Oakura

Summary

This Structure Plan is intended as a concept for the local Oakura area, integrating the protection, use and development of land and resources and setting out how to implement the Coastal Management Strategy vision and mission statements at a local level. In other words, it is a broad physical plan identifying areas for growth, protection, infrastructure and other community requirements over the next 20 years.  The Structure Plan was adopted by Council in February 2009.

Key elements

The Oakura Structure Plan identifies outcomes for living, working, playing and protecting the area.  The key elements of the Structure Plan are as follows:

Clustered residential development and settlement at Oakura

Maintaining, with limited expansion, the Living 1 environment clustered at the centre of Oakura, subject to investigations for collective wastewater treatment (community or package as opposed to individual, on-site systems).  Providing for ‘large lot’ residential development in surrounding slopes of Oakura, contained within ‘urban limits’ defined largely by existing and future road networks and topography. Maintaining coastal rural activities surrounding the development area.

Development that provides protection of vegetation and landscape values in hills and backshore

Establishing bush protection in subdivision, use and development, recognising the contribution that this bush has to the natural character and sense of place of the area.  Providing planting guides to encourage use of appropriate species in re-vegetation, including issues of eco-sourcing.   Reserve expansion and viewpoint protection, including setting aside coastal margins and areas of valued bush as part of the reserve network.

Manage stormwater and flooding through the catchment

Implementation of low impact stormwater and catchment management planning, avoiding curb and channel and more ‘conventional’ urban subdivision and development patterns.  Integrating flood management and stormwater treatment areas with recreation and open space planning ensuring these areas are not including in expanding Living environments.

Promote the special lifestyle of the coastal settlement

Enhancing pedestrian access and pedestrian safety along the waterfront.  Using topography and natural features to guide boundaries of development. In particular, the contour and topography has been used to assist identification of ‘larger lot residential’ areas. ‘Low impact’ design for stormwater (e.g. avoiding curb / channel and maintaining ‘grass swale’ road verges and more ‘informal development’ style for public infrastructure).  Development controls to protect the foreshore from run-off and pollution.

Promote eco-tourism and home based work activities

Enhancement of recreation facilities at Oakura, particularly boat ramps and parking and more ‘active’ recreation facilities at Oakura;.  Providing for small scale commercial activities in Oakura including eco-tourism services (e.g. home-stays, cafes, small scale restaurants etc) and ‘low impact’ industry or domestic business operations.

Encourage and Protect the Farming Surrounds

Identification of ‘buffers’ between rural and residential areas, including generous building setbacks on Countryside and Coastal Countryside boundaries.  Encourage community and Council initiatives for weed and pest management, including species which impact on rural farming operations.  Provide education and public awareness information on the nature of farming operations to improve understanding by ‘residential’ community of the needs and impacts of rural activities.

Enabling local hapu to provide for their economic well-being

Encourage hapu management of Maori Land.  Work with hapu to facilitate opportunities for local economic activity.  Provide community education and information on tangata whenua values and issues. There was a greater degree of community support for this structure plan element.

Recognise the importance of the natural character and quality of the coastal marine area for tourism and eco-tourism

Comprehensive stormwater management planning and low impact catchment planning for stormwater (for example grass swale development (rather than curb and channel) for stormwater and revegatation of coastal margins).  Provision of adequate sewerage reticulation (community or collective systems) as a pre-requisite for residential and population growth and investigation of the feasibility of communal systems for existing settlement areas.

Recognise the importance of access to marine based recreation to the area

Maintain beach boat ramp access and enhance trailer-boating. Provide for expansion of ‘community’ reserve area in Oakura around the existing sports fields. Provide for a designated mooring area in Parutahi Beach, south of Ohawini Bay (away from swimming area) to encourage recreational boating.

Recognise and maintain the recreation value of the coastal marine area including estuary

Stormwater and catchment management planning for water quality.  Investigate the impact of the existing sea wall at southern end of Oakura to confirm impact on coastal hydrology and undertake works as necessary to address any issues with respect to the impacts on this sea wall on coastal processes (including flushing of waterways).   Manage vehicle access to the beach and along the foreshore at Oakura to restrict parking on the coastal foreshore and dune.  In the longer term, investigate alternative ‘non-beach’ access to Ohawini. Re-vegetation of coastal margins (including reserve expansion of along coastal marine areas and protection of the foreshore on the coastal road).  Advocate community leadership and assist other agencies (e.g. Northland Regional Council) in management of fish and shellfish resources where appropriate.

A network of walkways, recreation access points and linkages through the area

Formalise coastal walkway around Oakura. Expand reserve and open space network along foreshore.

Recognising the vulnerability of the beach

Manage vehicle access to and along the beach at Oakura (including restrictions along the Oakura Road).  Encourage planting and re-vegetation / foreshore protection (particularly Oakura North).

Protection of bush and important habitat areas

Encouraging pet control and pet management. Encouraging protection of Pohutukawa on private land. Protection of pohutukawa was identified as important for maintaining and enhancing landscape and sense of place values in the area.  Encourage trapping of pest species in the area.

Enhancing coastal water quality of beach and bays

Reserve expansion along waterways and coastal margins.  Encouraging riparian management / vegetation retention on private land.  Comprehensive stormwater management planning & low impact catchment planning for stormwater (e.g. grass swales and planting of the shoreline).  Investigation impact of sea wall at Oakura south on coastal hydrology of the Bay and river/estuary. Investigation of collective and communal wastewater both as a pre-requisite to expanding the Living Environments and for existing settlement areas.

Significant viewpoints, ridgelines and coastal margins protected

Expansion of reserve and open space linkages and the reserve network, particularly along coastal margins and encouraging pohutukawa protection and re-vegetation of these areas.  Protect viewpoints on reserves and road network.

Protection of lifestyle and special character values

Encourage community led initiatives for appropriate planting of Pohutukawa in Oakura area.

The important values of the area to tangata whenua recognised and provided for

Increase consultation with tangata whenua and encourage establishment of guidelines for management of natural areas.  Providing education and information on tangata whenua values and customs, where appropriate and supported by tangata whenua.  

Follow the links below to view the complete document and accompanying map.

Oakura Structure Plan [1034kb] Full version.
Structure Plan map [1219kb]