Green Party addresses Tauranga's congestion and housing development issues

Associate minister for transport Julie-Anne Genter shared her thoughts on Tauranga's congestion issues. Photo / Leah Tebbutt

With four days until election day, the Green Party's associate minister for transport was bombarded with questions on Tauranga's congestion issues at a public meeting in Greerton.

Green MP Julie-Anne Genter hosted a panel at the Greerton Senior Citizens Hall on Monday evening, along with Tauranga City councillor Heidi Hughes and Sustainable Business Network Bay of Plenty regional manager Glen Crowther.

Dozens of Tauranga residents, young and old, filed into the hall to hear what views the Green Party had on not only public transport but housing and the processes that are in place to implement changes.

Hughes got the ball rolling by pointing out Tauranga was one of New Zealand's five growth cities and the infrastructure was needed to support it.

"This is creating enormous challenges obviously, not only on our transport network but on our ability to afford to pay for all of this as a community.

"One of the things that I would ask the government is how can we get more investment and more partnership with government into social infrastructure that not only improves our communities but allows us to do better complexity design."

Councillor Heidi Hughes (from left), Glen Crowther and Julie-Anne Genter all shared and brainstormed their solutions to the region's issues. Photo / Leah Tebbutt

Hughes believed the government could look at Tauranga as a pilot for a network charge due to the ever-growing number of heavy industry establishing themselves in the Bay of Plenty due to the port proximity.

As a result, free public transport and better cycleways would become affordable for the city.

"Currently we don't have the capacity in our books to provide what we need."

Genter said there had been work to establish integrated ticketing for public transport across the country, but the setback was the different providers that regional councils were using.

However, the party's policy was for all those under 18, over 65 and those with a community services card to ride for free. Tertiary students would be charged 50 per cent.

"It's really important to me that if you're doing this [network charge], you've got the alternatives in place and that's why it's so important the government is upfront, investing much more in public transport services and safe walking, cycling and car share so that network charges don't disproportionately affect people on low incomes."

Genter also mentioned the region did not need car dependant intensification which made it difficult for public transport to exist, in turn resulting in more cars on the road - something Hughes and those in attendance believed was the case in Pāpāmoa.

"I think central government needs to empower councils and communities to have much more control over structure planning so it's not just developer land," Genter said.

"Maybe in our reform of the Resource Management Act that is something that can be addressed."

Genter referenced Denmark and Sweden where the community essentially decided what it wanted the subdivision to look like, before then auctioning the right to build to a developer.

"It's not the developer that decides where it's going to go, the community has a lot of control. I would like to think in New Zealand we would benefit from moving towards something like this, and we have the ability with Kainga Ora."

Kainga Ora is a Crown agency that provides rental housing for New Zealanders in need.