Ruakura port plan goes to public hearing

Mike Pohio, chief executive of Tainui Group Holdings.

Controversial $3.3 billion plans to develop a new freight hub or inland port at Ruakura on Hamilton's outskirts are due to be heard in May.

The Environment Protection Authority says the plans by Tainui Group and Chedworth Properties will be heard by a board of inquiry sitting in Hamilton from May 6.

A pre-hearing conference was held at the start of this month to timetable matters, including the public hearing.

The authority described the party's plans.

"Tainui and Chedworth have identified long-term development opportunities to unlock the potential of their respective land through investment of $3.3 billion over 50 years as part of the proposed development proposal," the authority said.

But many residents in the area have opposed the scheme. They cite what they say would be serious and detrimental impacts on lifestyle and property values, noise and nuisance, vibrations, increased truck and traffic movements resulting in the rising risks of accidents and deaths, contamination and dust, and effects on wildlife and the visual effects of communication towers, tower lighting and containers.

The proposed scheme is surrounded by residential communities, Waikato University and local schools, opponents say, so a 24/7 working inland port did not make sense unless significant buffers, protective measures and zoning restrictions were demanded. Opponents say the port should instead be built at the northern end of Hamilton on State Highway 1 near the Freightlines and Fonterra freight handling facilities.

The board said Waikato Tainui had received the Ruakura parcel as part of a Treaty of Waitangi settlement and wanted to develop about 500ha in partnership with Chedworth, owning an adjacent 116ha.

The land is about 3km to the north-east of Hamilton's CBD and is mostly rural and lifestyle blocks, covering 822ha, adjoining the university and residential suburb Fairview Downs.

Residents' groups from Ruakura, Newstead and Fairview Downs are opposing the development.

Mike Pohio, Tainui Group Holdings chief executive, said this year's focus was on the Ruakura project where the commercial inland freight hub would create 6000 to 12,000 jobs.

The plans in the longer term are to develop an industrial zone, knowledge zone, innovation zone and medium-density housing but the authority said the inland port using road and rail networks was the cornerstone of the scheme.

Ruakura scheme
* $3.3 billion investment over 50 years.
* New inland port freight hub first step planned.
* Claims of $4.4 billion benefit for Waikato region.
* 11,000 fulltime jobs to be created at hub.
Source: Submission to EPA