Mayor Goes Cap In Hand For New Bridge
Since he became mayor in 2022, Dr Luca has continued to push for a new bridge, speaking to the East Coasts MP at the time, Kiri Allen, and former Transport Minister Simeon Brown.
Whakatāne Mayor Victor Luca is seeking community support for his proposal for a second river crossing for the township.
Dr Luca has been advocating for a second bridge for Whakatāne since he entered council in 2019.
He is creating a petition to accompany a proposal he has written, to take to the Minister of Infrastructure Chris Bishop. The petition will be circulated around town.
'We're just going cap in hand to Government,' he said.
Since he became mayor in 2022, Dr Luca has continued to push for a new bridge, speaking to the East Coast's MP at the time, Kiri Allen, and former Transport Minister Simeon Brown.
In August 2023, his request that council staff put together a proposal for a second river crossing was agreed to at a council meeting. However, the proposal never eventuated.
'That didn't go anywhere, so I decided to write it myself,' Dr Luca said. 'I started in the second half of last year.
'We'll send that in to the minister with a petition, hopefully with a few thousand signatures on it.'
Last year, he also managed to have an application for funding for a full business case included in the Regional Land Transport Plan.
'The bridge proposal was ranked 12th or 13th in the Bay of Plenty, and I was quite hopeful at one point. But unbeknownst to me [central government] didn't provide a lot of funding and it seems as if most of it has gone to Tauranga and the Western Bay. We didn't get even a look in. But if you don't rattle the cage or stir things up, then you're not going to get a bridge.'
He emphasises the proposal is not a business case and although it identifies several potential locations that have been suggested by people over the years, it does not advocate for any particular location for a bridge.
'Every man and his dog are going to have a view on where it should go,' he said. 'It's all about advocating. The detail would come in a full-blown business case.'
The proposal outlines the 'significant challenges' faced by the Eastern Bay due to its largest town's reliance on the Landing Road Bridge, constructed in 1962 'and now under increasing strain from growing population, seismic risks, and climate-related threats'.
It points out the Whakatāne district's population has nearly tripled since the Landing Road bridge was built and is projected to reach 42,500 by 2033.
The proposal asks for funding for a detailed business case, geo-spatial analysis, technical feasibility studies, and benefit-cost evaluations. It also asks the minister to initiate collaborative planning, such as partnering with regional councils, iwi, and stakeholders to align priorities and resources, to incorporate lessons from Cyclone Gabrielle and focus on long-term climate adaptation strategies.
He said people needed to front up if the proposal was to get any attention from central government.
'If this town wants a second bridge, it needs to get out and sign up to a petition which could accompany a proposal, which will be sent to the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Chris Bishop.
'It's still a fair way to go but if you don't do the advocacy and you don't have the nod from upstairs, you're probably not going to get anywhere. This is one step on the road. It's what I promised my community I was going to do, which is advocate for the bridge so that's what I'm doing.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NZ Herald
an hour ago
- NZ Herald
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon dismisses Greens' Tauranga rail petition, says roads first
'What we really need to do is kick on and get serious about a high-quality roading infrastructure between Tauranga, Hamilton, and ultimately into Auckland,' he said. 'That golden triangle is critical to New Zealand's economy.' Luxon cited the State Highway 29 Ōmanawa Bridge Replacement project as a key development already under way. 'We're kicking that off before Christmas, which is excellent.' It was among $6 billion in government-funded infrastructure projects that Luxon, with Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis and Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop, recently announced were scheduled to begin in 2025. He also pointed to the exponential growth in the kiwifruit sector, which he said now generated $4 billion annually – up from $2.8b. 'Eighty per cent of that comes from this region, and it's moved via our roads. That's why we've got to get our roading infrastructure first and foremost sorted and done.' Luxon said building strong transport links was the single biggest change that could be made to unlock both economic and social benefits. Key ongoing regional priorities include the State Highway 29 upgrade through Tauriko West, the Takitimu North Link Stage 1 from Tauranga to Te Puna, and Stage 2 to Ōmokoroa. Luxon has previously described Tauranga's traffic as a 'zoo', underscoring the need for faster project delivery. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. Photo / Brydie Thompson 'We've got to follow through. It's about freight, and it's about people getting home to their families,' he said. 'When we build good roading infrastructure, we boost productivity and get social benefits. We've got to focus on getting that roading network really sorted for New Zealand.' Luxon also addressed the housing shortfall in the region, saying several developments are currently progressing through the government's fast-track process. 'We've got new roads to build that will unlock housing capacity.' A 2023 capacity assessment warned of a shortfall of about 4000 dwellings in Tauranga by 2030 under high-growth scenarios. 'We've got to get the Resource Management Act sorted – there's no doubt about it,' Luxon said. 'When it takes 19 months to build a three-bedroom house, and building costs are 50% higher than in Australia, something's wrong. It's taking us too long to get resource consenting.' He noted that homes in New Zealand can be inspected up to 14 times, adding cost and delay. 'That's why we're pushing through planning law reforms and fast-track legislation. We want one-stop-shop approvals for nationally or regionally significant projects –be it housing, roading, or renewable energy.' Luxon expected the revamped planning framework to be in place by the end of the year. With significant population growth in Tauranga and the wider Bay of Plenty region, he also reaffirmed the need to maintain local healthcare investment. Christopher Luxon said the Government was working on a plan to prioritise and maintain healthcare investment. 'Simeon Brown, the new Health Minister's put together an infrastructure plan, so we have a really clear list of how we prioritise the health building from here on through.' Luxon said across New Zealand, the average age of health buildings is about 47 years. 'We'll continue to work through our health infrastructure plan.' The 10-year plan included seismic strengthening and expanding the Emergency Department as 'stage one' activities for Tauranga Hospital. On crime, Luxon pointed to what he described as an encouraging decline in serious offending since his Government reintroduced tougher measures, including the Three Strikes law (reinstated in June 2025) and a ban on gang insignia (effective November 2024). 'Gangs make up just 0.25% of the population, but they're responsible for 25% of violent crime. And now violent crime is down.' Luxon said the gang insignia ban has helped police uncover illegal firearms and drugs, key drivers of violence. He also cited a 60% drop in ram raids nationwide and a 40% increase in frontline police presence. 'All of that has led to our crime stats starting to come down, which has been really encouraging. 'We've got more work to do, but I think most New Zealanders would credit this Government for restoring law and order.'
RNZ News
an hour ago
- RNZ News
Electoral law changes 'serious breach of rights': Lawyer
politics national 22 minutes ago A constitutional lawyer says the electoral law changes planned by the government are a serious breach of New Zealanders rights. Constitutional lawyer Graeme Edgeler spoke to Charlotte Cook.
Scoop
4 hours ago
- Scoop
Palestine Action Ban ‘Disturbing' Misuse Of UK Counter-Terrorism Legislation, Türk Warns
GENEVA (25 July 2025) – The UK Government's decision to proscribe the 'Palestine Action' protest group under terrorism legislation raises serious concerns that counter-terrorism laws are being applied to conduct that is not terrorist in nature and risks hindering the legitimate exercise of fundamental freedoms across the UK, UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk warned today. The UK Government proscribed Palestine Action under the Terrorism Act 2000 after some of its members broke into a military airfield in June and reportedly spray-painted two military aircraft, among other incidents of property damage. 'UK domestic counter-terrorism legislation defines terrorist acts broadly to include 'serious damage to property'. But, according to international standards, terrorist acts should be confined to criminal acts intended to cause death or serious injury or to the taking of hostages, for purpose of intimidating a population or to compel a government to take a certain action or not,' said Türk. 'It misuses the gravity and impact of terrorism to expand it beyond those clear boundaries, to encompass further conduct that is already criminal under the law.' The ban, among other things, makes it a criminal offence to be a member of Palestine Action, express support for the group, or wear an item of clothing that would arouse 'reasonable suspicion' that a person is a member of or supports the organization. Such conduct is punishable by criminal penalties, including fines and prison sentences of up to 14 years. 'The decision appears disproportionate and unnecessary. It limits the rights of many people involved with and supportive of Palestine Action who have not themselves engaged in any underlying criminal activity but rather exercised their rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association,' the High Commissioner said. 'As such, it appears to constitute an impermissible restriction on those rights that is at odds with the UK's obligations under international human rights law.' 'The decision also conflates protected expression and other conduct with acts of terrorism and so could readily lead to further chilling effect on the lawful exercise of these rights by many people,' he added. Since the UK Government's ban came into effect on 5 July, at least 200 people have been arrested under the UK Terrorism Act 2000, many of them while attending peaceful protests. 'I urge the UK Government to rescind its decision to proscribe Palestine Action and to halt investigations and further proceedings against protesters who have been arrested on the basis of this proscription. I also call on the UK Government to review and revise its counter-terrorism legislation, including its definition of terrorist acts, to bring it fully in line with international human rights norms and standards,' the High Commissioner said.
