Road users across Tauranga are increasingly reporting their frustrations with the city's infrastructure – and the country's politicians can't decide who's to blame for it.
Minister of Transport Michael Wood says the Government is "getting on" with the job of building important transport connections in the Bay of Plenty.
Meanwhile, Tauranga MP Sam Uffindell says the Government continues to use money from the road user tax towards "non-road projects" such as " a $30b light rail project and cycle bridge plans in Auckland".
Uffindell believes the "SH2 issue" is caused by the Takitimu Northern Link "only being committed" to stage one and having only "just got" under construction.
"National has committed to do stages one and two and would have almost completed them by now if we'd stayed in power – Labour killed the projects after 2017," says Uffindell.
'Importantly, from a risk mitigation perspective, in 2017 NZTA committed to safety improvements. NZTA has told them there is no money for safety improvements. However, the Labour government pulled the funding.
"What they are asking for won't cost much and is just basic safety improvements, such as turning lanes, shoulders to increase turning safety, increased signage to warn of potential turning vehicles."
Transport Minister Michael Wood. Photo: Samuel Rillstone/RNZ.
Transport Minister Michael Wood says "almost every claim" by Sam Uffindell is "factually wrong" and demonstrates "an embarrassing lack of knowledge" of how key transport projects are funded and delivered.
'The National Party failed to deliver these projects in its nine years in government. Saying that they ‘would have delivered them' if re-elected in 2017 is simply alternative history and lacks any credibility.
'Stating that Stage 1 of the Takitimu Northern Link has ‘just got under construction' is wrong. This huge project which is employing hundreds of locals and will deliver a safer, more resilient transport system for all modes actually started construction in 2021.
'Route protection for Stage 2 is underway. Stating that there is no investment in safety improvements is also demonstrably wrong. More than $100m is being invested in critical safety improvements between Omokoroa and Waihi.
'A funding commitment has also been made to deliver a full upgrade to the Omokoroa intersection, which has been welcomed by the Western Bay Council. Finally, the claim that road user charges are funding Auckland Light Rail is wrong. This project is not funded by the National Land Transport fund.
'In the space of 5 lines, the National candidate has got five basic and verifiable claims wrong. National has no credibility on these issues and is just talk. They did not deliver any of these projects in office, and at the same time froze road maintenance funding for eight years. These big projects do take time to deliver, but Labour now has them underway and will continue to make progress for the Bay.”
Tauranga MP Sam Uffindell. Photo: Samuel Rillstone/RNZ.
Uffindell says Wood is "trying to deflect" from Labour's complete failure to build and maintain our country's roads during their two terms in government.
"The reality is that Michael Wood as Minister of Transport has run New Zealand's highways into the ground. All they have to show are potholes, speed reductions and endless congestion.
"The Takitimu Northern Link may as well have just started because both stages should have almost been completed by now. Instead, people are spending 90 minutes getting from Omokoroa into Tauranga and SH2 remains terribly unsafe because of his government's failure to deliver.
"National delivered the Tauranga Eastern Link, the Waikato Expressway, started Transmission Gully and numerous other projects under Roads of National Significance. Labour moved away from this and instead is wasting $30 billion on light rail to Auckland Airport and exploring vanity projects like the Auckland Cycle Bridge.
"National will build the Takitimu Northern Link all the way to Omokoroa and ensure our state highways get the desperately needed investment required to ensure reduced travel times, safety and resilience."
11 comments
Pointing the blame!
Posted on 26-05-2023 07:09 | By flyn
Michael Wood has summarised the facts clearly. These reading projects are underway and will happen. National needs to stop blaming everyone and put alternative clear solutions on the table. All this negative talk is simply not productive!
Here we go again
Posted on 26-05-2023 07:32 | By Wigan
Will you bloody politicians STOP your childish bickering. If you put half as much energy into DOING something as you do into blaming each other we would not have half the issues we are dealing with here
state highway 2
Posted on 26-05-2023 07:44 | By dave4u
Police are doing speed radar checks at Tepuna 500 pulled over so far this morning for driving too slow
Tauranga not a labour seat
Posted on 26-05-2023 11:13 | By jed
Tauranga is not a Labour seat, so it was somewhat expected Labour would cancel our roading projects back in 2017. However, Tauranga council have also been obstructive in developing efficient transport within the city. The Links Ave closure is an example, as is the lane narrowing and blockage of right hand turns on Maunganui Rd. Maunganui Rd is constantly congested now, and it is intentionally planned. The speed limit will have to be dropped to 30kph at some stage, as the road is more dangerous now too.
Where is the real truth?
Posted on 26-05-2023 11:40 | By Wundrin
Sam Uffindel is correct in stating that the TNL (Part 1) would be practically finished by now if it were not for decisions made by the previous government, in particular the Greens. The situation regarding Part 2, Te Puna to Omokoroa, is a little less clear-cut - it's easy for someone to say what they would have done, but given the track record of political parties we'll never know if the walk would have matched the talk.
Roads
Posted on 26-05-2023 12:02 | By surfsup
Couldn't agree more. National with our local MP Simon Bridges transport minister did nothing. Roads were planned with no budget allowed. Mr Uffindell has no credibility to make comments. As others have said, stop blaming each other and do something constructive for the mega salaries you get paid.
@Wigan
Posted on 26-05-2023 12:32 | By morepork
Hear! Hear! You nailed it. Whether or not National would have done better is hypothetical and moot. Labour has failed miserably, and, as you rightly noted, most of us are sick of the talkfest with too much talktalk and not enough workwork. I'm voting for ACT. They have some good ideas and they can't be worse than the shower we are seeing from both the major parties.
Should be finished
Posted on 26-05-2023 13:18 | By Graize
Michael Woods should check his facts I know that Fulton Hogan were working towards starting the Te Puna section back in 2016 if not before The land has been own by NZTA for some time now
Misinformation
Posted on 26-05-2023 15:00 | By Merlin
We do not need this in the upcoming Election just to try and get votes.
Labour failed
Posted on 27-05-2023 10:25 | By Groj
National had RONs and great investments in main highways. TNL was signed off and underway. Labour canned it then reinstated it claiming it was theirs. Add to that the complete joke of Cameron Road driven by Labours policy statement. Labour are bending to Greens support.
Entrench our planned roading projects!
Posted on 27-05-2023 20:09 | By Neiliies
Roading projects such as Northern Link Pairere overpass, and other vital, strategic projects that are and have been planned, need to be entrenched into law, so that successive Governments cannot come to power and pull funding as and when they wish (as Labour did when they came in), We need a guarantee that we can travel freely on our state highways and in our cities regardless of which party is in Govt.
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