Winston Peters: Where to now for Northland?

Winston Peters.

For two weeks now the nation's attention has been on the upper South Island as the residents there struggle to get their lives on track in the wake of a devastating earthquake.

Some progress has been made since the turmoil of the early days, but the challenges confronting the people of Kaikoura and its wider area are monumental, even daunting.

The famous Kiwi spirit will be sorely needed. So will a considerable amount of money.

To rebuild State Highway 1 between Picton and Kaikoura and further south, and other roads, will take billions of dollars.

And the money needed to restore the main trunk rail line along the rugged Kaikoura coastline will make another hole in the public purse.

How is this relevant to the people of Northland?

It means Kaikoura will be at the top of the government's priority list. Other urgent projects around the country, including in Northland, will likely be shunted aside.

Even before the Kaikoura earthquake the government's record of following up on promises made has been abysmal.

It will be worse now.

The country now faces a situation we saw when the government announced a paltry $12 million for local councils to build toilets and other infrastructure to cope with the influx of huge numbers of tourists.

The amount was laughable, but none of the councils that had to scrap to get their hands on the money were laughing.

So it will be after the Kaikoura earthquake.

Auckland, under its new Mayor, Phil Goff, will now be even more vociferous in clamouring for taxpayer money to deal with the massive housing, transportation and infrastructure problems his city faces.

Other regions with similar problems will also be lobbying hard for government funding. Northland's problems, hopes and aspirations, meanwhile, will be ignored - just as they have been for years.

What happened to the 10 two-lane bridges National promised to build for Northland?

Where is the $69 million they said was put aside for the bridges?

The government has known for years that rural Northland roads are falling apart because they will not provide subsidy funding. Since 2009 road funding for Northland has dropped significantly, while rural roading support money has gone to Roads of National Significance.

The government has also sat by as our rail system has been run down.

In September, KiwiRail cut the Whangarei-Auckland service from 20 train movements per week to 10, five each way. Also in September the Kauri-Otiria line was shut down, putting greater numbers of big log trucks on our already over-stressed roads.

All of Northland sympathises with Kaikoura, but unfortunately, the southern disaster will be seized on by the National government as an excuse to continue its prevarication and lack of action in Northland.