Zespri parkland build gets go-ahead

Tauranga City Council has approved Zespri NZ's application to build temporary office accommodation on parkland in Miro Street, Mount Maunganui.

The decision was made in council yesterday, after councillors discussed the 52 public submissions received – 44 in opposition.


The parkland where Zespri can build its temporary accomodation.

Zespri was seeking permission to place 648m2 of temporary office accommodation next to its current offices, on the Miro street side adjacent to the carpark for two years.

Zespri originally wanted to fell seven trees to make room, but this is now reduced to three trees, and a landscaping plan has to be approved by TCC chief executive Gary Poole.

In Council the 17 Mount Playcentre member submissions asked how the council could so quickly accede to Zespri's application, when the same land is on their shortlist of alternative sites.

Twenty-seven submissions protested the move because of the loss of land that has been maintained and used as an urban park.

The former Mount Maunganui Borough Council chambers currently house 190 staff and Zespri is looking for further expansion.

One of the arguments against placing the building elsewhere on the site is that other areas may also be used for future extensions.

The conflicting community v commercial uses of the commercially-zoned land has sparked a strategic review of the whole 1.56ha property, which TCC reports is underway.

The staff view is the temporary lease still allows the community to continue to use the balance of the land as a park, and The Little Big Markets will continue to operate on the site.

In speaking to his submission, resident James Danby wants the zoning changed to recreational.

He also wants to know why half the proposed 648m2 building is covered deck area.

Removing the deck will create two offices that can be placed in different areas on site, and minimise the amount of public use land required to be leased, he says.

Another resident Darrach Cassidy asks how the stressed Miro Street stormwater system will cope as more of the area is built out. There have been floods in recent years.

'I would certainly like to see an environmental assessment on the development,” says Darrach.

He says TCC shouldn't allow more development in the area as the stormwater system in the area is clearly inadequate.

Zespri reports it will provide an onsite stormwater solution as part of the building consent process and it does not intend connecting to the current reticulation.

The existing Zespri building has stormwater soakage provided and the capacity of this will be expanded.

Darrach also submitted the congested parking in the area contributes to accidents at the nearby intersection. When councillor Gail McIntosh asked staff about it, they didn't know of any accidents.

You may also like....

5 comments

This council hates the playcenter.

Posted on 01-10-2014 08:29 | By jed

Not sure why. I've been involved with the playcenter for a few years back and the council seem determined to shut them down.


Bye bye

Posted on 01-10-2014 11:21 | By YOGI BEAR

Grass, hello air conditioned boxes ...


Why bother

Posted on 01-10-2014 15:54 | By Theway

Why ask for submissions and then ignore them when they come flooding in?


Re the Playcentre and reality

Posted on 01-10-2014 18:14 | By Murray.Guy

The Playcentre response is totally unwarranted having been made aware some years ago by Tauranga City Council that their lease at Granada Park was drawing to a close as sports needs grow. It is unfortunate that whenever our City Council chooses to make available resident/ratepayer resources to provide support to an organisation, what starts out as a privilege gratefully received inevitably becomes a demand and expectation in perpetuity.


Commercial Business

Posted on 03-10-2014 09:56 | By Colleen Spiro

Not sure why Zespri already have offices and want MORE on Council land..hope they are paying good rents. Buy your own land and leave the parks for he people


Leave a Comment


You must be logged in to make a comment.