increases have slowed and in some places, have dropped a bit.”
McCallum highlighted the recent spate of crime in Dargaville, including the burglaries of homes and businesses, ram raids and two homicides.
Earlier this month the Northern Advocate reported people are considering selling up because of a lack of police presence.
McCallum said there was a “really constructive” public meeting a few weeks ago, attended by 150 people including police minister Mark Mitchell, Northland area commander inspector Maria Nordstrom, and district commander Matt Srhoj.
McCallum acknowledged more police were needed region-wide.
“Both [Nordstrom and Srhoj] highlighted they’ve got some vacancies in Northland ... they’re very keen to find new recruits.
“What really helps is having new recruits from Northland, particularly the mid-North.
“It’d be great if anyone in the area fancies a new career in the police.”
Another meeting with police, community groups and Māori wardens was held on October 29, McCallum said.
That focussed on the “causes and challenges of crime, particularly youth crime”.
“One thing we need is to get kids to school ... if they’re not going to school we’ve got to try and work out why.”
McCallum campaigned on a four-lane highway to improve connectivity for Northlanders, who have suffered through countless and lengthy SH1 closures at the Brynderwyns and the Mangamukas.
“One of the biggest challenges I’ve had to deal with has been the closure of the Brynderwyns.
“It really created a lot of angst in the North.
“I acknowledge the hardship it did create for some in the North, particularly the tourism sector and the trucking businesses which rely on freight.”
In July, the Government announced it would accelerate work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme.
The Northland Expressway will be split into three phases; Warkworth to Te Hana, Te Hana to Port Marsden (alternative to the Brynderwyn Hills) and Port Marsden to Whangārei.
Though an alternative route over the Brynderwyns still hasn’t been decided, NZ Transport Agency [NZTA] will make an announcement by the end of March as part of the Te Hana to Port Marsden section, McCallum said.
Is it happening fast enough?
“We all want it quicker ... but what will help is we’ve made it a road of national significance and we’ve put in a fast-track process.
“We are looking to review the Public Works Act, so while still respecting property rights, we can progress the purchase of the land a lot quicker.
“And we’re looking to fund it as one project.
“It’s 100km of new road. It’s a big deal.”
McCallum is particularly proud of “getting $1 million out of Transpower” following a pylon collapse in June that left 88,000 Northlanders without power and was estimated to have cost the region around $60m.
McCallum and former Northchamber chief executive Darryn Fisher lobbied for compensation after it became known Omexon contractors doing routine maintenance caused the pylon to fall when they removed too many nuts from its feet.
“When the pylon fell over, it cost Northlanders a lot of money.
“I said to them [Transpower] look, you owe Northland at least a goodwill payment.
“They started at zero and we managed to get them up to $1m.
“As far as I’m aware it’s never been done before.
“To be fair, no one’s ever undone all the bolts in a pylon before either.
“But I’m proud to have driven that and get Transpower to agree to a goodwill payment of $1m.
“Is it enough? No. Is it better than nothing? Absolutely.”
The invasive seaweed caulerpa was found at Rāwhiti in the Bay of Islands in May 2023, shortly after Northland authorities slammed the then Labour Government for being too slow to deal with “the world’s worst” marine seaweed pest.
Northland Regional Council (NRC) leaders called for an urgent meeting with the former biosecurity minister about the exotic seaweed, which forms a carpet across the seafloor that smothers all in its path, killing traditional shellfish and kaimoana gathering areas.
The weed poses a huge threat to Te Tai Tokerau’s environmental, economic, social and cultural features.
McCallum said he’s been working closely with the NRC and Ministry for Primary Industries [MPI].
“We originally got $5m out of them to help do more trial work, then we got another $10m recently to help control, and, as best we can, eradicate caulerpa.
“Because it has potentially huge detrimental effects on the Bay of Islands.”
Overall, he has enjoyed his first year in the role.
So how would he rate his performance out of 10?
McCallum wouldn’t budge on a number, but said he’d “like to think I’ve got a pass mark”.
“The most satisfying thing is I’m getting feedback that people appreciate that I’m getting around the communities, I’m getting around the North, which from Mangawhai to Cape Reinga is five hours drive.
“I like to think it’s a pass mark but ultimately, it’s not for me to judge.
“It’ll be for the electors to judge at the next election.
“If I work hard and do a good job, hopefully they’ll support me.”
Jenny Ling is a senior journalist at the Northern Advocate. She has a special interest in covering human interest stories, along with roading, lifestyle, business, and animal welfare issues.
The announcement comes after recent concerns around a lack of doctors at Kāitāia Hospital.