Waipā Deputy Mayor and project spokeswoman Liz Stolwyk and council chief executive Garry Dyet. Photo / Michael Jeans
Waipā Deputy Mayor and project spokeswoman Liz Stolwyk and council chief executive Garry Dyet. Photo / Michael Jeans
The Waipā district is growing rapidly and by 2050, it is anticipated it will be home to an additional 25,000 people.
What would happen if that growth occurred even faster than expected? Would our towns and villages grow upwards or outwards, or would more of us live rurally? What would be the consequence of that on our environment and farming industries?
Or what if, because of the Southern Links expressway being completed in the future, the population of Ōhaupō and neighbouring villages grew rapidly? What community facilities might be needed in these towns to manage that growth?
What if our population growth rate declined? Would our youth need to look outside of the district for employment? How would we sustain our vibrant communities?
These are some of the questions being explored by Waipā District Council as part of the development of Ahu Ake - Waipā Community Spatial Plan.
It will be one of the most important strategies council has produced and will ultimately shape the future of the district. So, what is a spatial plan and what does it mean for Waipā residents?
What is Ahu Ake – Waipā Community Spatial Plan?
A first for Waipā, the community spatial plan will be a blueprint for how the district develops over the next 30-plus years.
It will provide the foundation for all future planning, help to identify opportunities for growth and investment and to set priorities for where and how council invests.
Waipā Deputy Mayor and project spokeswoman Liz Stolwyk says it is an exciting time for the district.
"Ahu Ake – Waipā Community Spatial Plan will consider everything from how our towns, villages and rural spaces will look in the future to how we will move around, what community facilities we will need and how we'll care for our environment.
"It will influence all other plans such as the long-term plan, district plan, annual plan to name a few, and will help us to achieve the vision and community outcomes we worked with the community in 2020 to create."
Stolwyk says the plan would be delivered in partnership with Mana Whenua.
"The name Ahu Ake was gifted to us by our Mana Whenua partners and signifies our commitment to working together on this important project.
"It is a really exciting time for us and a chance to work together closer than ever before as we chart a course for the future of our district."
Council chief executive Garry Dyet says it is now in the early stages of developing the first draft of the community spatial plan.
"Using what the community told us during the development of our vision and community outcomes and what we currently know about our district to create five future scenarios."
The purpose of the scenarios is to look at how the district and its communities might evolve in the future in response to change such as population growth, and economic and demographic change.
Scenario planning is a tool often used in the business world to understand what might happen in the future and help businesses plan for any outcome. It involves creating a series of scenarios that explores a range of possible futures.
InPlace Consulting project director Ben Petch.
"In the context of Ahu Ake, it will help us to understand what could happen in our district, decide what we want our future to look like, and map out how to get there," Garry says.
The first scenario considers the planning measures already in place in the long-term plan, district plan and Future Proof among other documents. It is what would happen if we carried on with our existing plans and strategies and deliver what they set out.
The other four scenarios explore what would happen, for example, if the population grew more rapidly than expected or didn't grow at all. How would that affect our towns and rural spaces and our environment? How would we move around? Would our towns grow up or out? What community facilities would we need?
"Scenario planning is not intended to be an exact science but by understanding what is possible, we can better plan for our future," Garry says.
What is happening now?
Council is continuing to work with Mana Whenua and has now reached out to a wide range of organisations across the district for help to develop the first draft of the community spatial plan.
"There is a lot to consider at this stage, so we are working with a smaller group of people, including representatives from a range of community groups and organisations, to refine the huge amount of information we currently have and get a better understanding of the general direction we wish to go in," Dyet says.
"Once this is established, we will come back to our communities for their input. We expect this to be by March 2023."
At that time council will be carrying out extensive engagement with the community to develop Ahu Ake further.
"We want everyone to be involved in the creation of Ahu Ake so we'll be speaking to our communities about what is important to them for the future, their towns, villages and spaces," Garry says.
"This means coming to where you are to hear your thoughts. We can't wait to work with you to create our community spatial plan."
For regular updates on the project, residents can sign up to a community mailing list at ahuakewaipa.nz
