How will our local roads be funded in future? Will commercial traffic be tolled? Is local road funding likely to keep up with population growth and usage trends?

In this episode of the True North podcast we speak with district councillor Ann Court, one of the most clued-up people in Northland on the vexed issue of our historically woeful road network.

Ann’s very clear – continued and ongoing conversations around Northland’s economic potential, and locally-driven moves to realise that potential, are the quickest and best way to ensure that Northland’s roads get the attention they're crying out for.

And while at least one of Northland’s three district councils is now inspecting its belly-button – yet again – and conducting a reality check over its wild ambition to manage its local road network in-house, we explore with Ann the thinking (or lack of it?) that prompted local government in the region to kill off the regional roading organisation, the Northland Transportation Alliance.

It’s a funny old world. And this back and forth on roading policy might indeed be worth a laugh – if it didn’t cost anything. But it does.

Links to items referred to in the show:

Stuff NZ: Barrier Air article

https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/360697868/we-are-here-stay-tiny-nz-airline-taking-air-new-zealand