Kawerau, Whakatane and Opotiki District Councils and the Bay of Plenty Regional Council are collaborating on a plan for the region's future.

The Eastern Bay – Beyond Today development plan aims to provide a clear vision of where the Eastern Bay wants to be in the next 30-50 years, and will work towards a range of outcomes.

The plan will sit alongside Bay of Connections, the regional growth strategy for the wider Bay of Plenty.

Changes to technology, science, population demographics, society, the economy and the environment are happening thick and fast.

'It's an exciting time to be living in the Eastern Bay,” says regional council chair Doug Leeder. 'There is so much potential here and we all need to ensure we maximise those opportunities to benefit all our communities, now and into the future.”

The Eastern Bay's strategy outcomes for the next 30-50 years include: the Eastern Bay's kaimoana, recreational and commercial fishing, aquaculture and marine tourism thrive; land, air, freshwater and geothermal resources sustain productivity; the region's safe, secure and efficiently integrated transport links support its communities and economy; and the region's cultural and natural heritage is known, highly valued and actively managed.

'Working in partnership across the sub-region has some huge advantages. Outcomes of this scale have benefits across the region,” says Opotiki mayor John Forbes.

'For example when Opotiki's aquaculture industry thrives, we all benefit. When sustainable fisheries are doing well, it is no single town that reaps the rewards, it's all of us.

'Working together rather than competing against each other means we can succeed across the board and in more areas.”

Projects under way to achieve the plan's outcomes include a proposed container terminal in Kawerau, which could benefit the whole Eastern Bay and enable heavy produce to be transported to and from the Port of Tauranga via rail. Kawerau mayor Malcolm Campbell says it's positive to see business and industry across the sub-district working together to improve connectivity.

Various projects under way in his district will also contribute towards a positive future, says Whakatane mayor Tony Bonne.

'Initiatives such as our urban stormwater upgrades, major water infrastructure upgrades for Edgecumbe and Te Teko and the Sullivan Lake water quality initiative will contribute to a sustainable future for our communities.”

The adopted strategy is the first version of Eastern Bay – Beyond Today to be developed. It will be refreshed regularly as actions are completed and as communities, the economy and the environment change. The full plan can be downloaded here.