The Western Bay of Plenty's 'heavy hitters” have joined forces to urge the Government to upgrade a 'critical” highway for the region, but there's no guarantee it will actually be funded.

The potential $2.8 billion upgrade to State Highway 29/29a could unlock land for 30,000 more homes and 11,500 jobs.

The culmination of seven years' work by Waka Kotahi, the Tauriko SH29 Network Connections Detailed Business Case, was endorsed by the sub region's three council's and SmartGrowth at a meeting on Tuesday.

The business case will go to the Waka Kotahi board in August for endorsement and the Government will make the final decision about whether to include it in the National Land Transport Programme.

Waka Kotahi regional manager system design Jess Andrew says the councils' and SmartGrowth's unanimous support is 'really crucial” and a 'step in the process”.

Waka Kotahi is proposing the upgrades be rolled out in four stages with a potential completion date of 2050.

But, Tauranga City Council, Western Bay of Plenty District Council and the Bay of Plenty Regional Council want the full upgrade completed within a decade because the region is already constrained by a lack of infrastructure.

The upgrades include six-laning SH29a between Barkes Corner and Takitimu Drive including two dedicated bus lanes. Replacing the Omanawa Bridge on SH29, Waka Kotahi have suggested a two-lane bridge but the councils' have stated their preference for four lanes.

Also widening of SH36 between Lakes Boulevard and SH29A including bus lanes and a new SH29 corridor for inter-regional traffic and freight between Redwood Lane and Takitimu Drive. The existing highway between Redwood Lane and Takitimu Drive would then become a local road.

Andrews says the reason for staging allows Waka Kotahi to 'minimise disruption to road users, reduces rework and manages costs”.

'It ensures that we can deliver improvements that are proportion to what's needed at the particular time.”

The Western Bay of Plenty's three councils unanimously endorsed the business case on Tuesday. Photo: John Borren/SunLive.

The estimated cost for the project was $2.2b to $2.7b if delivered as a single stage or between $2.3b and $2.8b if delivered in four stages.

The Omanawa bridge replacement, upgrading of SH29a and adding bus lanes to SH29 and SH3 was proposed to take place between 2026 and 2031.

The projected start date for the interregional corridor was 2041 – but Andrews says Waka Kotahi will use an 'adaptive management approach”.

They can start it earlier if the project is funded and the need is proven through data monitoring, she says.

Tauranga City commissioner Stephen Selwood questions how responsive the approach would be.

'The reality is that even if you have an adaptive management approach, unless there is funding for the next stage of the project, it will be delayed.”

He says the availability of infrastructure is a 'key constraint” for the region and has been a 'major contributor” to escalating house prices.

The cost-to-benefit ratio from the business case of 1.5 is 'significant” and compares 'very favourably” against most of the Roads of National Significance previous governments have put through, says Selwood.

Tauranga commission chair Anne Tolley said "central government policies have done this sub-region in the eye". Photo: John Borren/SunLive.

Tauranga commission chair Anne Tolley says the business case and staging sounded 'very logical and good in theory”.

'The reality is you won't be able to build any of those houses until the roading is there. You won't build the roading until the houses are there. It's not going to work in practice. We need it faster. We need it committed.”

Waka Kotahi director regional relationships David Speirs says the funding for infrastructure is constrained, especially with the changing priorities caused by damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and Hale.

"There is no question that there are going to be winners and losers as a consequence of that."

Western Bay of Plenty District Council also wanted the importance of State Highway 2 to be recognised and prioritised.

Successive governments had planned and failed to deliver Takitimu Northern Link, a four-lane highway between Ōmokoroa and Tauranga.

WBOPDC deputy chief executive and infrastructure general manager Gary Allis says initially the completion date for the TNL was 2015.

Users of the current highway are facing travel times of up to two hours and are finding this 'unacceptable”, he says.

Stage one between Tauranga and Te Puna is currently under construction with an estimated completion of 2025.

Allis says stage two is needed because Ōmokoroa was designated a high growth area in the early-2000s and is still growing.

Katikati Waihī Beach ward councillor Anne Henry says: 'It seems like the political environment or whoever is in at the day is holding us by the strings”.

Tolley agrees. 'There's no doubt that central government policies have done this sub-region in the eye and we have not had the investment in infrastructure that we not only deserve, but that we actually need.”

The Government's 2018 Policy Statement on Land Transport objectives included safety, access, environment and value for money.

This saw the TNL abandoned then brought back on in 2021 and affected timing of the SH29 business case.

BOP Regional Council chairman Doug Leeder said the SH29 upgrade was "about New Zealand Inc". Photo: John Borren/SunLive.

BOP Regional Council chairman Doug Leeder says the business case 'isn't aspirational enough” in terms of delivery and funding.

'SH29 is not just about the Western Bay, this is about New Zealand Inc.”

Western Bay mayor James Denyer adds: 'Investment in SH29 is vital for the future prosperity of both the Western Bay of Plenty District and Tauranga City and is of national importance beyond that.

'Many of our residents travel to work in the city, and our horticultural exports need efficient transport to the port. This investment will help safeguard our economic wellbeing.”

Western Bay of Plenty infrastructure forum chair Nigel Tutt warns there could be trucks backed up over the Kaimai Range if the full upgrade isn't delivered and infrastructure is need to service the country's largest port.

He says the sub region is in an 'infrastructure crisis”, 'desperately short of housing” and unlocking industrial land is 'really, really important”.

'Most significantly for NZ is freight, and protecting the Port of Tauranga and its supply routes is critical.” 'It [the upgrade] simply needs to be done quickly, 2050 will not cut the mustard.”

The sub-region's leaders, described by Tolley as the 'heavy hitters”, will now lobby the Government for the project's delivery.

'Only central government can make the changes and they could do it in the next budget.”

Responding to the concerns raised, a spokesperson for newly-appointed Transport Minister David Parker says: 'The Government recognises the significance of investment in transport upgrades in Tauranga and in this corridor in particular”.

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