Te Papa Peninsula 2050! Tauranga spatial plan revealed for the next 30 years

The Tauranga City Council has announced it's major plans to build a better Te Papa peninsula. Supported by the 30-year implementation programme of the spatial plan, approved by Council on the 13th October 2020. It considers how it will address the key challenges of population growth and housing choice, infrastructure pressure, transport options, cultural wellbeing and the local amenities needed to support our communities. It outlines the overall approach, priority areas of focus, anticipated benefits and required actions.

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.

That is the future of the Te Papa peninsula, the area that spans from the city centre to Greerton.

The overall approved spatial plan brings a coordinated approach to tackling some of the following things:

• the way we move around (transport)
• where we live (urban form)
• where we work (economy)
• where we play (open space, community facilities)
• how we are supported (health, social services, commercial activity, education)
• who we are (culture, identity).

The plan will assist in more efficient use of resources, including infrastructure, transport options, and how we live. In turn, this will reduce costs to the community and individuals, as well as providing the potential for better use of time and healthier living.

It provides a high level of detail and indicates areas where this detail should be investigated further.

As the Council continue to implement the plan, they will continue to engage with the community, stakeholders and mana whenua on the different key actions and projects.

“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,” says Mayor Tenby Powell

“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.”

Some of the key focus areas/projects between 2020 to 2024  

• Implementing city plan changes to enable growth within Te Papa.

• Ongoing discussions and planning with key government agencies and stakeholders in relation to housing regeneration within the peninsula, particularly around Gate Pā/Pukehinahina and Merivale.

• Planning for and delivery of key transport infrastructure to link with the wider city (particularly Tauriko) through Cameron Road Multimodal Project Stage 1 (including implementation), city centre interventions and Cameron Road Multimodal Project Stage 2 (planning).

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.

Check out more of the key steps here and the full spatial plan document here