Keenan Rd and Gasson Lane in Pyes Pā are in the Western Corridor area being assessed. Photo / Alex Cairns
Residents of a rural community on Tauranga’s western fringe fear being forced out of their homes to make way for a massive housing project, and claim authorities are not giving them enough information about the plans.
It comes as Kāinga Ora assesses whether it be given sweeping new powers to help fast-track planning of the Western Corridor development as a potential Specified Development Project (SDP) under the Urban Development Act 2020. If approved, Tauranga would be among the first places in New Zealand to use an SDP.
The act gives the government agency land acquisition powers when doing urban development, including SDPs, but Kāinga Ora says these are rarely used and the assessment did “not signal any intent to utilise these powers”. A council leader also says there is no intent to acquire land forcibly.
Keenan Rd resident Kirsty McLaughlin received a letter from Kāinga Ora last month informing her that her property was one of those in the Western Corridor area being assessed.
The letter referred to Tauranga Crossing, Tauriko West, Tauriko Business Estate, The Lakes, Lower Belk Rd, Upper Belk Rd, Keenan Rd, Joyce Rd, and Merrick Rd as the areas identified for development.
When the Bay of Plenty Times first reported on the proposal in September, only Tauriko West, Keenan Rd and Tauriko Business Estate’s lower Belk Rd extension were expected to be involved.
The July letter focused on the SDP assessment process, including consultation, and Western Corridor background.
Keenan Rd resident Kirsty McLaughlin said it had “brought up the level of concern, not just for our family but for the community and from people calling me”.
This was especially because the letter lacked details about the timeframes involved in the project, she said.
An indicative sequencing schedule by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency showed development of the Keenan Rd area was expected to begin within five to 10 years.
The schedule, included in a Tauriko Network Connections – Detailed Business Case, also stated the Western Corridor was expected to provide 17,640 homes — 20 per cent of new and planned-for homes in the Western Bay sub-region. Of these, 1620 new homes were planned for Keenan Rd by 2048, increasing the road’s residential population by 4293.
McLaughlin said mandatory acquisitions were not mentioned in the letter but she had gathered what information she could and was concerned.
Under the act, Kāinga Ora can compulsorily acquire land for specified works and transfer this to a developer. Land could also be taken to be used for another specified work different from its initial purpose. These powers did not apply to Māori land.
An SDP would allow it to avoid Resource Management Act (RMA) complications by consolidating all the separate processes needed for the development as one project, and potentially speeding up the development process by streamlining it.
“I’m actually staggered that mandatory acquisition can happen in New Zealand,” McLaughlin said.
“I’m astonished Kāinga Ora can circumnavigate the RMA when they are a Crown agency.”
McLaughlin said she was not against providing for growth, but believed she and other landowners needed more information.
“I’m fully cognisant and understand the homelessness situation in Tauranga. I’m a social worker so I am fully aware of the housing needs of the community. This isn’t nimbyism. We don’t mind who our neighbours are but at this stage, it feels like we have only [the letter] and not enough information to make decisions.
“We are not able to plan for our future.”
She was also shocked to learn from Kāinga Ora that local property owners were not considered to be key stakeholders consulted before the general public.
An email sighted by the Bay of Plenty Times showed Kāinga Ora confirmed it had engaged with mana wheuna and key stakeholders as defined in legislation — in this case, “Tauranga City Council, Western Bay of Plenty District Council, Bay of Plenty Regional Council, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency and other agencies”.
McLaughlin said she met city commissioners Anne Tolley and Stephen Selwood in October to express her concerns about potentially losing her home.
She said potential future plans for medium-density housing in Keenan Rd were discussed at the meeting.
“Under the legislation … it does say that landowners will be able to get a lawyer and negotiate a price, which is of no interest to me,” McLaughlin said.
“We have raised our children here, had thousands of dinners, had engagement parties here, community and charity events, etc. We have a beautiful night sky. We pay very high rates for very few services. We’ve worked hard to stay here. We don’t want to lose that.
“Lots of people [in the community] have expressed their concern. A lot are talking about legal support but nobody’s rushing to it because there’s nothing definitive. In saying that, I wouldn’t be surprised if people are lawyering up now,” she said.
McLaughlin said she and other landowners were expecting to be asked to a meeting in August or September.
In her view: “It’s not really consultation.”
“People are afraid. Have their houses lost their value? If this plan goes ahead, will they be bowled?
“At the moment, we feel voiceless.
“Most of us feel that chance [to be heard] is going to be after the decision is already made.”
McLaughlin said that despite her concern, she did not want to “rush” to the same conclusion before attending the meeting.
Gasson Lane resident Sharlene McGregor said she moved there for the rural lifestyle, not to landbank for subdivision.
She said, from her perspective, the letter was not very informative.
McGregor said she felt it was still early on in the assessment process but if her property was threatened by the prospect of mandatory acquisition, she would seek legal help to fight it.
Kāinga Ora general manager of urban planning and design Katja Lietz said Kāinga Ora held land acquisition powers under the act, but “there are specific requirements for when and how these can be used”.
“Any decisions would be subject to a rigorous internal process, with approval required at the most senior level of the organisation,” Lietz said.
“We want to be very clear that these powers are rarely used, and are not specifically linked to SDPs. Establishing an urban development project as an SDP would not signal any intent to utilise these powers and their use is not something that is being considered during the assessment phase of this process.”
Public notification of and feedback on the assessment process was expected to begin at the end of this month.
“While it is correct that the purpose of an SDP is to consolidate and streamline the various existing processes that are required to deliver projects of this nature, it is important to note that it is a comprehensive statutory process with multiple stages to work through before development under an SDP can begin.”
Lietz said the act required Kāinga Ora to carry out the assessment but it was working “in partnership” with local councils, mana whenua, and other government agencies.
“This is Kāinga Ora acting in its role of helping to facilitate and co-ordinate large-scale urban development, very separate from its other housing developer and public housing landlord roles.”
Tolley said the acquisition powers would be similar to those Tauranga City Council already held under the Public Works Act to require land for infrastructure purposes.
“As I understand it, these powers are not greatly expanded under the Urban Development legislation.
“There is no intention that land would be forcibly acquired for development purposes.”
She said the council was “heavily involved” in the assessment process for the potential SDP. This included consideration of a governance entity — which would include the council — to oversee it.
The council was also preparing a structure plan “to enable the urbanisation of the Keenan Rd urban growth area”.
“This project will be undertaken over the next 12 months and [the] council is planning to commence engagement with landowners next month,” Tolley said.
Kiri Gillespie is an assistant news director and a senior journalist for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post, specialising in local politics and city issues. She was a finalist for the Voyager Media Awards Regional Journalist of the Year in 2021.
The couple spend five months a year in America running their business.