The key topics to be included in Tauranga City Council’s 2024-34 Long-term Plan (LTP) have now been decided and will be open for community feedback later this year.
At today’s Council meeting, the city’s Commissioners emphasised that the 2024-34 LTP is a continuation of the priorities of the previous 10-year plan and places the needs of the city’s future generations at its heart.
Acknowledging rising costs are impacting both households and Council’s costs of delivery, the Commissioners are working hard to balance the investment our growing city needs, delivering much-needed community outcomes and keeping rates as affordable and fair as possible.
This LTP has a strong emphasis on paying a fair share, to make sure those who benefit from Council infrastructure, facilities and services
contribute fairly to their cost.
“Our city is in a major transition as more people continue to call Tauranga home,” says Commission Chair Anne Tolley.
“We have a responsibility to correct historic underinvestment in this city for the young families who are building their lives here now and for those moving here in the future.
“We have some tough decisions to make and we’ll need your help, but together we’re confident we can create a vibrant, well-planned city with people at its heart.”
Key priority areas for investment remain:
- Revitalising the city centre
- Growth in the western corridor
- Growth in existing zoned areas (including housing intensification in Te Papa / City Centre)
- Community facilities and amenity improvements
- Transport network upgrades
- Sustainability and resilience.
Commissioner Stephen Selwood says the city has previously failed to adequately invest in its future.
“We’re turning that around, but that requires change and we understand that can be a difficult process,” he says.
“We’re focused on the long-term best interests of the city and we want the community to tell us whether they think we have that focus that right.”
Long-term Plan 2024-34 topics that everyone in the community will have their say on include:
- The level of investment we should commit to cater for our city’s growth
- The level of investment we should commit to maintain and improve our roading network
- A proposal to stage the implementation of a community stadium at Tauranga Domain, which wouldn’t see the project start until the end of this decade (2029/30)
- The proposed introduction of a new industrial rate, to reflect the effect of industrial activities on the wider community and the sector’s use of and impact on infrastructure, particularly the transport network
- Paying a fair share - new options for user fees and charges, so that those who benefit from Council facilities and services contribute fairly to their cost
- The level of investment to deliver our Active Reserves programme.
A draft LTP consultation document and supporting information will be adopted on 11 September for audit by Audit New Zealand. The draft LTP for the purposes of public consultation will then be adopted on 6 November.
Public consultation will run from Wednesday, 15 November to Friday, 15 December 2023.