Whakakitenga mō Tauranga

The community has told us we need a vision for our city; something the community can aspire to, connect with and guide our city forward.

We have developed a new vision for Tauranga, in collaboration with our partners and informed by the views of over 10,000 people:

Prioritise nature

• Tauranga is a city where… we celebrate, protect and enhance our natural environment, integrating it into the city for all to enjoy

Lift each other up

• Tauranga is a city where… we foster and grow our communities, celebrate our differences, and lift up those who are vulnerable

Fuel possibility

• Tauranga is a city where… we foster creativity and innovation, celebrate our arts and culture, and empower our changemakers to create a vibrant city into the future

With everyone playing their part, together we can create the change our city needs.
Kei a tātou te pae tawhiti
The future is all of ours.

Because, Tauranga, together we can.

Where the vision came from

Over the last few years, we have heard from many parts of our community that we need a vision for Tauranga.

In 2021 we asked our communities about their values and hopes for the future through the My Tauranga Vibe campaign. Through this process, we now better understand what people value for themselves, their whanau, their communities, and the city they live in.

Prior to My Tauranga Vibe we involved a diverse range of community sectors including iwi and hapū, social services, tourism, community, and businesses and gathered additional insight from what our community told us through the Long Term Plan process and Vital Updates

Collectively, this work has enabled us to hear the many aspirations, priorities, and challenges for our city.

During 2022 we used all this input from our communities to develop a vision for Tauranga. On 13 June 2022, Council adopted the new vision for Tauranga City Council, and also endorsed it as a shared Vision for Tauranga that we hope others in our city will pick up and use as their own.

We hope that our new vision for Tauranga will be meaningful for our communities and all those working to make our city better. Most importantly, we hope it resonates with our rangatahi – our young people who will be the leaders of Tauranga, tomorrow.

The concept of the vision

Tauranga, together we can is founded in the concept of Hoki whakamuri, haere whakamua (Walking backwards into the future).  This acknowledges our past through the values of our kaumatua and focuses on the future through the hearts and minds of our rangatahi, as it is their voices that will shape the city they are set to inherit.

This vision for Tauranga aims to:

• acknowledge where we have come from and the challenges of today
• create a foundation of shared identity for everyone in the city
• bring our communities together and inspire meaningful change.

We have been listening to our communities and have heard from over 10,000 people through various methods.  Three key themes were clearly expressed by our communities as being important for a future Tauranga – environment, community and inclusivity, and vibrancy.  As such, they form the basis of the vision statement:

The three pillars of the vision

Environment – prioritising nature

You told us that protecting and enhancing the natural environment is the highest priority for our future Tauranga. This includes having more accessible green spaces, bringing nature back into our city and looking after our own backyard.

As a result Council is committed to demonstrating environmental leadership. We need to act now to address climate change, alleviate pressure on our natural resources and halt the loss of biodiversity.

Tauranga Taurikura is our primary outcome that addresses this pillar 

Community and inclusivity – lifting each other up

You told us that you want a more inclusive Tauranga, a city where cohesion is a priority and where we lift-up those more vulnerable.  

The population is increasingly diverse with ethnicity and age profiles evolving as we grow. Currently there is significant inequity in our city – with many people struggling to meet basic needs such as housing, food and clothing and who lack access to essential services.  
As the city grows and changes, we want to improve the wellbeing of everyone by doing what we can to address and minimise these inequities.  This includes ensuring there is more affordable housing, people can feel safe in their community, people have a sense of belonging and kinship, that there are no physical barriers to participation in a full life and that we build strong and connected neighbourhoods.

Tauranga Mataraunui is our primary outcome that addresses this pillar 

Vibrancy – fuelling possibility

You told us that you desire a future city that is full of energy, possibility, and personality. The need for vibrancy in our city was a key theme captured through the city vision work. People want more events and activities, and increased opportunities for young people. 
Other clear messages we heard were:

•    we have underinvested in our city for too long and we do not have the infrastructure and community facilities we need
•    our city needs and deserves a heart we can all be proud of.

A call to action to individuals, communities, and organisations to both individually and collectively work towards creating the change our city needs.  We hope that community groups, organisations and businesses will support the vision for Tauranga and consider how they can best take action to work towards the three key pillars of the vision – Because Tauranga, together we can.

There are a range of actions under each of the outcomes that will contribute to this pillar.