On the road to recovery

By Kahika Moko Tepania

Kia ora Far North whānau!

One of the best things about being an elected member is meeting the many inspiring community, business, and youth leaders we have. These people help make changes, whether it’s installing playground shade sails, shaping council policy, or ensuring neighbours are safe during emergencies. Having a kōrero with these day-to-day heroes and sharing their triumphs and the mahi being done across our district to make it a better place is definitely one of the highlights of being mayor. More and more these days, discussions turn to another topic: the terrible state of the roads, the potholes, the slips, and the washouts. Our vital roading network is in a state of critical failure.

With the recent appearance in the night sky of Matariki and Puanga (the star we use here in the north to mark the new year), it is a time to reflect on the past, acknowledge the present, and prepare for the future. Let’s look at where we’ve been. Since January, we’ve faced ex-tropical Cyclone Hale, Cyclone Gabrielle, and another 10 heavy rain events here in the Far North. It’s been the wettest year in more than 70 years.

Some of us were directly impacted with damage to homes, businesses, and properties. But all of us have experienced the damage to our already struggling road network. And I know you are all feeling the pain – every single day.

Even as our hardworking contractors started tackling the major issues, the constant rainfall in June impacted the already fragile road network. Once again, we saw more slips, more flooding, and even more fallen trees.

The Northern Transportation Alliance held a workshop with the council at the end of June. Some of the statistics bring a scary reality of what it will take to bring our critical 2,507 kilometres of roads across the Far North back up to standard.

On average, our roading teams deal with about 12 to 14 slips at a time. Currently, they are facing a staggering 330. Northland’s state highway network alone has had more than 20,000 potholes already this year. By the end of June, we were still dealing with more than 600 roading requests – around twice what we would normally handle.

Because of the vast number of slips and potholes, our roading teams must first prioritise workstreams to address the worst-hit areas. That’s no easy task, but our committed crews are tackling it head-on.

What about the here and now? To ensure we have better oversight on the state of our roading network and the actions needed to rectify these issues, council has established a new transport committee. This will also provide an avenue for communities to approach the council on roading. In keeping with naming our committees after native birds, we’ve called it Te Koukou – a native owl associated with travellers. A mihi of thanks to our own Senior New Zealander of the Year, Papa Rereata Mākiha, for the name.

Through our Te Koukou committee, I want to achieve better outcomes for both residents and visitors across our district by giving us a governance vehicle to drive change and keep everyone up to speed. Connectivity is so important to us up here in the Far North.

Matariki and Puanga are also about looking to the future. So what does that look like? Stronger communication, improved connections, and better roads. I know that’s our collective vision.

By next Matariki, I look forward to better outcomes, better funding, and safer, more connected communities across the Far North. 

Happy New Year and stay safe.