Our dispute with Tauranga City Council and Bay of Plenty Regional Council with regard to their issuing of a Resource Consent to Transpower to erect super poles at either side of the Maungatapu bridge and sling 100,000 volt lines across the harbour at this location continues.
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This location is gazetted as an area of ‘Outstanding Natural Features and Landscapes’. There are alternative options which will not blight the landscape for the Maungatapu Marae, local residents, and the thousands of people who pass through this area daily. That these super poles (11 and 14 storeys high) and the slinging of lines across the harbour is the lowest cost option should be irrelevant. If allowed to proceed, the people of Tauranga will foot the bill through the damage this will do to our environment.
The Environment Court has provided mediation between all parties and where NZTA were also included. It is our position that if all authorities were to work together collaboratively on this issue, outside their ‘silos’, a win for all parties could be achieved.
The Executive Leadership Team at Tauranga City Council was to discuss this following the mediation, but have since replied with a ‘no interest’ in what was referred to as ‘Option B’ in mediation.
The Society’s appeal, supported by the Maungatapu Marae and Ngai Te Rangi Iwi will be heard in the Environment Court in April.
Join the Society
If you wish to add your name to the list of people who oppose Transpower’s proposal by joining the Society, please simply email your contact details to peter@teps.co.nz and you will hear from us.
This does not create any obligation to make a financial contribution toward the Society’s costs, but if you are prepared to also contribute to these, that would help ensure that we can present our legal case well, and engage the additional expert witnesses we need.
By Peter McArthur, Chair Tauranga Environmental Protection Society Incorporated
