Auckland Transport (AT) has responded to questions from the Times in relation to concerns raised by business tenants at Pakuranga Plaza.
Does AT believe it’s doing enough to communicate about its works activities with the Plaza and its tenants?
AT: The Eastern Busway (EB) project team works closely with commercial landlords and residents in the area to develop and maintain trusted working relationships with them.
The landlord of Pakuranga Plaza is provided with the following information by the project team, and is welcome and encouraged to share it with their tenants to minimise impacts to their businesses:
Fortnightly update meetings on construction staging including a four-month look ahead at the longer-term programme.
At these meetings the alliance asks if any tenant feedback has been received. All road closures and lane layouts for the coming months are discussed and approval is provided by the Pakuranga Plaza landlord.
Fortnightly written updates to the landlord for them to relay to their tenants, with additional information provided as required.
Monthly written project updates; and written updates ahead of road layout changes being implemented.
The landlord has provided tenants’ logos to the project team to include in advertising around the shopping centre site.
How do you answer tenants’ frustrations at the lack of parking for themselves and their customers?
AT: Weekend overflow car parking has been provided at 26 Ti Rakau Drive, property owned by AT; 16 Cortina Place has been made available for public car parking and is also a property owned by AT.
The EB project team schedules work to avoid impacting the car park during the summer peak trading period.
How do you answer tenants’ concerns about the road access routes into and out of the precinct changing regularly?
AT: Access to Pakuranga Plaza has been retained and additional routes opened during construction:
The Plaza landlord and local businesses including courier companies are updated in advance of road layout changes. The landlord is encouraged to share this information with tenants.
Scrim signage around the perimeter of the plaza indicates access Ti Rakau Drive and Pakuranga Road.
Majority of work that could impact access routes are completed at night to reduce impact.
The new Palm Avenue intersection opened in March 2024 and has been available since then.
Cortina Place remains open. The project team has kept this access open to support the local community.
Access from Brampton Court has stop-go access and has remained open.
An alternative access was built between Brampton Court and Pakuranga Plaza to maintain access at this location.
How do you respond to tenants’ worries about the amount of heavy civil works happening? For example, they feel the ground shaking and have had to race around their shops to make sure stock doesn’t fall off shelves.
AT: The EB project work is planned and managed to comply with vibration limits set out in the designation and resource consents issued by Auckland Council.
The project team does regular monitoring to ensure vibration remains within acceptable limits and they have not received concerns or negative feedback about vibration for work associated with the construction of Ra Hihi (flyover) above Reeves Road.
No vibration concerns have been received by the project team from Plaza tenants.
Businesses the Times has spoken with say because of the construction works all around the shopping precinct, their turnover is down, up to 50 per cent. Does AT take any responsibility in causing a business to have that amount of downturn, because of its construction jobs?
AT: The project team regularly asks the plaza landlord for tenants’ feedback at a fortnightly meeting. No feedback or concerns have been received.
Where we know businesses’ concerns, we work together to mitigate those concerns and make changes where possible.
The project team’s relationship is with the Pakuranga Plaza landlord, who have asked that we communicate with their tenants through them.
The Eastern Busway will deliver 5km of fully separated busway, five new bus stations, and 12km of walking and cycling routes.
It will better connect east Auckland with the rest of the city, create more local transport options, and boost productivity and economic growth in the area.
- Read about the concerns of businesses at the Plaza here: Pain down at Pakuranga Plaza – Times
