Housing and jobs sit atop a list of public concerns following an internationally recognised research project assessing how well Tauranga and the Western Bay of Plenty deliver on the region's most critical needs.

The Vital Signs report - a New Zealand-first which aims to identify and measure critical needs in the Western Bay - was unveiled yesterday by community funder the Acorn Foundation, in collaboration with regional partners.

Some 18 per cent of people who took part in the Vital Signs survey have concerns about affordable housing and availability, with 16 per cent citing a shortage of job opportunities. Photo: File.

Acorn Foundation general manager Nicky Wilkins says the findings of the report will be pivotal in assessing the community's areas of greatest need and ensuring funding is matched to this.

'Vital Signs will be widely used by our donors, councils, and by charitable organisations working in our community,” say Nicky.

The report saw a representative sample of people from across the region aged 18 and over.

They were asked to choose a grade from A (excellent) to E (fail) for 12 key areas: Arts and Culture, Belonging & Engagement, Economy, Environment, Gap between Rich & Poor, Getting Around, Getting Started, Health, Housing, Learning, Safety and Sport & Recreation.

They were also asked to identify the three most important issues facing us, and the three best things about living in this region.

Results show the Western Bay had pass marks of average to good across 12 categories, including health, education, and whether people felt a sense of belonging.

People were most dissatisfied with the gap between the rich and poor and housing, but were happiest with sport and recreation, the economy, environment and arts and culture.

Asked what they saw as the main issue facing the Western Bay, 18 per cent of the 1546 people who took part in the survey named affordable housing and housing availability, and 16 per cent noted a shortage of job opportunities.

Other issues highlighted by more than five per cent of people were council debt and high rates, lack of education and lack of sense of community.

Nicky adds: 'What people love best about living in the Western Bay of Plenty is the climate (59 per cent), followed by the natural environment (54 per cent), friends and family/whanau (26 per cent) and recreation opportunities, (26 per cent).”

The findings will be used by the Acorn Foundation and other community funders like TECT, councils and BayTrust to ensure that grant money is spent in the right places. It is the first time that the Canadian-based Vital Signs model has been tried in New Zealand.

Acorn Foundation chair Glenn Keaney says as grant-makers, it is essential there is solid evidence to back up decision-making around where grant money can be used most effectively.

'Vital Signs will be key to this,” says Glenn, 'as well as providing the local councils with clarity around the most pressing issues for the region.”

The intention is to repeat the survey every two-to-three years, to measure how the region is shaping up in terms of addressing the issues that matter most, and how those priorities might change over time.

Letters were sent to 30,000 people inviting them to take part in the survey. Fifteen per cent of respondents were aged 18-to-35, while 38 per cent were 36-to-55 and 39 per cent aged 56-to-75.

To read the full report click here or call in to the Acorn office at 78 1st Ave, Tauranga and pick up a copy.