Tauranga City Council is today considering a plea to the Government for $245.6 million to help the region cope with its surging population.
The council will meet this afternoon to discuss its application to the newly-established Housing Infrastructure Fund, which offers $1 billion to help high-growth councils pay for housing-related infrastructure.
The fund was set up under the National Policy Statment of Urban Development Capacity, which requires substantial investment in planning and infrastructure.
The council states in its agenda that the $245.6m would help fund the foundations for the Eastern Corridor Group of Projects, Western Corridor Group of Projects and City-Wide Projects.
The projects include a Papamoa East transport works ($37.1m) and a Three Waters package - water supply, wastewater and stormwater (19.7m).
Part of the Papamoa East transport works includes the Papamoa Eastern Interchange, which provides access from the recently-constructed Tauranga Eastern Link to Te Tumu, with the Link being designated a motorway. The current estimation of completion for this is 2025.
The agenda stated the largest problem was population growth in the city putting pressure on land supply.
"With the significant pace of development that Tauranga is experiencing, this shortfall will only further increase until new land is able to be rezoned, and serviced by significant infrastructure investment."
Council will meet today at 3pm.