NZ First candidate Erika Harvey says it’s time we put Tauranga residents first, starting with our traffic issues.

“As Tauranga continues to grow, traffic congestion is one of the biggest concerns I hear from our residents. Roading and infrastructure will take time and planning to deliver on, but in the interim we also need to lock in quick wins for our city. I believe removing the tolls of our roads is exactly the right place to start” says Harvey.

“There are three toll roads in New Zealand and two of those are right here in Tauranga and the Bay of Plenty. I will fight to get these removed. Alleviating the tolls would drastically increase traffic flow especially to and from Tauriko/Pyes Pa to the CBD. This would also remove congestion from Cameron Road, especially in Greerton.”

In 2014, after only a few weeks of being in government, NZ First MP Clayton Mitchell succeeded in removing $63 million of roading debt from Tauranga City Council’s books. NZ First is the clear leader when it comes to delivering actual results for our city, when compared to both Labour and National. Regardless of who you’ve voted for in the past, wins like this clearly show that NZ First has a proven track record in representing Tauranga.

Harvey has already built a strong reputation for getting things done within our community. Not only is she active within the education and disability sector, she is also a business owner and entrepreneur. Additionally, she has represented over 25 small businesses over the past four years, in highlighting design flaws and delivery within Tauranga’s Marine Precinct pushing out over $120M from our local economy. Harvey continues to advocate for those businesses, demonstrated just last week when she presented to Tauranga City Council’s Annual Plan.

“I believe in Tauranga and I’m a champion for our city. Using the toll road twice a day, every day, is too costly for many Tauranga residents. We need to encourage people to help the city with it’s traffic congestion and trying to coax people into using buses isn’t going to do that.”

Harvey tells us that she has several proposals she is working with the party on to ensure that Tauranga isn’t forgotten. She wants to work with local and central government to find practical solutions to the real problems faced by the residents of Tauranga.

“We have significant issues as a city and I cannot sit back and take another three years of neglect, especially with the rates of regional growth we are seeing”.

© Scoop Media