Over the past week, we have seen various articles and media releases talking about the loss of life and the damage caused to New Zealand, and many of us are still dealing with our own issues caused by Cyclone Gabrielle and subsequent extreme weather.
Dome Valley, the Brynderwyns and the Mangamukas are three sections of State Highway 1 in Northland that were severed, stopping businesses, creating traffic issues, and increasing the costs for transportation of goods.
Subsequent reports have found the Brynderwyns 58-day closures cost Northland about a minimum of $2 million a day, a total of almost $115m. Because of long-term underfunding, the damage to the two bypass routes (Cove Rd, and Paparoa-Oakleigh Rd) also came to almost $110m.
One year on and the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) Waka Kotahi has been working on all three sections of the state highway, along with providing additional funding to fix Cove Rd and Paparoa-Oakleigh Rd.
If you have travelled over the Brynderwyns lately you would have seen the contractors forcing the traffic to drive slowly, reducing the road to one lane, and even transporting fill and doing construction work so they are ready for next week’s $61m closure for nine weeks, which will give this section of SH1 a life extension of another five years. This will be the last big repair work on the Brynderwyns until the completion of the four-lane expressway.
The Brynderwyns has been repeatedly closed because of Cyclone Gabrielle and other severe storms.
Meanwhile, the cruise ship season has started for Northland, with Whangārei’s first official cruise ship (docked at Marsden Point on 4 February) being hugely successful.
Many of the Whangārei hot spots, like the Hundertwasser Art Centre with Wairau Māori Art Gallery, Kiwi North Museum, Kiwi House and Heritage Park, Quarry Gardens, and the Whangārei waterfront, received some needed income injections, and those away from the city benefited too, like the SH12 Kauri Museum and Waipu Museum.
Northland has so much to offer the world, from our beautiful natural landscapes, native bush scenes and our history, to our innovative and creative communities; this is what attracts visitors and keeps them coming back for more.
There are a lot of events planned for Whangārei over the next few months, from Street Sprints to Artbeat, International Rugby and Food and Wine Festivals – our city has a lot going on. This is why I love Whangārei. Where else can you go in the world and see what we have at our doorstep every day?
Of course, a vibrant, healthy city needs good foundations.
When I became mayor of Whangārei, I said we needed to focus on our infrastructure, as I believe we need good foundations to grow from.
Our long-term strategic planning helps shape this growth, and with increased construction costs, insurance, and our district’s high growth, it is more important than ever for you to get involved. Consultation will begin in late March for a month. Get ready to have your say.
