Meeting to be held over state of deadly stretch of SH2 north of Tauranga

National Party MPs Todd Muller (left) and Jami-Lee Ross have organised a public meeting over the state of SH2. Photo/file

A public meeting to address concerns over the state of State Highway 2 between Tauranga and Katikati has been organised for this week.

Bay of Plenty MP Todd Muller said he and National's Transport spokesperson Jami-Lee Ross organised Sunday's meeting to be held at Omokoroa Settlers Hall.

Muller said in a statement today the community had waited for upgrades to the road for many years but the Government has "pulled the rug out from under their feet".

"This is New Zealand's deadliest stretch of State Highway, yet somehow it doesn't seem to be a priority for the Government. How many more accidents do we need to see?

"Those who drive this road can't afford to wait for a change of Government to get the job done ... It is simply not good enough."

Muller said the National Party committed to invest $520m to upgrade the stretch of SH2 to a four-lane expressway to make it safer and more efficient.

Last night a person was killed in the intersection of Pahoia and Esdaile Rds when a car and truck crashed. Read more here.

The crash comes a day after a SH2 action group announced plans to block the road next weekend in protest against Government inaction on safety and capacity concerns.

The meeting organised by Muller will be at 4.30pm, after the community's 3pm march.

Andrew Hollis, one of the campaign's organisers, said time had been chosen for a 30-minute protest hikoi across the Wairoa Bridge as organisers hoped it would be the least disruptive time for locals.

"We want to keep the pressure on the Government, not the pressure on the community. We don't want to upset everyone in Tauranga by blocking roads."

They were working with local police to ensure the protest would be safe, he said.

Matthew Farrell, another organiser, said the goal of protesting was to put pressure on the Government and Transport Minister Phil Twyford to instruct the NZ Transport Agency to prioritise and speed up its decision-making process regarding the future of multiple roading projects planned for the area, including the Tauranga Northern Link.

Asked on Sunday if he would intervene to speed things up, Minister Phil Twyford said: "The experts need to be able to do their re-evaluation free from political interference."

He also said the Government was investing $87 million in safety improvements to save lives on the road.

"That will deliver quick results, which a four-lane expressway that would take years to build would not," Twyford said.