Far North residents are now able to sign a petition that could drive a referendum on the state of New Zealand’s roads.
Te Koukou, the Far North District Council’s new transport committee, has agreed the petition, being circulated around other councils, should be promoted in the Far North.
Spearheaded by New Plymouth District Council, it calls for a citizen-initiated referendum to address funding shortfalls for state highway maintenance. Petition organisers are aiming to capture the signatures of 10% of the New Zealand electorate to trigger a non-binding referendum.
The idea for the petition was discussed by the nation’s mayors at the Local Government New Zealand Conference in Christchurch in July.
The petition asks: “Should the New Zealand government fund road maintenance at levels sufficient to reverse the current decline in the average age and condition of our national state highway network?”
The petition is now available for the public to sign at council service centres across the district.
