Mayor's column – Planning for the long term in a time of change
Published on 24 August 2026
A fortnightly column by Whangārei Mayor Ken Couper.
Two timeframes sit in front of the Whangārei District at once. One is the next 10-year plan for Whangārei, now in its early stages. The other is the question of reform, and what structure will best serve our region into the future. Both come down to the same thing, making sure this District and the wider north are well placed to thrive.
This is a time of change, and there is an obvious tension in mapping out a decade while the shape of the Council itself is still being worked through. But it does not change the task. The work must continue and the services must be delivered.
Roads still need maintaining, pipes still need renewing, and the core services people rely on carry on regardless of the national picture. In a time of change, being consistent in our approach to business as usual is even more important. That work is happening right across the District as we speak.
Some of it is about putting things right after nature has hit us hard. The slip repairs on Russell Road at Ōakura continue, and at School Road in Whangārei Heads the repair of the slip left by Cyclone Gabrielle is coming along well. Progress on both of these sites owes a lot to the patience of the local communities who are coping with the disruption and traffic management, and are being fantastic about it.
Other work is about steadily improving the places people value. At Otuihau Whangārei Falls, work is beginning on renewing elements of the viewing platforms, which will mean restricted access for a time, so we appreciate people bearing with us.
The Springs Flat roundabout remains on track and is a hive of activity. More than 11,000 plants have gone into the ground there, softening the site and buffering the noise that will come with growth. Further south, the Semenoff Stadium roof replacement has been contracted and is due to start this summer.
Some of the work meets needs that are easy to overlook until they are pressing. This week, maintenance begins on the Hātea Loop seawall, protecting one of the most loved spots in the District for the years ahead.
It is simply the steady business of looking after a district, done consistently, whatever else is going on around us.
This same consistency now shapes the building of our next Long Term Plan for 2027-37. The early work is about understanding community priorities and has involved engagement with council advisory and community groups, resident and ratepayer groups, hapū and sports organisations from around the District. That feedback will be incorporated into the process as councillors work through the higher-level discussions in the months ahead.
It is also where the conversation about rates begins, and the discipline and value behind them, which in the current climate is not straightforward for anyone.
The added complexity this cycle is that we must be cognisant not only of business as usual, but of how that work shapes what the Council will look like in future. Part of that is finding efficiencies now, so that as we head into the Head Start process, and consider what merging with other councils could mean, we do so from a settled footing rather than a standing start.
The detail will come in time and so will the chance for the community to have its say. For now, the work is in its early stages, but the direction is a steady one. Looking after a liveable District today, while getting it ready to be the well run, resilient and prosperous place it should be for those who come next.