Today, Tauranga City Council approved the Te Papa Spatial Plan, supporting a vision for a unique, liveable, connected and healthy Te Papa peninsula in 2050:
Walking and cycling to local centres and public transport takes only 10 minutes; it is safe and provides access to local culture and amenity. A mix of four to six-storey buildings have appeared along Cameron Road and in the main centres, with retail, cafés and commercial uses at ground floor, and residential homes above. In the residential areas, duplexes, townhouses and apartments have developed over time and made it possible for more people to buy houses and apartments that suit their needs. Home ownership is up, and more people are renting too.
The economy is thriving with more businesses providing jobs and services for a community that has grown by 15,000 more people living in the area. And while people are going on about their life in a compact neighbourhood, parks, walk and cycleways as well as access to the harbour and estuary are provided for everyone to enjoy. People feel connected to their community, in an environment that reflects its heritage, diversity and culture. It’s a place people from all walks of life identify with and call home.
This is the future of the Te Papa peninsula, the area that spans from the city centre to Greerton, supported by the 30-year implementation programme of the spatial plan.
Tauranga Mayor Tenby Powell acknowledges that this change is big and will happen over time with close community, mana whenua and stakeholder involvement.
“Our city continues to experience the challenges of growth, but it also presents us with unique opportunities. Out of all the growth areas in Tauranga, Te Papa is the most centrally located area, already providing a range of opportunities for a growing community, including open space, infrastructure and community amenities,” Tenby said.
“The plan puts the needs of our people first by acknowledging and responding to what we all love about Te Papa and what we want to see improved as we grow.
“This includes addressing the housing shortage the whole of Tauranga is facing and providing safe and efficient transport options for all.
“Providing greater housing choice and better ways to move around in Te Papa will not only support the city, but also the continued prosperity of the entire sub-region.
“It also means that we preserve and enhance what we’ve got – which includes telling our rich history, supporting our diverse communities and protecting the natural environment that makes the peninsula unique.
“The extensive work undertaken to firm up the plan has helped inform projects that are already underway. These include the upgrade of Cameron Road to provide as a multimodal transport spine and the plan change to enable more housing choice.
“Achieving the change envisaged by this plan will take time, resources, effort and commitment. And if we do not act now, we are likely to face a growing housing shortage and higher housing and infrastructure costs. That is why it’s important that we take this journey together by taking action now.
“Over the next 30 years and beyond, we have an opportunity to create a place that reflects our cultural heritage and welcomes all communities, protects the things we love and creates a healthy, liveable, connected and unique place for current and future generations.”
The Te Papa Spatial Plan has been developed in close partnership with the community, mana whenua and key stakeholders. Throughout implementation of the plan, council will continue to engage with the community, stakeholders and mana whenua on the different key actions and projects.
The plan is also driven by central government guidance and sub-regional planning work. It responds to the National Policy Statement on Urban Development (NPS-UD) by focusing on development of centres and surrounding areas supported by public transport, active modes and improved amenities. On a sub-regional level, the plan’s recommended centres-based approach responds directly to the Urban Form and Transport Initiative’s Connected Centres programme.
The plan sets the strategic direction for growth in the Te Papa peninsula over the next 30 years. It considers how council will address key challenges of population growth and housing choice, infrastructure pressure, transport options, cultural wellbeing and the local amenities needed to support the community. It outlines the overall approach, priority areas of focus, anticipated benefits and required actions.
The plan will assist in more efficient use of resources, including infrastructure, transport options, and how people live and connect with their environment. In turn, this will reduce costs to the community and individuals, as well as providing potential for better use of time, healthier living and enhanced local identity and culture.
It helps to inform council’s planning processes such as the city plan and its upcoming review, social infrastructure planning, transport planning and council’s annual and long term planning. This spatial plan does this by identifying actions and projects that are needed to achieve the outcomes for Te Papa. It provides a high level of detail and indicates areas where this detail should be investigated further.
Work on implementing the plan is already underway, with stage one of the Cameron Road multimodal project in progress and consultation on the plan change to enable more housing choice commencing in November.
Details and implementation recommendations for the Te Papa peninsula and each identified key centre (city centre, Gate Pā/Pukehinahina, Merivale and Greerton) can be found in the Te Papa Spatial Plan, available at www.tauranga.govt.nz/tepapa.
Illustration available on request.