Projects and Initiatives

Bay of Connections’ aspiration is for the Bay of Plenty to have a low-carbon, resilient and inclusive regional economy.

With a focus on sustainable development, Bay of Connections drives progress towards this aspiration by bringing together businesses, iwi, local and central government, and the community to help them understand the wider regional benefits of a collaborative approach to decarbonising the economy. Together, they can create solutions to ensure the region can adapt and thrive in the face of climate change.

Organisations are increasingly aware of their environmental impact and seek to address this through energy efficiency, emissions reduction, waste minimisation, and improved resource efficiency enabled through circular economy principles.

We support a range of groups and kaupapa across our region that are aligned to our key focus areas. In addition, we lead bespoke projects to support opportunities on behalf and with the support of key stakeholders. In recent times, this support includes:

  • Contributing to the development of the New Zealand Geothermal Association’s Geoheat Action Plan 2022-23 and supporting communications plan, and sponsorship of New Zealand Geothermal Week
  • The case for establishing a regional cycle network in the Bay of Plenty
  • Establishment of the Bay of Plenty Aquaculture Group and projects to enable future development of the region’s aquaculture industry
  • Facilitating a shared data subscription with the Whakatāne, Ōpōtiki and Kawerau district councils.

You can check out the latest news and activity updates here.