Aerial view of the Port of Tauranga. Photo / Mead Norton
Projected growth of “multibillion-dollar exports” unrealised; productivity squashed by congestion; and poor access to employment, housing and rental affordability.
That’s the direction Tauranga Moana is heading if its “significant infrastructure deficit” is not addressed, a new forum of business heavyweights says.
The Western Bay of Plenty Infrastructure Forum has come up with a 10-point infrastructure action plan for the next decade, including pushes for a four-lane route between Tauranga and Hamilton, extending the Port of Tauranga, improving State Highway 29 and a study on moving Tauranga Airport.
It was presented to Finance Minister Grant Robertson at the group’s launch at the Port yesterday.
“We cannot sit there and watch a whole bunch of growth, reap the benefits of that growth and not do anything about the infrastructure,” forum chairman Nigel Tutt told the launch event.
The forum includes representatives from the Port of Tauranga, Ballance, Zespri, Tranzliquid, Tauranga Business Chamber, economic development agency Priority One, Tauranga Urban Task Force, Tauranga Māori Business Association and the Employers and Manufacturers Association.
The launch was attended by Robertson, Education Minister Jan Tinetti and Labour list MP Angie Warren Clark.
According to the forum’s Tauranga Moana Infrastructure Action Plan, Tauranga is the fifth-largest and fastest-growing city in New Zealand, but its infrastructure has not kept up with the rapid growth.
The plan outlined 10 “future and desired outcomes” for 2033, as well as the region’s current infrastructure constraints.
It claimed on the current trajectory, projected growth of multibillion-dollar exports will be unable to be realised, imports will be constrained, industry productivity will remain low due to congestion and poor access to employment, housing and rental affordability will remain a critical issue and industry and transport decarbonisation will be hindered.
At the launch Tutt, also chief executive of Priority One, said the forum wanted “Tauranga-specific plans” and a commitment of funding from the Government.
Tutt said members were “quite concerned” about infrastructure in the city where growth had led to “terrible housing outcomes” and “a lot of congestion”.
“We really need to get ahead of this - we only think that that is going to grow in terms of intensity.”
Members were “seriously worried” about the Port of Tauranga in terms of berth constraints and transport in and out.
Another concern was the roading network, particularly around SH29 in Tauriko, which he said was “a critical piece that really needs to be looked after” to address housing issues.
Port of Tauranga chief executive Leonard Sampson said 70 per cent of New Zealand’s dairy was transacted through the port, 61 per cent of meat exports and 85 per cent of kiwifruit exports.
Sampson acknowledged the port was going through an Environment Court process over its consent application for an $88-million berth extension. He said it was in “desperate need” of expanding its container terminal operations.
Sampson said the port already offered the country’s lowest carbon supply chain due to accessing bigger vessels.
“We simply are running out of berth capacity here and that’s going to actually have a significant impact on New Zealand’s supply chain.”
Nathan Flowerday, a director on the board of kiwifruit exporter Zespri, said it had “significant market demand” but faced logistical challenges, including transport.
Aside from infrastructure, Flowerday referenced “people capacity” as “a big elephant in the room”.
“The lack of people cost our communities $500 million last year.”
Tauranga Urban Task Force chairman and Carrus Corporation chairman and general manager Scott Adams said there would be a shortfall of about 8000 houses over the next 10 years.
He said the cumulative effect would be a shortfall of 50,000 houses on top of what was already being built over the next 30 years.
“We’re trying to enable intensification across the sub-region but with every enabling RMA (Resource Management Act) piece of policy statement that comes out, there are two other environmental ones there to stop or prohibit urban growth from occurring.”
Robertson said Tauriko was experiencing “enormous growth” and acknowledged concerns about the Resource Management Act.
He said the Act was a “balance” between developmental and environmental outcomes and was a “genuine attempt” by the Government to enable sustainable growth in cities and doing it in a “much more rapid way” than previously.
Robertson said the Port of Tauranga was a “significant part” of the country’s infrastructure and supply chain.
He said Cyclone Gabrielle showed coastal shipping needed to be a bigger part of the country’s “resilience strategy”, as the roading network had been “severely damaged”.
Robertson said it was “essential” to have public transport integrated when making changes to the roading network.
“The development of cities now has to now be based around carbon footprint.”
On migration, Robertson said the number of work visas granted in March was just over 20,000, larger than the number of visas granted in March 2019.
“We are starting - it’s been a massive constraint on people and I absolutely recognise that but we are starting to see those workers come back up. If we can make sure we’re training New Zealanders and using the immigration system together, I think we’ll do that.”
Robertson welcomed the forum, saying its strength would be “significant”.
”It is much easier for us when we’re at the other end of that, that we’re looking at something that’s coherent and understood and, dare I say it, even agreed across the region. That’s a magnificent place to start your work from.”
Robertson said it did not necessarily mean the Government was in a position to “automatically do things”.
But it meant the Government would have some “confidence” in investing in something that was “genuinely an integrated plan for a city or a region”.
Source: Tauranga Moana Infrastructure Action Plan - Western Bay of Plenty Infrastructure Forum
A severe thunderstorm watch is in place for the region tonight.