A workshop being hosted tomorrow is aiming to assist Tauranga elected members to hear community feedback around two new urban growth areas which are currently in the works.

The new areas include Te Tumu in Papamoa East which could provide approximately 7,000 new dwellings and Tauriko West could add 3,000 dwellings to the city's housing stock.

The workshop considers what level council should be involved in achieving housing outcomes in Greenfield development areas, and consequently what mechanisms could be put in place in Te Tumu and Tauriko West.

Tauranga City Council city and infrastructure planning manager says the workshop will bring together Council and staff from Tauranga and surrounding councils alongside developers and landowners.

In addition SmartGrowth forums, Tangata Whenua representatives, the Tauranga Community Housing Trust, NZ Transport Agency, Housing NZ, Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and the Property Council will be in attendance.

Queenstown Lakes District Council will share the experience from their mayoral housing affordability taskforce, Veros Property Partners will talk to the market delivery challenge, the developers will present their development plans and MBIE will initiate a discussion on partnering with central government on potential opportunities to help deliver the KiwiBuild and social housing programmes in these new growth areas.

'The purpose of the workshop is to hear a broad range of views around the housing outcomes we want and possible options to achieve them”, says Andrew.

'This will inform our Council's future thinking on how it should influence these housing outcomes in the future delivery of housing in Te Tumu and Tauriko West.”

The developments are a response by Tauranga City Council to cater to the growth of Tauranga and the Western Bay of Plenty and aim at creating thriving communities which allow people to live, work, learn and play locally.

They look at providing more housing along with amenities such as schools, reserves, cycle and walkways, access to shopping and community facilities, connection to employment, and transport infrastructure.

Planning for new suburbs involves defining the rules for development in each area. These rules, such as height, density or open space requirements, can help achieve outcomes like housing affordability, accessibility and housing choice, including size and types of housing.

Councillor Larry Baldock, Chair of the City Transformation Committee, says Tauranga's community is changing, and consequently that housing needs are changing too.

'SmartGrowth's Housing Demand and Need report published late last year highlighted that housing affordability is an increasing challenge in Tauranga and the western Bay of Plenty”, says Larry.

'It also told us that households of one, two or three people will become more common than the four or five household make-up we've known in past decades.

'And our population is ageing, creating different requirements for accessibility and size of dwellings. There are things Council can do to help the housing market adapt to these changing needs.”

Council's role can range from that of an enabler – allowing other actors to achieve good housing outcomes – to that of a regulator, putting in place mandatory measures through the City Plan.

The open workshop will run from 1pm to 5pm on Wednesday February 14 at the Mount Bowls Club, 45-47 Kawaka Street, Mount Maunganui. All welcome.