Public consultation on our 2025-34 Long Term Plan is open now until 4 March 2025. Find out what it's all about and how to get involved.
Published on 18 August 2022
The Council has been engaging with the community on the Draft District Plan for the last two and a half months, to get their feedback. The engagement period officially closes on 31st August and the deadline is looming fast. The Council is encouraging everyone in our community to submit their feedback. The Council has met over 400 people during the engagement period across the district. We have also engaged with businesses, community groups, churches and schools, and we are keen to see these discussions translated into feedback.
Waitaki District Council Chief Executive, Alex Parmley said, ''The Draft District Plan is a key document that shapes the future of our district, and it is important that our residents and businesses have their say. We also live in changing times, and our district faces new opportunities and challenges when it comes to how we use the land, climate change, coastal erosion, natural hazards and more. We need to ensure that the District Plan supports these opportunities and addresses these challenges, as well as help us effectively utilize our resources and retain our community values. Reviewing the District Plan helps us to reassess our priorities and redefine the future of our district''.
''The Council does listen and will be evaluating all feedback to balance government regulations and what matters most to our community. There is much that has changed already to shape the Draft District Plan as a result of the engagement and feedback we received from residents prior to publishing. We have received a fair number of responses to date and we are encouraging more feedback on this important document so that as many people as possible can help shape the future of our district. " said Alex Parmley.
The Draft District Plan is being reviewed in line with the Resource Management Act 1991, which requires that all Councils review their District Plan every 10 years. A lot has changed since our first District Plan, and the new plan is required to comply with the ever-changing rules and regulations. The informal feedback received will shape the proposed District Plan, which is anticipated to be notified at the start of 2024. Once notified, there will be a further opportunity to make submissions and seek changes to the plan through a statutory process.
For your feedback to be used to inform the next stage of the District Plan process, we encourage you to submit your feedback using the different channels provided. This includes:
the online feedback form, which can be found at www.waitaki.govt.nz/haveyoursay.
send an email with your feedback to planreview@waitaki.govt.nz.
post or drop off your feedback at Council offices and Waitaki District libraries.
Copies of the engagement document and feedback forms are available from Council offices and Waitaki District Libraries.
If you have not familiarized yourself with the Draft District Plan or submitted your feedback, we urge you to do so before 31st August. The remaining open dates for our Ōamaru drop-in centre are available on the website. More information is also available on our website, including videos and podcasts on key issues www.waitaki.govt.nz/district-plan-review.