Waitomo Group, an independent New Zealand-owned and operated fuel supplier, entered into an agreement to lease with Ruakura Limited for the 1.6ha Stage 1 site. The Waitomo transportation service centre will provide the following:
- Eight-pump refuelling service station and car wash;
- Retail service station shop with convenience store, café, food outlets and indoor/outdoor dining areas;
- Truck stop facility and associated truck parking;
- Two fast food/quick-serve restaurants with drive-through facilities;
- Car and bicycle parking and pedestrian access facilities to support the tenancies; and
- Site landscaping/planting and signage.
As Waitomo’s flagship facility, the transportation service centre will therefore provide a wide range of convenience services in an accessible location which will support the surrounding area, the future population of the wider Ruakura development and motorists who are passing by on the Waikato Expressway. The strategic location will also subsequently minimise vehicle movements across the wider network by preventing the need for motorists to seek out fuel, food and other products.
The team's long-standing relationship with the site landlord, Ruakura Limited, and knowledge of the planning framework ensured an efficient consenting process. The outcome of the process was a positive, non-notified resource consent decision with no further information requests received from Council.
Boffa Miskell’s Hamilton landscape architects also worked alongside the project team to develop a concept landscape design for the site. This design, which incorporates specimen trees, shrubs and ground cover focused around the three boundaries fronting roads, is consistent with the wider Ruakura Wide Landscape Framework and Ruakura Planting Strategy.
In accordance with Waitomo’s environmental values, the transportation service centre will also incorporate a number of sustainable features; including solar panels, water tanks, an eco-car wash and low-impact stormwater devices.
Construction commenced in late 2021, with the initial land development works as part of the wider Ruakura Superhub development.
The Waitomo transportation service centre project represents the next step in Boffa Miskell’s ongoing involvement at Ruakura, which over the last decade has included significant strategic planning and design advice for Tainui Group Holdings (trading as Ruakura Limited) as landlord, and is now moving into implementation and the consenting of tenant land uses.
Images by Boffa Miskell and Petroleum Solutions Limited
