March 14, 2017
Maori communities left behind in bridge lane
One of the candidates in the Northland by-election says Maori are at the bottom of the list when it comes to delivering the bridges promised in that campaign.
National promised to replace 10 one-lane bridges, but went quiet after its candidate Mark Osborne lost to Winston Peters.
Last week work started on two bridges at Matakohe in the Kaipara area, and bridges at Taipa and Kaeo are included in the next funding scyle.
Reuben Taipari Porter, who flew the flag for Mana in the by-election, says they are all on main roads.
"All of our whanau who live in the Maori communities around Matawaia, Moerewa, around Tangirau into Whangaroa and up in Muriwhenua, nothing for the Maori communities and we get flooded, our homes get flooded and wrecked and we get evacuated from our areas but no funding comes to our Maori communities," he says.
FULL INTERVIEW WITH RUEBEN TAIPARI PORTER
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