Strategic Partners Forum

The SmartGrowth Strategic Partners Forum (SPF) was formed at the inception of SmartGrowth in 2004 and it maintains a broad overview and draws on diverse expertise

The Strategic Partners Forum

• Acts in a community role
• Monitors to ensure the strategy and actions are met with input from partner forum members
• A knowledge pool to the SmartGrowth Leadership Group (SLG) and assists in guiding decisions relating to implementation.
• Provides community governance advice to the SLG and identifies potential solutions to issues
• There is a need for integrated, holistic planning. The complex relationships that exist between the physical, natural and social environments need to be explored when planning and delivering urban, community or environmental solutions. It is imperative that hard infrastructure and green infrastructure be considered equally when planning and assessing the relative impacts of solutions or development on each. Social return on investments can be routinely factored into decision making. Recognition is required of the western Bay of Plenty sub-region and its situation in the wider Bay of Plenty, upper North Island and nationally.