Bay of Plenty Times
  • Bay of Plenty Times home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport

Locations

  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Katikati
  • Tauranga
  • Mount Maunganui
  • Pāpāmoa
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Bay of Plenty Times

Tauranga ratepayers face extra $30m roads bill

By John Cousins
Bay of Plenty Times·
22 Sep, 2014 09:30 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

New Zealand First had Tauranga roading issues in its sights pre-election, however, Saturday's result means Route K tolls will stay in place for a while.

New Zealand First had Tauranga roading issues in its sights pre-election, however, Saturday's result means Route K tolls will stay in place for a while.

Tauranga ratepayers face another $30 million of roading costs after New Zealand First failed to gain leverage over National from Saturday's election.

National's overwhelming victory meant Winston Peters will not be in a position as kingmaker to force concessions from National on Route K tolls and the Tauranga Central Corridor.

Mr Peters had pledged to get tolls off Route K and to hold Prime Minister John Key to the promise he made before the 2008 elections to meet the full costs of the 15th Ave/Hairini Link.

Getting tolls off Route K followed the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) agreeing to take over the road's $62 million debt, effectively removing 18 per cent of the Tauranga City Council's debt.

Mr Key put his position on the central corridor in a response to questions from the Bay of Plenty Times last week. The statement from a spokeswoman for Mr Key did not refer to his pledge to fund the full costs.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

She said the Government had fully funded $20 million on the early stages of the project and was committed to the $68 million Welcome Bay underpass. Also, the Government would likely fund half of the $60 million final stage to four-lane Turret Rd and 15th Ave, bringing the Government's total investment to $115 million. With the council due to take over ownership of Turret Rd and 15th Ave from the NZTA, the remaining $30 million would be funded from rates.

Tauranga MP Simon Bridges said National had spent more on roading in Tauranga than New Zealand First ever did when it was in government with Labour.

"Dollar for dollar, this government has been much better for Tauranga's infrastructure than the Labour-New Zealand First government."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He highlighted Mr Key's statement on the central corridor and how the Government had taken over the $62 million Route K debt, saying the tolls had to remain to ensure that other roading projects went ahead.

Tauranga's new list MP for New Zealand First Clayton Mitchell said the party would continue to apply pressure.

"There will still be leverage but it will not be the sharp axe we would like to have had."

Mr Mitchell said he would be a passionate voice in Parliament for the people of Tauranga and intended to meet with council on a regular basis.

Discover more

Speed could be lowered on Te Puke's SH2 stretch

16 Oct 07:12 PM

"We will be working on the tolls from within. It might take a little bit longer. I am still extremely optimistic that we will come through with everything we said we would achieve."

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Bay of Plenty Times

'Knew he was gone': Truck driver describes cyclist he'd hit lying on ground

01 Jul 07:00 AM
Bay of Plenty Times

Customs seizes 150kg of cocaine bricks marked 'good luck' in Tauranga

01 Jul 05:00 AM
Bay of Plenty Times

Zespri teams up with Dame Lisa Carrington

01 Jul 03:30 AM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

'Knew he was gone': Truck driver describes cyclist he'd hit lying on ground

'Knew he was gone': Truck driver describes cyclist he'd hit lying on ground

01 Jul 07:00 AM

A judge says the truck driver wasn't at fault, as the road markings lacked clarity.

Customs seizes 150kg of cocaine bricks marked 'good luck' in Tauranga

Customs seizes 150kg of cocaine bricks marked 'good luck' in Tauranga

01 Jul 05:00 AM
Zespri teams up with Dame Lisa Carrington

Zespri teams up with Dame Lisa Carrington

01 Jul 03:30 AM
Pedestrian hit by car in Tauranga

Pedestrian hit by car in Tauranga

01 Jul 12:10 AM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Bay of Plenty Times e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Bay of Plenty Times
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP