increase font size
It is time to stop politicising Northland’s roads, Parliament was told.
New Northland MP Grant McCallum says people in the region have had enough of road closures.
The National MP and Maungaturoto dairy farmer told Parliament last month that Northlanders have had enough.
“It is time to stop politicising Northland’s roads. It is time all the members of this house release the handbrake on Northlands prosperity and back the four-lane highway.
“It is a vital part of lifting families out of poverty by enabling businesses to invest, creating jobs and opportunities across a range of sectors and breathing new life into Northland.
“Northland will not prosper by increasing the size of the welfare cheque.”
McCallum noted Northland is a community of small communities – with towns like Kaitaia, Mangonui, Kawakawa, Dargaville, Maungaturoto and Mangawhai.
“The two towns I wish to focus on are Kerikeri and Kaikohe. They are 30 minutes apart, but in some cases worlds apart.
“They symbolise the challenges and opportunities in Northland. They need each other.
“This is not an either-or- story, it’s an and-and one. In 1953, Kaikohe was the hub of the North where Queen Elizabeth stayed during her tour of New Zealand. Kerikeri was a smaller village to the east.”
So, what changed? McCallum says it’s all about water.
In the 1970’s and 80’s, two dams were built to irrigate the fertile land around Kerikeri.
He says the results are obvious.
“Economic growth resulting in jobs in a town that now has a population of 8500 and is still growing. It has become a significant economic driver for Northland.
“I am pleased to see that in the Kaikohe area we now have one dam that has been built and another in Waimate North being built.
 |
|---|
|
New Northland MP Grant McCallum says people in the region have had enough of road closures. |
“There is also the Ngawha Geothermal power station, the first carbon neutral plant in New Zealand, and the Ngawha innovation park.”
McCallum says if ever there is a region that has untapped potential – it is Northland.
“We are located next to the biggest city in the country, and we have a great coastline and beaches.
“We are blessed with quality soils that can grow a large range of crops.
“We have one of the highest percentages of young people under 15 in the country, yet we are struggling economically and socially and have done for a long time. The single biggest factor holding us back is connectivity, and particularly the quality of our roading infrastructure.”
If there was a silver lining in the tragedy that was Cyclone Gabrielle, for New Zealand Young Grower of the Year, Grace Fulford, it was the tremendous sense of community and seeing first-hand what good leadership looks like.
Listed carpet manufacturer, Bremworth is undertaking a $6 million expansion at its Napier plant more than two years after the site was heavily damaged by Cyclone Gabrielle.
The road between Napier and Wairoa is on the mend.
The Good Carbon Farm has partnered with Tolaga Bay Heritage Charitable Trust to deliver its first project in Tairāwhiti Gisborne.
A large Māori-owned kiwifruit business that was badly damaged by Cyclone Gabrielle has bounced back with a vengeance.
The climate of uncertainty and market fragmentation that currently characterises the global economy suggests that many of the European agricultural machinery manufacturers will be looking for new markets.
Dignitaries from all walks of life – the governor general, politicians past and present, Maoridom- including the Maori Queen, church leaders, the primary sector and family and friends packed Our Lady of Kapiti’s Catholic church in Paraparaumu on Thursday October 23 to pay tribute to former prime Minister, Jim Bolger who died last week.
Agriculture and Forestry Minister, Todd McClay is encouraging farmers, growers, and foresters not to take unnecessary risks, asking that they heed weather warnings today.
With nearly two million underutilised dairy calves born annually and the beef price outlook strong, New Zealand’s opportunity to build a scalable dairy-beef system is now.
Graduates of a newly-updated Agri-Women’s Development Trust (AWDT) course are taking more value than ever from the programme, with some even walking away calling themselves the “farm CFO”.
Meet the Need, a farmer-led charity, says food insecurity in New Zealand is dire, with one in four children now living in a household experiencing food insecurity, according to Ministry of Health data.
OPINION: The Greens have taken the high moral ground on the Palestine issue and been leading political agitators in related…
One of the most galling aspects of the tariffs whacked on our farm exports to the US is the fact…
