Pressure on for more road cash

Northland's roads need more money spent on them. Photo / File

Northland's roads are less getting funding than three years ago - but the region's politicians are pushing the Government's transport agency to cough up more to get the crumbling network up to scratch.

Figures released to the Northern Advocate show less money will have been spent on Northland roads in the three-year period to June this year than in the previous three-year cycle.

In the 2009-12 funding cycle, the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) spent $319.91 million on the Northland's highways, while councils contributed $90.67 million to their own roads.

The projected spend to June 30, 2015 - including the actual spend to June 2014 - is $269.63 million by NZTA and $89.1 million by councils.

Northland Regional Council transport committee chairman John Bain said Northland received more than its share of NZTA funding considering its population, but probably a great deal less considering the amount of roading in the region.

"Northland's economy is growing faster than any other region in the country," Mr Bain said.

"Obviously, we're starting from a lower base but, with $1.8 billion in exports going out of Northland every year, it seems ridiculous to have to rely on roads that flood and get affected by slips."

Transport Minister Simon Bridges visited Northland in December, following controversy over what was seen as a broken election promise.

His predecessor Gerry Brownlee had pledged the Government would cover 90 per cent of the cost of repairing winter storm damage. The dispute over who paid how much seems to have been resolved, with the NZTA raising payouts while the council's estimated repair bill has dropped from an initial $40 million to about $24 million.

Regional transport committees and councils across the country are currently devising their wishlists for the next funding cycle.

Mr Bain said Northland's transport committee had "genuine hope" the NZTA would look favourably on Northland this time around.

"Theirs is certainly an unenviable task and they are sympathetic to our situation," he said.

"Safety, resilience and economics need to be focused on, going forward, so there are long-term solutions as opposed to short-term repairs."

Northland would receive $10-$13.5 million of the package to realign the Akerama curves, just north of Hukerenui, and put in a new passing lane. An additional $15-$20 million would be spent improving the safety on Loop Rd, north to Smeatons Hill.