Work plan to outline future opportunities for Bay of Plenty

Bay of Connections is finalising the foundations of a framework that will outline future opportunities for the wider Bay of Plenty economy.

The framework is based on an aspiration for 2030 within five ‘drivers of change’: A changing climate, a growing population, technology adoption, disparity, and global impacts.

The drivers of change and opportunities for growth are common across multiple agencies, and are broad enough to encompass existing plans and work already underway at national, regional, and local levels.

This foundation will be used to co-create a wider framework with regional stakeholders, which will expand on each opportunity, identify the key agencies involved and outline how to achieve each aspiration.

The framework will present a consistent voice on regional economic development priorities for the wider Bay of Plenty that can be used to align activities and secure funding from Central Government and/or other investors.

The central pillar of Bay of Connections’ forward work programme is within the ‘changing climate’ driver, through activities around carbon emissions reduction, waste, and the circular economy.
These activities are built around creating opportunities for our community to connect and be a catalyst for action.

Where drivers of change naturally sit with other agencies, Bay of Connections will take on a support or advocacy role.

Each element of our work programme includes a contingency for pandemic-related disruption, as we learn to live with COVID in our communities.

We will begin to engage locally and roll out the framework actions after the Omicron peak and workforce disruption eases across our region.