The Bay’s boom continues

The latest quarterly figures released this week show the Bay of Plenty is humming. File Photo.

Unemployment down? Tick. GDP, retail spending, construction, and population growth up? Tick, tick, tick and tick.

Latest quarterly figures released this week show the Bay of Plenty is humming along nicely, with the region's economic indicators all pointing in the right direction.

'While out in the community the feedback I am getting is that our local economy is thriving, and the figures confirm it,” says Bay of Plenty MP Todd Muller.

In the quarter ending September the region's GDP increased by 4.4 per cent over the year, well above the national average of 3.2 per cent.

People seeking Jobseeker support fell by 10 per cent, job advertisements across the region were up nearly 50 per cent in October while unemployment is currently at 4.3 per cent – compared to 5.0 per cent nationally.

Retail trade also increased by 7.4 per cent compared to 3.2 per cent nationally, residential building consents are sitting 46 per cent higher over the year and the surge of construction work and projected growth has seen an increase in commercial vehicle registrations (up 39 per cent).

Todd says these rises are being driven by population growth, with the latest Statistics NZ and Infometrics showing Tauranga's population grew to 124,600 by the end of 2015 – up from 116,190 in 2013.

'People are beginning to see what locals already knew – the Bay is great places to live, raise a family, and do business.

'It's so vibrant, it's quite exciting really. This boom feels different to previous ones over the years, and I sense we could be in for the kind of growth we are experiencing for quite some time.”

Bay of Plenty MP Todd Muller. File Photo.

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4 comments

Tick off

Posted on 04-12-2016 17:00 | By maildrop

Traffic jams up, tick. Crime and anti social behaviour up, tick. Housing costs up, tick. Politicians and Council too busy congratulating themselves and doing nothing to alleviate the aforementioned, tick, tick, tick.


Not here.

Posted on 04-12-2016 17:01 | By Accountable

Contrary to the article the retail boom hasn't reached as far as the Tauranga CBD. The reason it isn't happening is the Council staffs removal of strategic parking and their insistence on continuing to charge for parking in the CBD. They are so far out of touch with reality they don't realise that they are strangling the businesses in the CBD even though there are hundreds of Council staff walking around the CBD all day obviously with their eyes firmly shut to the destruction they are part of.


Sort out the infrastructure

Posted on 04-12-2016 19:36 | By Hot stuff

Sort out these roads you idiots and not by letting someone from out of town come up with hair brained ideas like putting in traffic lights at greerton , any idiot knows the problem is at Barkes Corner It's becoming a nitemare


All commentories spot on

Posted on 05-12-2016 20:01 | By stokey

Hot stuff, mail drop and accountable are all spot on. Succinct and to the point but will anyone listen - absolutely not. Most of these overpaid Councol drongos have their head stuck so far up their oriface they can only see b....it. We really need a BOP, people power reclamation of democracy.


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