PROPOSED CONTAINER FACILITY – TE PUNA STATION ROAD. APPROVED!
On 7th July 2025, A large container logistics firm, CONTAINERCO has been awarded consent to develop a container facility at 297 Te Puna Station Road
Many Te Puna and other local residents think this is the
WRONG BUSINESS in the WRONG PLACE.
273 Submissions received by BOPRC And WBOPDC.
0 Submissions supported the proposal.
Submissions argued that a wide variety of reasons, this proposal was just ridiculous. Traffic, Roading, Road Safety, Ecological, Cultural, Noise, Flooding and Stormwater issues were all raised. These issues led to strong conditions attached to the consent but did not win it for the community. On the issuing of the consent, the community shared their shock and disbelief that their rural idyll would now have to deal with an unwanted, noisy facility in its midst. A major concern is the amount of traffic that the facility will create. Their proposal quotes 774 vehicles per day with peak traffic times having 125 vehicles per hour.
PRIORITY TE PUNA APPEAL TO THE ENVIRONMENT COURT.
The response from our Community meeting (See video below,) was immense. Te Puna people made it very clear how angry and disappointed they were with the decision. Following the meeting, Priority Te Puna Committee met and decided they had no choice but to launch an appeal against both BOPRC and WBOPDC. The Appeal was lodged by Priority Te Puna and was accepted by the Environment Court. Pirirakau Tribal Authority subsequently joined the Appeal as an S274 party. Priority Te Puna and Pirirakau Tribal Authority stand shoulder to shoulder with regard to TPIL Containerco being the Wrong Business in the Wrong Place.
Priority Te Puna have enjoyed the support and guidance of the Pirirakau Kawaue Runga (Kaumatua Group) since our establishment. We are proud to be associated with, and grateful for their wisdom.
SUPPORT OUR APPEAL WITH A DONATION
Priority Te Puna are currently fundraising to pay the costs of legal and technical experts who can help us to overturn the decision made at the hearing. To support us financially with our legal and technical costs, please email us at prioritytepuna@gmail.com or go to our Give a Little Page:
COMMUNITY MEETING. 7pm Wednesday 23rd July 2025 at Te Puna Memorial Hall.
EMAIL Priortytepuna@gmail.com for further info
Our Community Meeting was well attended. Watch the entire meeting.
BECOME A Priority Te Puna MEMBER
Become a member and add weight to our voice. Its free to join and you are free to leave whenever you like. We value your privacy and will not share your details with third parties without your permission.
READ OUR PETITION HERE
The Petition is to demand public notification that a particular resource consent application has been received by Council.
PUBLIC PROTESTS
Community Members have organised a series of Public Protests held on 13th, 21st and 26th August 2025.
UPCOMING HIKOI
Pirirakau Hapu are organising a Hikoi for the 13th September. Join the Hikoi at Pukewhanake Pa in Station Road, 9.30am.
Neville Bidois, Derek Masters, Alison Cowley, Paul and Elaine Winwood delivering the petition to Mayor Garry Webber, CEO John Holyoak and Councillor Don Thwaites of WBOPDC.
– Photo credit Lizard News.
Thursday the 13th January 2022 a group of Te Puna People delivered this petition to WBOPDC. Delivering the petition were Paul and Elaine Winwood, (direct neighbours of the site), Alison Cowley, (property also looks down the valley and shares valley catchment with the site), Neville Bidois ( Ngati Taka, Pirirakau, local resident) and Derek Masters from DMS.
The petition was received by Mayor Garry Webber, WBOPDC CEO John Holyoak and Councillor Don Thwaites.
Lizard News Matthew Farrell was on hand to take a photo and ask a few questions.
Bay of Plenty Regional Council has been contacted to request a time to deliver a copy of the petition as this site has a network of implications for the environment: physical/ catchment, ecological and human.
What is the threat
774 vehicle movements are expected each day.
This figure is taken from the decision document. This will affect anyone who uses the routes of SH2, Minden Roundabout, Te Puna Road, Te Puna Station Road.
Operational Noise Pollution.
This is likely to affect most of Te Puna. Certainly Teihana Road, Clarke Road, Te Puna Station Road, Te Puna Road, James Road, Lochhead Road, Armstrong Road and Borrell Road. Heavy Traffic, Container Operations and Refurbishment noise.
Visual Eyesore.
Containers will be stacked to 9 m high on a platform that has been raised 3.62m
Environmental impact.
Heavy traffic has environmental impacts for the entire community. The Hakao Stream which has headwaters on the Minden Ridge runs through this land. There are other underwater streams which will be impacted by container storage. The land is classed as liquefaction land.
Alternative Solution
Land was allocated for this purpose at Rangiuru Business Park with ready made infrastructure. This land is fit for purpose and offers an alternative solution for a Container Storage Terminal. Use allocated land and NOT Te Puna Station Road.
links to resources
Facebook group link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wrongbusinesswrongplacetepuna
Resource Consent Application Documents: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1aFw7ww3wAIUYKmOhax4ghryMR9Q5TUZ5?usp=sharing
Resource Consent Decision Document: https://drive.google.com/file/d/19oAyLfr4IO_J1S392-B1wTTger6ZqPte/view?usp=sharing
WBOPDC Conditions: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jaE-5n_e_W5nsumgKQng-TjSx4U16-5V/view?usp=sharing
BOPRC Conditions: https://drive.google.com/file/d/16s8OrIwYyzuBnlzLIYrExBJAUNSzuhbp/view?usp=sharing
Te Puna Business Park Map: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1o0NHhHRqg0aeeZfh9I6qXXiNoePW9a71/view?usp=sharing
Minutes of WBOPDC / Containerco Pre Purchase Meeting 17/3/21: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vat20g-Co9liSwYrl7nthcuu6FzrER5c/view?usp=sharing
2005 Environment Court Judgement 016/2005: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qXnsHXgsgUIjsBLtGQ6UN_4KTDU_zPiy/view?usp=sharing
2005 Environment Court Judgment 091/2005: https://drive.google.com/file/d/15toSiTDwjoKPqElw7aW7SU0h3pw0KeuV/view?usp=sharing
what can i do?
Join Priority Te Puna
Every name gives power to our voice. if you’d like more info, prioritytepuna@gmail.com
Join the Wrong Business Wrong Place Facebook group.
Keep up to date with info or come to this page regularly.
Remind all parties at every opportunity.
This site has special caveats and was designated as a rural business park that must remain compatible with the rural community by the Environment Court.
Donate to our legal appeal fund
The Email us, prioritytepuna@gmail.com to donate directly or visit our Givealittle page
Join a protest or Hikoi
Keep your eyes open for details of upcoming protests and join in!
Read the decision and conditions.
(See above resources) The more people that are familiar with them, the more likely that the Community will identify failures to comply quickly.