A proposal that is facing staunch opposition from the Te Puna community, 297 Te Puna Station Road is set to be developed as part of the planned Te Puna Business Park.

The aim of the development is to support the region's fast growing primary sector and strong economy in line with approvals set out by the Environment Court in 2005.

The site is to be developed by Te Puna Industrial Limited, a partnership of local investors and ContainerCo.

Te Puna Industrial spokesperson and ContainerCo managing director Ken Harris says now is the time to realise the vision of the former owners in 2004 to create a staged ‘Green' business park in Te Puna Road Station to service the local rural sector and the Bay of Plenty economy over the next 5-15 years.

But Te Puna locals have admitted they are 'stressed” about the proposition of a container facility in their backyard and are taking action.

People in the community, who have named their cause Wrong Business, Wrong Place, have formed a petition asking for the consent to be publically notified.

'The petition is a way of saying to council ‘this will affect us', and making sure that council knows it is a really big deal to the community,” says Wrong Business, Wrong Place spokesperson Alison Cowley.

Alison, whose property overlooks the Te Puna Station Road site, says the community are concerned about potential increased traffic and the safety of cyclists and walkers that use the roads.

'The road is already congested. A lot of people are really stressed and really worried about it.”

Alison Cowley, front, is one many worried Te Puna residents. Photo: John Borren/SunLive.

In 2005, the Environment Court approved a private plan change moving the zoning from rural to industrial to enable the creation of the Te Puna Business Park.

Provisions of the plan change process include bespoke mitigation measures to ensure a lower level of impact and adverse environmental effects on the surrounding area.

Since then there has been noticeable growth in commercial, industrial and residential development in the Te Puna area.

There has also been investment in local infrastructure to better service the area including an upgrade of the Te Puna Road-State Highway 2 roundabout and works have also begun on Stage 1 of the new 6.8km four-lane motorway connecting SH29 Takitimu Drive through to SH2 west of Te Puna.

Harris says the business park concept was initiated 18 years ago to meet growth in sectors such as Kiwifruit across Bay of Plenty.
'It's now more important than ever as exports have increased and as has growth at the Port of Tauranga, which is now the largest in New Zealand.”

Resource consents have been sought to give effect to the Te Puna Business Park industrial zoning provisions applying to the site.

The consents were formally received by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council on January 18.

All tenants, including ContainerCo, will comply with the consent requirements including noise, visual and landscape mitigation, building heights, stormwater and other environmental requirements.

The predominant use of the development will be industrial in nature in accordance with specific use types permitted at the Te Puna Business Park.

The long-term goal is to accommodate businesses such as specialised workshops, machinery outlets, and offices predominantly focused on supporting the rural sector and related exports, incorporating ContainerCo operations.

Ken Harris.

It is proposed to develop the site in three stages.

Stage 1 will see extensive landscaping and environmental enhancement work such as bunds and setbacks from road frontage as well as ponds and other features that enhance both enhance environmental outcomes and visual appeal and cultural values.

'We expect that landscaping work and water management on site will enhance the surrounding area and be based on the re-establishment of indigenous vegetation and indigenous fauna,” says Harris.

'Our goal in this regard is to support the general, social and cultural wellbeing of the community and the environment.”

Harris says moving low intensity specialist support businesses to Te Puna enables ContainerCo to better support local produce exporters and capacity issues at its Mount Maunganui sites.

'The site will provide a base for our container refurbishment and hire and sales teams.

'Large numbers of containers are not envisaged but we expect to hold a small supply of containers for kiwifruit growers and packers to cope with summer harvest demands and in the long-term the site may well serve as a depot for our Electric Vehicle (EV) container shuttle fleet including fast charging points.”

ContainerCo is a Tauranga based business employing a culturally diverse workforce of around 100 staff in the city across sites at Mount Maunganui and Sulphur Point.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the land zoned as?

The land is zoned Industrial, within a specific Te Puna Business Park Structure Plan area which is subject to bespoke visual amenity, landscape and character, stormwater and traffic mitigation measures relative to the surrounding context. This is to achieve a lower level of impact and ensure adverse environmental effects are avoided, remedied or mitigated.

There are also two narrow parcels at the southern boundary of the site (1.06ha in total) zoned Rural.

The wider Te Puna Business Park industrial area comprises approximately 23ha of land on the southern side of Te Puna Station Road, and 7.2ha of land on the northern side. Surrounding land beyond the business park is zoned Rural.

All tenants will comply with the consent requirements including noise, visual and landscape mitigation, building heights, stormwater and other environmental requirements.

Why is the business park being developed now?

The company believes this development will directly and indirectly support of the region's exporters.

The vision for a business park was mooted in the early 2000s and the former owners of the land successfully gained approval for it in 2005.

There has been significant growth in the region's primary sector which has led to Port of Tauranga becoming New Zealand's largest port.

Since 2005, there has been noticeable growth in commercial, industrial and residential development in the Te Puna area. There has also been investment in local infrastructure to better service the area including an upgrade of the Te Puna-State Highway 2 roundabout and works have begun on the stage 1 of the new 6.8km four-lane road connecting SH29 Takitimu Drive through to SH2 west of Te Puna.

What is the size of the development?

The total site area 12.16ha with a total of 11.96ha of the site is proposed to be utilised for industrial purposes, with associated mitigation, across the three planned stages.

When will the land be developed?

The development will be taking a staged approach to develop the land.

Stage 1, commencing in the first half of 2022 comprises of seven lease areas which are proposed to accommodate yard-based (as opposed to warehouse/building-based) industrial activities and extensive landscaping and environmental enhancement work such as bunds and setbacks from road frontage as well as ponds and other features that enhance both enhance environmental outcomes and visual appeal and cultural values.

Stages 2 and 3 are deferred for future consideration and do not form part of current resource consent applications.

What Consultation and Engagement has taken place?

Consultation and engagement has been undertaken with hapū and iwi with a registered interest in the area recognising the interest of mana whenua and tangata whenua groups.

In addition to this consultation has also taken place with infrastructure providers, consenting authorities, and Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga at pre-application stage.

What type of industrial tenant will be at the business park?

Permitted activities at the Te Puna Business Park include:

• industrial (manufacturing, processing, packaging or dismantling activities, engineering workshops etc.)
• storage and warehousing
• building and construction wholesalers (including ancillary retail)
• depots
• commercial services
• medical and scientific facilities
• retail outlets for primary produce with a maximum floor area of 100m²
• garden centres and plant nurseries (including ancillary cafes not exceeding a maximum floor area of 100 m²)
• Farm vehicle and machinery sales

Stage 1 seeks to accommodate predominantly yard-based tenants in accordance with the permitted uses above.

What is the Te Puna Business Park Structure Plan?

The Structure Plan divides development within the park into four stages. The structure plan requires development to progress in the nominated sequence of stages, with specific landscaping, stormwater and roading mitigation requirements in advance of any industrial development to be met, secured by corresponding rules of the District Plan.

The structure plan also requires the delivery of a prescribed landscaping and stormwater management strategy and integrated acoustic mitigation measures. This includes periphery and roadscape planting, and overland flow path protection within the business park.

What impact will the development have on traffic and surrounding road infrastructure?

The traffic impacts in terms of congestion and efficient, and have been comprehensively considered.

The company expects to generate a maximum of 657 vehicle movements (in and out) of the site per day, 12 per cent of which would be heavy vehicles.

The entrance will be upgraded to an appropriate intersection, specifically designed to the road speed and geometry for safety and efficiency.

What activities will ContainerCo operate from the park?

The site will enable ContainerCo to relocate non-intense operations, many of which do not need to be near a port such as a base for container refurbishment, and hire and sales teams.

ContainerCo will hold a small supply of containers (up to 100 containers) for kiwifruit growers and packers to cope with summer harvest demands, as well as provide a range of supply chain services including vanning and devanning. In the long term the site may well serve as a depot for our EV container shuttle fleet including fast charging points.

This site won't be a large depot or terminal but we envisage storing containers up to three-high, which is approximately 7.8m for standard height containers (2.6m height) and 8.7m for tall containers (2.9m each).This is generally consistent with the height of buildings anticipated in the Te Puna Business Park, which is 9m as a permitted activity. Screening is proposed around the periphery of the site which will mitigate visual impacts from stored containers.

The other component of use will be for container refurbishment – an area of about 30m x 30m as part of Lease 2. This area would be flanked by four 40-foot containers (stacked two-high at sides supporting a covered roof area), and includes specific screening and drainage design measures to ensure the minimise visibility and noise from refurbishment activities, and to ensure water in the area is rigorously treated.

We are also leading the way in introducing EV (electrical vehicles) to our truck fleet and we see the benefit of having onsite fast charge facilities at the site for future use.

What hours will ContainerCo operate?

Hours of operation will be a maximum of 7am-6.30pm, Monday to Saturday.

What other activity will be generated due to ContainerCo being on the site?

Single and double truck-and-trailer vehicles will access the site in picking up and dropping off containers, in addition to light vehicles.

No lighting structures are proposed.ContainerCo will comply with the noise limits applicable to the industrial land and the expected noise generated would not be unreasonable.

What are some of the other benefits to Bay of Plenty businesses?

The business park concept was initiated 18 years ago to meet growth in sectors such as Kiwifruit across Bay of Plenty and it's now more important than ever as exports have increased and so has growth at the Port of Tauranga, which is now the largest in New Zealand.

It also enables ContainerCo to free up capacity at the core Mt Maunganui and Sulphur Point facilities and assist exporters to match pack timelines with shipping time lines.

What Noise Levels will be generated from the site?

Noise levels will comply with both at-site generation, and as receiving at-dwelling, District Plan levels. Also no lighting within the development is proposed.

Will the development have an impact on services?

No, proposed stormwater and waste-water networks will be self-sufficient. Water supply, electricity and communications infrastructure connections can be feasibly made and serviced by the adjacent/supplied networks in the area.