Exciting things are underway in the heart of Tauranga. Building our future – Cameron Road, Te Papa is more than just a face lift for our main street; it's a critical urban transformation project that will help accommodate the city's rapid growth, provide more ways to move and create a safer, people-friendly city.
The Cameron Road community is made up of a melting pot of businesses, shops, residents, schools, a university, day cares, community groups, and people who travel by bus, mobility devices, bike, scooter and foot - who have all been considered as part of the upgrade to this gateway to the city.
Max, a 25-year-old access coordinator at CCS Disability Action, Bay of Plenty has lived in Tauranga for the last seven years but is Te Puke born and bred. His role is to advocate for better access around the Bay of Plenty.
Max has lived in Tauranga for the last seven years but is Te Puke born and bred. His role is to advocate for better access around the Bay of Plenty.
"I'm the first port of call for anything accessible in the disability realm of things. I work a lot with councils and local government to see how we can improve access in the community for all different people."
Some of the common access issues Max sees on streets is not having curb cut-outs, or curb cut-outs that aren't well located.
"There might be a curb access point on one side of the road but not on the other, or it may be a long time until you find one - this can make crossing the road tricky and unsafe not just for a wheelchair user, but someone using a pram, kids on scooters and older people too."
Max has had input on the Cameron Road developments over the past year or so and was consulted by Tauranga City Council about what could be improved from a disability perspective.
"That was really cool cause a lot of companies don't consult the disability sector. It was good to hear that they're interested in speaking to all communities.
"This upgrade will make it safer, given that Cameron Road is such a main road of Tauranga. One really important part will be sufficient and accessible public transport - a lot of disabled people rely heavily on public transport so we are making sure it's safe to cross the road and that the bus stops are safe too."
While Max usually travels Cameron Road in his car, he can recall his not-too-distant student days of public transport.
"When I was a student, I was big into public transport and constantly accessing Cameron Road, as it really is the transport hub for students relying on busses to get to uni or tech, as well as getting to the shops like Pak'N'Save too."
Max can see the vision for Cameron Road and says he sees it becoming a universally designed street where people from all walks of life will be able to use it.
The completion of Stage One between the city centre and 17th Avenue at the end of 2023 will see new dedicated two way cycleways, new part-time bus lanes in the morning and evening; many more native plantings and trees; wider paths and better crossings for pedestrians; and new traffic lights at intersections. The existing traffic lanes will stay. At the same time, the council is renewing ageing water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure to set us up for all the growth over the next 30 years.