A long-term plan for the future of Ōtūmoetai Peninsula outlines how Tauranga City Council will protect and enhance existing community values, as well as respond to future opportunities and challenges.
Council yesterday adopted the Ōtūmoetai Spatial Plan - Te Mahere Takiwā mō Ōtūmoetai 2023-2050 - which will guide future development on the peninsula and identifies projects that will support community wellbeing between now and 2050.
The outcomes, directions and actions identified in the plan are informed by three ‘pou’ prepared in partnership with mana whenua, which are the key values that recognise the past, present and future of the Ōtūmoetai Peninsula.
Commission Chair Anne Tolley says she would like to thank the community, mana whenua, schools, businesses and other interest groups for the significant amount of feedback to the Take me to the Future: Ōtūmoetai 2050 project, which helped Council develop the 30-year vision for the peninsula.
The plan provides a framework to make sure the community is supported by the right infrastructure – whether that’s pipes in the ground, ways of getting around, enough homes, and access to jobs, schools and other community facilities, now and into the future.
“We want to support ‘liveable’ neighbourhoods which enable more residents to live close to the places that meet their daily needs, such as shopping centres, by providing for a greater range of quality housing types such as town houses and apartment buildings,” says Anne.
“We also want to increase the connection between neighbourhoods and to provide options for people to get around more easily, with safer options for walking, cycling and taking public transport.
“It’s also important that we plan for neighbourhoods to be 'healthy’ by making it easy for people to use our parks, public spaces and community facilities, in a natural environment we actively manage, with care taken to preserve our biodiversity and water quality,” Anne adds.
“We want to create community pride by drawing attention to what makes each area unique, such as the stories of its people, its culture and history.”
Tauranga City Council Project Lead, Corinne Frischknecht, says around 19% of the city’s population already call the suburbs of Ōtūmoetai, Bureta, Cherrywood, Matua, Brookfield, Bellevue and Judea home.
“The area’s central location and proximity to the harbour/estuary, green spaces, and commercial/retail centres make it a great place to live and this plan will protect the things people love about living there."
Residents were initially asked to provide feedback using interactive maps about life in these suburbs, which helped to identify what the community values the most and a number of key themes and changes they would like to see in the future.
Later, residents were asked for their feedback on around 60 projects/ideas for improvement, including the areas that were proposed to have higher density living (of four or more storeys) around commercial/retail centres.
“As a result of community consultation, we received more than 2000 pieces of feedback, which has helped us put this plan together," says Corinne.
The spatial plan supports and aligns with current proposed changes to the City Plan, which align with a government direction to provide for more housing. Amendments include allowing higher building heights and densities around commercial centres and also up to three dwellings of up to three storeys on most sections in residential zones, without needing to obtain a resource consent.
Summary of engagement
A summary of feedback received during engagement with the community, mana whenua and stakeholders can be found here. More information can be found on the project web page.
Video: Take me to the future: Ōtūmoetai 2050