Media Release

Council focuses on economic development

5 October 2016

Bay of Plenty Regional Council has always contributed to the region’s economic development and has allocated 14 percent of its $108.8m annual budget to continue facilitating and enabling initiatives that boost the region's economic performance.

Economic development is one of the five community outcomes that guide the council’s work in protecting and maintaining the Bay of Plenty’s unique environment. The region’s natural resources are vital to how we live and the foundation for much of council’s economic development work. This work ensures the region offers opportunities for present and future generations.

As detailed in the annual plan, over the next year council will:

• Continue the fund economic development under the Bay of Connections strategy, which sets out the goals and priorities for sustainable economic growth in the region. This development work focuses on the aquaculture, energy, forestry, freight logistics, sport and recreation, Tertiary Intentions Strategy and He Mauri Ohooho – Māori economic development sectors.

• Continue to provide the region’s Bayhopper, Schoolhopper, Cityride and rural bus services. Our existing bus routes support things such as Rotorua Lakes Council’s plans to revitalise its inner city. We’ll also extend our trials for new rural bus services

• Support the delivery of major regional infrastructure projects being undertaken with partners including the Scion innovation centre in Rotorua, Tauranga Marine Precinct, Tauranga Tertiary Campus and Opotiki Harbour Transformation.

The Regional Council is also involved in funding, preparing and implementing the eastern Bay of Plenty partnership, western Bay of Plenty's SmartEconomy strategy and Rotorua's Bright Economy strategy.

The $108.8m annual budget will be split across five community outcomes. The expenditure required to deliver these outcomes in 2016/17 is $1.3m lower than what was proposed under the council’s Long Term Plan. Funding will come from a mix of council investments and reserve funds, central government and rates.

The 2016/17 annual plan details what activities the council will undertake and how they will be paid for. Copies of this are available from your local council office, libraries or boprc.govt.nz.

For further information about the regional council’s economic development work, visit www.boprc.govt.nz/sustainable-communities/regional-development/regional-economic-development/

ENDS

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