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Hangaia tā tātou anamata. Cameron rori wāhanga 2

Building our future. Cameron Road Stage 2

We are working on a plan to make the area between 17th Avenue and Cheyne Road, Pyes Pā safer and more attractive, while providing more ways for people to move.

Update November 2023

We have developed an early design for improvements to Cameron Road from 17th Avenue, through Gate Pā and Greerton Village, to Cheyne Road, Pyes Pā.

Over the next 30 years, 15,000 more people will be living on the Te Papa peninsula. That means we need to start work now to develop the area into a place where more people can live, learn, work and play and provide more ways to move around.

The early design is intended to enable growth on the Te Papa peninsula while also acknowledging the cultural connection to Te Ranga in Pyes Pā. It is also focused on making improvements to the different ways that people travel, including walking, cycling and public transport.

Thanks to everyone who completed the survey, sent us an email, left a comment on social media, or dropped in to talk to us recently. Your feedback will help us develop the detailed design. If funding is successful then it is hoped that construction could start early 2025. However, this is dependent on how the design stages progress, and we will continue to provide regular project updates.

Explore our virtual room to find out more about our plans for Cameron Road Stage 2.

Visit the virtual info room

Preferred option and early design

Between February and April 2023, Council engaged with the community on three short list options which focused on making improvements for the different ways that people travel, how we use public spaces, and how to help buses move along Cameron Road more reliably.

The outcome of our technical assessments, feedback from our partners – mana whenua, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency and Bay of Plenty Regional Council – as well as our communities helped us develop a preferred option that combined elements from all three short list options.

We have now developed an early design that includes many features that will be consistent across the area from 17th Avenue, through Gate Pā and Greerton Village, to Cheyne Road, Pyes Pā.

We also recognise that different areas of the corridor have different requirements. The early design has divided the corridor into five distinct communities so that key changes proposed in each community can be easily identified.

Key features across the area are:

  • The history of Cameron Road and Te Papa peninsula woven into the design to enhance awareness and understanding of the past.
  • Continuing the two-way cycleway along the length of Cameron Road with a planted or paved buffer providing separation from the traffic lanes where space allows to improve safety.
  • Widening footpaths where space permits, with additional crossing points to create greater connections for the community that live in the area and either side of the road.
  • More planting to make Cameron Road more attractive, as well as connect with the history of the peninsula.
  • For much of the corridor, each side of Cameron Road will have a general traffic lane and a bus lane initially in peak time. It is expected that the bus lane will have limited hours of operation in the short-term, enabling it to continue as parking or another general traffic lane out of peak time.
  • More intersections will be signalised to improve safety. Existing major intersections are expected to remain largely unchanged.
  • Additional signalised crossings that make it safer to cross the road, improving access for pedestrians and cyclists.
  • Stormwater treatment to reduce contaminants getting into the wider ecosystem and estuary. Treatment may be through specialist treatment devices, planting and rain gardens.

See the early design here

What area are we looking at?

For Stage 2, we are looking at the area that includes Cameron Road from 17th Avenue to Cheyne Road, Pyes Pā, while also acknowledging the cultural connection to Te Ranga.

With the area’s unique features in mind, we are looking at improvements in five key areas along Cameron Road.

  • Tauranga South
  • Pukehinahina/Gate Pā
  • Gate Pā South
  • Greerton
  • Maarawaewae/Pyes Pā

Short list options

We asked for feedback on three short list options with a focus on specific outcomes that can improve Cameron Road. All of the options provide for one general traffic lane in each direction and cycling facilities all the way along Cameron Road. There are benefits and compromises for each option, such as creating more space for buses or walking or cycling by reducing space for street greening or parking in certain areas.

Examples of the three different options we looked at:

Cameron Road Stage 2 - Examples of proposed changes and focuses (785kb pdf)

This summary report captures community feedback on the options.

Frequently asked questions

Tauranga is growing fast. Over the next 30 years, 15,000 more people will be living on the Te Papa peninsula. We also know that the wider Western Bay of Plenty is planning for an extra 200,000 people over the next 30-50 years.

That means we need to start work now to transform the area into a place where more people can live, work, study and provide more ways to move around.

Existing congestion, ageing infrastructure and a city built on peninsulas means we need to do things differently to prepare for change. If we do nothing, road congestion is set to stay – and worsen.

Cameron Road is one of our city’s main arteries, connecting people in Tauranga’s southern suburbs to the city centre. It is an important through route and a destination for many with schools, businesses and the hospital located along it. As our city continues to grow, this key route will become even more important. This is why we need to make changes now. We’re working with our regional and central Government partners, local residential and business communities and tangata whenua to ensure we get it right. The future starts now, but it’s going to take time.

We started by investigating a wide range of different solutions that aim to provide more travel options to the places people want to go, however they choose to get there - on foot, bike, scooter, catching a bus or driving.

We have been working with local hapū and talking to community organisations, residents, schools and businesses to get an understanding of the things that are important to them. We have taken the things people have told us they love, wish, and wonder for the future of Cameron Road to develop a preferred option with a focus on specific outcomes that can improve Cameron Road for those that live, study, work and travel through here.

We are now seeking your feedback on an early design. If our funding application is successful, this will be used to help develop the detailed design.

The upgrade to the section of Cameron Road between Harington Street and 17th Avenue (Stage 1), which is currently being constructed, needed a different focus from the section between 17th Avenue and Cheyne Road, Pyes Pā (Stage 2).

As Stages 1 and 2 are within the same road corridor, there will naturally be some consistency and connectivity between the two stages. However, there are different communities, land use and aspirations for the future within Stage 2 that need to be recognised through the proposed upgrades. For example, Greerton Village has different needs from the area around Tauranga Hospital. For this reason, we are taking a fresh approach to this project to look at what is important to the communities within five distinct areas along this section of Cameron Road. There are some important goals for this project including improving safety for all users, acknowledging the history of the area, and recognising the importance of place. We are looking at ways to protect the sense of place and community, the cultural heritage and street greening, with safety for all users as the top priority. While there may be some similarities in parts, Stage 2 will not be a replica of the style of upgrades being constructed for Stage 1.

In some areas parking will be reduced or available at specific times only to fit all the ways that people travel along Cameron Road into the available space.

It is a balance and the team look to avoid taking away parking where possible or minimise the impact of taking parking out. A Parking Management Plan is an important part of the planning for Stage 2, which looks at a range of ways to better manage the parking available for all users.

In the coming years, the changes should bring benefits to local businesses once it is completed. The area will be safer and more attractive for people to walk, bus, bike, and enjoy spending time in. This means there should be more people in the area bringing more opportunities, more customers, and more business.

We acknowledge that construction is disruptive for businesses and customers. We will work closely with businesses to understand their concerns and minimise impacts as much as possible.

From our initial discussions, we heard from local businesses and the community about the importance of balancing movement and place through Greerton Village.

Some changes have already been made in the village, so this project seeks to improve these changes while recognising that Greerton Village is a centre with its own special sense of place, with retail and commerce where people can meet and socialise, as well as an important transport route connecting to the city.

If funding is successful then it is hoped that construction could start early 2025.

However, this is dependent on how the design stages progress, and we will continue to provide regular project updates.

Key information

Project type
Major projects
Planning, design and renewal
Transport and movement

Status
Planning

Neighbourhood
Gate Pā / Greerton / Avenues / Merivale

Key dates

  • Work commences to prepare Business Case

    Early 2022
  • Engagement with partners, mana whenua, stakeholders and the local community

    April 2022 to April 2023
  • Development and assessment of options

    April 2022 to May 2023
  • Engagement with the community on preferred option / early design

    18 October - 12 November 2023
  • Finalise Business Case

    Late 2023
  • Next Stages – Early design, funding and delivery programme approved, detailed design

    Late 2023 to early 2024

Who's listening

Transport Team
Tauranga City Council

Email: cameron@tauranga.govt.nz
Phone: 07 577 7000

Want to find out more?

This project is part of the work we are doing to build our future. Cameron Road, Te Papa.

Building our future. Cameron Road - Te Papa

Other ways to get involved

Tauranga is your city. We’re working to make it even better.

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