Unlocking land for housing and urban growth
Te Tumu represents a significant opportunity to expand the city’s supply of land for new homes, helping to improve housing affordability by increasing both the number and variety of homes available. A greater supply of land allows for different housing types to be built, catering to a wider range of needs and budgets. Well-planned transport infrastructure in the area will also help reduce congestion, support sustainable travel options, and enhance connectivity between neighbourhoods, employment areas and the wider region.
Located in Pāpāmoa East, near the coast, the Kaituna River, and the Wairākei Stream, Te Tumu is an area of ecological diversity and natural beauty. Its cultural and historic significance enriches the opportunity to shape a sustainable urban environment that supports growth while fostering a strong sense of community for future generations.
As one of seven priority development areas identified in the SmartGrowth Strategy, Te Tumu is critical to supporting Tauranga’s long-term urban growth. This will require thoughtful planning to manage natural hazards, land constraints, and infrastructure needs, ensuring the area evolves in a way that reflects community values and aspirations.
The vision for Te Tumu goes beyond housing, aiming to create a vibrant urban environment where people can live, work, learn, and play. By integrating employment opportunities, education, and essential services, future development also aims to advance sustainability goals, contributing to a balanced and future focused urban landscape.
What’s envisioned for Te Tumu
Te Tumu is envisioned as a vibrant urban community, offering a significant supply of land for development. At approximately 740 hectares, this growth area has the potential to deliver thousands of new homes, complemented by resilient infrastructure, transport links, community facilities, and public spaces to support this growth, creating a well-connected and liveable community.
Urban development in Te Tumu will prioritise resilience and sustainability. High-risk natural hazard areas and spaces of cultural and ecological significance, such as the Wairākei Stream, Kaituna River and its margins, and coastal sand dunes — will be safeguarded, preserving opportunities for future ecological enhancements like riparian planting and wetland restoration. The intention is to create thriving natural habitats, welcoming public spaces, and recreational opportunities that connect people with the area’s natural features, including walkways and coastal access points.
Connectivity is key to ensuring seamless access between homes, jobs, community services, and public open spaces. This will include providing public and active transport links with the existing network and supported by key infrastructure such as the Pāpāmoa East Interchange. To enable this growth, infrastructure, services, and amenities will need to be carefully planned and delivered efficiently. The structure planning process will be essential in guiding this approach, ensuring future development in Te Tumu is delivered in a cohesive and sustainable manner.
Moving forward
Planning for growth and development within Te Tumu continues in the following areas:
- Updating of technical assessments to inform structure planning and the development of City Plan provisions to deliver urban growth opportunities.
- Working with landowners, iwi and SmartGrowth partners to ensure that values and aspirations held by these groups are accurately reflected as part of the structure planning process.
- Consideration of appropriate planning processes required to meet stakeholder and resource management expectations and support the efficient delivery of future growth.
- Future community engagement and information sharing events.