Today's the final day for submissions on the Government's policy statement on land transport, with a 5pm deadline for Western Bay of Plenty residents wanting major work to commence on SH2 between Bethlehem and Katikati.

More than 200 submissions have been couriered to Wellington following an open day at the Omokoroa No1 School on Sunday.

There are also an unknown number of additional submissions made online, says a spokesperson for the Fix The Bloody Road Action Group, Matthew Farrell

The action group formed when improving SH2 was dropped to near the bottom of the priority list on the BOP Regional Council draft land transport plan and resulted in residents submitting in strength.

The government policy statement guides the spending decision of the New Zealand Transport Agency.

'That tells NZTA what the government thinks is important,” says Matthew. 'NZTA takes regional council submissions and the government policy statement into account when it decides what it is going to spend money on around the country. NZTA has to make a marriage out of all that.”

The change of government has added to confusion for highway users because some political lobbying has been helpful and some and has been confusing, says Matthew.

The Tauranga Northern Link was committed for construction with a time-line for development. Now they are told the procurement process has stalled and it is being re-evaluated.

'Does that mean it is being reconsidered? Does that mean it's back to the drawing board and they want design changes?

All that says really is there is going to be more delay and more uncertainty. And that's the kind of thing when you know something needs to happen and it's really obvious, plain as the nose on your face - and the message you get back is we need to re-evaluate it. You just think, no. Just bloody do it.

'We still don't know. We've heard some encouraging noises, nothing that says it's okay we don't need to submit anymore.

'If the consultation process is a real consultation process and you have all these people saying something and they get ignored, then you have a right to get upset about it.

'If it is a real genuine process and not a fait accompli, and you have got hundreds of people telling you something and you ignore them; then you have invited that trouble on yourself.”

Submissions close at 5pm today Wednesday. The email address for submissions on the government policy statement is: [email protected]