Oamaru Harbour Plan

The Oamaru Harbour Plan 2020 and Beyond takes a holistic view of the harbour and surrounding area and considers a range of options to ensure it remains a key community asset, both now and into the future. It looks at ways to protect what people see as special while allowing for future suitable development and commercial use.

Read the Plan

View and download the Oamaru Harbour Plan 2020 and beyond(PDF, 11MB)

Appendices to the Oamaru Harbour Plan Document

 

Background

The Oamaru Harbour has played a significant role in the history of Oamaru, it has shaped commerce and the development of the town since the 1880s.

There have been a number of developments proposed in the Harbour Area, some of which created some conversation in the community. Any lasting development in this area needs to have a clear direction from the community, shaping the future and guiding any changes.

How did we get here?

Development in the Oamaru Harbour area must retain and protect what we love, while ensuring long-term sustainability.

The harbour and waterfront areas are used for a wide variety of activities, from commercial to recreational and industrial, as well as being the hub for many groups, clubs and organisations. It is host to many popular community events and home to a range of marine wildlife, including shags, penguins, and seals. The variety of users and their interests, along with the heritage story and the wildlife in the harbour, creates an interesting space for a mixture of needs. The work done by the Harbour Area Committee and Project Team in 2018 and 2019 to develop a plan for the harbour, has resulted in a clear vision for the harbour that will benefit the local community and future generations. Please click on the link below to find a summary of the work that has been done between November 2018 and December 2019.

Oamaru Harbour Plan Process Report
(PDF, 2MB)

Project objectives

  1. We understand the importance of the community’s views and ensure they remain engaged throughout the process
  2. Integration of related strategies, plans and projects to enable a sequencing of priorities.
  3. We know what the future holds for the Oamaru Harbour Space and its surrounding areas.
  4. Identify key land uses, activities and improvements through a spatial plan
  5. Development of a plan that acts as a funnel for development initiatives. 

 

How we engaged

Throughout November 2018 we carried out a community engagement process to help identify what people find special about the Harbour Area and where they see its future. 

The survey asked three key questions: 

  1. What do you like the most about the Oamaru Harbour Area?
  2. What would you most like to see changed at the Oamaru Harbour Area?
  3. Looking ahead, in 30 years what do you want the Oamaru Harbour area to look like and how do you think it should function?

The engagement process had a huge response - all up Council received 887 survey responses, over 50 written and emailed contributions, and over 140 post-it comments.

On top of this, we had a public information session with over 180 attendees, three public drop-in sessions throughout November, and visited schools and retirement homes.

All of the information we received from the community has directly informed the development of the Harbour Plan and is available below.

Early engagement results

To help you understand the results, we have produced an interactive tool that identifies the main themes found throughout the survey responses. This tool has the ability to dissect the results by demographics such as age, location and gender.

Some themes are universal among all demographics, while others are divided along with specific demographics groupings. 

For example, almost all demographics found the area’s tranquillity and charm the thing they liked the most about the area. However, looking at where respondents would like to see the area in 30 years’ time, there was a clear split between the under 50s and over 50s, with the younger demographic wanting to see it maintained and improved as a community asset, while the over 50s preferred that the area was left the way it is. 

This demographic split can be seen across gender, location age and a combination of all three, this can all be explored using this tool.

All of the other information we received is below

 

The draft Oamaru Harbour Plan

After last year’s HarbOUR Space public engagement, we used the feedback you gave us to make a draft plan for the Oamaru Harbour area. In August 2020 we ran a round of public engagement and asked you what you thought of the draft Oamaru Harbour Plan. This feedback was collated and presented to Council and the Harbour Area Committee. 

Submitters spoke to their submissions at the Harbour Area Committee Meeting on Monday 14 September 2020.

The submissions were used to inform changes to the draft plan and help shape the final version of the Oamaru Harbour Plan which was published in February 2021.

Submissions to the draft Oamaru Harbour Plan

Draft Oamaru Harbour Plan 2020 and Beyond submissions

 

Key documents

Document links

Find the Current District Plan here.

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