A group of Belk Road residents are questioning how the rules on a neighbouring industrial subdivision have changed without their consultation.

With the buffer zone between rural-zoned properties on Belk Rd and the Tauriko Business Estate originally set at 30 metres in 2006, the residents want to know how it shrunk to 10m.

Belk Rd residents with questions; Leigh Neilsen, Warren Simpson and Paul Smyth.

Taking their concern to Tauranga City Council's hearing on the Tauriko Business Estate Plan Change 3, independent chairman Alan Watson says the query is outside the hearing's scope.

Alan is now suggesting TCC policy planner James Danby prepare an answer for the residents.

This week's hearing was called from the developer Element IMF's desire to shrink proposed stormwater catchment pond C – near the Belk Rd intersection with SH29 – but the issue dissolved when the developer withdrew its application.

Resident's questions got to a point where Element IMF would need to complete a flood study of the full Wairoa River catchment to demonstrate compliance with Bay of Plenty Regional Council's stormwater management guidelines.

Time, cost, and uncertainty of the outcome saw Element IMF withdraw its application, which Belk Rd resident Warren Simpson says may have resulted in a four metre high bund alongside the lower end of his road.

Warren also believes this would created complications for the New Zealand transport Agency's plans for a future roundabout linking SH29/Taurikura Drive.

Fellow resident Leigh Nielson says TCC should have required the information from the developer before entering the plan change process.

'Why wasn't this in depth research done before it went to council in the first place,” says Leigh. 'This situation has wasted a lot of residents' time in Belk Rd; it's caused anxiety and stress.

'The developer should have done more homework before getting involved in this whole process, and we would not have ended up with the situation we have today.”

Leigh also challenges TCC's exclusion of 29 of 42 opposing submissions on grounds of scope, saying the withdrawal means the excluded submissions now have to be re-examined.

Paul Smyth asked the hearing what will happen to an 80 metre buffer zone created on paper between the TBE and orchards on the northern side of Belk Rd.

The zone was created in 2006, but since both Craill and Hayman orchards have sold.

Paul believes the Craill orchard is now owned by NZTA and developer IMF Westland, or an associated company owns the Hayman orchard.

'In 2006 we were lead to believe the greenbelt stormwater pond C, extended up to Wintrebre Lane, and a 30 metre separation adjoined Belk Rd,” says Paul.

'We now realise this is not the case. For a considerable distance along Belk Rd, industrial buildings can be built 16 metres high at 10m back from the road, with all the associated signage, traffic movements, noise, lighting.”

Fearing the buffer zone will simply become roadway when the future bypass is built, Paul wants the zone added to the southern end of the stormwater management zone, to increase the amenity protection of Belk Rd.

The area is flood-prone, says Paul. And while residential buildings have to have floor levels above the one in 50-year flood level, no such standard exists for commercial buildings.

Resident Warren Simpson has photographs of a recently-flooded Belk Rd and says a heavily-pregnant former resident on his property had to be taken out of the house by boat during a 1960s' flood.

NZTA senior planning advisor Doug Spittle says the agency is working on the business case for the future SH29 upgrades.

Concept plans showing a roundabout near Belk Rd are just that, says Doug, who believes no engineering designs have been undertaken.