Latest news with #Tauranga
RNZ News
5 hours ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
‘Good outcome': Trial reopening for Tauranga street closed seven years
The Hairini St bus lane will reopen to vehicles outside of morning peak hour for a three-month trial from October. Photo: LDR / SUPPLIED A trial reopening of a Tauranga street closed for seven years has been labelled a "good outcome" for nearby residents feeling stuck "in a rat trap". Transport planners, however, are concerned it will create safety issues. The citybound Hairini St slip lane to Turret Rd and the Hairini Bridge will reopen, except from 6.30am to 9.30am weekdays, for a three-month trial from October. The road was closed in July 2018 when the Maungatapu Underpass opened, to avoid having three lanes merging into one at the notorious traffic bottleneck. It became a bus-only lane. This meant to leave Hairini, motorists had to backtrack to the State Highway 29 Hairini St intersection. Photo: The slip lane's closure was met with opposition from residents upset about a lack of consultation and communication about the changes. The decision to reopen the street was made at Tauranga City Council City Delivery Committee meeting on Tuesday. The council worked with local hapū Ngāi Te Ahi to develop options for the trial. Ngāi Te Ahi representative Irene Walker told Local Democracy Reporting Hairini Marae asked the council for the street to be reopened five years ago. The opening was a "good outcome" because it allowed people the freedom to move, she said. "Residents like the idea that they don't feel as though they're in a rat trap. There is another way out." Council staff recommended traffic calming measures for Hairini St, such as speed bumps, but the committee opted to do this only if required after the trial began because of the cost. Walker said she was not worried about there being no new safety measures because she didn't think they were needed. Hairini resident Graham Hopkins first asked the council to reopen the street in 2020. Hairini resident Graham Hopkins asked the council to reopen Hairini St in 2020. Photo: John Borren / LDR The trial was a chance to see if it would work, he said. "I'm not overly excited, but I am happy that they're at least going to give it a trial." Having to backtrack to get to Turret Rd added about 1km to a trip and getting on to the roundabout could be difficult, he said. Hopkins said he did not have concerns about safety because the slip lane was residents' main accessway prior to the street's closure. A pedestrian crossing on Hairini St would be a "good idea" for children walking to school, he said. At the meeting, Mayor Mahé Drysdale asked what the cost of the traffic calming measures would be. Tauranga Mayor Mahé Drysdale. Photo: David Hall / LDR Council transport programme manager Brent Goodhue said the cost was $20,000 for the safety measures and $10,000 in traffic management while they were installed. More traffic, potentially driving faster down Hairini St, was expected when the road opened, he said. "We would end up with negative impacts to the local community if we didn't put those [safety measures] in at the same time." The trial would allow the council to assess safety, accessibility and monitor the impact it had on the wider road network, said Goodhue. It would also determine the viability of a long-term solution after construction of the proposed Turret Rd / 15th Ave upgrades. June council data showed an average of 27,671 vehicles used the Hairini Bridge/Turret Rd corridor each day. Director of transport Mike Seabourne said the estimated cost of the trial without traffic calming, staff costs and a contingency would be about $40,000, down from about $110,000. Drysdale did not want the council to spend more than it had to when there may not be a problem. If the trial created safety issues, then the council could act, he said. Councillor Rod Taylor said: "How many chances of safety do you get? The first thing that might happen is someone gets run over." Tauranga City councillor Rod Taylor. Photo: David Hall / LDR The staff had considered potential safety issues and the "risk is too high", he said. Welcome Bay ward councillor Hautapu Baker said he grew up in the neighbourhood and children from four schools used the area. "I would hate for us to respond to an accident rather than be proactive to prevent something." Councillor Glen Crowther said the road would be closed when children were going to school. Afternoon traffic would be heading out of the city and not using the citybound slip lane much. There were other areas in the city where children were more at risk, he said. The council consulted residents in the directly affected area and found 80% of 92 responses supported a trial reopening, with the rest opposed. Some 78 percent supported traffic calming on Hairini St, with most in favour of speedhumps. Councillors approved the trial reopening with a $40,000 budget. Traffic calming measures would be installed if required once the trial began. Once the trial was complete residents would be surveyed again, and staff would report the trial's results back to the council for a decision on the slip lane's future. - LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
RNZ News
a day ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Kiwi investors rescue bike maker UBCO from receivership
UBCO utility bike. Photo: RNZ/Carol Stiles New Zealand investors have rescued electric utility bike maker UBCO from receivership. The Tauranga based company collapsed with debts of close to $36 million in January, despite having had significant fleet sales including to Australia Post. The new owners, Utility Fleet Vehicles, include some of its original backers, Sir Stephen Tindall's K1W1, and companies associated with well known investors Peter Goodfellow, and the Holdsworth family. Chief executive Oliver Hutaff said the company was getting back to its roots of delivering robust, durable electric vehicles. "We're focused on building electric utility vehicles for fleets like postal services, agriculture, conservation, law enforcement and military applications," Hutaff said. "We know what works, and what doesn't, and we're back with a tighter focus." The acquisition also includes UBCO's Australian subsidiary, and UBCO's local finance subsidiary, which serves fleets on subscription, neither of which were placed into receivership. The new business will have 21 staff, who cover research and customer support. Manufacturing was previously done in Taiwan. No details of the sale price were given, but one of the receivers, Stephen Keen of Grant Thornton, called the sales process "robust". "It's fantastic to see a Kiwi business continue its legacy with key team members remaining - something that's particularly challenging in today's economic environment where distressed businesses face significant loss of talent and even closure." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
NZ Herald
5 days ago
- Sport
- NZ Herald
Down to the wire ... Poverty Bay East Coast juniors pip Tauranga at indoor bowls tournament
The Poverty Bay East Coast Under-18 team who won the Alison Cowan Trophy in Whakatāne are, back (from left): Jakeb Te Kani Brown, Kiki Casey, Sean Haskins, Sonson Casey and Malcolm Trowell (selector/manager) Front: Adam Rickard (captain), Liam Pinn, Zoe Trowell and Sophie Haskins. Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech. Down to the wire ... Poverty Bay East Coast juniors pip Tauranga at indoor bowls tournament The Poverty Bay East Coast Under-18 team who won the Alison Cowan Trophy in Whakatāne are, back (from left): Jakeb Te Kani Brown, Kiki Casey, Sean Haskins, Sonson Casey and Malcolm Trowell (selector/manager) Front: Adam Rickard (captain), Liam Pinn, Zoe Trowell and Sophie Haskins. The Poverty Bay East Coast Under-18 team won the Alison Cowan Trophy against Tauranga and Bay of Plenty in a hard-fought day of bowls in Whakatāne. The crew of captain Adam Rickard, Liam Pinn, Zoe Trowell, Sophie Haskins, Sean Haskins, Sonson Casey, Jakeb Te Kani Brown and Kiki Casey finished the eight rounds locked with Tauranga, but claimed the trophy due to a superior number of ends won. With four points gained for each pairs win and two for every singles success, the PBEC team started the day well. After their early-morning travel, PBEC recorded two wins and a draw in their round 1 fours games, followed by six wins out of eight singles clashes in round 2. Three wins in the round 3 pairs, followed by five wins in the next round of singles put them on 44 points going into the lunch break.
RNZ News
5 days ago
- RNZ News
Mother challenges MOE over 'outdated' school holidays model
One Tauranga mother is challenging the Ministry of Education over what she says is an outdated model for school holidays. Karina Tendler told RNZ the number of breaks kids have during the year seems to rely on an outdated expectation that families have one parent home all the time. Money correspondent Susan Edmunds looked into the issue and spoke to Melissa Chan-Green. Tags: To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
RNZ News
5 days ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Tauranga's Baypark speedway lease extended to 2039
Speedway's lease at Baypark Stadium has been extended until 2039. Photo: Andrew Warner Speedway will continue to race at Baypark in Tauranga giving the sport "certainty and longevity". Councillors approved extending Speedway Racing Ltd's lease at Mercury Baypark Stadium until 2039 at a Tauranga City Council meeting this week. Speedway's current lease was set to end in 2029. Baypark Speedway manager Melissa Webb told Local Democracy Reporting they were "absolutely pleased and grateful" for the council's decision. "Securing the future of speedway at Baypark until 2039 gives us real certainty and longevity. "We're looking forward to building on that for the good of the sport, competitors, and fans alike." Under the agreement, Speedway Racing would buy the north stand of 15,600 seats for $1, maintain and upgrade it, while leasing the land from the council through the facilities arm, Bay Venues. The council would retain ownership of the land and the north stand would be returned to the council at the end of the lease for $1. The council consulted on the lease proposal in June and received 3527 responses, with half of these from Tauranga residents. Of those responses, 90 percent supported speedway staying at the stadium and 10 percent did not support it. Speedway will buy and maintain the curved north stand at Baypark Stadium. Photo: NZME Mana whenua Ngā Pōtiki opposed the proposal because of concerns about noise, traffic, pollution and the best use of the space. Their submission favoured the lease not being renewed beyond 2029 and for the land to be used to support whānau wellbeing, youth development, and inclusive community engagement. Speaking in the meeting's public forum on Monday, Bay of Plenty Speedway Association vice-president Barry Andrews said the organisation would be investing several millions that would otherwise be a cost to the council. "There will be next to no impact on Tauranga City ratepayers. Speedway will continue to entertain with its racing, fireworks, and other events. Bay of Plenty Speedway Association vice president Barry Andrews. Photo: Alisha Evans "Fourteen years of no cost to ratepayers and the council gets the North Stand back complete with repairs, maintenance and upgrades." Another speaker, Steve Daniel, told the meeting the speedway's current location in Mount Maunganui was perfect because it was next to the waste transfer station, sewage treatment plant and businesses that made compost. "Great for car racing, maybe not so good for open-air sports athletes. "Baypark certainly means a great deal to me as a hobby, a former place of employment, as a place of memories, and where history was and still is made. "My desire is to protect the location for its original intended use." Councillor Marten Rozeboom. Photo: David Hall The 15,000-seat stadium was built in 2001 by former Tauranga MP Bob Clarkson for speedway and rugby, for $24 million. He owned and operated it until 2007 when he sold it to the council for $12m. Councillor Marten Rozeboom said in his view the stadium had not been maintained "sufficiently well". There was a group of motoring enthusiasts prepared to spend their own money and do what the council hadn't done, he said. "They've offered to fix our council's long-term deficiencies, which I think is kind of embarrassing on behalf of the city to take over an asset and not maintain it." He fully supported Speedway Racing taking over the stand and maintaining it. "Maintaining this for the community to use, for our kids to attend motor events and experience an event that I had when I was growing up, and I loved every minute of it." Councillor Rod Taylor encouraged the organisation to grow the number of the events they had each year to get maximum use of the stadium. He asked speedway to take Ngā Pōtiki "very seriously" as a partner because they could add value to what speedway would do at the site. Baypark Speedway manager Melissa Webb. Photo: Alisha Evans Webb told Local Democracy Reporting the aim was to work with Ngā Pōtiki. "We're looking forward to meeting with Ngā Pōtiki and developing a positive, healthy relationship moving forward." She said speedway was working through the details and costs of the work required. "Now that the lease extension is secured, we're eager to get under way with proper assessments and planning as soon as possible. "While there's still a journey ahead, we're thrilled to be on the other side of this milestone and ready to focus on delivering those improvements." Speedway was at risk of being displaced in 2022 when the commission governing the council had plans to replace the stadium with a multi-use sporting precinct for outdoor netball, track and field athletics and gymnastics. A protest was held and a "Hands Off Baypark Speedway" campaign was launched. There was also the threat of legal action if an agreement about speedway was not reached. In September 2023, the plans were changed to keep the stadium and pits and allow speedway to retain its current lease until 2029. Meanwhile, councillors on Monday agreed to netball's relocation from Mount Maunganui's Blake Park to Baypark. A new Netball Multisport Centre would include an 800sq m new building estimated to cost about $4m, and 23 new courts - 14 asphalt and nine cushioned, with three to be covered - costing about $9.2m, including toilets and a covered walkway. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
