December 23, 2013
Transport Agency parks Rotorua road plan
Sustained opposition from affected hapu and community groups has forced the New Zealand Transport Agency to taihoa on its plan to ram a road across Maori land on Rotorua’s eastern fringe.
Construction of the $100 million Rotorua Eastern Arterial was set to start in 2020.
While the road would provide a faster link between the city and its airport, it would also clip a couple of minutes off the time logging trucks took to get to the Port of Tauranga.
About 50 landowners would have been affected, including three hapu whose marae were on the route.
They argued the agency was trying to implement a 50-year-old plan that has consistently failed to win community support, and it should instead widen Te Ngae Rd to four lanes.
Transport Agency regional director Harry Wilson says in light of the strong feedback from community groups, the agency intends to investigate further before seeking planning permission from the Rotorua District Council.
He says there will be further consultation with landowners, businesses and the local community.
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