Key housing developments in Papamoa expected to be finalised

Aerial view of Papamoa. Photo by John Borren.

Tauranga City Council is today expected to finalise approvals for two key housing developments in Papamoa to cater for the ballooning demands for more homes.

In August 2014, Tauranga City Council signed off on the Tauranga Housing Accord.
This enabled council to recommend to the Minister of Housing that special housing areas (SHAs) be declared on sites within the city.

The Government has already established nine SHAs in Tauranga on the recommendation of Tauranga City Council which will have the capacity to deliver about 2,300 dwellings.

Today, councillors will consider two proposals for 273 new dwellings to be built in the Golden Sands area on land in Wairakei, and about 68 in Palm Springs, Papamoa East.

The new dwellings would be developed alongside the existing special housing developments already underway in Wairakei and Palm Springs.

Developer Bluehaven Holdings Limited (Golden Sands) has also sought an increase in the maximum height restriction from 9.5m to 17 metres for about 1.77ha of its existing SHA.

Hawridge Development Ltd (Palm Springs) has also sought a correction of the SHA boundaries to follow the title boundaries on the existing special housing area in Papamoa East.

Council sought feedback from the community on both proposal between January 22 and February 22, that included holding a public open day on February 11.

Community consultation resulted in written feedback from 35 interested parties for the Golden Sands proposal, of which 19 submitters were opposed, and four were neutral.
Of the 27 interested parties who provided feedback for the Hawridge proposal 16 were opposed, and three were neutral.

Council staff have recommended that council does recommend to the Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith that the two new special housing area be established, subject to conditions.

Staff have also recommended that the proposal for a variation to the existing SHA over a parcels of land in Golden Sands and boundary corrections in Palm Springs be approved.