Emergency services are dealing with a large diesel spill at Central Parade shopping centre on Maunganui Road.

Firefighters and police are at the scene directing traffic away from the 200-300 spill while they await council roading contractors to arrive with sand.

A SunLive reporter at the scene says the spill is along the vehicle access directly in front of the shops, and is not on Maunganui Road itself.

'It's over 200-300 meters, running into a car park. Two hundred -300 metres, that's a fair amount,” says Fire and Emergency NZ northern communications shift manager Colin Underdown.

'We've asked for police to come and assist with traffic control.”