No quick-fix for Mangamuka

With the Mangamuka Gorge remaining closed, I want to clear up any confusion about how your politicians are lobbying for a solution.

Last week I was contacted by a journalist who intended to write a story about the fact that myself and Willow-Jean Prime had not been advocating for our constituents regarding the gorge closure.

This was based off a request done under the Official Information Act that picked up only a smattering of official letters or emails sent by our offices to Transport Minister Michael Wood on the subject.

Now, I must admit this raised my hackles a bit.

The benefit of being in Wellington as a politician, is that you can actually talk to other politicians.

As a minister, I am privileged to also have access to my fellow ministers responsible for other areas including Minister Wood.

It means I don’t need to write an official letter and wait for an official response. I see Minister Wood at Caucus, at Cabinet, in the lift, at the cafe´ . I talk regularly to him about the gorge, the concerns of locals and the need to keep working on what is a complicated problem.

You will excuse me if I’m sounding a bit like a broken record. I know I have written several times in this column already about the gorge, but it is by far the biggest issue I am hearing in the Far North and one that deserves our attention.

I have heard many opinions from people about what should happen about the gorge and their opinion on the best way forward.

The other day someone told me they knew for a fact the best option was to build a new route on the other side. When I said that was interesting and asked what engineer had given them that opinion, they replied that they had actually heard it from a couple of pig hunters.

Now, I know that we all want a solution to this problem that is affecting our lives sooner rather than later but we have to listen to what the experts are telling us.

I talked to them just this week and they echoed what I have been saying.

Parts of the gorge are continuing to slip and move, making the task of proper surveying extremely difficult.

There are 15 complicated slips that need to be shored up, in what they described as some of the country’s worst geological conditions for road building.

But despite that, the plan, after proper surveying and planning, is to re-open the route.

At this stage, there is no solid timeframe or cost estimate. I know that’s not what people want to hear, but it is the reality.

In the meantime I am working with my ministerial colleagues on ways we can support the people affected by this problem.

I know how disruptive it is, I myself am one of those affected. But rest assured the problem is being taken seriously.