What We're Doing Now

Council and its partners have made significant progress towards improving the housing situation in Rotorua. However, we know that there is still a substantial shortfall of homes and more will be needed to meet demand over the next 30 years.

To address this need, council continues to work at pace to support growth and enable the delivery of more homes.

Future focused planning

To ensure growth happens in the right way, in the right places and at the right time, Rotorua Lakes Council and Toi Moana Bay of Plenty Regional Council have developed a Future Development Strategy (FDS) to identify the best places for future housing and businesses. Having a plan in place will benefit our community and help protect our unique environment.

The FDS is a long-term strategy for the development of a well-functioning urban environment (the city including Ngongotahā) that provides for the social, economic and cultural wellbeing of its people, as well as directing how and where growth will happen over the next 30 years.

The FDS is reviewed every three years and a new FDS is required every six years.

Read more about the Future Development Strategy

Evidence based planning

In accordance with the Government’s directive under the National Policy Statement on Urban Development 2020 (NPS-UD) for tier 2 councils, Housing and Business Assessments (HBA) are prepared to provide clear evidence to support future planning for growth.

Elected members adopted the current HBA in Feb 2022 and the findings was used to support the development of the Future Development Strategy. The next HBA is due to be adopted in early 2025.

Open the HBA main report

Open the HBA technical report

Read more about Council's adoption of the HBA

Removing local planning barriers and freeing up more land

Council is working through a series of District Plan changes to enable and support growth.

Plan changes remove barriers and refine local planning rules, enabling developers and landowners to use their land more effectively and increase the number of homes available for our community.

Recent District Plan changes

Plan Change 2 – Pukehangi Heights

A District Plan change was approved by the Minister for the Environment for a streamlined plan change process, fast-tracking the rezoning of privately-owned land along Pukehangi Road. The area is now zoned for residential housing and Council continues to work with the landowners to support the progression of their housing developments, which would enable an estimated 790 dwellings

Read more about Plan Change 2 – Pukehangi Heights

Housing for everyone – Plan Change 9

This Plan Change better supports intensification through enabling medium density living across most of our urban area, and high density living close to and in the city centre, and in our commercial centres. This change allows greater housing choice by removing some barriers for housing developments – it means land and infrastructure can be used more effectively and people find homes in areas close to the places they want to go such as schools, shops and workplaces.

Read more about Plan Change 9

Medium Density Residential Standards

Rotorua Lakes Council requested to be included alongside Tier 1 councils to adopt rules set by the Government that would enable a significant increase in housing supply. The rules enable landowners and developers to build homes of up to three storeys each to be built on most residential sites without requiring a resource consent (where the land allows and provided all other District Plan rules have been complied with). Exceptions to individual sites and areas will apply based on qualifying matters set out in the National Policy Statement on Urban Development (NPS-UD).

Investing in infrastructure to support growth

Council is committed to investing in reliable infrastructure to support growth and ensure Rotorua is prepared for the effects of climate change and natural hazards.

Alongside setting out appropriate funding for investment in the 2024-2034 Long-term Plan, Council is working alongside various partners to attract Government funding to enable and support growth.

In 2020, the Government provided NZ Transport Agency and Rotorua Lakes Council with $55million to enable housing growth in Eastside. This money was used to upgrade Te Ngae Road and other transport projects.

In 2022, Council received almost $85million from the Government’s Infrastructure Accelerations Fund for stormwater projects that would enable housing growth across the district.

The Future Development Strategy and council’s 30-Year Infrastructure Strategy provide a clear future view to where growth is expected to happen and what infrastructure will be required to support that growth.

Find out more about long-term plans

Current Council projects