I was interested to read last week about the changing demographics of Tauranga over the next 30 years.
Official figures from Statistics New Zealand show that the Bay of Plenty is projected to be one of the fastest-growing regions in New Zealand, behind only Auckland, Canterbury and the Waikato.
I was encouraged to see that that the 15 to 39-year-old age group is projected to grow steadily over this time - from 34,100 to 47,500. This highlights that Tauranga is increasingly being seen as a place where you can have the best of both worlds; a successful and rewarding career and a great place to raise a family and enjoy the fantastic lifestyle the Bay has to offer.
These figures also show that the 65 and over age group will double by 2043. This is not a situation unique to Tauranga. New Zealand, like many other countries around the world, has an ageing population. I think as a city, however, we are well prepared for this change.
In 2013, the Tauranga City Council became the first in New Zealand to adopt a Age-Friendly City Strategy, designed to ensure people can live independently and participate in all aspects of community and city life as they age.
