Tauranga City Council has adopted changes to the City Plan to enable the development of housing at Tauriko West – the city’s next new community, providing up to 4000 new homes.
Mayor Mahé Drysdale says the adoption of the plan change is a significant milestone in the council’s ongoing urban development efforts, and one of the critical building blocks in what has been a collaborative effort to enable a new large-scale community for the western Bay of Plenty.
“This is the result of years of planning and collaboration through the SmartGrowth partnership and with NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, and since 2017 through the Tauriko for Tomorrow project, working alongside mana whenua, landowners and the community,” says Mahé.
“The end of that work is now in sight and I look forward to seeing the new community take shape.”
The new planning rules will enable the area’s developers to deliver a diverse range of housing options and up to three commercial areas, with provision made for one local centre and up to two smaller neighbourhood centres for day-to-day shopping needs.
The developers will also deliver the internal roads and water/wastewater infrastructure to service the new homes, as well as neighbourhood reserves, walkways and cycleways to create connected, sustainable and healthy neighbourhoods.
Mahé says Tauriko West is ideally located close to strong employment and shopping centres in the Tauriko Business Estate and Tauranga Crossing, and is well connected to the city centre.
“By enabling the development of Tauriko West, we’re not just adding homes – we’re creating the opportunity for a sustainable, thriving community where people can live, learn, work and play locally.”
The plan change was underpinned by the goal to protect the significant cultural, heritage and landscape values of the Wairoa Awa (River), which borders the new community. Natural buffer zones will be established between residential development and the Open Space and Conservation Zones defined along the river’s edge, and strict stormwater management rules will seek to ensure runoff from the future urban area does not impact negatively on the awa.
To celebrate the importance of the awa and provide further amenity, Tauranga City Council will work with the developers to deliver a Wairoa River Reserve in future years, with a playground, walkways and water access. Also on the cards for Tauriko West is a new community centre and library, and the new development will provide an opportunity to locate new school facilities and sports facilities as well.
Access to the new community is being delivered in partnership with Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) through the ongoing Tauriko Enabling Works project. These significant improvements to SH29, from Redwood Lane to Cambridge Road, will enable the development of the first 2400 homes in the new community, where the first homes are expected to be available from 2027.
Other processes required to be completed before development can start include council’s application for a Comprehensive Stormwater Consent, the developers obtaining consents for bulk earthworks, and council finalising developer agreements. These processes are all underway.
The adoption of the Tauriko West plan change (Variation 1 to Plan Change 33) represents a significant step forward in shaping the future of Tauranga. The changes will now be incorporated into the City Plan and once operative will guide future development in Tauriko West.