SmartGrowth's Leadership Group has today met with Ministers Woods, and Mahuta to approve a new district-wide housing plan for Tauranga and the Western Bay of Plenty.

The Housing Action Plan details the steps needed to deliver more affordable, warm, and dry homes in the right places across the Tauranga and Western Bay of Plenty region.

The Action Plan will be used to inform the SmartGrowth Joint Spatial Plan and the Priority Development Areas taskforce.

However, given their importance, many of the actions laid out in this plan will proceed independently of the Joint Spatial Plan, says a statement released this morning.

'We must work together across the Tauranga and Western Bay of Plenty district to improve our housing system now, and for the future,” says independent Chair Peter Winder following the quarterly Smart Growth Leadership Group meeting today.

'The actions outlined in the SmartGrowth Housing Action Plan are a starting point which we will review and add to over time.

'The SmartGrowth Housing Action Plan is the first step towards better coordination across our region.

'I am pleased that SmartGrowth is taking a leadership role in tackling these challenges.”

In addition to approving the Housing Action Plan, the Leadership Group also considered and approved the annual Stocktake of growth challenges for the sub-region.

This critical piece of work contains a number of recommendations for how SmartGrowth will bring together key players from our region to partner with government to tackle issues and work on providing solutions on behalf of citizens and ratepayers.

In December 2020 SmartGrowth commissioned a Stocktake of significant growth areas across the Bay of Plenty.

This report provides those Stocktake findings and recommendations for the way forward.

'SmartGrowth partners will now start talking to ratepayers and citizens across the region about what this means for them, and we look forward to continued engagement with communities about how we can build a better place to live, work, and play,” says Winder.

About Smart Growth

SmartGrowth Leadership Group is responsible for implementing the SmartGrowth Strategy and Implementation Plan on behalf of ratepayers in the Tauranga, Western Bay of Plenty, and Bay of Plenty Regional Council areas.

The SmartGrowth Leadership Group Joint Committee meets quarterly to discuss its progress in advancing the social, economic, environmental, and cultural well-being of the western Bay of Plenty.

In addition to representatives from Tauranga and Western Bay of Plenty councils, iwi, community and business organisations, Ministers Hon Nanaia Mahuta and Hon Dr Megan Woods attend the quarterly meetings and have full voting rights and.

This arrangement is one of the few times that central government has partnered with local government in this way and is helping ensure SmartGrowth is aligned with the priorities of Central Government and working together to best manage growth for our communities.

For more information, visit www.smartgrowthbop.org.nz