The need for a bypass had been recognised by the Dunedin City Council for decades and a proposed freight hub near Mosgiel provided another reason to get on with it, Mosgiel-Taieri Community Board chairman Andrew Simms said.
Possible development of a logistics park beside Dukes Rd North and Stedman Rd — expanding on operations in the vicinity — is a prominent theme in material for a hearing starting tomorrow about a draft future development strategy for Dunedin by the city council and Otago Regional Council.
The idea was pitched by Southern Edge Hub Farms director Peter Dynes, and has strong support from Port Otago and KiwiRail.
Mr Dynes said the park should be put in the strategy, and his company said the strategy should plainly identify the location, "not just repeat the need for one".
One snag identified by city planners was growth of such a logistics park, or inland port development, would lead to a heavy-traffic bypass being needed for Mosgiel.
Other factors would include the need for water, wastewater and stormwater network upgrades, flood risk management and wariness of allowing development on soils considered highly productive.
Mr Simms said city planners were right to identify the impact of the proposed development on heavy traffic flows through Mosgiel.
"They should, however, be seeing this as an excuse to fast-track a heavy-traffic bypass for Mosgiel, not as an excuse to retard the economic development of Dunedin," he said.
"This is particularly so when the benefits to wider Dunedin and Otago offered by this proposal are significant and obvious."
Mr Dynes said there would not initially be more trucks in Gordon Rd, Mosgiel, as activities would be transferred to rail, but later expansion would increase traffic there.
He expected this to be five to 10 years after the park’s establishment and wanted to be part of "a better plan" to bypass Gordon Rd.
Planners recommended that, if the decision-making panel supported the submission by Southern Edge, the area would be added to the strategy as a potential location for an inland port, "subject to necessary investigations and infrastructure upgrades being identified and funded in relevant funding documents".
They would include Three Waters upgrades, the bypass and any necessary upgrades to flood management infrastructure.
"It is also recommended that a broader area than that proposed by Southern Edge Hub Farms Ltd is identified."
Mr Simms recounted some history of the bypass not getting built.
It had been identified as one of the council’s top priorities in 2003, he said.
"In 2008, plans to improve and widen Riccarton Rd were sunk by self-interested residents and a council impoverished by the stadium build," he said.
Mr Simms said in 2011 a council integrated transport plan identified the need to separate trucks from the vulnerable population of Mosgiel and listed a bypass as a priority.
Every other priority on the list got done, he said.
Mr Simms said establishment of a freight hub at North Taieri would significantly reduce the number of truck movements through Dunedin and on State Highway 88 to Port Chalmers.
"Most of the community support shifting freight from trucks to rail where possible, and recognise the multitude of advantages that this brings," he said.
"Our city and our province need Port Otago to expand and thrive."
The West Harbour Community Board supported further investigation into the concept of an inland port, to get heavy trucks off the main street of Port Chalmers.
Logistics park
Southern Edge Hub Farms owns 50ha at Dukes Rd North, Mosgiel, next to industrial-zoned land owned by Port Otago and Fonterra.
Its provisional plan:
— 15,000sq m of warehousing — which could be progressed in sub-stages
— 5000sq m container marshalling yards
— 2000sq m of truck handling (loading/unloading)
— 1500m of rail siding
