Nau mai, haere mai
Our Places
Eastern Bay Spatial Plan
Planning our places
We are creating a plan that will help us set a vision for the future of the Whakatāne, Kawerau and Ōpōtiki Districts within the rohe of the iwi/hapū of Eastern Bay of Plenty.
Our Places – Eastern Bay Spatial Plan will set out where the Eastern Bay of Plenty wants to head and provide a roadmap, or spatial plan, for how to get there.
What is a spatial plan?
Decision makers (councils, iwi partners, government agencies) use spatial plans to come up with options for the future of spaces and places – for example, how towns might spread out (or up), where to build papakāinga, where to build on the coast (and where not to), and what infrastructure (such as pipes and roads) might be needed to support growing communities.
Government agencies are directly involved in the process, including Waka Kotahi, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Kāinga Ora, Ministry of Education, and others. More will be involved along the way.
The people of the Eastern Bay will also have a say in the future, so all relevant agencies have a realistic understanding about future priorities, resourcing and funding needs.
Why do we need it?
About 56,500 people call the Eastern Bay home, with most people (33,500) living in the towns of Kawerau, Whakatāne and Ōpōtiki. Over the next 30 years we need to plan for approximately 12,000 extra people or 5,500 homes (which is like adding two times all the dwellings in Kawerau).
Part of this future demand relates to the expansion of existing industries, the Pūtauaki Industrial Area and aquaculture development. This means we not only need more homes, but also extra spaces for people to work, stay and play.
While the Eastern Bay is one of the best places in New Zealand to live, we also have our fair share of natural hazards, such as flooding and coastal erosion. With the impacts of a changing climate, the areas we live in and could live in will be increasingly affected.
When planning for our future, we know we cannot just live anywhere and expect to be safe – we need growth to be in safe places.
Our Places is to ensure we provide for these future needs – those of our future generations – safely and in a way that protects the taonga of the Eastern Bay, such as our bush, productive land, rivers and beaches.
We want to hear from you
You can influence the future of the Eastern Bay, for you and for future generations.
We have an idea about how and where development can happen, but need your help to make sure we are on the right track and that we take the right approaches to development.
This October, we’ll be asking for your feedback on the plan, so keep an eye on this website for more information.