Northland MP and New Zealand First leader Winston Peters says the government needs to address the health and safety issue caused by unsealed roads in the region.
“The government’s lack of concern for Northland has turned rural roads into unhealthy dustbowls that can no longer be ignored,” says Peters.
“The roadblocks set up around the region this week show just how desperate people are to get their concerns known,” he says.
“Ever since 2009 when the government took money out of rural roads and channelled it into Roads of National Significance, Northland’s rural roads have been left to deteriorate alarmingly,” says Peters
“Every time a truck goes down one of these roads clouds of dust present a severe health risk, and some of these roads have up to 80 log truck movements a day,” he says.
“The Whangarei District Council has applied for NZ Transport Agency funding to seal parts of the worst-affected roads, but it’s up to the government to step in and provide money immediately to address this serious problem,” says Peters.
