The public can now have their say on an application for a self-service Gull fuel station in central Te Kamo. Photo / Michael Cunningham
The public can now have their say on an application for a self-service Gull fuel station in central Te Kamo. Photo / Michael Cunningham
A proposed Gull self-service petrol station in central Te Kamo which sparked controversy earlier this year has been publicly notified with experts from both Gull and the council having “core disagreements” about the proposal.
Business owners in Te Kamo consider the location unsuitable for a fuel stop and have concerns it may lead to traffic congestion, impact pedestrian safety and not contribute to the local economy.
The application was paused earlier this year while Gull New Zealand provided reports about how vehicle access would work, how the site would be serviced, and traffic effects.
The proposal has been publically notified after Whangārei District Council found that the “overall combined effects” of a Gull self-service in central Te Kamo “will or are likely to have adverse effects that are more than minor”.
The application of November 2022 stated that the location of the service station would “enhance the local economy” by “retaining commercial activities within the Local Centre Zone and avoid urban sprawl in the process”.
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A Commerce Commission report in early September this year looked into the anomalies in fuel prices across the country and Whangārei, in particular, believed the Te Kamo proposal may be a possible catalyst for more competitive pricing in the region.
“Such entry could lead to more competitive prices for the Whangārei region,” it said.
The site for the service station is 410 Kamo Road at the old “Oasis” laundromat, once an old service station in the 1950s. It’s in the vicinity of nearby cafes, shops, hairdressers and two additional petrol stations.
Te Kamo business owners and residents loudly opposed the proposal after news of the application went public earlier this year. Their concerns include the location of the proposed site to local eateries and businesses and the impact on more traffic in the busy village.
Owner of Kamo Bin Inn, Mechele Aben, told the Advocate she is “really wrapped” that the application has been notified “because it gives the public a chance to oppose it”.
Aben said she’s had a “lot of angry customers” and business people who are opposed. Her concern is that Te Kamo is a “tiny little village” that doesn’t need three gas stations, but rather, more shops so that business can grow.
A drive through Gull in Kaiwaka is similar to the proposed site in Te Kamo. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Experts from both Gull and Whangārei District Council had “core disagreements” around pedestrian movement and opportunities and other issues before the application was notified.
The proposal does not create a pedestrian-centric environment, rather, “vehicle-centric”, attracting little-to-no pedestrian movements, the report stated.
“It increases conflict between pedestrians and vehicles, interrupting pedestrian movements and increasing exposure to crashes.”
An urban designer employed by the council also reviewed the proposal and did not support it from an urban design perspective.
“The proposed activity exclusively serves vehicles and does not encourage pedestrian movement or opportunities for lingering and informal interactions between people.”
There was concern the site would not be adaptable due to the proposed activity and associated structures, which couldn’t be “repurposed” in future.
The urban designer’s conclusion was that a “conventional service station” would align better with the local centre’s current and potential future character in a way that an unmanned station could not.
On the other hand, Gull’s urban design expert stated that the service station is considered the “right activity in the right place”, and stated the outcome would be “compatible with the overall urban fabric of the Kamo Road strip”.
“The project will result in a visually neat and well-landscaped outcome, improving the overall character of Kamo and not detracting from the centre’s amenity,” he concluded.
Manager of RMA Consents, Roger Quinton, said the council’s role is to receive applications for resource consents and assess them under the provisions in the district plan and relevant legislation.
Quinton said if notification of any sort is carried out, submissions received and hearings are required, an independent commissioner will hear them.
Submissions must be received by 4.30pm on Thursday, October 26. You can submit online, by email, post, or in person.
Brodie Stone is the education and general news reporter at the Advocate. Brodie recently graduated from Massey University and has a special interest in the environment and investigative reporting.
