Angry residents vow to fight road

GRASSROOTS: Selwyn Insley discusses concerns about the Rotorua Eastern Arterial route Photo / BEN FRASER

An defiant group of Rotorua residents opposed to the Rotorua Eastern Arterial say they will continue their protest until the project is canned.

About 60 people turned up to a public meeting held by the Positive Rotorua Environmental Society, at Rotorua Lakes High School on Thursday.

They met to discuss their concerns and share thoughts with fellow eastside residents about what they felt was an unnecessary disruption to their lives.

Society chairman Nireaha Pirika put forward the position held by the three Te Arawa hapu - Ngati Hurunga Te Rangi, Ngati Te Roro o Te Rangi and Ngati Uenukukopako - whose land is being taken for the project.

Construction is scheduled for between 2020 and 2025 and the new road would run from the airport to Sala St, through a Maori reservation. It could cost up to $114 million.

About 50 property owners will be affected and the three Te Arawa hapu say authorities should upgrade Te Ngae Rd to four lanes.

Hannah's Bay resident Ash Brown said upgrading Te Ngae Rd was the most sensible option. He said his property on Middleton Rd would be cut off by the proposed route.

"This impacts on all the people who didn't expect to have a motorway on their doorstep," he said.

Michael Maher said he had been driving on Te Ngae Rd for the past 14 years and had noticed a drop off in traffic in the past few years.

He said apart from a few minor early morning issues the traffic was fine.

Rotorua district councillors Mark Gould, Karen Hunt and Trevor Maxwell also attended the meeting, along with Te Arawa Standing Committee member and recently elected Bay of Plenty regional councillor Arapeta Tahana.

Mrs Hunt gave those in attendance some background on the council's involvement in the process.

Mr Maxwell said it was a very well run meeting and did not hide anything from anyone.

"It was enlightening as there was a cross section of people there, and I really wanted to listen to them and what they had to say.

"We are still working through a lot of the detail ourselves at the council. There is plenty of time to consult and discuss these issues further," he said.