Highway service centre near Waipū could devastate the rural Northland town

Gas Waipu owner Craig Bucknell says the proposed Waipu Gateway Service Centre will destroy his business, and likely many others in the historic settlement. Photo / Denise Piper

A proposed State Highway 1 service centre - with petrol station, fast-food restaurants and shops - could devastate nearby Waipū, business owners say.

Developer Vaco Investments has applied for resource consents for the 6ha Waipu Gateway Service Centre, on SH1 south of Whangārei, at the corner of Millbrook Road.

Whangarei District Council and Northland Regional Council are accepting public submissions on the project until February.

The proposed development aims to cater for the needs of the travelling public and the surrounding rural area, as well as providing a place for activities better suited to the fringe area of Waipū.

The project aims to complement Waipū settlement’s existing commercial centre rather than detract from it, according to an assessment of effects on the environment provided as part of the resource consent application.

But Gas Waipu (Waipu Tyres and Automotive) owner Craig Bucknell said the proposed development’s size would directly compete with all businesses in Waipū, including his own which would struggle to match lower fuel prices.

“It will hurt every business in town. I think it’s totally unnecessary and it’s going to destroy my business.”

Bucknell believed the Auckland-like scale of the development would ruin the quaint, rural, seaside appeal of Waipū.

“Local people, we like our town how it is, we don’t want it to be Auckland.”

Bucknell also has environmental concerns about the development being close to Ahuroa River, a tributary of Waipū River, due to the risk of spills and contamination from wastewater.

“A fuel station right next to the river? It’s a recipe for disaster.”

The development site includes historic artefacts, while the proposal’s notification during the Christmas holidays is “smart” by the developer, he said.

Drive-through restaurants, EV charging included in project

The Waipu Gateway Service Centre proposal is for about 20 buildings, including a 24-hour BP service station with truck refuelling and EV charging, two fast-food restaurants with drive-throughs, three cafes, plus retail shops, showrooms and light industrial or commercial services.

Activities could range from marine and vehicle sales and servicing, to garden centres or a childcare centre, the application states.

The resource consent application is also for a subdivision of 13 new lots to allow the development, associated earthworks, infrastructure and lighting, with the development staged over 10 years.

It includes options for on-site wastewater treatment and rainwater collection.

The application states NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi has given initial agreement for the centre to be accessed from SH1 by a roundabout at its intersection with Millbrook Rd and the Braigh.

The resource consent has been applied for by Vaco Investments (Waipu Project), a branch of a company behind similar projects in Auckland, such as at Lincoln Rd, Te Atatu and Eden Terrace.

Whangārei District Council will consider the application for land use consent and associated subdivisions, while Northland Regional Council will consider the application to discharge treated wastewater to land and about 24,800m3 of earthworks.

Anyone is allowed to make a submission on the application but any trade competitors can only make submissions if directly affected by environmental impacts and cannot talk about the impact of trade competition.

Public submissions officially close on February 5, 2024, but submissions must be served before February 1.