Planning for growth at Hukutaia
Ōpōtiki is experiencing growth and development in key industries such as agriculture, forestry, horticulture, mānuka and their supporting businesses and central government funding has supported a wide range of projects (the harbour project, mussel processing factory, town centre revitalisation, footpaths, Te Tāhuhu o Te Rangi and many others).
These developments are providing work opportunities and an attractive environment for people to remain in the district, return home or move to the district to take advantage of these opportunities. This increased inflow of people from other cities and overseas, overcrowding of houses, as well as lack of emergency and Kāinga Ora housing, leads to a housing shortage.
The Ōpōtiki community is experiencing a worsening housing shortage which is putting increasing pressure on families and those most in need. As a community, we know we need to plan and build housing quickly to ensure there are good houses for our current residents and for the growth in our town with the new projects all coming online. Council is working to find a medium to longer-term solution to the housing issue by building infrastructure to unlock new areas and increase housing supply.
Council partnered with Bay of Plenty Regional Council, as well as Whakatāne and Kawerau District Councils to create a high-level, strategic plan for the Eastern Bay of Plenty region. The Eastern Bay Spatial Plan investigates how many dwellings will be required to address the residential growth over the long term. It will make it very clear where we want to encourage people to build and develop.
The Spatial Plan projected that if the population of Ōpōtiki continues to grow at a moderate rate of 2600 people over the next 30 years, an additional 1400 houses would be needed. However, considering other factors such as the rising trend of building and resource consents, Council considers that up to 2280 more houses may be needed over the next 30 years. A large-scale solution is needed that can provide safe and affordable housing. Hukutaia has long been on our radar as a logical next place to accommodate future growth and address the existing housing shortage.
Hukutaia identified as the area to accommodate growth
Council identified Hukutaia in 2021 as a potential site that can accommodate future growth for the following reasons:
- It is close and accessible to town services
- It is above flooding and sea level rise risks
- There is plenty of land and growth opportunities at scale (not occasional infill housing)
- Council already provides many services (particularly rubbish and water supply) to the area
- There may also be opportunities for iwi-led investment in housing in the area.
- It provides opportunities for a wide range of affordable housing through larger-scale development
- It has the potential for staged growth.
In 2022 Council carried out infrastructure assessments for stormwater, water and wastewater, which helped Council to develop the Hukutaia Structure Plan. It is a high-level plan that outlines how Hukutaia can be developed. Other supporting desktop assessments (e.g. Geotechnical, Ecological, Contaminated Land) were also conducted to identify key matters that may impact future development.
The Spatial Plan re-affirmed that Hukutaia is the ideal option as it is resilient in terms of climate change risks (flooding and coastal hazards) and most other land options have development restrictions due to being classed by the Regional Council as highly productive land and / or being costly to service.
Currently, additional housing in Hukutaia would mean a continuation of the larger section sizes required for septic tanks, using up even more farmland. The provision of wastewater services means more housing could be added in a smaller area, building homes faster and at a lower price for those that need them.
Council progress to enable development of Hukutaia – Structure plan review and District Plan changes
Council is not a developer, but Council is doing all the footwork to be able to extend services and to rezone land to encourages and progress development of the Hukutaia Growth Area.
Council applied on behalf of the community to Kāinga ora’s Infrastructure Acceleration Fund- part of the $3.8billion funding package from central government that is targeted to help build infrastructure to unlock new areas and increase housing supply. Despite being unsuccessful in its application for funding, Council continues to investigate other solutions. Hukutaia might be developed at a slower pace or funded in a different way. Council continues to engage with developers who have expressed an interest. The Spatial Plan will signal to future investors and agencies what our long-term aspirations for Hukutaia are and provide more support for funding applications and investment decisions.
Council now plans to review the urban design elements of the Hukutaia structure plan to ensure our urban environment work for us and support a high quality of living. This includes the relationship between spaces (the site and surrounding environment – streams, industrial area), to establish well-connected street/cycle/footpath networks, set out dwelling densities, and identifying recreational and commercial spaces.
Council will also undertake further technical assessments to support an application to rezone the rural land for residential purposes. The rezoning will require a change to the District Plan through a plan change process. The revised Structure Plan will be included into the District Plan as part of this process. Public consultation is part of that process.
