What a breath of fresh air Bay of Plenty MP Todd Muller is, supporting the tunnel through the Kaimai Range.

We're blessed to have the NZ Transport Agency here in Tauranga and they're doing the study to look at the access through Tauriko, and that involves not only SH29, SH22, and the northern access which makes it a challenging study, but has to be done.

Our Port of Tauranga is the economic powerhouse for our region, and as we are part of this golden triangle - from Auckland to Hamilton to Tauranga - it is vital that we drive for those infrastructure assets which will benefit everyone.

The northern access and the tunnel are not pipe dreams - much land has been bought already, and we have a government interested in developing decent infrastructure, and Members of Parliament who'll strive to achieve such sensible developments.

Getting product to market, letting people live along SH2 which is restricted at the moment because traffic cannot get onto SH2, we are clearly at a crossroad.

Todd Muller, I'm with you all the way, push as hard as you know how.

Margaret Murray-Benge, Western BOP District councillor.