Simon Bridges National Party Leader simonbridges.co.nz

In my first post-election column a few weeks back, I said that one of my four priorities for Tauranga was transport. Tauranga is still a great place to live but there's no denying it's gotten harder in recent years and a big part of this is getting around.

When my family and I moved from the Mount to the city side of town a few years back I told myself it didn't matter because I would still be able to drive over in a handful of minutes for a walk up Mauao.

Of course, that's no longer true. It can take forever. And the same is true whether it's getting to work, getting kids to sport practice or freight to and from our Port.

Public transport is a big part of the answer, but frankly affordable public transport requires good roads and in truth cars and trucks will always be needed to get around as well.

I also don't discount some of the very exciting technological developments we all hear about whether in ridesharing or autonomous transport to make a big difference over time.

Whatever happens though, our roading network isn't yet complete and investments in the following three big ticket items will never be regretted. The sooner they are built, the better. I've campaigned on them for some time and want to be in government so we can make them happen.

First, is obvious: the Tauranga Northern Link. A lot of nonsense is spoken about this project out to Omokoroa and then past Katikati. But as the Transport Minister who made decisions, I know it was fully approved and funded back in 2016 and was set for construction in October 2018. Sadly the Labour-led Government stopped it to fund other projects (like trams down Dominion Rd) which haven't happened yet.

The main point is now Labour says it will do it, there is no reason it can't start now! What's required is a mirror image of the Tauranga Eastern Link - four lanes for cars and trucks - not two lanes and a cycle way or busway or some such. Only four lanes will provide the safety and capacity we need for our growing population.

Second, we need a comprehensive solution for Tauranga South from Barkes Corner through to Tauriko and Cambridge Rd. I suspect it requires significant grade separation but will leave to the experts to design.

Finally, there is the work to build capacity on Hewletts Rd and Totara St, where again I suspect we will need some ‘up and over' type solution.

These aren't the only projects by any stretch but they are three I am committed to. In addition, inter-regionally we need to keep four laning throughout the entire Golden triangle. And of course it is essential we complete the Bayfair to Baypark project. I started this as Transport Minister but Labour have not shown any interest and its construction has been a slow moving fiasco through lack of leadership. Let's do this Jacinda!

Three further quick points. Cycleways have their place and I started many as Minister in Tauranga including the path to Omokoroa. None of this is an either/or between roads and cycleways. One of the best cycleways in our region is on the Tauranga Eastern Link. I insisted on it.

Second, roading is inextricably linked to housing. If we don't do the projects I am talking about we simply cannot build the housing we need. For starters they won't get the consents they need from councils and rightly so as the houses wouldn't have the surrounding infrastructure they require.

Lastly, I beg council to think before they act on our local roads. In recent times, to put it bluntly, money has been spent ‘improving' local roads only to make them worse. Let's hope and pray that's not the case on Cameron Rd where $45m is to be spent on all manner of planner dreams. Wouldn't it be better to just start work on the Tauranga Northern Link?