Tauranga City Council’s commission wants three key infrastructure priorities to be top of mind for candidates at the
forthcoming parliamentary byelection.
Commission Chair Anne Tolley says the projects involved – Hewletts Road/Hull Road/Totara Street improvements, State
Highway 29 grade separation and the Port of Tauranga extension – are all vital and need to be accelerated to get the
city moving.
"Industry, business groups and the Western Bay of Plenty’s councils all agree that these projects are pivotal for the
region, simply because they will have the biggest impact on our economy and residents over the next decade and beyond,”
Anne says. “The election candidates will all have their own policies to put before the electorate, but we would like
them to also think about short-to-medium-term actions which will help us address the city’s chronic housing shortage,
improve our transport links into and through the city and get goods moving efficiently through the port.”
She says the SH29 improvements the council has been advocating with Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency would enable a
separation of the increasing inter-regional freight traffic to and from the port from the growing public transport,
walking, cycling and private vehicle traffic connecting to Cameron Road.
“Our aim is to accelerate the decision-making and see the full package of works start by 2025, rather than being staged
over multiple decades,” Anne explains. “This project has other crucial outcomes, including unlocking the potential for
up to 15,000 additional homes and an additional 10,000 jobs in the Tauriko Business Estate, so it really is a top
priority.
“Work is required on the Hewletts/Hull/Totara corridor to accommodate and speed-up traffic flows across the city and to
the port. And we also need the port extension works to be fast-tracked so that New Zealand’s biggest port can work at
maximum efficiency and critical exports and imports are expedited.”
Anne Tolley says some of the early commentary from byelection candidates has been “out of touch” with the real needs of
the constituency. “This is an opportunity to discuss and promote actions which will have huge long-term benefits for
Tauranga, so let’s keep our electoral conversations grounded and focused on real world solutions to real world issues.”
ENDS
Media enquiries | communications@tauranga.govt.nz
Tauranga City Council
07 577 7000
Tauranga is New Zealand’s fifth-largest and fastest growing regional city, home to a diverse population of around
155,000 people. Tauranga is host to New Zealand’s largest export port supporting the horticultural, manufacturing and
marine industries. Our city has New Zealand’s fastest growing regional economy, skilled job opportunities and a strong
labour market.
Tauranga City Council works to deliver a city that:values and protects our natural environmentis well planned, with a variety of successful and thriving compact centresis easy to move around and well connectedsupports business and educationis inclusive, safe, resilient and healthy.
As an integral part of the wider Bay of Plenty region and upper North Island we recognise that we have a key role in
making a significant contribution to the overall wellbeing of the region.
For more information, visit www.tauranga.govt.nz, call 07 577 7000 (available 24/7), email info@tauranga.govt.nz or follow us on Facebook www.facebook.com/TaurangaCityCouncil