Council urged not to repeat mistakes in new Tauranga development

Priority One chief executive Nigel Tutt. Photo / NZME

Tauranga business leaders are calling for public transport accessibility to be catered for in the Tauriko West plans to avoid the mistakes made on the eastern side of the city.

Tauriko West is a proposed large-scale urban development on the edge of Tauranga, west of SH29 between Cambridge Rd and Belk Rd. It would have up to 15,000 homes when complete and would lie opposite to the Tauriko Business Estate's future stages.

Tauranga City Council commissioners voted to put forward the business case of the Tauriko West enabling works to Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, for consideration and investment approval in Monday's council meeting.

Priority One was the Western Bay of Plenty's economic development organisation.

Chief executive Nigel Tutt made a submission at the meeting, stressing the importance of public transport connections and speeding up the State Highway 29 connection work.

"Public transport's a must for employees and residents living in that area from a quality of life perspective and from an access to jobs perspective," said Tutt.

Tutt said there were currently 6000 jobs in the Tauriko Business Estate that would move to 12,000 when the business estate was "filled out".

"For context there are about 100,000 jobs in the Western Bay of Plenty, so it is a significant area for local businesses," he said. "This is an area that we want to make sure we look after well."

Tutt said allowing for public transport connection was "best done now".

"We haven't always got this right and, if I look at Baypark to Bayfair link which is near where I live, they haven't happened to put public transport alongside that large public investment. This is hardly good planning.

"We haven't got the eastern side of the city right from that perspective.

"This is a big opportunity to get a major, major corridor that will be significant for our future growth planned and planned well."

The eastern side of Tauranga included the suburbs of Pāpāmoa and Pāpāmoa East as well as the towns Te Puke and Paengaroa in the Western Bay of Plenty.

Commissioner Stephen Selwood agreed with the need for proper planning.

"It's vital that we connect not only by road, but by public transport," he said.

Commissioner Stephen Selwood. Photo / George Novak

"I think that that voice needs to be heard right across central government as well.

"The current processes that are being used to evaluate and appraise projects are not adequately taking into account the wider social and economic benefits of these projects and it's vital to our understanding and our investment profile."

Tauranga Crossing director Richard Stilwell outlined the shopping centre's concerns about the "developments proceeding on the basis of a partial solution", in his submission.

"The enabling works need to be considered as part of a package of additional public transport and state highway improvements," said Stilwell.

He was concerned that the enabling works would be all that happened.

Commission chairwoman Anne Tolley said they shared the concern that the enabling works needed to be part of a bigger project.

"We need that bigger project actually starting now, instead of in 10 years' time, which is the current projections," said Tolley.

"When the east [of Tauranga] was designed, it was designed without public transport being taken into account and provided for.

"We don't want to make those mistakes on the west."

She said they raised these issues with the Minister of Transport and the Deputy Prime Minister during their visits last week.

"We will continue to raise it, because we too want certainty that the enabling works are part of a bigger project.

"That bigger project needs to be fast-tracked to enable up to 15,000 houses, 8000 to 10,000 jobs in Tauriko West and a reduction in carbon emissions by providing the express public transport system built into the design of a SH 29."

As part of the business case, the council "strongly encourages" Waka Kotahi to bring forward and deliver the public transport package and commence SH29 long-term works by 2025.