The economic survival of Te Puke's shopping centre has been linked to the right roading decisions being made once the motorway bypassing the town opened in about 18 months.
Te Puke Fast Forward chairman Graeme Walker said the 5000 people living in the Maketu/Pukehina end of the Western Bay might decide it was more convenient to shop and do business in Papamoa or Tauranga if the highway through Te Puke was was not well maintained
The accountant was echoing widespread community concern that the Western Bay council needed to strike a good deal before it accepted ownership of the 18km stretch of highway from Paengaroa to Domain Rd.
However he went one step further by linking the future prosperity of the town with ensuring that residents living in the eastern end of the council's area, including Pongakawa and Paengaroa, were not tempted to jump on to the Tauranga Eastern Link.
Mr Walker said the council must consider the possibility that residents will say "to hell with it" and travel on a nice, new road rather than use the old highway. "It is a threat to Te Puke if we don't have a reasonable road. That concerns me deeply," he told councillors yesterday. The council was hearing submissions on its 2014-15 Annual Plan.