A Bay of Plenty road campaign group has announced its anticipation for the New Zealand Transport Agency's announcement of the National Land Transport Plan.

The report is due to be published by Friday August 31.

The Bay of Plenty group, Fix the Bloody Road, says it's issued no direct ultimatum regarding possible protest action however organisers are disappointed to have been unable to meet the Transport Minister or his Associate during their visits to the Western Bay and Tauranga area in April or since then.

The group, which has more than 1800 members on Facebook, was established to lobby for both safety and critical capacity improvements for State Highway 2 north of Tauranga.

'This has for a long time been statistically the deadliest road in the country based on NZTA data,” says FTBR spokesperson Andrew Hollis.

'There have been ten deaths in five years on the 2.5km stretch of road in Te Puna, according to Western Bay of Plenty District Councillor Don Thwaites.”

The Fix group has previously submitted to both the Bay of Plenty Regional Council's Regional Land Transport Plan and the Government Policy Statement on Land Transport, including a 6901 signature petition to BOPRC in March.

Andrew says in a letter recently received by landowners and occupiers, who will potentially be affected by the build of the four-lane Tauranga Northern Link road, has indicated further delays of up to six months for NZTA to yet again review the business case for the TNL.

'Tauranga is the fastest growing city, with the busiest port, yet the road to Auckland has had no capacity improvements since its construction more than two generations ago.

'In the letter, the Agency's director of regional relationships for the central North Island, Parekawhia McLean, said they would be taking a ‘fresh look' at transport investments across the country, to ensure they align with the new GPS and will meet future needs - even though this ‘may be frustrating.'”

He says the GPS has four priorities: a safer transport network free of death and injury, accessible and affordable transport, reduced emissions and value for money.

'The Fix steering committee met yesterday evening and by Friday the group expects to see confirmation of the scope - and timeline within the current electoral term - of the TNL, Katikati urban/bypass, Ōmokoroa to Te Puna including a seriously improved SH2/Ōmokoroa intersection, and the Waihī to Ōmokoroa safer corridor projects.”

He says the group has never lobbied for a Waihī-Tauranga motorway and while some members want a four-lane highway to Katikati, the four-lane TNL to Francis Road was the core group objective alongside the bypass, median barrier and a number of safer intersections and corridor sections such as the Apata curves.

'The TNL has since been confirmed as Bay of Plenty Regional Council's number one priority, and by the Minister's admissions this area has been ‘neglected for years.'”

He says the lobby group may call for a moratorium on new housing in both Western Bay of Plenty and Tauranga City, depending on the contents of this week's announcement from NZTA.

'That makes a WBOPDC planning meeting on September 26 particularly interesting, as does news of a seventh primary school planned for this part of the Western Bay, despite no word of a college from the Ministry of Education.

'District Council plans for local road links between Francis, Prole and Ōmokoroa Roads will also interest locals - along with proposals for the commercial and industrial zones.”

Fix the Bloody Road campaign organisers are considering a meeting of campaign supporters, in-between a SmartGrowth joint Councils meeting on Friday September 7 along with a National Party public meeting in Ōmokoroa on Sunday September 16.

Andrew says every day is a risk to the community and every death an absolute tragedy.

'Unless a decision is made sooner than six months, it is time to get the government and NZTA to feel the pain and anger we all do every time deaths happen,” he says.

'Local property owners have ‘future road' written on their files. No prospective buyer is going to accept that on a LIM report or the District Plan, leaving people trapped in their homes."

He says initial contact has been made with a well-known Tauranga South traffic police officer and another locally-based Senior Sergeant regarding possibilities for lawful protest action.

Exploratory phone calls have also been made this week to both the Chief Executive's office at Port of Tauranga and a representative of Pirirākau hapū, concerning their view on public access to spaces around the Wairoa River area.

Two FTBR representatives have also met Labour's Angie Warren-Clark separately this week, says Andrew.

'We have been assured this evening that communications announcements can be expected in the next couple of days. FTBR is ready to walk the talk if required.”

Their attitudes fall in line with a statement released today by Bay of Plenty MP Todd Muller who has called on the Minister for Regional Economic Development, Shane Jones, to ‘put his money where his mouth is' when it comes to fixing the highway.

'It's all good and well for Mr Jones to ride into town and pay lip service to the issue, but what our community really needs to see is some action,” says Todd.

'Under National our community would have seen the TNL starting construction this year, and plans for a continuous four lane expressway right through. Unfortunately the Government has been dragging their feet with the plans put on ice”.

'This is New Zealand's deadliest stretch of State Highway, it is a fast growing roading corridor and is coming under increasing pressure from strong growth in commuters, tourists and freight movements.”

'Between 2012 and 2016 there were 18 deaths, the highest death toll on any stretch of State Highways across New Zealand. There were also 35 serious injuries and 95 minor injuries on the same section – and that number is growing each year.”

'Those killed or injured aren't just faceless numbers on a spreadsheet. For those of us who live locally they are friends, family, and colleagues who never made it home to their loved ones,” he adds.

'This issue is well above politics, so I welcome Mr Jones adding his voice to the chorus of locals who have concerns about the safety of the road. I just hope his concern is translated into action on Friday when the Government release their National Land Transport Plan.”