Waihī Beach, Bowentown & Athenree Spatial Plan

NEW LEVEL UNLOCKS IN FEBRUARY 2026…

Welcome player. You’ve entered the coastal world of Waihī Beach, Bowentown & Athenree.

For decades, people here have enjoyed (relatively) calm shores, tight-knit neighbourhoods and a classic beach-town rhythm.

But as the years pass, the story shifts.

More homes. More people. More strain on the systems above and beneath the surface.

To navigate what lies ahead, a new plan is needed. One that doesn’t just react – but guides, protects, and prepares.

Enter: The Spatial Plan.

We need your help making a spatial plan that determines how your much-loved town grows and evolves over the next 30-50 years.

Picture this: It’s 2055 and you’re living in Waihī Beach. What’s it like? What can you see and do? What do you love about it.

This is a challenge that can only be completed with the unique insights and ideas of the players who call this place home.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it: Make a place future generations will thank you for.

The future’s in play. It’s your move.

LEVEL MENU

LEVEL ONE: SCOUT MODE – COMPLETE

Your fellow players in the Community Ideas Forum shared insights, ideas and on-the-ground knowledge to help chart the path ahead. Forum members work through the big topics: growth, housing, infrastructure, climate challenges and what gives each place its character. Their insights help shape Level Two.

LEVEL TWO: COMMUNITY QUEST – LOADING…

In 2026, every player gets their chance to explore the big topics and tell us what’s most important to you. The Community Quest is coming – online and to a place near you – February to April 2026. More details will be released early in the New Year.

LEVEL THREE: DRAFT MISSION – LOCKED

Once the first round of community input is gathered, the Community Ideas Forum re-assembles to help develop the Draft Spatial Plan. This is where strategies start taking shape and your feedback is mapped out.

LEVEL FOUR: THE OPTIMISER – LOCKED

The draft plan is live. Now it’s time for all players to jump in, test what’s being proposed, and tell us what you really think. Your input here helps prepare the plan for final deployment.

LEVEL FIVE: FINAL BOSS – LOCKED

Final level reached. The Spatial Plan is officially adopted by Council, and the moves you’ve made will set the course for decades to come.

P.S. We are working on a number of Spatial plans for our communities, which you can view here: Te Puke, Te Puna and Minden and Katikati.

NEW LEVEL UNLOCKS IN FEBRUARY 2026…

Welcome player. You’ve entered the coastal world of Waihī Beach, Bowentown & Athenree.

For decades, people here have enjoyed (relatively) calm shores, tight-knit neighbourhoods and a classic beach-town rhythm.

But as the years pass, the story shifts.

More homes. More people. More strain on the systems above and beneath the surface.

To navigate what lies ahead, a new plan is needed. One that doesn’t just react – but guides, protects, and prepares.

Enter: The Spatial Plan.

We need your help making a spatial plan that determines how your much-loved town grows and evolves over the next 30-50 years.

Picture this: It’s 2055 and you’re living in Waihī Beach. What’s it like? What can you see and do? What do you love about it.

This is a challenge that can only be completed with the unique insights and ideas of the players who call this place home.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it: Make a place future generations will thank you for.

The future’s in play. It’s your move.

LEVEL MENU

LEVEL ONE: SCOUT MODE – COMPLETE

Your fellow players in the Community Ideas Forum shared insights, ideas and on-the-ground knowledge to help chart the path ahead. Forum members work through the big topics: growth, housing, infrastructure, climate challenges and what gives each place its character. Their insights help shape Level Two.

LEVEL TWO: COMMUNITY QUEST – LOADING…

In 2026, every player gets their chance to explore the big topics and tell us what’s most important to you. The Community Quest is coming – online and to a place near you – February to April 2026. More details will be released early in the New Year.

LEVEL THREE: DRAFT MISSION – LOCKED

Once the first round of community input is gathered, the Community Ideas Forum re-assembles to help develop the Draft Spatial Plan. This is where strategies start taking shape and your feedback is mapped out.

LEVEL FOUR: THE OPTIMISER – LOCKED

The draft plan is live. Now it’s time for all players to jump in, test what’s being proposed, and tell us what you really think. Your input here helps prepare the plan for final deployment.

LEVEL FIVE: FINAL BOSS – LOCKED

Final level reached. The Spatial Plan is officially adopted by Council, and the moves you’ve made will set the course for decades to come.

P.S. We are working on a number of Spatial plans for our communities, which you can view here: Te Puke, Te Puna and Minden and Katikati.

Survey

CLOSED: This survey has concluded.

Register your interest for the Community Ideas Forum

We want the community to be involved from the start, so we're establishing a Community Ideas Forum to capture local voices, ideas and lived experiences. Whether you have a young whānau, a local business, or are enjoying your retirement, we are looking for local voices to join the Forum.
The Community Ideas Forum will provide a structured and meaningful way for community members to contribute to projects and the decision-making process over the two-year planning process.
Those who are selected will sit on the Forum alongside directly appointed community leaders, including elected members, iwi/hapū representatives and key stakeholders.
By working together now, we can create a shared vision that reflects the voices, ideas and aspirations of the people who live and work in Waihī Beach, Bowentown and Athenree.

Your voice matters whether you're part of the Forum, or not
If you’re not selected, you’ll still have the opportunity to get involved and share your ideas through our wider community consultation, which will be open to everyone as the project progresses.
Together, let's make sure as many voices as possible are part of Waihī Beach, Bowentown and Athenree's future.

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