Jane Nees BOP Regional Councillor www.janenees.co.nz

I shook my head in disbelief as I read newspaper accounts of the debate had by the Tauranga City Council about SmartGrowth.

I asked myself how elected representatives could lack understanding of the importance of spatial planning and how well regarded our SmartGrowth strategy is at a national level – and why it must be kept alive and relevant by periodic reviews of strategic direction.

Spatial planning is the reason for the success of all internationally competitive cities which are environmentally and economically sustainable – but these cities didn't just develop one plan and stick to it.

Their planning is kept current – adjusting as population trends and technology changes – ensuring that the city will meet the needs of future populations while making them a functional and attractive place to be now.

The Western Bay of Plenty had a jump on the rest of the country when it initiated SmartGrowth – our long-term growth management strategy that integrates planning for population growth with land use and transport planning.

It has been very successful in driving infrastructure investment into our region because of the confidence it gave central government that we had a long term plan based on sound information and analysis. But things change and the information the current strategy is based on is seriously out of date.

Spatial planning has been made mandatory for Auckland and may be rolled out across the country on a regional basis.

We must invest in our future by updating SmartGrowth and linking it with spatial planning for the rest of the Bay of Plenty.

Anything else is just head-in-the-sand stuff – and that is the last thing we need right now.

If you have any views on this or any other issue, please phone 07 579 5150, email [email protected] or visit www.janenees.co.nz