Progress in the southern pipeline is stalled at a Matapihi orchard gate while Tauranga City Council catches up on its consultation with the local owners.
Work on the more than $100 million project is continuing at the other end of the peninsula while council talks with the land owners.
Work on the southern pipeline. Photo: File.
The gate to what is now an avocado orchard, was locked three weeks ago, and remains locked to give the trustees and owners time to meet with Tauranga City Council staff.
Council staff say the pipeline project isn't stalled, but the order of work has changed, with construction continuing at other Matapihi sites.
"We are working closely with the community on the works being undertaken at Matapihi. We will continue to focus our efforts on working with the community," says Tauranga City Council chief executive Garry Poole.
Work on the Bayfair end of the pipeline stopped when the Ohuki 1 G2 Trust closed the orchard access gates near Matapihi Rd. The gates also straddle the paper road.
Maori owners say they weren't consulted about the paper road or that the pipeline will be crossing their property.
The paper road that the council is claiming as a pipeline route was described in earlier documents as a ‘Maori access way'.
From the point of view of some in the Matapihi community the pipeline is insult added to injury. The Port of Tauranga is built on 90 hectares of Matapihi land taken under the Public Works Act. The Tauranga Airport is a similar sequestration of Matapihi land.
The community has no sewerage, inadequate running water and it will not be able to connect to the $100 million southern Pipeline which will be carrying the sewerage from Omokoroa, Te Puna and The Lakes at Tauriko across their land.
Now council also want to cut down 12 avocado trees on the easement of the disputed paper road. The owners received a call 10 weeks ago, saying the trees have to go, which led to the gate being locked.
The paper road below the avocado orchard is the centre of a dispute between locals and Tauranga City Council.
Among other things, the boundaries themselves are in dispute, say local owners.
Council has lodged a consent to run the $102 million Southern Pipeline under the harbour from Memorial Park to Matapihi Rd.
The owners committee chair, Tessa Elliott was unable to be contacted.
12 comments
Can the pipeline
Posted on 06-07-2015 16:28 | By YOGI BEAR
It is a waste of time and space and money. Best thing that could happen is that the stall becomes permanent. Certainly TCC ratepayers will be better off by mega hundreds of millions.
Pipeline
Posted on 06-07-2015 17:47 | By maddog
Laughing out loud this has caught the TCC muppets with there pants down good on you Loacls and they thought they could walk over anyone stand tall.
TRYING ON A NO WIN NO BRAINER
Posted on 06-07-2015 17:48 | By CONDOR
SOUTHERN PIPELINE IS AN obscenely expensive LEMON but that is no reason for these bozos to block a paper public road -we need this sort of idiocy like a hole in the head.If avo trees are not on roadway there is no issue but if they are on the road then pull them out and charge the cost and all losses to the wrongdoers.
Consultation
Posted on 06-07-2015 18:18 | By Fun in the Sun
It doesn't matter who's land it is council needs to stop talking about consultation and actually consult. good business practice would have resolved all these issues prior to commencing construction.
the port
Posted on 06-07-2015 20:05 | By usandthem
of Tauranga is not on 90 hectares of Matapihi land taken under the public works act at all.The original wharf at the Mount was built from rock from Mangatawa that was payed the going rate at the time by the Bay of Plenty Harbour Board.
Simple answer - PUBLIC WORKS ACT
Posted on 06-07-2015 21:14 | By The Caveman
Get a court order to get the job done. Oh and while I think about it, what are all the residents of Matapihi doing with their sewerage ??? Dumping it IN THE GROUND ! But they don't want the wider community to remove sewerage from other communities. Perhaps their line should be - YES you can have the pipeline, BUR WE WANT to connect to it instead of our DUMPING IN THE GROUND The locals need to think OUTSIDE the square. Which ever way you look at it the pipeline WILL go through. The locals need to get "connected" with the real world. (Lots of orchards in the area, ARE they using western chemicals on their crops ?? Yes, and so polluting the ground.!!!
maddogs and muppets
Posted on 06-07-2015 22:01 | By YOGI BEAR
It is agreed that consulting (not) after the event is the only reason that these things happen and keep on happening. There is no openness no transparency ... nothing
Why??
Posted on 06-07-2015 22:31 | By earthmover
why is it that with such significant and intrusive project going through this area provisions/ plans weren't put in place to get the matapihi community hooked into this sewer line?? Seems like a pretty good peace offering to me!,only a couple of kms down the road everyone's properties are reticulated! Come on council, front up and sort it,all those folk pay rates as well
No consultation?
Posted on 06-07-2015 22:42 | By Murray.Guy
No consultation? That's quite incorrect. As much as the Southern Pipeline, associated processes, attitudes and outcomes leaves a bitter taste in my mouth (and a bigger hole in our pocket), acknowledging an apparent refusal to meaningfully consider ALL options to cope with growth, I am very aware of the extensive effort by staff to consult with the residents of Matapihi over quite a period. I recall majority agreement being reached and that this was in part achieved with 'sweeteners in the agreed outcomes'. Yes, as with all Hapu in our region, they have every reason to be aggrieved over lands taken for public works, some that should be returned (EG: Airport land taken and now used for non-airport purposes). On this occasion we might be looking at a 'second bite at the cherry' situation by a 'Trust' that is benefiting commercially from the free use of public space.
WHAT!!!!!
Posted on 07-07-2015 08:38 | By Capt_Kaveman
you mean to say the the plans for the entire route are not final?? what a joke
The Caveman
Posted on 07-07-2015 10:59 | By YOGI BEAR
You have missed the big picture, TCC is simply taking all city sewerage to one point (Te Maunga) partially treating it then running it out to see off Papamoa. In essence dumping it in the sea. The tidal flows in and out of the Harbour bring a portion of it back in on every tide. The irony is that the pipe will place more in the sea and circulate back to the harbour. End result Matapihi will be wallowing in it regardless.
What, Not again????
Posted on 07-07-2015 11:30 | By Watcher 1
I recall a few years back when I lived in Papamoa,new water line installed but was stopped at Parton Road why, they had not consulted with Iwi who own land further East to continue, a NEW contructed and sealed road ripped up and a detour takes place along Simpson Road. Poor ratepayers pay yet again for Stuff ups. And further down a New Mains installed, NEW footpaths laid and then ALL Ripped up as Staff and Engineers had NOT taken into account that a New Stormwater line was needed exactly where the Water main was and, as we ALL should know but NOT apparently TCC and its consultants Storm Water, will not Run Up Hill?? so the NEW Water main pipes ripped up and NEW bends constructed and relaid at ratepayers expence again.Councillors,do NOT cut back on example mowing to meet the budget,make staff accountable and consultants accountable for mistake
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