Sustainable Bay of Plenty Trust is calling on Tauranga City Council to re-think its 2021 Long Term Plan (LTP), which closes for submissions this Monday 7 June. "There are some good aspects of the Council's plan, but it needs to address the unsustainable 'SmartGrowth' strategy that lies behind it" said Executive Director Glen Crowther.

"That SmartGrowth plan calls for the city to sprawl further along the coast and up the Kaimai hills, but without a rapid transit system. This will result in worse congestion, massive rates rises and even bigger increases in debt to fund growth infrastructure. It will also lead to further increases in carbon emissions.”

“It is bad for the environment and bad news for people's back pockets - especially those on low or fixed incomes."

"Most importantly, there's been no discussion about the growth strategy that drives this big step-change in capital investment, with $4.6 billion to be spent over the coming decade. This is 2.5 times per capita what Wellington plans to spend. Yet unlike Wellington and other cities, there has been no public engagement at all about the underlying urban development plan and Transport System Plan that have led to such a big spend-up."

"This seems a strange way to run a city." Crowther said. “Tauranga is the only major NZ city with no sustainability strategy and no plan to reduce carbon emissions. Even Rotorua and Whakatane have sustainability strategies and plans with clear carbon targets.” Sustainable Bay of Plenty also believes there is little chance that Tauranga’s LTP will deliver affordable housing.

“We are told that there is no option apart from this hugely expensive plan to grow the city, even though when residents were last asked what we thought in 2018, people made it very clear they did not support this plan. It directs 80% of the growth to the city outskirts without fast, attractive public transport options."

Crowther said that the Council won't get a clear indication of what local residents really think about the big spend on growth from this LTP consultation, as people are being told that the extra spending is mostly needed for community facilities. "It is only when you dig into the numbers that you see that 62% of the new capital expenditure will actually go towards growth."

"Tauranga residential ratepayers already pay more rates than any comparable NZ city, and this plan would push up median residential rates (including water and Regional Council rates) by about $560 this year alone.

Overall, rates will double in five years and debt will double in 3.5 years! By 2026, superannuitants who own or rent for a moderate Tauranga house could realistically be paying more than 25% of their income on rates if this plan goes ahead."

Sustainable Bay of Plenty thinks we need to have an open conversation with our communities around how to handle growth, instead of those discussions being held behind closed doors.

"We do need a plan to manage growth, but even some of the commissioners are openly saying SmartGrowth has failed. What’s more, most locals don't even know about the growth plan or Tauranga's new transport plan.”

“We need to collectively come up with a new, sustainable plan for Tauranga that protects our natural environment – and do that before Council commits us to so much debt and such large rates increases."

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