Source: Radio New Zealand
Shane Jones at Waitangi in 2025. RNZ/Samuel Rillstone
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.
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.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
