The Real Life of Us

Our rapidly-growing Western Bay of Plenty is populated by diverse communities.

Bordered by Waihi Beach to the north, Paengaroa to the east and Pyes Pa to the south, and encompassing Tauranga City, the Western Bay of Plenty has many different communities and whānau all with their own needs and strengths. In this report the term Western Bay of Plenty (WBOP) refers to the area covered by the Tauranga City and the Western Bay of Plenty District Councils.

The nature and prevalence of social issues such as family harm, drug and alcohol addiction, violence and abuse, poverty and mental illness in the Western Bay of Plenty significantly impacts on the wellbeing and productiveness of our communities, whānau and the population in general. The rapid growth that the area has experienced in recent years is reported to be putting pressure on resources and services in the social sector.

This report was initiated by SociaLink to better understand the social issues in the Western Bay of Plenty and as much as possible compare our experiences with the national average to see how we fare in comparison to other parts of the country. SociaLink believes by presenting an in-depth picture of the issues the region faces we will be in a better position to address the said issues now and in the future.