Drury-Opaheke Structure Plan Background Research– Specialist Input (Transport)
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Drury-Opaheke Structure Plan Background Research– Specialist Input (Transport) Prepared by Auckland Council and Auckland Transport, with input from the New Zealand Transport Agency August 2017 3 Table of Contents 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 4 2 Study area, location and description ............................................................................. 4 3 Future Urban Zone areas .............................................................................................. 5 4 Surrounding areas ......................................................................................................... 8 5 Plans, Projects and Initiatives ....................................................................................... 8 6 Drury-Opaheke Structure Plan - Opportunities and Constraints .................................. 18 7 Conclusion .................................................................................................................. 22 4 1 Introduction This report provides an outline of existing information and previous planning relevant to transport planning for the Drury-Opaheke Structure Plan area. From this a preliminary list of opportunities, constraints and gaps in information have been identified. This paper draws on information that is known or currently in progress. It has been informed by the Future Urban Land Supply Strategy (FULSS), Supporting Growth Programme (Transport for Future Urban Growth) and preliminary structure planning processes including workshops with a variety of planning and engineering specialists from Auckland Council, Auckland Transport, Watercare and the New Zealand Transport Agency. An integrated transport assessment (ITA) will be commenced early 2018 which will provide an assessment of the transport needs of the area as a result of proposed land uses identified through the structure planning process. This paper is primarily focused on identifying an appropriate transport response considering: • Constraints and opportunities and identifying any gaps in the transport network in supporting growth scenarios • The land use and responsiveness of the transport network across all modes • The integration between land use and transport within the Structure Plan area and set within the context of the wider rural/urban environment. Due to the function and complexity of transport networks and their role in supporting growth (locally and regionally), there are external influences that will need to be considered when planning for a change in land use. These external factors may not strictly be within the Structure Plan boundaries and are not the subject of the Structure Plan detail or the focus of its consultation. 2 Study area, location and description The Drury-Opaheke Structure Plan area includes Opaheke, Drury, Drury South, Drury West and parts of Karaka, approximately 2,093 hectares of predominantly rural land zoned Future Urban Zone (FUZ) in the Auckland Unitary Plan Operative in Part (AUPOP). It will also be influenced by development and planning in other areas such as the Waikato and the Pukekohe-Paerata Structure Plan. It is located approximately 35 km from Auckland’s CBD, 14 km from Manukau and 6km from Papakura. With the inclusion of planned development in Hingaia, the area has the capacity for approximately 23,500 dwellings, or nearly 60,000 people. 5 The general area is characterised as rural. The Structure Plan area is bisected by State Highway One, the North Island Main Trunk Rail Line over which Southern Line Metro rail services operate. State Highway 22 is located to its eastern extent (Drury west). It is anticipated that the Drury area could provide around 422 hectares of business land to provide for local employment opportunities which could yield as many as 12,500 jobs. 3 Future Urban Zone areas Drury and Opaheke are identified in the Auckland Plan as new growth areas zoned FUZ accommodating a number of new centres, employment land and considerable areas of land for urban growth. This area is separated from Pukekohe by a rural belt, land retained as rural. It is anticipated that the growth of Drury-Opaheke will remain reliant on Pukekohe as its main centre for future employment within the southern area of Auckland. The AUPOP shows Pukekohe as a satellite centre and Drury supporting a large area of new industrial growth with a mix of other business activities (which was consented through a Plan Change and is site specific). It is anticipated that Pukekohe will be supported by smaller scale centres supplementing local retail, services and amenities. Many residents in the south currently, and will continue to, travel north to areas such as the Auckland Airport precinct and the CBD for employment and shopping precincts such as Sylvia Park. The revised FULSS anticipates that land to facilitate the new growth will be available by 2027 over a staged approach. This is described further in section 2.7. Drury-Opaheke and areas north of Pukekohe (with the exception of Hingaia and Takanini areas) have not been the subject of earlier Council growth planning. Legacy planning in this area anticipated a continuation of current farming practices and growth percentages within the context of rural communities, with Drury and its surrounds not being subject to urban expansion until now. The ability for the transport network to accommodate the scale of growth anticipated without intervention is limited. It is understood that 90% of trips made in the south are currently made by private vehicle. Hingaia Hingaia is the large peninsula north of Drury West and separated by Drury Creek. Hingaia is split in two areas and provides for a low intensity residential yield over three separate Plan Change areas allowing for approximately 3000 homes. Alongside housing, Hingaia also allows for small local centres, a limited area of business land, parks and schools. Hingaia is located outside of this structure plan area and is accessed via the Papakura Interchange SH1, north of the Drury Interchange. Bremner Road Drury Special Housing Area (SHA) - Auranga This land is within the structure plan area and immediately west of the Drury township. This SHA was approved in 2015 for 1300 homes and a small local centre and Council is currently considering a further 1300 as a second stage through a privately initiated plan change. This SHA is accessed via the Bremner Road overbridge and connects to the Drury township. In addition, 6 access from SH22 is achieved. Local road upgrades and cycling provision has been enabled via this proposal and the applicant currently seeks to extend this. An arterial road identified through the Supporting Growth transport network project runs east west through this site and a section of this road has been set aside through a development agreement. This arterial will be a key east west connection between the two communities either side of SH1 and is intended to include a high frequency bus transport corridor from Manukau to Pukekohe via SH22. Bellfield SHA This is located within the structure plan area on the eastern side of the State Highway and to the north just south of Takanini. This SHA allows for 350-500 homes and gains access via the Pakakura Interchange SH1 and Opaheke Road, Bellfield Road and Keryn Place. Drury South Business Park This Plan Change was approved in 2014 and approved 750ha of industrial land. An SHA was subsequently approved within this land to rezone industrial to residential to provide for 1000 homes. This development will occur over 30 years and can be accessed via the Drury Interchange and the Ramarama Interchange. This development assumes a number of improvements. including new internal roads. The development will upgrade the Ramarama Interchange, connect to and construct a section of the Mill Road corridor, and upgrade the Great South Road intersection on SH22. A new north-south corridor including consideration of connections to the Mill Road corridor and an interchange will be carried out through future assessments. The SHA areas and key transport networks are illustrated below in Figure 1. 7 Figure 1: Drury-Opaheke Structure Plan area, showing future urban zoning under the AUPOP and adjacent Special Housing Areas The Structure Plan area extends over land either side of SH1 and the North Island Main Trunk Railway Line (NIMT). Additionally, the western side of the Plan Change area is separated by SH22. The eastern side is referred to Opaheke and Drury West to the west. The two areas are separated by the strategic transport corridors running in a north south direction. The two areas are geographically separate although the objective through structure planning is to improve existing connections between the two and enhance local based employment and amenities for the 8 catchment being served. One of the main constraints in this area is flooding, requiring consideration for how urbanising this land ensures flooding is appropriately managed. 4 Surrounding areas The AUPOP has also zoned considerable areas for new greenfield development in the south. In addition, areas further south in Paerata-Pukekohe provide a further 1,289 hectares of predominantly rural land with FUZ. Like Drury, this area is also currently subject to a structure planning process and both structure plans are being progressed concurrently. It is also important to note that significant additional greenfield development is proposed in the Waikato Region. The latest version of ‘Future Proof’,