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National Party leader John Key is to visit Tauranga on Tuesday to make a major announcement for the benefit of the region.
| Welcome Bay tunnel announcement to be National's king hit? |
The Sun's sources say Mr Key is making a flying visit and is expected to address a meeting in the city, probably in the Mid City Mall at midday.
National Party officials locally confirm he is visiting but remain tightlipped about the purpose and no further details were available as The Sun went to press.
However The Sun understands Mr Key's address in the city will include a major initiative which will have a significant impact on the Western Bay of Plenty.
If one were to speculate, a political party keen to clinch Tauranga and Western Bay of Plenty seats and win over the party vote in the region, projects in the field of infrastructure and roading would be a good bet.
Hairini traffic
Particularly a solution to the Welcome Bay/Hairini traffic congestion.
Many commuting voters have been pushing for a tunnel/underpass which Tauranga City has sidelined in favour of a short-term fix of 16 sets of traffic lights, currently under construction.
The tunnel is also considered by some Tauranga City councillors as secondary to four-laning the approaches, at Turret Rd.
A tunnel is universally considered the ideal long-term solution, but stymied due to funding issues. The tunnel/underpass scenario also fits well with the National Government-funded Maungatapu expressway, which was originally developed in the seventies with a future tunnel option in mind.
Sitting Tauranga MP Bob Clarkson has been pushing for the tunnel option, claiming it could be built much more cheaply than the former roading agency Transit NZ's ballpark estimates.
Other considerations, that some say should be an integral part of a tunnel development, would be the approaches – a new bridge at Hairini; four laning Turret Rd and 15th Avenue; and ancilliary works for 15th Avenue and Fraser Street.
Tauranga seat
If our sources and speculation are accurate, the announcement a week out from the general election may be designed as a king hit for National's party vote and the closely-fought Tauranga seat.
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