Ōmokoroa Plan Change / Structure Plan
About the project
Council is progressing a Structure Plan for Ōmokoroa, known as the Stage 3 Structure Plan (the area between State Highway 2 and the railway).
In December 2021 the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) was amended (Enabling Housing Supply and Other Matters) to improve housing supply in New Zealand’s largest cities (Tauranga / Western Bay of Plenty included). The change to the RMA means that Western Bay of Plenty District Council must change their District Plan to enable more housing to be built. The new rules are known as the Medium Density Residential Standards (MDRS).
Since the RMA was changed in late 2021 Council has continued to work on the planning requirements for Ōmokoroa. This has included refining draft rules and finalising the Structure Plan.
The change to the RMA means that the Plan Change now no longer only applies to what was known as Stage 3, the Plan Change now applies to the whole of the Ōmokoroa peninsula meaning the existing residential zoned land is now proposed to be zoned medium density residential.
The draft Structure Plan shows land for housing, rural residential land, industrial land, land for schools, active reserve (sportsfields) and opportunity for walking and cycling connections through the gully network (within the area known as Stage 3 – between the railway line and the State Highway).
When full, the peninsula will be home to 13,000 people, and the Structure Plan helps cater for this growth, providing housing, schooling and a town centre.
Alongside the final draft Ōmokoroa Structure Plan, draft residential rules for Ōmokoroa are being prepared to support the new development areas. The new rules are to manage the expected higher level of density than what has previously occurred in Ōmokoroa, and at the same time, it will allow the creation of attractive neighbourhoods for the entire community to enjoy.
For more information, please contact Natalie Rutland.
What's happened recently?
A timeline has been prepared which shows key planning milestones.
In 2021 Council prepared an application to the Minister for the Environment to use the Streamlined Planning Process under the Resource Management Act. This was to speed up the planning process so that Council could implement the planning rules being required by Central Government.
Since the RMA was amended a new planning process known as the ‘Intensified Streamline Planning Process’ was introduced for Councils to implement the required Plan Changes (to enable the Medium Density Residential Standards). Council is now working through the necessary steps to get to notification for the Plan Change which is required in August 2022.
Note the change to the District Plan for medium density housing applies to both Ōmokoroa and Te Puke as those are our towns with a projected population of 10,000 or more. Council will notify the two plan changes together as one using the new Intensified Streamlined Planning Process. This is required to be notified in August this year (2022).
Visit our Ōmokoroa let's talk housing' community engagement webpage for more information.
