There may be a case for special government funding to seal logging roads that are shared by school buses, says Far North Mayor John Carter.
A logging truck on an unsealed road in Northland. Photo: RNZ / Lois Williams
Rural residents in the Far North and Whangarei have been pleading for action on the dust clouds created by logging trucks, on the basis that they are a health and safety hazard.
Local councils have sealed strips of the roads to limit dust blowing into houses.
But John Carter said that hadn't solved the problem faced by the school buses.
He said the dust clouds were so bad the bus-drivers could not see what was coming, and children's lives were at risk on a daily basis.
Mr Carter said his council staff were now working with forestry companies on a submission to the government to seal the school bus routes.
The Far North mayor, who is the former Northland National MP, said there was no guarantee of success, but the safety risk was serious, and it was worth a try.