Regional council funding for economic development

Bay of Plenty Regional Council chairman Doug Leeder.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council is reinstating and increasing funding for economic development.

The Regional Council had planned to pull back on funding economic development while it focused on the environment and water quality in its 2015-2025 Long Term Plan, which was released for public consultation in February.

Chairman Doug Leeder said following submissions, the council had decided to reinstate and increase funding for economic development.

"We have reinstated funding for Bay of Connections and SmartGrowth, will complete the Eastern Bay spatial plan, retain funds to complete our own spatial plan, publish Invest Bay of Plenty data and undertake a feasibility study into a marine spatial plan.

"We've agreed to increase the operational budget by an extra $50,000 in 2015/16 to help cover the Regional Growth Study costs. We have listened to our community."

More than $42 million of funding is allocated over the next five years to contribute to regional infrastructure projects, the Opotiki Harbour Transformation, Tauranga Marine Precinct, Tauranga Tertiary Campus and Scion Innovation Centre.

Mr Leeder said the council intended to rebuild a regional fund for a range of priorities across the region, and the funding policy would be reviewed.

The Council is spending 13 percent of its operational budget to support economic development outcomes.

The regional council has also budgeted for reticulated sewerage systems around the region in its Long Term Plan.

The Bay of Plenty Regional Council can provide a subsidy to assist city and district councils.

The budget includes $1.045 million in Te Puna West for 2016/17 and $618,000 in Ongare Point for 2017/18, if these communities decide to go ahead with schemes.

All the systems are subject to business cases, conditions and consents being obtained for new systems.

Western Bay of Plenty District Council is the lead agency on these projects.

The council is planning to contribute more than $11 million to support small scale sewerage schemes over the next four years.