Some Northland leaders are dissatisfied with a visit from Associate Transport Minister Kieran McAnulty – wanting the Prime Minister, who hasn’t been in the region since January, to see the Far North’s storm-damaged roads as well.

State Highway 1 has been closed at Mangamuka Gorge, just south of Kaitāia, since heavy rain on August 18 and 19 caused a series of slips.

On Thursday, McAnulty, who is also the Minister for Emergency Management, assessed the damage by helicopter.

Seeing the damage – and length of detours – first-hand, gave him an appreciation of what the region was suffering, he said.

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McAnulty said he would report back to Transport Minister Michael Woods and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern about the extent of the damage and the fact it would not be a quick fix.

But he said there was no need for Ardern to visit the region herself, like she had in Marlborough, where a state of emergency was declared after the same weather event and some communities remain isolated.

“I have no doubt that this has been significant for the region and has caused disruption, but we must keep in mind the context,” McAnulty said.

“We have, through this very same weather event, Marlborough, Nelson, Tasman and West Coast all declare states of emergency.”

However, Far North District councillor Felicity Foy said many Northlanders felt neglected and while McAnulty’s visit was a good start, Ardern also needed to visit.

The Far North has high deprivation, one of the highest population of Māori residents in the country, high levels of logging and underinvestment in roads, she said.

Ardern has not visited Northland since January, when she was yelled at and chased by anti-vax protesters and then forced to isolate after coming into close contact with a Covid-19 case.

Her previous visit to that, in November, was also disrupted by anti-vaccination heckling.

A spokesperson for the Prime Minister did not address Stuff’s questions about how much the protesters had influenced her decision not to visit Northland.

“The Prime Minister has been a frequent visitor to the north since being elected to the role in 2017, and the Government has invested heavily in Northland since taking office, including $656 million through the Provincial Growth Fund and $300m on roads,” the spokesperson said.

The three Labour MPs in the region provided regular updates and the Government had supported storm-damaged farmers with $30,000 in funding, the spokesperson said.

“We take the issues facing the north seriously.”

But National’s Christopher Luxon – who visited Northland in April and is planning another trip – said Northlanders felt neglected.

“What I constantly hear from regional communities around the country is that Labour has neglected them and is too Wellington-focused.”

However, Far North mayor John Carter said he felt Northland did have the ear of politicians.

He was in contact with McAnulty since the August storm and was pleased he was able to come up to see the damage in person.

Carter said there needed to be long-term funding solutions for Northland’s poor roads, which had been the victims of underinvestment for some time.