Plan Change 96 - Papakāinga

Kia ora, welcome to the Plan Change 96 - Papakāinga project page. Here, you’ll find everything you need to know about the project, including key documents, frequently asked questions and key dates. Check out the information on the right-hand side of this page for all this and more.

About the project

We're proposing a Plan Change to revise District Plan rules to better support papakāinga development, for homes and community facilities on certain Māori land, in the Western Bay of Plenty District.

There is a critical housing shortage across our rohe, with demand far outstripping supply, leading to increased short-term housing, emergency housing, and homelessness, particularly affecting Māori communities.

Papakāinga development offers a culturally significant solution by providing homes and community facilities on whenua Māori, allowing whānau to live according to Te Ao Māori and strengthening their connection to the land.

The current District Plan includes rules intended to enable papakāinga development, but these rules have not fully supported the aspirations of Māori for developing papakāinga as intended. We need to ensure that the Plan Change effectively meets housing needs and supports Māori aspirations for papakāinga development.

This amendment intends to provide a greater opportunity for the development of papakāinga on ancestral land within the Western Bay, whilst also managing the adverse effects development has on the environment.

We are not yet at the point of notifying the proposed plan change, however we are undertaking some early engagement with the wider community and key stakeholders so that this input can help shape the Plan Change.

Join the kōrero

To help inform what this Plan Change needs to consider please complete the feedback form below.