Omokoroa will absorb nearly half the growth predicted to take place in the Western Bay District over the next 15 years, with mounting community concerns over roading.
Latest growth assumptions unveiled to district councillors this week showed that nearly 2000 new lots will be created on the peninsula town near Tauranga. When added to this year's current growth spurt, it will treble the population.
The town was on the threshold of a huge growth surge, fuelled by the opening in February of a new supermarket and the community becoming self-sufficient.
Public concern about the infrastructure needed to service a population increase of about 4950 surfaced at a recent Future Focus meeting where Omokoroa residents demanded answers on when the intersection with SH2 will be upgraded.
Driving the issue was the announcement that Omokoroa was getting a fast-tracked Special Housing Area involving 165 news houses on 19.7ha.
Omokoroa Community Board deputy chairman John Palmer said the meeting was packed to hear the council explain its plans to bring forward by two years the start of upgrading Omokoroa Rd, involving widening it by 2m, straightening bends and new roundabouts.
"One of the main things was upgrading Omokoroa Rd to the railway line."
The ultimate plan was to shift Omokoroa's town centre to closer to SH2, but it was uncertain when that would happen.
Mr Palmer said one of the biggest issues at the meeting was the lack of progress on building a new roundabout at the intersection with SH2. Residents were assured that the next meeting in March would see officials from the New Zealand Transport Agency put their case, together with Bay of Plenty MP Todd Muller
"It's been on the 10-year plan for 10 years but never got over the line. They are not coming up with final answers."
Meanwhile, the critical mass needed to really fuel growth was looming, highlighted by the opening on February 10 next year of a Fresh Choice supermarket, owned and operated by Chantal and Steve Ling.
It will employ 40 to 60 staff, depending on where things settle after the first few months.
Mr Palmer said the opening of the supermarket plus the medical centre next door were major steps forward for the town because people would not be put off settling there by distances to the nearest supermarket or health centre.
"The community is becoming more self sufficient."
He said it required a critical mass of people and once Omokoroa could provide the services then it would become a more attractive place to live.
"Growth will feed on itself."
The building housing the 1100sq m supermarket will also feature 500sq m for six shops.
Mr Palmer said community facilities had been boosted by the recent opening of all-weather tennis courts and construction, due to start next month, of a skatepath.
"All these facilities help make the area more attractive," he said.
Council also owned a big block of land in Prole Rd which was earmarked for more playing fields and a new school.
Growth assumptions for the district were discussed at a meeting this week of the council, with Cr Mike Williams saying that Waihi Beach was running out of lots to sell and the town was down to its last 25 to 30 sections. There was a big surge of new lots in 2008-09 but nothing since then and the huge surplus had been absorbed.
Cr Ross Goudie said next year's forecast of 255 new lots was realistic. However, Cr Garry Webber said it was a best guess and no matter what numbers they put in the rest of the long-term forecast, it would be wrong.
Council resource management manager Phillip Martelli told the Bay of Plenty Times that the figures did not show the vacant sections in urban areas that people were sitting on for their own reasons.
He estimated there was also about 3500 existing vacant rural lots, creating the opportunity for a lot more houses in rural areas without creating a single new lot.