Paula Thompson BOP Regional Councillor www.envbop.govt.nz

Smart growth is the name given to the long term planning strategy for Tauranga and the Western Bay of Plenty.

The first decade of SmartGrowth is currently under review and public submissions on the review are due by the end of May. All submissions will then be considered by what is known as the SmartGrowth Implementation Committee which is a combination of the Tauranga City and Western BOP District Councils, the Bay of Plenty Regional Council and tangata whenua.

The emphasis of the initial strategy was around coping with the population growth that the sub region was then experiencing. That meant having surety of land use so that infrastructure could be appropriately provided and ensuring that the proposed land use promoted good opportunities for a Live Work Play lifestyle.

In the review process we have learned lessons. We have learned that the strategy needs to be flexible so as to respond to less optimistic changes in population growth and rates of development against forecast. We have learned that the demographics for the next 50 years paint a challenging picture for sustainable growth as the population ages. We have understood the need to integrate natural hazard risk into the planning – i.e. having regard to the potential impact of tsunami, earthquakes, flooding, etc. We have much better understood the absolute need (and difficulties) to align development costs with sustainable funding and we have been careful around finding a sustainable balance between opening up new greenfield development areas with areas for intensification and infill. We have understood that communities well being is far more than getting land use planning right and that there is a need to balance environment with economy and to understand and deal with the social issues and opportunities that will shape our communities.

In my opinion this revision of the strategy takes a far more holistic view of the Tauranga–Western BOP sub region's future. I have no doubt that we will receive great submissions which can only add to the strategy's robustness and influence thinking about our place and people. SmartGrowth is not just a planning document for the local councils. It endeavours to paint a canvass full of issues and opportunities to which a large array of people and organisations will have roles to respond. It flags a new era of community engagement which places communities at the centre with local government playing support roles. In my opinion if we are to embrace our future well, we need engaged communities. It is councils' role to enable and support that engagement.