Top marks: $10 billion GDP makes Western Bay one of strongest regions 5 Mar, 2021 07:00 PM 6 minutes to read Tauranga and the Western Bay are one of the top performing regions in the country. Photo /File Tauranga and the Western Bay are one of the top performing regions in the country. Photo /File The Western Bay's GDP has tipped $10 billion again despite Covid-19, with the region's primary sectors continuing to drive job creation. A report from Infometrics on Tauranga and the Western Bay sub-region, which compares 2020 to 2019, highlights an unemployment rate of 3.9 per cent compared to the national rate of 4.6 per cent and a 2020 GDP of $10 billion only .06 per cent behind figures in 2019.