Te Tumu is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the north and the Kaituna River and wetland areas to the south. It includes the eastern extent of the Wairākei Stream and is also a place of significant cultural and historic importance for both Māori and European settlers.
The opportunity to deliver a new urban environment within Te Tumu requires consideration of many important factors. These include the protection and potential enhancement of significant natural and cultural features, the physical constraints of the land including the impacts of natural hazards and the ability to deliver infrastructure to service future land uses, and the aspirations of landowners for urban development.
Enabling urban development within Te Tumu that supports the future growth needs of the city will require a collaborative approach. This approach allows a full range of perspectives on these matters to be considered to deliver an outcome that is for the benefit of the overall natural environment and future generations.
December 2023 update:
Planning to support growth and future development of this area continues. In December 2023 Commissioners confirmed that Te Tumu remains a priority growth area for the city, and that rezoning is critical to addressing the housing shortage facing Tauranga. Commissioners have directed staff to prioritise all work relating to this project to allow for notification of a plan change for rezoning by early 2026.
Rezoning of land to support urban development within Te Tumu is complex and requires careful consideration of a range of matters. Structure planning is a critical component to support a future rezoning process. The completion of technical assessments will help inform this, along with the views of landowners and Tangata Whenua on the scale and appropriateness of urban development in Te Tumu. Enabling infrastructure corridors across Māori land, and the planning and design of infrastructure to support future development within Te Tumu are key, as is the impact of government freshwater management and indigenous biodiversity policies.
The timing of when housing development commences within Te Tumu will be significantly influenced by Council’s wider financial constraints that impact the timing of infrastructure investment. Development could be delayed until 2040 based on the draft 2024-34 Long-term Plan (LTP) and will be considered further through submissions and deliberations processes before the LTP is finalised. Reducing these delays may be possible through securing external funding and efforts will go into exploring opportunities for this.
What we could see in Te Tumu
Te Tumu has the potential to supply a large area of land for urban development. This has the potential to deliver a significant number of new homes that would be supported by first class infrastructure, local amenities, and lifestyle and employment opportunities.
The intention is that urban development within Te Tumu would avoid areas that are at high risk from natural hazards and have significant natural and cultural value. This includes areas such as the Wairākei Stream, the margins of the Kaituna River and the coastal sand dunes. In addition to protecting these areas, there is also ecological enhancement (riparian planting, wetland restoration) and improved public access opportunities through walkways or other recreational activities. Public accessibility to these natural areas and the wider coastal area is envisaged, along with connection to the future Golden Sands Town Centre.
Critical to supporting a future community will be ensuring that appropriate infrastructure, services, and amenities are provided. This requires careful consideration of how this can be done efficiently and with the least amount of impact on the natural environment and areas of cultural significance. Structure planning is a key tool for considering these matters collectively.
Moving forward
Planning for growth and development of Te Tumu continues in the following areas:
- Reviewing existing technical assessments including considering how critical infrastructure is delivered to ensure consistency with existing legislative requirements and national guidance such as the National Policy Statement on Urban Development, National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management, National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity and updated information on the potential impacts of sea level rise please also see NZ SeaRise.
- Working with landowners, iwi and other project partners to make sure that the values held by these groups are accurately reflected in the structure planning process.
- Ongoing investigations into sustainable transportation and infrastructure corridors, and the opportunity for Government funding assistance using the Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency Business Case Approach.
- Continue to develop a thorough understanding of the appropriate planning processes required to meet stakeholder and resource management expectations and support future growth.