Bus interchange debate: Tauranga City Council to explore Farm St alternative

A section of Arataki Park next to the St John Ambulance building will be considered for a bus interchange. Photo / George Novak

Every few minutes, a big yellow bus rumbles down Farm St to the temporary bus interchange behind Mount Maunganui's Bayfair shopping mall. Residents say they have nothing against buses, there are just too many of them on their narrow street, much of which doesn't even have a centre line. They are fighting Tauranga City Council's moves to make Farm St the home of a permanent interchange. But the council says Farm St - the Bay of Plenty Regional Council's preferred location - is the only viable option.

A section of reserve land in Girven Rd will be looked at as a potential alternative to Farm St for a permanent bus interchange in Arataki.

Farm St residents are glad Tauranga City Council is looking at another option, but not happy their street is still in the mix despite strong community opposition.

The street hosts a temporary bus stop behind the Bayfair shopping centre and the council is exploring putting a permanent facility on land in the street owned by Bayfair's parent company AMP Capital.

A petition signed by 71 residents in the area opposing using Farm St was presented in a council meeting yesterday. Speaking on behalf of the petitioners, resident David Henderson emphasised their concerns about traffic volumes, the street width, dangers to pedestrians and cyclists as well as issues with noise, pollution and vibrations from buses.

He said residents had no problem with buses in general.

"The problem is with the frequency ... and the size of buses coming down that narrow street."

Henderson said it was not residents' job to come up with a solution, but wanted the council to consider the reserve land next to the St John Ambulance building on Girven Rd or integrating with the Baypark to Bayfair project.

Councillors voted to have staff assess whether Girven Rd was a viable option.

Strategy and growth general manager Christine Jones said the council would need to look at the implications of using reserve land.

Councillor Steve Morris noted the council was not out to kick the ambulance facility off its site next to the reserve.

Harmen van Weerden, property and facilities manager for St John, told the Bay of Plenty Times the facility was used for St John Youth, first aid training, ambulance officer training and emergency ambulance response.

St John was aware of the council's investigations and would work with them.

"We are confident there is no plan to move St John from the site, and no impact to St John services."

The council also voted to continue exploring the Farm St option but some elected officials had reservations.

Councillors John Robson and Catherine Stewart both expressed concerns about the use of interchanges in the bus network.

Tauranga City Councillor John Robson. Photo / File

Robson was among several councillors who were critical of the council's failure during the past two-plus years to widely consult with Farm St residents.

Councillor Leanne Brown said the well-attended drop-in session held last Thursday was
"what we should have done a long time ago" and the council needed to keep building on it.

Today,the council refused to comment on the status of a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with AMP Capital that was discussed in a closed-door session yesterday.

Strategy and growth general manager Christine Jones said the MOU only covered how the council and AMP would work together to explore options.

Farm St resident Stephen Bird. Photo / File

Farm St residents Matt Saathof and Stephen Bird both felt Girven Rd was a better option.

Saathof said Farm St was not a realistic option given its narrow width and already high traffic volumes from Bayfair shoppers and rat runners.

Bird said he wished the council had taken Farm St off the table given the opposition.

"To push on with it is frustrating."