Northland needs to embrace the notion of a substantial deep water port at Whangarei along with a rail link.
Such development would ease the need for expansion of Auckland.
Northland could well develop an international airport north of Whangarei, possibly Kerikeri or Kaitaia - either would, with skilled marketing, shiftmuch of our tourism out of Auckland and aid the congestion and some of the employment and housing needs.
Such action would be well worth a thought and government could well expand thinking and splash some money on such infrastructure.
It would long term be better investment than in America's Cup, convention centre and some of the other short-term profits for a smaller segment of our population.
