Megan Woods is hitting back at claims businesses will face year-long waits before bollards are installed to deter would-be ram raiders.
It comes amid a spree of ram raid robberies with thieves using a stolen digger to smash into a service station in Wainuiomata overnight. It wasn't the only ram raid overnight either with thieves targeting a dairy in the Auckland suburb of Kingsland.
They are just two examples of many over the past month with business owners and police expressing concern.
Last weekend the Government announced a $600 million package aimed at tackling crime. The package will see an increase in police numbers, nearly $100m aimed at tackling gang violence and an extension of rehabilitation programmes.
The Government's solution to ram raids - including funding for things like bollards -is also expected to be signed off by Cabinet on Monday.
Woods, who was filling in for Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday, said the Government is taking ram-raid robberies very seriously.
Woods told AM's Ryan Bridge an announcement on the Government's response could be expected soon.
"My understanding is the ministers involved have been doing a lot of work on that and that [an announcement] is coming really soon," she said on Monday.
"Obviously we had last weekend the announcement about a dedicated suite of measures around crime and what we are going to do and bollards are part of that and ministers have been working through that."
Woods also pushed back on Bridge's suggestion the bollards would likely take months, if not years to actually be installed.
"I don't know that is necessarily the case… but it doesn't just have to be bollards, there are other ways in which that can be done and ministers spoke about that last weekend when they announced it.
"You can have pretty substantial planter boxes that are in the same place and do exactly the same job as bollards. Bollards are just a physical barrier between cars and a store."
She said the Government is aware it's an issue that needs to be addressed as soon as possible.
"We know this needs to be acted on quickly - there's no dispute about that. We are serious about it and the announcements will be coming very soon," she said.
Ram raids have plagued the country for the past month with police saying it's an issue that everyone needs to help address.
