For immediate release Tuesday 22 May 2018

People can have their say on a proposed change to the Bay of Plenty Regional Policy Statement to amend the urban limits to include land at Tauriko West to support demand for new housing.

The Tauriko land proposed for development, between State Highway 29 and the Wairoa River, is currently zoned rural in the Western Bay of Plenty District Plan and Tauranga City Plan and is outside the urban limits of the Bay of Plenty Regional Policy Statement. The first step in the planning process is to include Tauriko West within the urban limits line.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council Chair Doug Leeder said the proposed change, if approved by the Minister, will then allow for rezoning of the land from rural to residential through the Tauranga City Plan.

“The Tauranga urban limit boundary needs to be shifted, and then the Tauriko West land rezoned to residential, before it can be opened up for development. Bringing the area under the Tauranga City umbrella will allow the new development to be well serviced and integrated with existing infrastructure, transport and community facility networks,” Chairman Leeder said.

Proposed Change 4 is the first Regional Policy Statement change in the country to follow the Streamlined Planning Process (SPP) under the Resource Management Act. This process was approved in February 2018 by the Minster for the Environment David Parker.

The proposal is open for submissions from 22 May 2018 to 4 July 2018. Once submissions close a hearing will be held and the Minister will make the final decision on whether to amend the urban limit to include Tauriko West. The Minister’s Direction requires the SPP to be completed no later than 28 September 2018. His decision is not able to be appealed to the Environment Court.

To find out more about the change and how to make a submission, people should visit the Regional Council’s website www.boprc.govt.nz/change4

ENDS

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