People seeking country living in a popular Tauranga lifestyle destination will one day be driving past 16-metre high industrial buildings looming over their road.
The Belk Rd Residents Group yesterday challenged the council on how a 30m gap between their road and the future growth of the Tauriko industrial area had shrunk to 10m.
They were submitting on Tauranga City Council's proposed changes to planning rules affecting the Tauriko Business Estate. The staged growth of the estate would eventually see development pushed through to the bottom section of Belk Rd.
Group spokesman Paul Smyth said while they were not opposed to industrial and commercial development in the Tauriko Valley, they were "extremely concerned" about the transition between the industrial and rural zones and the protection of their rural aspect.
Referring to the original 2006 planning decision which allowed the creation of the industrial area, Mr Smyth said they were led to believe that a 30m greenbelt would separate Belk Rd. "We have now realised that this is not the case and, for a considerable distance along Belk Rd, industrial buildings can be built 16m high at 10m back from Belk Rd."