Todd Muller starts SH2 billboard campaign

Bay of Plenty MP Todd Muller with billboard signs he has erected on SH2 near Te Puna

Bay of Plenty MP Todd Muller has erected a billboard sequence on State Highway 2. He completed installing the trio of billboards on Christmas Eve, in an attempt to remind everyone driving past that a National Government would have started construction on the proposed Tauranga Northern Link.

'It's unacceptable that it has been cancelled,” says Todd, who is determined to add his weight to the ‘Fix the Bloody Road' campaign.

The first of the three signs reads 'This road isn't very safe."

The second reads "National was building a 4-lane highway here."

The third sign completes the message: 'But Labour cancelled it."

'I'm getting increasingly disappointed at the Government's deliberate misleading information on this road,” says Todd.

'The facts are clear. The first stage of the Tauranga Northern Link, with seven kilometres of a four-lane bypass of Te Puna was budgeted, with tenders underway.

'This government has stopped it, now to be a replaced by a two-lane road which has no start date.

'Continuing the four-lane through to Katikati was an election promise, and based on our track record on the Tauranga Eastern Link, the community can be assured it would have been built.

'It's all about priorities. Our priority is to build roads once and build them right. Theirs' is new sticks and wires in poor roads and calling them safe.”

The red and blue signs, in a paddock opposite Te Karaka Drive can be read from both directions.

You may also like....

28 comments

National Was-National Was

Posted on 29-12-2018 12:17 | By Chookymac

National Was.Thats all we here from them. All their promises that went on and are still going on with no fabric attached to them.If in their 9year term they had done something Re the roads they may still have been in power. Todd you have lived here all your life and have seen the heart ache that alot of BOP residents have gone through re losing friends and love ones on these road and you did absolutely NOTHING,so I suggest you bite the bullet and resign yourself to a very long wait


AND you know who is to blame!!

Posted on 29-12-2018 12:48 | By CC8

Purile idiots who are more concerned with scoring points than proper government of New Zealand. Labour fools "punishing" BOP voters for voting overwhelmingly National, and childish concessions given to minotrity parties in order to "win the race at all costs". Winston Peters preyed on Tauranga voters for years, until they saw through his bullshit, now he is kicking all of those who did vote for him in the teeth. and has dumped an ineffective opportunist on those same voters, as his representative here. Roll on the next election, if the country isn't already on the scrapheap by then.


Guess what?

Posted on 29-12-2018 12:49 | By penguin

Muller is contributing to the dangerous road by erecting his highly distracting signs! How's that for a serious contradiction!?


Wow

Posted on 29-12-2018 12:52 | By overit

Dont you get sick of the bullshit Politicians talk. Points scoring. I suppose Todd you need to drum up support. Nice try.


4 Lane

Posted on 29-12-2018 12:55 | By Ray1542

Hello Tod is at it again, how do we know about the 4 lane highway that is being brought up against the opposition. They had 9 years to do it instead of spending money on things like changing the flag. A lot of that money could have gone into it. So stop grand standing and look at what you Natioal pary did not do and promises not kept.


BS

Posted on 29-12-2018 12:59 | By Told you

The promise was 4 Laning of 15th Ave never happened,the promise was 4 Laning of highway from Te Puna never happened, they had nine years to do it if it was that important nothing.This is just political posturing from Muller and I can’t understand how these signs are legal.


Do we have to beg?

Posted on 29-12-2018 13:31 | By Gaz

Is it not crazy 3rd world thinking that we have to beg for a modern safe highway? People continue to die on this road, because the govt/nzta will not build a safe highway. This road was designed for the 60-80's, and should have been upgraded to a 4 lane highway with barriers more than a decade ago! Which political party will promise this - then vote for them.


road

Posted on 29-12-2018 13:39 | By dumbkof2

well the museum hasd been kicked to death so i suppose the road is in line now


Not the Road

Posted on 29-12-2018 14:01 | By swt3

All sorts of dilemmas here. Yes, we need a 4 lane highway 'everywhere'. 15th ave, SH2, you name it, we need it. BUT... I say it is NOT the Road that KILLS. It is the 'mentality' of the road users. Txting while driving, getting distracted.... the list goes on. I agree the roading around the BOP is something that seems to be forgotten & the increase of people flocking to Tauranga region is huge. Yes, we do need better roads, but with the signage, as 'Guess What', says, your signs are a DISTRACTION! Drivers mentality is what kills, not the roads. Better roads for the right reason, heavy traffic flow, as in & around Tauranga consistently.


SH2

Posted on 29-12-2018 14:25 | By jeancraven@kinect.co.nz

Pity you didn't do this 9 years ago - so easy to talk now....


SIGN

Posted on 29-12-2018 14:27 | By jeancraven@kinect.co.nz

Is the sign legal - does he have a permit? A great distraction for motorists.


Highway billboards

Posted on 29-12-2018 14:32 | By granny

Free driving lessons would be much more effective than distracting bill boards Todd.


Here we

Posted on 29-12-2018 14:52 | By Merlin

Here we go again from Todd.Said they were going to do this and that and did not achieve it in their nine years like Mr bridges 10 bridges.Pure political B******T and spin.


Prior to the promised 4 lane highway...

Posted on 29-12-2018 15:36 | By backofthequeue

National promised 10 new bridges for Northland. We all know how hollow that promise turned out to be. And taking into account that 2 out of 3 toll roads in New Zealand are in Tauranga it is an easy jump to presume that the Northern Link would have made that 3 out of 4.


Utterly Dispicable Politicking Toad as usual!

Posted on 29-12-2018 15:58 | By Bruja

YOU lot had NINE YEARS!!! DID NOTHING!!!! Just go away, you're simply ridiculous at best, tediously boring. Utter bs! :(


4th sign Todd

Posted on 29-12-2018 17:24 | By Slim Shady

Should read, “because all the money has gone on rectifying 10 years of National underfunding”. Just do one Todd. And your stupid signs WILL cause a crash. But you know already that and are willing to put fuel on the fire because any further crashes help your cause don’t they. Sick trick Todd. Sick trick.


Didn't vote for Todd,

Posted on 29-12-2018 19:08 | By nerak

and the bad habit he is adopting of political posturing is extremely unbecoming from his background. Todd, if you can't find another way of doing something positive, maybe you need to look elsewhere, because for a lot of locals who have watched you grow up are fast becoming an uncomfortable embarrassment. Very disappointing.


Even if we take the harsh comments about Todd Muller out of the picture....

Posted on 29-12-2018 19:50 | By Neiliies

It should be recognised that we did actually get some absolutely massive roading projects started and finished under the last National government i.e Tauranga Eastern Link, the Cambridge bypass, Huntly bypass, Western ring road in Auckland, Kapiti expressway, Otaki expressway and Transmission gully, and many others and that is only the North Island - that doesn't count the earthquake affected Kaikoura region and other massive roading projects in the South Island The fact is, and this can be verified by independent civil engineering companies likes of HEBs, Fulton Hogans and Downers that tenders had been submitted for the Northern Link and as soon as this Government got into power this project and many others that were in the pipeline were halted in their tracks - there are many people in the civil construction industries that can verify this also - there is noone to blame but the present Government


The Road

Posted on 29-12-2018 19:55 | By roseh

What a fool of a man you are Mr Mullar.All we ever heard was National Will Its a joke. And you are only adding to the danger on that road.Time you grew up Instead of acting like some kind of nut. Looking for votes all ready,so we can hear the same thing again NATIONAL WILL HA HA


Speaks Volumes Todd.......wakey wakey......

Posted on 30-12-2018 09:27 | By Bruja

That in what is 'supposedly' a National area, EVERY SINGLE comment made here says that YOU and YOUR LOT did NOTHING and that we are ALL sick to death of your disgusting politicking. Seriously, we've had a gutsful!


National

Posted on 30-12-2018 10:00 | By Merlin

National was National did not like the 10 bridges.Pure all talk and no action and now blame the government for what they did not achieve or do.Looks like they will be in opposition at least 5 years especially with Simon as leader.


road

Posted on 30-12-2018 10:50 | By dumbkof2

well the museum was kicked to death, so i suppose this is the next thing to go on about


Dear, Todd

Posted on 30-12-2018 13:36 | By Hugh Janis

This will be embarrassing for you in the future, Todd. You are doing a shameful job of politicking. Get the Papamoa East roads sorted before you start pointing the finger. Pathetic.


welcome bay again

Posted on 30-12-2018 15:51 | By Wonkytonk

sounds like the same for welcome bay, make an underpass thats useless, even worse now! cost now much? better to give everyone an ebike and give us safe routes than build more bloody lanes! learn from around the world at those who now have 8 lane highways and are no better!


Progress

Posted on 30-12-2018 18:33 | By First Responder

Awesome, go Todd. Love the new road down to Whakatane turn off. Done by National of course, and all the new roading from Hamilton to Auckland. Look forward to seeing National back in power, the only party that makes progress. The sooner the better.


Whingers

Posted on 30-12-2018 20:03 | By devoid

Interesting to see most of the commenters are moaning about someone else having a moan. How ironic!


Great campaign

Posted on 02-01-2019 13:59 | By Bay Citizen

Gosh, what a lot of moaners on here. Is this a concerted response from Labour voters? As Todd says in the article, this road WAS approved, funded and contracts out for tender. Labour cancelled it. Trying to claim that National did nothing for 9 years is clearly nonsense when this road got the go ahead way back in 2016. As for the signs being distracting, they are no worse than the plethora of other signs along roadsides. Besides, with the current congestion you will be driving past them at walking pace anyway...


Best Plan

Posted on 07-01-2019 14:47 | By Ian Stevenson

Would be to widen to 4-lanes the kaimai road and link it up with the SH1 wiending, that would divert traffic off SH2 (Beyond Waihi) which to be realistic has no future as there is no possibility of the gorge ever being widened. The funds would be best used to widen SH29 etc. Having said that there re many features of SH2 (Tauranga to Katikati and even onwards to Waihi) that could be much improved, dangerous things such as the wire ropes installed, the road could be straightened out al lot, the Te Puna road changes is a "design" disaster and fails to enhance traffic flows, hence adding to conjection and the stop start type traffic issues.


Leave a Comment


You must be logged in to make a comment.