New electric bus depot in Miramar

Greater Wellington Regional Council has signed a lease to use the Wellington Airport owned site on Kauri Street as an expanded Metlink electric bus depot.

The area is currently home to Metlink’s Airport Express electric bus depot as well as parking for the storage of rental cars.

Metlink had originally planned to build a bus depot on land leased from the Airport in Lyall Bay. The site on Kauri Street offers a number of advantages compared with the Lyall Bay site, including easier access to bus routes and State Highway 1. It is also partially developed and already being used as a bus depot.

This represents a slight change for the site as it was originally envisaged by the airport to be used for flight catering and rental cars alongside buses. The site will now be used solely as a bus depot, with additional buses on the site from early 2026 and development of an expanded site in the future.

When the depot is operating at full capacity, Metlink anticipates a similar number of buses will access the site on a daily basis to the current number of cars. The majority of the buses will be electric with relatively quiet engines.

The proposed new developments are subject to resource consent approval. Metlink is planning to engage with the community in early September to share more information about the depot and hear from the community so that all impacts are considered in planning.

The site is being carefully designed to ensure the boundary presents a green and attractive space, with fences and hedges to also keep noise levels down. The new buildings are designed to keep a low profile and will be set back at least five metres from the boundary.

Please note: this site is closed to public access for safety reasons apart from the grass field at the northern end which is now open to the public again.

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