Tauranga residents have until Friday to put in a submission on proposed Plan Change 33 – Enabling housing supply.

"The proposed changes to the City Plan are aimed at helping address the shortage of homes by allowing our city to grow up as well as out, with a greater choice of housing types," says a Tauranga City Council spokesperson.

"The plan change responds to new requirements from the Government to make it easier for people to build townhouses in residential areas, and apartments within walking distance of centres.

"This means it will be easier for homeowners looking to build or expand, and that people will in time have access to more types of houses.

"It also means there will be more multi-storied buildings popping up around our neighbourhoods and city, over time – which will gradually change where and how we live."

Some components of Proposed Plan Change 33 applies to all of Tauranga's residential zones.

To comply with the legislation, buildings of up to three stories (11m) and having three dwellings on a site will be a permitted activity and not require resource consent.

There would also be changes to the overshadowing rules and setback from the street would change from 3 metres to 1.5 metres, with boundary setback changing to 1 metre from 1.5 metres.

This would enable more medium density townhouses and duplexes to be built right across the city.

For more about the plan, read here.

Submissions close at 5pm on Friday, September 23.

Find out more and share your thoughts at www.tauranga.govt.nz/housing-supply