Business park with jobs for 5000 edging closer

The $200 million Metroplex business park at Rangiuru, near Te Puke, is coming closer with a planning change application to be heard next week.

The business park, first proposed by Priority One and Carrus Corporation, will house more than 100 businesses and employ more than 5000 people.

Quayside Properties, a subsidiary company owned by Environment Bay of Plenty, is facilitating the development and is seeking to rezone 243ha of rural land opposite the freezing works on the northern side of State Highway 2, about 5km east of Te Puke.

Nearly 150ha will be taken up by new businesses and the remainder of the site will be used for stormwater, reserves and roading.

Quayside owns half of the total site and the rest of the land is still in individual ownership. The plan is to develop the business park in two stages - with the first phase taking up 22ha.

Project manager Mike Horsley said he hoped earthworks for the first stage could begin in October next year and businesses could be moving in a year later.

The second stage will tie in with the construction of the nearby eastern arterial expressway which will handle the increased the traffic from the business park.

The eastern arterial is expected to be built between 2010 and 2013 and "we could complete the second stage when the new road is opened", said Mr Horsley.

A joint Western Bay District and Tauranga City hearings committee started considering the application yesterday.

The plan change includes a notice to designate land for improving the intersection of Pah Rd and State Highway 2. This would help to reduce any traffic problems in the area.

Twenty-five submissions have been received on the plan change and 10 on the land designation.

The submissions highlight concerns about increased traffic, the effect on amenity values of surrounding residential properties, archaeology and heritage impacts, pollution from storage ponds and water supply issues for existing users.

Quayside Properties is arguing the business park is consistent with the SmartGrowth strategy and it will stimulate economic development in the region.

The business park will also help realise the construction of the eastern arterial.

Quayside said the land area was large enough and far enough away from significant residential areas to make it suitable for a range of industries.

- BAY OF PLENTY TIMES