Some residents have suggested adding a cafe to Fergusson Park, or upgrading the playground. Photo / Talia Parker
Some residents have suggested adding a cafe to Fergusson Park, or upgrading the playground. Photo / Talia Parker
As new legislation pushes intensification into the neighbourhoods, Tauranga's council is looking to the city's existing, and older, suburbs to share the load.
It says suburbs on the Ōtūmoetai peninsula will see big changes in the next 30 years, but want residents to inform just what those changes might be.
Tauranga City Council is seeking feedback from residents in Ōtūmoetai, Matua, Brookfield, Bellevue and Judea to find out what locals care about in their neighbourhood the most. The feedback will inform a spatial plan for the area.
And there is already some buy-in, with a residential representative saying people "can't have an attitude of 'not in our backyard'".
Tauranga's population is projected to grow by about 78,500 residents in the next 40 years - prompting the need for about 34,400 new homes to be built.
Census data suggests the city's population, last counted at 142,100, will reach 199,100 by 2048.
The spiralling growth is happening at such a pace, in September, city commission chairwoman Anne Tolley wrote to the Government to highlight a dire future housing shortage and the council's inability to meet National Policy Standards for Urban Development.
While there were large-scale housing developments under way in Te Tumu and Tauriko West, plus the intensification of the Te Papa peninsula, they were not enough, Tolley warned.
The letter said Tauranga was heading for a shortfall of 1119 homes in the next three years, even with 3188 new homes expected to be built in that time.
Now, the council is looking to the city's older central suburbs, considered to be desirable due to their central location, proximity to water, green spaces, and other commercial or retail areas.
For Pillans Point School, the population growth has already been felt in recent years. The strain of trying to cater to such demand has forced students into make-shift classrooms created inside prefab units and the school hall while funding and the building of new classrooms were sought.
Interim principal Graeme Lind confirmed there had been "quite a growth spurt" in the past five years. It was believed to have been largely driven by retirees moving out of the area and young families moving in.
"It makes sense. If you're working in town, it's close by. It's close to shops, etc. I can see why it's desirable for families."
Lind said he believed the school was now reasonably-equipped to cater for future growth.
In 2013, the school's roll was 423. This year, it is now "well over 500".
On December 20, Parliament passed a bill to amend the Resource Management Act allowing Tier 1 councils (those in Auckland, greater Hamilton, Tauranga and Western Bay, Wellington and Christchurch) to be better equipped to meet the National Policy Statement for Urban Development.
Residents expressed concern about visibility on Hinewa Rd. Photo / Talia Parker
These councils are now able to fast-track intensification plans under the Intensification Streamlined Planning Process.
The bill also allows Tier 1 councils to apply medium density residential standards from August. This means people will be able to develop up to three homes of up to three storeys on most sites without the need for resource consent.
Most residential zones currently allow only a single dwelling per site and have two-storey height restrictions in urban residential areas.
Matua Residents' Association's Richard Kluit said the suburb was popular with families partly due to the 1970s and 1980s era homes that populated the area.
At least one resident is calling for a mirror to make the corner of Seaview Rd onto Grange Rd safer. Photo / Talia Parker
Kluit said he accepted there were "big changes" forecast and was aware of the legislation giving councils greater intensification powers. However, he was curious to see how this could play out. Many Matua properties were divided in recent decades, potentially posing a challenge to recreate property as two to three units on a single piece of land, he said.
"It will be interesting to see how they perceive Matua can be changed. If there is going to be demand [for intensification], then I think we will see change," Kluit said.
"We can't have an attitude of 'not in our backyard'."
The association was co-hosting a community information night at the Matua Bowling Club on Wednesday which he encouraged people to attend "to learn more and participate in this discussion".
Residents have begun uploading the feedback to the interactive map on the council's website.
Several residents raised concerns about the intersection on Bellevue Rd, which they said was confusing.
Residents urged council to make the Bellevue Rd intersection less confusing. Photo / Talia Parker
"This has to be the worst designed intersection in the city for every type of user!" one commenter said.
"Fix the intersection so it isn't so confusing with traffic lights and a roundabout," another said.
Other residents suggested upgrading the playground at Fergusson Park or adding a cafe nearby.
Another expressed their love for the park and said it felt "like this is home".
Commenters also discussed poor visibility when exiting Hinewa Rd and Seaview Rd on to Grange Rd, and suggested a mirror on the blind corners would improve it.
People also raised safety concerns, both at the community garden on Ngatai Rd and the Sydenham Botanic Park on Miller Rd.
One resident expressed safety concerns in Sydenham Botanic Park. Photo / Talia Parker
One said the community garden was "awesome, however the drug dealing that goes on in the carpark makes it an uninviting space, especially if on your own".
Another said there was "always lots of rubbish in this park [Sydenham Park] and I also don't feel safe here a lot of the time".
