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Scoop
4 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
‘Huge Impact': Residents Worry Over Traffic From New Tauranga Development
Article – Alisha Evans – Local Democracy Reporter The residents want a second access added to the planned 13-hectare Pukemapu subdivision in hauiti to alleviate their concerns, but Tauranga City Council says doing so would be prohibitively expensive. Residents of a Tauranga suburb are concerned a new housing development will have a 'huge impact' on traffic that is already 'horrendous'. The residents want a second access added to the planned 13-hectare Pukemapu subdivision in Ōhauiti to alleviate their concerns, but Tauranga City Council says doing so would be prohibitively expensive. The new subdivision will be built on land that slopes down from the Rowesdale subdivision towards Pukemapu Rd, and an existing Rowesdale Drive house will be demolished to build the only access road. The developer Carrus said it was unknown how many homes would be built but the council website said about 200 were planned. Kerrie, who did not want her surname published, lives near Rowesdale Drive and said she and some other neighbours wanted the subdivision's developers to build a second access to Pukemapu Rd, which connects to Oropi Rd, to alleviate traffic pressures through Ōhauiti. 'It'll have a huge impact on the traffic. The traffic's already horrendous. 'It's a wider community that's affected. It's not just us, it's all of Ōhauiti and probably some of Welcome Bay as well. 'The developer should have to put in that [second] access point.' The area also didn't have schools or amenities like a supermarket, she said. Kerrie said the council had told her access to the subdivision was the developers' responsibility. 'The council is telling us we need to fight this with the developer to get the new road put in. It's nothing to do with council.' The council bought two properties at the end of Rowesdale Drive in 2020 to enable access to the Pukemapu land. These properties had covenants that prohibited them being used to enable development of the adjoining land. The council needed agreement from the other 21 property owners who were under the same covenant to change it to provide access to land behind. The alternative was to use a Public Works Act acquisition or High Court process to change the covenant. Talks with owners started in December 2021. The property owners obtained legal representation and an agreement on compensation was reached with the council in January 2023. The covenants on the two Rowesdale Drive properties were revoked, enabling access and services to the developable land. The covenants on other Rowesdale subdivision properties stayed the same. Kerrie was also upset the council used ratepayer money to buy the homes. 'I just thought how unfair it was, our ratepayer money being used to buy two houses that they're just going to bowl down. They've used our ratepayer money to pay out [compensation to] those 21 properties.' Council strategy, growth and governance general manager Christine Jones said the council paid $2.33 million for the two properties but this would be paid back by the developer. Only one of the two homes would need to be demolished for the new road and the other house could be resold, she said. The total compensation for the 21 properties was $3.16m but the individual amounts were confidential, Jones said. The council paid two-thirds and the developer paid one-third but would pay the council share as development happened, she said. Developers Carrus and Classic Group were working together on the development and controlled most of the developable land, Jones said. Council investigations showed Rowesdale Drive was the most suitable access point, she said. Multiple access points were preferable but not possible because of constraints and the costs involved, Jones said. The Pukemapu Rd option was not feasible and had a prohibitive cost, she said. Traffic congestion was a 'significant issue' during weekday-morning peak-hour but outside this the network generally performed well in Ōhauiti, Jones said. 'While additional traffic will have effects on the community, the shortage of housing in the city also has significant impacts and this area is one of few options to make a meaningful addition to the city's housing supply in a relatively short timeframe.' The council agreed better schooling options were needed in the area and had been engaging with the Ministry of Education for some years, she said. 'We are also aware of the lack of retail and commercial offering in the suburb and plan to investigate this further as part of our upcoming review of commercial and industrial zones across the city.' The council was also considering investigating other access options for Ōhauiti, Jones said. Carrus managing director Scott Adams said they were working through options and timeframes for the development. 'We don't have a workable subdivision plan as yet.' Adams said it was unknown yet how many homes would be built. The land had been zoned residential for about 25 years, he said. Residential growth took up most of the water and wastewater capacity that was allocated for the project and no infrastructure planning or upsizing had occurred since despite the residential zoning, Adams said. Having multiple transport connections to the site would be awesome, he said. 'The reality is traffic congestion is a citywide problem, and every motorist in the city endures it daily.' In his view: 'Transport planning has been neglected in Tauranga for decades.' Investment was needed to invest in highway network upgrades across the city to allow traffic to flow better, Adams said.
Scoop
4 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
‘Huge Impact': Residents Worry Over Traffic From New Tauranga Development
Article – Alisha Evans – Local Democracy Reporter The residents want a second access added to the planned 13-hectare Pukemapu subdivision in hauiti to alleviate their concerns, but Tauranga City Council says doing so would be prohibitively expensive. Residents of a Tauranga suburb are concerned a new housing development will have a 'huge impact' on traffic that is already 'horrendous'. The residents want a second access added to the planned 13-hectare Pukemapu subdivision in Ōhauiti to alleviate their concerns, but Tauranga City Council says doing so would be prohibitively expensive. The new subdivision will be built on land that slopes down from the Rowesdale subdivision towards Pukemapu Rd, and an existing Rowesdale Drive house will be demolished to build the only access road. The developer Carrus said it was unknown how many homes would be built but the council website said about 200 were planned. Kerrie, who did not want her surname published, lives near Rowesdale Drive and said she and some other neighbours wanted the subdivision's developers to build a second access to Pukemapu Rd, which connects to Oropi Rd, to alleviate traffic pressures through Ōhauiti. 'It'll have a huge impact on the traffic. The traffic's already horrendous. 'It's a wider community that's affected. It's not just us, it's all of Ōhauiti and probably some of Welcome Bay as well. 'The developer should have to put in that [second] access point.' The area also didn't have schools or amenities like a supermarket, she said. Kerrie said the council had told her access to the subdivision was the developers' responsibility. 'The council is telling us we need to fight this with the developer to get the new road put in. It's nothing to do with council.' The council bought two properties at the end of Rowesdale Drive in 2020 to enable access to the Pukemapu land. These properties had covenants that prohibited them being used to enable development of the adjoining land. The council needed agreement from the other 21 property owners who were under the same covenant to change it to provide access to land behind. The alternative was to use a Public Works Act acquisition or High Court process to change the covenant. Talks with owners started in December 2021. The property owners obtained legal representation and an agreement on compensation was reached with the council in January 2023. The covenants on the two Rowesdale Drive properties were revoked, enabling access and services to the developable land. The covenants on other Rowesdale subdivision properties stayed the same. Kerrie was also upset the council used ratepayer money to buy the homes. 'I just thought how unfair it was, our ratepayer money being used to buy two houses that they're just going to bowl down. They've used our ratepayer money to pay out [compensation to] those 21 properties.' Council strategy, growth and governance general manager Christine Jones said the council paid $2.33 million for the two properties but this would be paid back by the developer. Only one of the two homes would need to be demolished for the new road and the other house could be resold, she said. The total compensation for the 21 properties was $3.16m but the individual amounts were confidential, Jones said. The council paid two-thirds and the developer paid one-third but would pay the council share as development happened, she said. Developers Carrus and Classic Group were working together on the development and controlled most of the developable land, Jones said. Council investigations showed Rowesdale Drive was the most suitable access point, she said. Multiple access points were preferable but not possible because of constraints and the costs involved, Jones said. The Pukemapu Rd option was not feasible and had a prohibitive cost, she said. Traffic congestion was a 'significant issue' during weekday-morning peak-hour but outside this the network generally performed well in Ōhauiti, Jones said. 'While additional traffic will have effects on the community, the shortage of housing in the city also has significant impacts and this area is one of few options to make a meaningful addition to the city's housing supply in a relatively short timeframe.' The council agreed better schooling options were needed in the area and had been engaging with the Ministry of Education for some years, she said. 'We are also aware of the lack of retail and commercial offering in the suburb and plan to investigate this further as part of our upcoming review of commercial and industrial zones across the city.' The council was also considering investigating other access options for Ōhauiti, Jones said. Carrus managing director Scott Adams said they were working through options and timeframes for the development. 'We don't have a workable subdivision plan as yet.' Adams said it was unknown yet how many homes would be built. The land had been zoned residential for about 25 years, he said. Residential growth took up most of the water and wastewater capacity that was allocated for the project and no infrastructure planning or upsizing had occurred since despite the residential zoning, Adams said. Having multiple transport connections to the site would be awesome, he said. 'The reality is traffic congestion is a citywide problem, and every motorist in the city endures it daily.' In his view: 'Transport planning has been neglected in Tauranga for decades.' Investment was needed to invest in highway network upgrades across the city to allow traffic to flow better, Adams said.
Scoop
5 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
‘Huge Impact': Residents Worry Over Traffic From New Tauranga Development
Residents of a Tauranga suburb are concerned a new housing development will have a 'huge impact' on traffic that is already 'horrendous'. The residents want a second access added to the planned 13-hectare Pukemapu subdivision in Ōhauiti to alleviate their concerns, but Tauranga City Council says doing so would be prohibitively expensive. The new subdivision will be built on land that slopes down from the Rowesdale subdivision towards Pukemapu Rd, and an existing Rowesdale Drive house will be demolished to build the only access road. The developer Carrus said it was unknown how many homes would be built but the council website said about 200 were planned. Kerrie, who did not want her surname published, lives near Rowesdale Drive and said she and some other neighbours wanted the subdivision's developers to build a second access to Pukemapu Rd, which connects to Oropi Rd, to alleviate traffic pressures through Ōhauiti. 'It'll have a huge impact on the traffic. The traffic's already horrendous. 'It's a wider community that's affected. It's not just us, it's all of Ōhauiti and probably some of Welcome Bay as well. 'The developer should have to put in that [second] access point.' The area also didn't have schools or amenities like a supermarket, she said. Kerrie said the council had told her access to the subdivision was the developers' responsibility. 'The council is telling us we need to fight this with the developer to get the new road put in. It's nothing to do with council.' The council bought two properties at the end of Rowesdale Drive in 2020 to enable access to the Pukemapu land. These properties had covenants that prohibited them being used to enable development of the adjoining land. The council needed agreement from the other 21 property owners who were under the same covenant to change it to provide access to land behind. The alternative was to use a Public Works Act acquisition or High Court process to change the covenant. Talks with owners started in December 2021. The property owners obtained legal representation and an agreement on compensation was reached with the council in January 2023. The covenants on the two Rowesdale Drive properties were revoked, enabling access and services to the developable land. The covenants on other Rowesdale subdivision properties stayed the same. Kerrie was also upset the council used ratepayer money to buy the homes. 'I just thought how unfair it was, our ratepayer money being used to buy two houses that they're just going to bowl down. They've used our ratepayer money to pay out [compensation to] those 21 properties.' Council strategy, growth and governance general manager Christine Jones said the council paid $2.33 million for the two properties but this would be paid back by the developer. Only one of the two homes would need to be demolished for the new road and the other house could be resold, she said. The total compensation for the 21 properties was $3.16m but the individual amounts were confidential, Jones said. The council paid two-thirds and the developer paid one-third but would pay the council share as development happened, she said. Developers Carrus and Classic Group were working together on the development and controlled most of the developable land, Jones said. Council investigations showed Rowesdale Drive was the most suitable access point, she said. Multiple access points were preferable but not possible because of constraints and the costs involved, Jones said. The Pukemapu Rd option was not feasible and had a prohibitive cost, she said. Traffic congestion was a 'significant issue' during weekday-morning peak-hour but outside this the network generally performed well in Ōhauiti, Jones said. 'While additional traffic will have effects on the community, the shortage of housing in the city also has significant impacts and this area is one of few options to make a meaningful addition to the city's housing supply in a relatively short timeframe.' The council agreed better schooling options were needed in the area and had been engaging with the Ministry of Education for some years, she said. 'We are also aware of the lack of retail and commercial offering in the suburb and plan to investigate this further as part of our upcoming review of commercial and industrial zones across the city.' The council was also considering investigating other access options for Ōhauiti, Jones said. Carrus managing director Scott Adams said they were working through options and timeframes for the development. 'We don't have a workable subdivision plan as yet.' Adams said it was unknown yet how many homes would be built. The land had been zoned residential for about 25 years, he said. Residential growth took up most of the water and wastewater capacity that was allocated for the project and no infrastructure planning or upsizing had occurred since despite the residential zoning, Adams said. Having multiple transport connections to the site would be awesome, he said. 'The reality is traffic congestion is a citywide problem, and every motorist in the city endures it daily.' In his view: 'Transport planning has been neglected in Tauranga for decades.' Investment was needed to invest in highway network upgrades across the city to allow traffic to flow better, Adams said.
1News
5 days ago
- Business
- 1News
'Huge impact': Residents worry over traffic from new Tauranga development
Residents of a Tauranga suburb are concerned a new housing development will have a 'huge impact' on traffic that is already 'horrendous'. The residents want a second access added to the planned 13-hectare Pukemapu subdivision in Ōhauiti to alleviate their concerns, but Tauranga City Council says doing so would be prohibitively expensive. The new subdivision will be built on land that slopes down from the Rowesdale subdivision towards Pukemapu Rd, and an existing Rowesdale Drive house will be demolished to build the only access road. The developer Carrus said it was unknown how many homes would be built but the council website said about 200 were planned. Kerrie, who did not want her surname published, lives near Rowesdale Drive and said she and some other neighbours wanted the subdivision's developers to build a second access to Pukemapu Rd, which connects to Oropi Rd, to alleviate traffic pressures through Ōhauiti. ADVERTISEMENT 'It'll have a huge impact on the traffic. The traffic's already horrendous. 'It's a wider community that's affected. It's not just us, it's all of Ōhauiti and probably some of Welcome Bay as well. 'The developer should have to put in that [second] access point.' The area also didn't have schools or amenities like a supermarket, she said. Kerrie said the council had told her access to the subdivision was the developers' responsibility. Tauranga City Council bought two properties on Rowesdale Drive in Ōhauiti to enable access to the land behind for development. (Source: Local Democracy Reporting) 'The council is telling us we need to fight this with the developer to get the new road put in. It's nothing to do with council.' ADVERTISEMENT The council bought two properties at the end of Rowesdale Drive in 2020 to enable access to the Pukemapu land. These properties had covenants that prohibited them being used to enable development of the adjoining land. The council needed agreement from the other 21 property owners who were under the same covenant to change it to provide access to land behind. The alternative was to use a Public Works Act acquisition or High Court process to change the covenant. Talks with owners started in December 2021. The property owners obtained legal representation and an agreement on compensation was reached with the council in January 2023. The covenants on the two Rowesdale Drive properties were revoked, enabling access and services to the developable land. The covenants on other Rowesdale subdivision properties stayed the same. Rowesdale Drive residents are worried about the extra traffic that would be created by the new development. (Source: Local Democracy Reporting) ADVERTISEMENT Kerrie was also upset the council used ratepayer money to buy the homes. 'I just thought how unfair it was, our ratepayer money being used to buy two houses that they're just going to bowl down. They've used our ratepayer money to pay out [compensation to] those 21 properties.' Council strategy, growth and governance general manager Christine Jones said the council paid $2.33 million for the two properties but this would be paid back by the developer. Only one of the two homes would need to be demolished for the new road and the other house could be resold, she said. The total compensation for the 21 properties was $3.16m but the individual amounts were confidential, Jones said. The council paid two-thirds and the developer paid one-third but would pay the council share as development happened, she said. Developers Carrus and Classic Group were working together on the development and controlled most of the developable land, Jones said. ADVERTISEMENT Council strategy, growth and governance general manager Christine Jones (Source: Local Democracy Reporting) Council investigations showed Rowesdale Drive was the most suitable access point, she said. Multiple access points were preferable but not possible because of constraints and the costs involved, Jones said. The Pukemapu Rd option was not feasible and had a prohibitive cost, she said. Traffic congestion was a 'significant issue' during weekday-morning peak-hour but outside this the network generally performed well in Ōhauiti, Jones said. Carrus managing director Scott Adams (Source: NZME) (Source: NZME) 'While additional traffic will have effects on the community, the shortage of housing in the city also has significant impacts and this area is one of few options to make a meaningful addition to the city's housing supply in a relatively short timeframe.' ADVERTISEMENT The council agreed better schooling options were needed in the area and had been engaging with the Ministry of Education for some years, she said. 'We are also aware of the lack of retail and commercial offering in the suburb and plan to investigate this further as part of our upcoming review of commercial and industrial zones across the city.' The council was also considering investigating other access options for Ōhauiti, Jones said. Carrus managing director Scott Adams said they were working through options and timeframes for the development. 'We don't have a workable subdivision plan as yet.' Adams said it was unknown yet how many homes would be built. The land had been zoned residential for about 25 years, he said. ADVERTISEMENT Residential growth took up most of the water and wastewater capacity that was allocated for the project, and no infrastructure planning or upsizing had occurred since despite the residential zoning, Adams said. Having multiple transport connections to the site would be awesome, he said. 'The reality is traffic congestion is a citywide problem, and every motorist in the city endures it daily.' In his view: 'Transport planning has been neglected in Tauranga for decades.' Investment was needed to invest in highway network upgrades across the city to allow traffic to flow better, Adams said. - LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
Scoop
23-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Large Majority Of Gisborne Residents Want Local Control Of Water Services
Article – Zita Campbell – Local Democracy Reporter The favoured model could result in households facing an average rate increase of $100 per year. An overwhelming 90 percent of Gisborne submitters are in favour of keeping the region's water services in council hands, with ring-fenced funding and targeted rates. The favoured model could result in households connected to water services facing an average rate increase of $100 per year, while unconnected properties may have an equivalent decrease, according to council estimates. During a meeting on Wednesday, Gisborne District councillors voted to approve the modified in-house delivery model for its future water services delivery plan. Councils must submit their water plans to the Government by September 2025 under the Local Water Done Well reforms. Previous Mayor Meng Foon was among those who submitted, writing in his submission, 'water is a public good' and it should stay in public hands to prevent exploitation. 'CCO and private businesses are there for profit, as they are responsible for making a profit,' Foon said. Consultation ran from 1 April to 1 May this year, with 204 submissions received. Just one in 10 submitters supported establishing a council-controlled organisation (CCO), governed independently of the council, with water services funded through user charges and external financing. Under the CCO model, stormwater charges would remain with the council because of its connection with other services like roads and parks. This option would involve higher set-up costs and debt in the short term, but would have more borrowing capacity for upgrades. At the hearings, Foon spoke on his submission, supporting the council's recommended option to retain water services under council control. 'Your mana in ensuring that you control and have direction of our waters is utmost. 'Even though it's a CCO, your private organisation cannot borrow money as cheaply as the council.' However, Maraetaha Incorporated, a Māori land entity of Ngāi Tāmanuhiri shareholders, wanted the CCO option to enable an independent governance structure that could accommodate 'formal Māori representation and co-governance'. Trustee Beth Tupara-Katene said the Maraetaha lands were taken under the Public Works Act to develop the region's water infrastructure, including three supply dams. 'These sites now form a critical part of the city's municipal water supply, yet our shareholders and whānau have long been excluded from the decision-making, governance and benefit streams associated with that infrastructure,' Tupara-Katene told the hearings. She said the Waitangi Tribunal and Supreme Court have affirmed that Māori hold customary rights to water, which are protected under Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Local Water Done Well intends to make services more efficient, locally accountable and future-proofed. 'From our perspective, this can only be achieved if the model is built on the right foundations, recognising Treaty obligations, Māori property rights and our deep and enduring connection to our water,' Tupara-Katene said. Submitters opting to maintain council control emphasised the value of local control (60 mentions), trust in council governance (44) and concern over affordability (62), according to the council's meeting report. '[The CCO option] was commonly associated with increased bureaucracy, reduced community voice, and a risk of future privatisation.' 'Our preferred option avoids the high setup and transition costs associated with CCO, resulting in the lowest short-term impact on rates,' the document reads. The council could also choose to shift approaches later on if they choose to, by exploring shared service arrangements with other councils or a transition to a CCO. Tupara-Katene said if the in-house model is selected, iwi must be formal partners in decision-making alongside the council. 'One of the highest levels of participation in co-governance is the wastewater committee … and that has come through a consent condition,' she said as an example. There needs to be a formal decision-making group that can make those decisions alongside the council, she said. During deliberations, councillor Aubrey Ria said if an independent committee was set up to include mana whenua, it should reflect the Mangapoike dam, the Maraetaha community, Ngāi Tāmanuhiri Iwi and Waipaoa mana whenua, as water is drawn from the Waipaoa river. She also noted it could be like the Tairāwhiti Resource Management Plan committee, which had two technical specialists who gave 'really sound technical advice'. 'A make-up of another community board within the council to help guide, shape and mould the governance in that space, I think, would be really beneficial,' Ria said. The council signalled all water service costs will transition to a fully ring-fenced funding structure, from July 1, 2027, as required under the Local Water Done Well legislation. Borrowing under the in-house model still provides 'stable financial headroom' within the council's Local Government Funding Agency cap of 280 percent of operating revenue, according to the report. Under the ring-fenced housing structure, 'households connected to water services are expected to see an average rate increase of $100 per year, while unconnected properties may see an equivalent decrease.' The council will need to decide on introducing water metering, which had a 'mixed' reception during submissions, according to the council report. If approved, the new water service model will take effect on 1 July, 2027.
