Rural residents lose business park battle

A $50 million business park will be developed next to some of the Bay of Plenty's best lifestyle properties after a lengthy court battle.

The Environment Court has backed the 26-hectare business park in Te Puna, 14km west of Tauranga - over the objections of hundreds of residents - but says it must reflect the area's rural nature.

The park will help ease a desperate shortage of commercial land and offer a variety of materials and services to fuel Bay of Plenty industry.

The court limited the development to 26 1ha lots on both sides of Te Puna Station Rd and the developers must complete extensive landscaping, including creating a wetland.

The park is being developed by three landowners, and Environment Court judge Jeff Smith said a planned development offered a more certain outcome than an ad hoc approach.

Western Bay District Council initially refused an application to rezone the land as industrial. It received 200 submissions, many from residents opposing the plan change. But at the Environment Court hearing the council indicated that its concerns had largely been overcome.

Te Puna residents were still opposed. Fifteen funded their own case to the court, saying their environment would be affected.

Mr Smith said the impact on the residents would be minimal. There was an existing railway line next to the site and the trains generated "a long and loud noise".

Association member Mark Tingey said the park plans had been improved significantly after input from the council, iwi and residents. Project manager Grant Overton said building could be started by December.

He was confident the landscaping would screen much of the business park. There would be internal hedges, the central wetland, and ponds surrounded by native trees.

- NZPA