For the last eight months, since I was elected as the Te Hiku constituency councillor on the Northland Regional Council, I have driven over 7000 kilometres in trips to and from council meetings, mostly in Whangarei, one, two and sometimes three times a week.
These trips are salutary,as I consider the condition of State Highway 1 from Kaitaia to Whangarei. I am motivated to continue to lobby Cr John Bain, chairman of the Northland Regional Transport Committee, and the other regional council committee member Cr Paul Dimery, to apply more pressure to the NZ Transport Agency for improvements to our roads in the Far North.
The trips home are a time to reflect on the day's work, and what a couple of good friends to the Far North we have in Crs Dover Samuels and Joe Carr.
On these trips I encounter lots of trucks, logging trucks, freight trucks, milk tankers etc. All shifting the wealth that is being created in the North to markets, production plants and to Northport. I have to say that by and large I am impressed by the courtesy and professionalism of the drivers of these big rigs. I am often signalled when it's safe to overtake, and they pull over to the left.
