The Premium Debate: Developer labels Tauriko West woes ‘madness’

Classic Group director Peter Cooney at Tauriko West. Photo / NZME

OPINION

One of Tauranga’s largest prioritised areas for housing growth is trapped in “the ultimate catch-22″, unable to deliver the number of homes as planned until local roading infrastructure is upgraded 27 years from now.

In 2021, government housing arm Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities spent $70 million on 95ha of Ferncliff Farms at Tauriko West to help build an estimated 4000 homes in response to the city’s dire housing crisis.

Developers can now build only half of that in the mid-term future because the Government roading arm was not expected to deliver on critical roading infrastructure before 2050.

Read the full story: Tauranga housing crisis: Classic Group’s Peter Cooney labels Tauriko West woes ‘madness’.

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Can someone please tell me why Tauranga has to grow so fast? If all these houses are built in the next few years, what impact will that have on its present citizens’ standard of life, for example, hospital beds, doctors, schooling, the whole roading network, sporting facilities — the list goes on.

— Robin F

In response to Robin F: You’re telling me! I live in Welcome Bay, for years they’ve just been building and building new subdivisions, hundreds of houses, yet zero infrastructure. No new schools, medical centres, shopping centre, community facilities etc. Only one road.

— Heather A

In response to Robin F: You make some good points Robin, Tauranga definitely needs a bigger hospital ... or another one or two.

— Janice S

This country is beset with bumbling bureaucrats who simply gum up the wheels of progress.

— Patrick F

Looks like good farmland, why not build up closer to the town centre, rather than the constant sprawl?

— James C

You can’t blame Labour for this one. The member of Parliament for Tauranga is from the National Party and should be all over this but is “missing in action”.

— Steve B

When one ideology (we hate roads) meets another (the state must own all the rental houses).

— Jan W

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