• neighbourhoods need to be well connected to other neighbourhoods and also connect to other centres outside of the Ōtūmoetai Peninsula
• commercial/retail centres should be accessible for everyone, pedestrian friendly and safe to use
• walking and cycling routes need to be made safer
• public transport should be more efficient and frequent with appropriate infrastructure, such as sheltered bus stops, provided to support and encourage the uptake of public transport
• public amenities should be provided to meet the needs of the community and parks upgraded to make them more useable and enjoyable, including a greater variety of activities such as skate parks, climbing walls, and water parks
• accessibility needs to be incorporated into planning for commercial areas, public transport, walkways/cycleways, community amenities and for general safety  
• as Ōtūmoetai Peninsula is the location of intensive pre-European and early contact settlement, known historic sites and archaeological discoveries, as a result of development need to be understood, with appropriate protocols observed and authorities obtained
• higher density residential development should occur around the commercial/retail centres because they are close to transport routes and are more accessible 
• to support intensification over the next 30 years, this area will require a coordinated approach to infrastructure in order for council to achieve its growth targets.

The map shows areas where we are looking to provide more housing choice by allowing for townhouses and apartments.

Projects to create more liveable neighbourhoods include:

1.  Providing opportunity for more houses to be built within walking distance of commercial/retail centres and public transport to increase housing choice and allow more people to travel easily to where they want to go
2. Supporting thriving commercial/retail centres in Cherrywood, Matua, Brookfield and Bureta

The map shows where we think our main public transport, walkways and cycleways should be, and the routes that can connect to these.

Projects to create more liveable neighbourhoods include:

1. Improving bus facilities and access to buses
2. Connecting existing off-road paths
3. Improving access to shops and amenities, including open space
4. Improving safety of walking and cycling routes

Healthy neighbourhoods require a healthy environment that is cared for by everyone and are designed in a way that maximises access to the natural environment, and increases biodiversity, as well as water and air quality. The map identifies some key projects for each centre, particularly community amenities and facilities, including parks, that will contribute to supporting a healthy environment.

Projects to create healthy neighbourhoods include:

1. Restoration and enhancement of the natural environment and biodiversity
2. Improvements to quality of open spaces
3. Improvements to stormwater reserves for multi-purpose use including movement, biodiversity and water quality
4. Wayfinding/signage/storytelling
5. Improving and upgrading community facilities and amenities

Bureta is identified as an area that can be affected by multiple natural hazards, particularly inundation, liquefaction and flooding. Given the potential significance of those hazards it is proposed that higher density development such as apartment buildings are not enabled in this area. However, we do anticipate three dwellings of up to three storeys in height being enabled in this area without the need for resource consent which will also occur in most other areas of the city.

• Ōtūmoetai is centrally located and has much of the core infrastructure to support growth, including schools, good quality parks, and transport.
• Given its great location and access to the city centre and other retail/commercial centres, the area is a highly desirable place to live.
• The Government has also told us we must provide more housing choice to meet the diverse needs of our community, and build more housing across the city, including in places such as Ōtūmoetai, Matua, Brookfield, Bellevue and Judea. To meet our housing needs, we need to maximise space by building up, not just out.

• The plan change to enable housing supply is a related, but separate project to Ōtūmoetai 2050. Both Council and the community have limited scope on what they can influence as the legislation dictates what many of the rules must look like, especially for buildings of three storeys or less. Read more about the enabling housing supply plan change.
• However, Council and the community do have the ability to influence the level of intensification around centres such as Brookfield, Cherrywood and Bureta. We will talk to the community about this in the coming months. Government has instructed Council to enable intensification (building up and at higher densities) across our city, so prohibiting or preventing such development is not an option.

• The future starts now – but it’s going to take time! The plan will look to capture the 30-year vision and wishes of the community for the area.
• We want to enable future development in a way that meets the city’s requirements, but how quickly it occurs is up to landowners and is 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 Ōtūmoetai area.
• It will also give you an opportunity to help design your neighbourhood by telling us how you wish to live and move around.

• We will come up with a plan with input from the community, mana whenua and key stakeholders to help direct the future for Ōtūmoetai.

• 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 Ōtūmoetai and the surrounding suburbs of Matua, Brookfield, Bellevue and Judea.

• Central to the success of Ōtūmoetai planning will be hearing what people who live in the community value and wish to see in the future – if you would like to input into what the future plan looks like, get involved.

• Ensuring that the people who call Ōtūmoetai, Matua, Brookfield, Bellevue and Judea home are heard through this process is vital to arriving at a plan for future growth that is right for this location.
• There will be several opportunities for you to have your say about what you wish to see for the future of Ōtūmoetai and we are kicking this off shortly with an interactive survey.
• We are also looking to get out in our community to talk about what you want to see in Ōtūmoetai in the future.

• The Te Papa peninsula, Ōtūmoetai and Mount Maunganui areas have been identified by council and the SmartGrowth partnership as the priority areas to support future growth of the city and wider Western Bay. 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.
• Find more information relating to SmartGrowth and its role in shaping how Tauranga and the western Bay of Plenty develops.