Tauranga City Council has described the inclusion of a major SH29 upgrade between Tauriko and the city in the Government Policy Statement strategic investments programme, together with a separate decision by the Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency Board to approve the Business Case for the SH29/SH29A project, as potential gamechangers for the city.

Commission Chair, Anne Tolley, says the decisions are hugely important for Tauranga because they provide the opportunity to unlock significant housing and commercial development in the city’s western corridor, as well as transformational improvements to a nationally significant freight route.

“Tauranga is New Zealand’s fastest-growing city, but it also has a significant housing shortage and major transport network congestion problems,” she says. “This crucial project will not only remove the choke-points which currently affect freight and vehicle access to the city centre and Port of Tauranga from the west, but in the medium-term, will enable a further 1,600 homes in Tauriko West - on top of the 2,400 homes already planned in that area - and additional housing in potential western corridor growth areas like Keenan Road.”

Anne says that in the longer-term, the project will enable development of up to 25,000 homes.

“Importantly, the works will also allow the expansion of the Tauriko Business Estate, which is expected to unlock 6,000-plus new jobs, while the transport network improvements it incorporates will enable faster and more reliable public transport services and better multi-modal transport options.”

Included in the future highway upgrades are:

• A new four-lane section of SH29, extending from Redwood Lane to the new Takitimu Northern Link interchange, with underpasses at Tauriko Village and Cambridge Road
• A new grade-separated interchange at Barkes Corner (separating Cameron Road to Pyes Pa Road traffic from SH29 through-traffic)
• A new grade-separated interchange at Takitimu Drive Toll Road
• Improved public transport infrastructure, with a hub at Tauranga Crossing and bus priority on SH36 and SH29A connecting to the Cameron Road multi-modal corridor
• Integrated walking and cycling infrastructure, with safe, grade-separated crossings.

“In June, the SmartGrowth councils and partner agencies endorsed the Tauriko Network Connections (TNC) business case, but urged the Waka Kotahi Board to commit to delivering all four stages of the programme in the next 10 years to enable growth, rather than waiting for growth to justify the investment and then delivering the required works years after they are actually needed,” Anne Tolley says.

“The inclusion of this key project in the Government Policy Statement list of strategic investments creates an opportunity to bring forward the TNC works and we now strongly advocate that the necessary funding be secured so that Waka Kotahi can move forward with urgency and commence the required statutory consenting processes, acquire the land needed and complete the detailed design which will allow construction to proceed.”

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