The war of words over roading projects in the north of the North Island is heating up with the Northland Regional Transport Committee chairman outraged with the Auckland Regional Council (ARC) giving low priority to the $2.3bn SH 1 extension between Puhoi and Wellsford. John Bain maintains the four-lane 34km link proposed by the Govt as one of seven “roads of national significance” is critical to the prosperity of his region.

This stance is in stark contrast to the ARC and its chairman Mike Lee who has labelled the project the “holiday highway” and believes it has little economic significance. The project rated the lowest priority of 15 transport projects planned for the Auckland region assessed by ARC staff. Bain says he is “disgusted” at Lee’s description of the project and unimpressed with a claim by regional transport chairwoman Christine Rose its construction will siphon money away from local roads.

“…the top third of the North Island which we represent is in need of some fairly severe road improvements to our state highways.” Bain claims the need for the upgrade is based on Northland attracting five million visitors as year, including a million overseas tourists, bringing “immense benefits” both to his region and the national economy. However, Bain does not provide any figures as to exactly what the direct economic impact of highway improvements would be nor whether or not the region is losing actual or potential business investment and tourists because of the current state of the highway.

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