In May this year we got the first glimpse of the 2023 census results from Stats NZ.

• Tasman was the fastest growing region in New Zealand at over 10%, growing by an extra 5,418 people.
• The greatest increase has been in the over 65 age group, followed by 25–34-year-olds.
• 44% of the overall population growth since 2018 in Tasman has been in the working age population (25-64 years).
• Since 2018, Tasman’s dwelling count has increased by 11% (an extra 2,619 dwellings).

So, Tasman continues to grow, which underlines the need for long term strategic planning. Two years ago, Tasman District and Nelson City Councils adopted the Future Development Strategy 2022-2052 (FDS). Future Development Strategy 2022 - 2052 | Tasman District Council. This is a high-level strategy that identifies suitable locations for future housing and business developments over the next 30 years.

Subsequent Plan Changes to the Resource Management Plans of both authorities propose the sites for rezoning, after further detailed evaluation of those sites.

Tasman District Council is currently preparing Plan Change 81 to the Tasman Resource Management Plan which does just that. While it is still being prepared, it may propose over 30 sites for rezoning for residential and business uses, in nine towns of Tasman. These sites can be serviced within the next ten years, unless they are proposed to be self-serviced.

When it comes to urban growth, councils are compelled to follow the National Policy Statement on Urban Development or NPS-UD.

Under the NPS UD Tasman along with Nelson must have an FDS and they must also prepare an annual implementation plan, showing how the Councils and external stakeholders are implementing their plans for growth. The first Implementation plan was adopted in November 2023 Future Development Strategy 2022 - 2052 | Tasman District Council and work has commenced on the 2024 update.

Tasman District Council adopted its Long Term Plan in June this year and that contains many budgeted projects that will implement the FDS, whether that is through water, wastewater or stormwater projects, transportation upgrades or new reserves and facilities.

External stakeholders including NZTA, Ministry of Education, Nelson Bays Primary Health,
Te Whatu Ora, Transpower and Network Tasman also provide updates on their individual growth plans and how these align with the FDS objectives. The implementation plan update should be available in November this year.

The Government is proposing amendments to the NPS UD and RMA such that councils will have to live zone 30 years’ worth of urban development capacity and FDSs will need to plan for 50 years’ worth of growth rather than 30. This demonstrates the importance the current Government attaches to strategic spatial planning, similar to the previous Government.