Western Bay of Plenty District mayor Garry Webber at the Omokoroa and State Highway 2 (SH2) intersection. Photo / George Novak
Western Bay of Plenty District mayor Garry Webber at the Omokoroa and State Highway 2 (SH2) intersection. Photo / George Novak
Western Bay of Plenty District Council's $150 million application for the State Highway 2/Ōmokoroa intersection has made a shortlist for Government funding.
A regional transport boss says the work is "critical" for the Ōmokoroa community and while the district mayor is pleased, he says there is plenty of work to do.
Kāinga Ora confirmed the council's application for the project would move to the Request for Proposal stage of its Infrastructure Acceleration Fund process.
Western Bay Mayor Garry Webber says it was a positive step forward with Kāinga Ora identifying the necessity of the intersection to support new housing supply in Ōmokoroa.
"We are delighted to have made it to the next round but know there are no guarantees given the history of this infrastructure project. We now have plenty of work to do to produce a compelling case the panel can't say no to.
"This is a critical project not only for the district but the western Bay of Plenty sub-region. Ōmokoroa is a priority growth area. We are committed to seeing this piece of infrastructure come to fruition."
Regional Transport Committee chairman Lyall Thurston. Photo / NZME
Bay of Plenty Regional Transport Committee chairman Lyall Thurston said one of the biggest issues he had encountered during his time on the regional council was infrastructure issues in the Western Bay.
Thurston said he had learned how "critical" it was for the Ōmokoroa community to have a "safe passage" into Tauranga.
"I'm fully supportive of anything that Western Bay [the council] does to fast-track this – if they can pull of funding for this, I will be the first to salute them."
In August the council submitted an expression of interest for the fund and followed with an application, backed by SmartGrowth, for the $150 million for the intersection.
This is in response to Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency being unable to fund the project after the Government's decision to halt most of the funding for the project earlier this year.
The intersection was approved to be funded along with four-laning State Highway 2 from Te Puna to Ōmokoroa, the second stage of the Takitimu North Link, through the New Zealand Upgrade Programme.
The funding was later withdrawn so both projects, stage two of the Takitimu North Link and the State Highway 2 Ōmokoroa Road Interchange, were not included in the Bay's Regional Transport Plan.
The council will now submit a full proposal.
Kāinga Ora said the contestable fund was worth at least $1 billion and was designed to fund key infrastructure and enable housing development in the short to medium term.
Shortlisted councils, iwi and developers were invited to submit a more detailed proposal before the end of the year.
Kāinga Ora commercial group general manager Caroline McDowall says the proposals going through to this next round represent a range of important housing outcomes.
"The [fund] is designed to ultimately enable meaningful contribution to housing outcomes in areas of need.
"The proposals put forward to the next stage in the process are set to do this through a range of both large-scale and smaller developments, with the majority estimating delivery of housing within the next five years if they receive funding."
There had been more than 200 applications totalling more than $5 billion so there would be "a few disappointed applicants now that the first stage of evaluation is complete".
Kāinga Ora was still carrying out due diligence but hoped to fast-track some proposals "to jump-start some of the much-needed housing developments as soon as possible", McDowall said.
"We hope to have some good news on these in the coming months – watch this space."
