Kia ora and welcome to this update on the Tauriko for Tomorrow project.
In this edition, news about the plan change to enable the development of housing at Tauriko West; fast-paced progress on the construction of the Tauriko Enabling Works at Tauriko Village, Cambridge Road and Redwood Lane intersections; an update on the Ōmanawa Bridge replacement and the Tauriko West Road of National Significance project.
Read up on all this below.
Tauriko West rezoning approved
On Monday 3 March Tauranga City Council adopted changes to the City Plan to enable the development of housing at Tauriko West – a new community with up to 4000 new homes, starting around 2027.
This follows the release late February of the Independent Hearing Panel’s recommendations on Variation 1 to Plan Change 33, following the public hearing in December 2024.
The mayor and councillors accepted all the panel’s recommendations, and the plan change will be made operative on 17 March 2025. The zoning of the area’s developable land will then shift from rural to medium density residential in the Tauranga City Plan.
The rezoning is one of the critical building blocks in the collaborative Tauriko for Tomorrow project. Its completion brings the new community another significant step forward, to deliver much needed new housing to Tauranga and the western Bay of Plenty.
Planning the future community has been a collaborative journey since 2017 with SmartGrowth partners, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA), mana whenua, landowners and the community. Thanks to everyone who has participated from near or far in this work over the years.
The new planning rules will enable the area’s developers to deliver a diverse range of housing options, and up to three commercial areas, with provision made for one local centre and up to two smaller neighbourhood centres for day-to-day shopping needs.
The developers will also deliver the internal roads and water/wastewater infrastructure to service the new homes, as well as neighbourhood reserves, walkways and cycleways to create connected, sustainable and healthy neighbourhoods.
Access to the new community and its connection to the employment and shopping centres of the Tauriko Business Estate and Tauranga Crossing is being delivered with NZTA through the Tauriko Enabling Works project. This will support a sustainable, thriving community where people can live, learn, work and play locally.
The Tauriko Enabling Works will allow the development of the first 2400 homes in the new community, where the first homes are expected to be available from 2027.
Further transport improvements to SH29, SH29A and SH36, through NZTA’s Tauriko West project (see update below) are required to unlock the remaining development capacity at Tauriko West (1600 additional homes).
The plan change was underpinned by the goal to protect the significant cultural, heritage and landscape values of the Wairoa Awa (River), which borders the new community. Natural buffer zones will be established between residential development and the Open Space and Conservation Zones defined along the river’s edge, and strict stormwater management rules will seek to ensure runoff from the future urban area does not impact negatively on the awa.
To celebrate the importance of the awa and provide further amenity, Tauranga City Council will work with the developers to deliver a Wairoa River Reserve in future years, with a playground, walkways and water access. Also on the cards for Tauriko West is a new community centre and library, and the new development will seek to ensure runoff from the future urban area does not impact negatively on the awa.
What now?
The Tauriko West plan change (Variation 1 to Plan Change 33) will now be incorporated into the City Plan and once operative will guide future development in Tauriko West.
Several other processes need to be completed before development can start – these include council’s application for a Comprehensive Stormwater Consent, the developers obtaining consents for bulk earthworks, and council finalising developer agreements. These processes are all underway.
More about the plan change on council’s website
Tauriko Enabling Works update
If you regularly drive along SH29 through Tauriko, you may have noticed the first months of the year have brought about significant changes throughout the Cambridge Road and Tauriko Village sections of works.
Building new access at Tauriko Village
Works are in full swing in the Tauriko Village area where earthworks, pavement and utilities work continue for the new northern access road and the new Tauriko School and Playcentre carpark.
The new road off SH29, just south of the former service station, will be the northern access road to the planned future community in Tauriko West, also providing access to the new school carpark, and will have traffic signals once the intersection is completed. This road and the carpark are expected to open in late April 2025, with a temporary intersection providing safe access from SH29.
Before the final and permanent traffic signals can be installed, major upgrades will take place on stormwater, wastewater, and other underground services, along with the widening of SH29 to provide additional lanes and a new shared path on the school side of Tauriko Village down to Cambridge Road.
These upgrades allow for future population growth as well as safer access for the Tauriko School and Playcentre community.
Check out the latest flythrough video of this section, with commentary from Daniel Barnard, Engineering Cadet at Downer.
Progress at Cambridge Road intersection
Sheet piles have been successfully installed on Cambridge Road and the closed lane reopened in late January, ahead of schedule. Thank you to everyone travelling through the area and/or living close by for your patience during these disruptive works.
Building the new signalised SH29/Cambridge Road intersection requires careful sequencing to keep traffic flowing through a busy work site, and crews safe while undertaking these works. Works continue to build the major retaining wall which is required to widen Cambridge Road on the western side.
Widening sections of SH29 will start from about April/May – 1 side of the state highway at a time to keep traffic flowing. Once the retaining wall and widening of SH29 are complete, works will start to construct the new signalised Cambridge Road and SH29 intersection itself. This will be carefully sequenced to minimise disruption, with the intersection expected to be completed in early 2027.
The new intersection will feature traffic lights and extra lanes of traffic leading in and through the intersection, including a new access to Whiore Avenue for buses and people walking and cycling.
SH29/Redwood Lane roundabout taking shape
People travelling through the Redwood Lane area can expect to drive through the roundabout in a temporary layout in late April/early May, with the completion of the full roundabout expected later in the year.
Works to prepare the roundabout for traffic are underway with shoulder widening, the relocation of safety barriers and underground services, and the cement stabilisation layers completed, streetlights installed, and preparations for upcoming laying of asphalt in March underway.
Check out the latest fly through video of this section, with commentary from Jaden Hohepa, Engineering Cadet at Downer.
Ōmanawa Bridge replacement investigations underway
The last round of geo-technical investigations is currently underway to inform the detailed design for the new Ōmanawa Bridge and the new road alignment. Understanding the ground conditions is a critical part of the project and reduces risks throughout the construction phase.
The project is in the detailed design phase and NZTA are seeking statutory approvals for the works. The programme for construction is being developed, with the goal to move into the construction phase in late 2025, pending designation and consenting approvals.
Tauriko West Road of National Significance
The project is aiming to present the investment case findings to the NZTA Board mid-2025. Through the investment case process NZTA refines the scope of the upgrades to ensure they are aligned to GPS 2024.
Once a decision is made, the project will move into the designation and consenting phase, where the route alignment is protected before the project can move into construction. More information will be available in mid-2025.
Find out more: www.nzta.govt.nz/projects/tauriko-west
Tauriko Business Estate (TBE) rezoning
Since our last update Private Plan Change 35, which rezones approximately 108ha of land to industrial, has become operative in full. The land sits south of the existing Tauriko Business Estate and development will be staged over 10 years with triggers relating to infrastructure delivery in the wider Tauriko West area including upgrades on State Highway 29 and wastewater capacity upgrades.
Private Plan Change 35 was adopted at a September 2024 Tauranga City Council meeting and became operative on 25 November 2024.