Proposed container terminal in Te Puna

Alarge container logistics firm has bought the land along Te Puna Station Road and proposes to use it to store, clean and refurbish mainly empty containers. 200 to 500 heavy vehicle movements are expected each day. This will affect anyone who uses the routes of SH2, Minden roundabout, Te Puna Road and Te Puna Station Road.

Operational noise pollution is likely to affect most of Te Puna. This will be heavy traffic, container operations and refurbishment noise.

Containers will be stacked to 9m high, and the logistics company have already indicated that this is restrictive and they would want to go higher.

The environmental impact would be considerable. Fifteen thousand containers per hectare on land that has been classed as a liquefaction zone will create damage to the local environment. Raising the ground via earthworks will impact nearby properties and potentially the Wairoa River and harbour. It will likely cause light pollution, too.

The Facebook post called Wrong Business Wrong Place has received comments such as,

“Besides the unwanted traffic, I doubt very much if Station Road would physically hold the weight of the large trucks!”

“It’s why the TEL was built. Quayside has land totally suited for this at Rangiuru with an interchange from the expressway about to start. You are right. Even post TNL, this is the wrong location for this activity.”

“More congestion on SH2 and Wairoa

bridge area.”

As local residents, we want Western Bay of Plenty District Council and Bay of Plenty Regional Council to provide public notification of resource consent applications so that the community that will be affected can have their say.

If you oppose this project, please join our efforts to oblige Council to notify the community. There is a petition on change.org - simply search ‘Te Puna Business Park’. At the time of going to print, there were over 800 signatories.