This page contains information about Council's strategy to manage the growth and development in the rural areas in a manner that is sustainable and preserves its unique lifestyle and environment.
Updated:
5/12/2011 2:22 p.m.
What is the Rural Development Strategy?
The Rural Development Strategy will be a planning document that:
- creates a vision for the role we want rural areas to play in the future
- provides guidelines for people wanting to undertake development
- provides guidelines for people making decisions about development, including what should be protected and how
- helps planners to develop rural development objectives, policies and rules through the District Plan Change process
- provides a link between multiple strategic documents used to guide development in our District.
The rural strategy is part of of our overall long-term growth strategy. For further details, follow the link below.
Final Growth Strategy
Creating a Rural Development Strategy
In 2009 Whangarei District Council (WDC) embarked on developing a Rural Development Strategy (RDS). The RDS seeks to implement the policy direction established in the Whangarei Growth Strategy - Sustainable Futures 30/50. In doing so it examines rural issues that are relevant to the District Plan and explores options aligned with the priorities identified in the Growth Strategy. The methodology for creating the Rural Development Strategy identifies four key phases to the project:
- Phase 1: Issue Analysis (Where we are?)
- Phase 2: Statement of Findings (Which direction to go?)
- Phase 3: Strategy Development (Way forward)
- Phase 4: Finalise Strategy.
Phase 1: Issue Analysis (Where we are?)
The involved consultation with key rural industries and stakeholders to assist in identifying issues and information gathering. This consultation occured over November, December and January 2011. Staff collated the issue analysis into a series of issues and options papers. the issues and options papers were informed by best practice, case law and the background papers prepared during the development of Sustainable Futures 30/50. the following topics were covered:
1. rural economy/commerce and industry
2. rural settlements, urban design and sense of place
3. open space and recreation
4. subdivision and land use
5. landscapes
6. indigenous vegetation and biodiversity
7. heritage
8. reverse sensitivity
9. transport
10. minerals and aggregates
11. network utilities
12. contaminated sites
13. hazards
14. energy.
Phase 2: Statement of Findings (Which direction to go?)
Phase 2 of the RDS methodology requires a statement of findings and establishment of where Council would like to go with the RDS, to inform the development of the draft strategy. It was important to ensure that public opinions and ideas were established during phase 2 to inform the drafting of the strategy.
To direct and provide scope for consultation, the issues and options papers were summarised into a consultation booklet. A three month period for feeback was adopted being 18 July - 14 October 2011 in recognition the seasonal demands of rural activities.
The feedback period closed on the 14 October 2011. All feedback will inform the preparation of a Statement of Findings.
Consultation booklet [4.05mb]
Viewing the full reports
For full details about the 14 Issues and Options papers, select from the list below by clicking on the '+' next to the heading to display the reports.
Each individual document opens in a new window.