Minister Shane Jones speaking at the roading upgrade opening on Wednesday.
Photo: RNZ / Giles Dexter
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones is hailing the completion of upgrades to the road to the Treaty Grounds in time for Waitangi Day this year.
Haruru Falls Road has been paved with added guardrails, drainage and earthworks thanks to $1.57 million from the Regional Infrastructure Fund and $400,000 from the Far North District Council.
The upgrade – completed with just days to spare – provides a second paved route to the grounds without the need to go through Paihia.
Jones attended the opening on Wednesday with iwi leaders, trustees of the Waitangi National Trust, Far North Mayor Moko Tepania and other dignitaries.
“Anyone familiar with the road will know that it was a dusty, uneven and sometimes treacherous route because it was partially unsealed,” Jones said.
He revealed an incident with Parliament’s Speaker had been the impetus to get the road upgraded.
“Last year, Gerry Brownlee, the Speaker of the House, came over the road. And the vehicle, and perhaps a little bit of himself, was covered in dust. He felt given there’s 160,000 plus visitors who come here, that is that the best we could do?”
Speaking to media after the road’s opening, Jones remarked it was a wonder it had not been done sooner.
“I think a lot of us in the North probably take for granted how significant the site is, having grown up around the area, and it is a crappy look that coming into Waitangi, you have to sort of battle through a road,” he said.
“And for a relatively small amount of money, it kind of makes you wonder why we never did it a lot earlier, actually.”
A further $10.2m from the RIF is helping with upgrades to the grounds themselves, including car parks, toilet blocks, pathway lighting and drainage to protect the Treaty House, due for completion this year.
“The Waitangi Treaty Grounds are a place for all New Zealanders and where much of our country’s history was shaped. It’s a site of national significance and its importance is evident in the more than 160,000 visitors who head to the grounds each year,” Jones said.
Chief executive of the Waitangi Treaty Grounds Ben Dalton praised the investment, saying while there was a lot of political “theatre” around the annual commemorations, there were genuine opportunities to meet with people in power and advocate for the region.
“No one wants a whole region that’s an economic backwater, so you’re going to need the co-operation of the government, the local people, the councils, and the private sector to be able to change that.”
Upgrading the one-lane bridge into the Treaty Grounds was also on local wishlists, but while the government expected that would come before the 200th anniversary it was not in the immediate pipeline.
“I used to come jumping off that bridge as a kid, but I dare say there’ll be a lot of other expectations from my colleagues in Parliament as to which bridges should be fixed up before the bridge at Waitangi,” Jones said.
“It’s a site of manu significance,” added Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka.
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