Mount to Arataki Spatial Plan

•  Ocean/harbour, beach, dunes, green spaces 
•  Overall look, character, beauty of the area
•  Shops, mall, cafes, restaurants (including outdoor seating areas) 
•  Feeling safe during the day 
•  Friendly community / sense of community
•  The way it is – don’t change anything 

• More greenery e.g. street trees and gardens
• More or better parks / reserves
• Upgraded and/or new community facilities
• More public and family friendly events (markets, street entertainers etc.)
• Friendlier community  / better sense of community
• Feeling safe at night
• Homelessness
• Better public transport and safe separated cycleways
• Less traffic congestion and better parking
• Better rubbish solutions

We’re looking ahead to make sure we have the right housing, transport, and community spaces to support wellbeing for everyone living in the Mount area now and in the future.

 There are some things that are already underway, such as road upgrades and new planning rules to allow for intensification. We will be working alongside active projects to build better connections and create a unified direction for the Mount. We need to plan for growth in this area so we can maximise the positive things that can come from this and minimise challenges. This is particularly important in the Mount area because:

• The Mount is a popular spot and it’s growing quickly. Mount Maunganui, including Omanu and Arataki, is expected to see significant growth in the next 30 years
• The Government has told us we need to provide more housing choice to meet the diverse needs of our community and intensify development across the city, including within the Mount area
• As the Mount is one of New Zealand’s most desirable place to live, work and visit, it is likely that it will continue to attract interest from developers. The Government’s directive to allow more intensive development makes this an even more desirable area to invest in.

We need to provide and manage infrastructure (such as transport, stormwater), public facilities (such as parks, sports facilities, playgrounds), green spaces, and new private developments in a coordinated and complementary manner to ensure that these are provided in a way that makes the Mount an even better place to live, work and play.

Council is currently amending the rules in our City Plan to meet Central government instructions

This includes:  

• inserting a set of Medium Density Residential Standards into our relevant residential zones 
• allow people to build up to three dwellings of up to three storeys on most sections in residential zones, without needing to obtain a resource consent 
• enable higher density housing with more building height within and around the city centre, and other identified commercial centres across the city and close to public transport. 

This requires a formal plan change process to make changes to the City Plan. Through public notification of the plan change we received a number of submissions relating to the Mount North area, including submissions requesting that we enable additional height (four or more storeys – up to 16m) there. In response to the submissions received, we are undertaking further assessment of the Mount North area to inform if and where development of four or more storeys (apartments) could be enabled. This technical work and submissions received will be presented as part of the hearings process, to assist with the independent hearings panel recommendations on the proposed plan change. A hearing is scheduled for July 2023.

More information on Plan Change 33 - Enabling housing supply

The Mount Maunganui, Te Papa and Ōtῡmoetai areas have been identified by Council and the SmartGrowth partnership as priority areas to support future growth of the city and the wider Western Bay of Plenty. This growth requires long-term planning to identify potential areas that can be used for housing, recreation, sport, infrastructure, green spaces and community facilities and amenities.

More information relating to SmartGrowth and its role in shaping how Tauranga and the Western Bay of Plenty develops.

The future starts now – but its going to take time! The plan looks to capture the 30-year vision and wishes of the community in the area and also includes a 10-year action plan.

The Council’s function is to enable future development in a way that meets the city’s requirements, but how quickly it occurs is up to the landowners and also subject to a number of other factors such as market demand.

This project will give you an opportunity to have your say on what services and amenities are needed to support future growth in the Mount area.

The project will come up with a plan that captures a 30-year vision for the area and will also include a 10-year action plan. The plan will be, developed by Council with input from the community, mana whenua and key interest groupsstakeholders.

As part of the project we will be working with our regional and central Government partners, local residential and business communities and mana whenua to ensure we get it right for the Mount to Arataki area.

Ensuring that the people who call the Mount to Arataki area home are heard throughout this process is vital to arriving at a plan for future growth that is right for this location. There will be several opportunities for the community to have their say about what they wish to see for the future of the Mount. We are kicking this off shortly with community engagement.

We are looking to get out and talk to the community about what you want to see for the Mount in the future. We will look to pop up around the neighbourhood at community events and local centres to have a chat with you.