Waihī Beach, Bowentown and Athenree Spatial Plan

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Thank you to everyone who registered their interest to be part of our Community Ideas Forums. Registrations have now closed. We are reviewing applications and will reach out to all applicants in the week of 13 October. For everyone else, there will be plenty of opportunities to get involved and share your ideas as the project progresses.


We're doing some big-picture thinking to take your community to the next level.

Over the next two years we'll be developing a Spatial Plan for Waihī Beach, Bowentown and Athenree.

A Spatial Plan is like a map and a guidebook rolled into one - it looks at how our towns, neighbourhoods and rural areas are set up now, and how they could grow and change over the next 30 to 50 years.

It's about managing growth pressures and planning for all the things that make a place great to live in - like homes, parks, roads, walkways, cycleways, community spaces and place for work and businesses.


Why do we need a Spatial Plan?

Waihī Beach, Bowentown, and Athenree all share a relaxed, small-town pace of life.

This lifestyle is attracting a growing number of people who are choosing to live here fulltime, and visitors who support the local economy, but also bring seasonal pressures.

Water, wastewater, and stormwater systems are under pressure, especially during peak holiday times. Investment and smarter design are needed to keep up with growth.

As coastal communities, Waihī Beach, Bowentown and Athenree are also vulnerable to the effects of sea level rise, flooding, erosion and storms.

A Spatial Plan will help plan and manage growth, while protecting what makes each of these three communities special.

For a more in-depth look at what we know about your community, view our baseline report. community.


How will the community be involved?

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.

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.

Registrations of interest for the Forum have now closed and we are in the process of selecting participants. Those who are selected will sit on the Forum alongside directly appointed community leaders, including elected members, iwi/hapū representatives and key stakeholders.

The Forum will help shape the next round of public engagement, providing valuable input for the next stage of the process toward a draft Spatial Plan.

Note: The Community Ideas Forum is advisory only. It does not have formal decision-making powers, but its input plays a critical role in shaping Council's engagement, planning and project outcomes for the Spatial Plan.


Iwi/Hapū Partnership

As part of our commitment to upholding partnership, the Community Ideas Forum will have appointed Iwi/Hapū members from within Waihī Beach, Bowentown and Athenree that sit alongside the forum and have membership in the Forum.

Tangata Whenua have deep and longstanding connections to the rohe which brings a unique and valuable perspective to the Spatial Plan.

Working in partnership ensures we make more informed and inclusive decisions for the whole community.


Are there other ways I can get involved?

Yes! Over the next two years there will be several events and opportunities where you can get involved and share your ideas.

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.


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.


Thank you to everyone who registered their interest to be part of our Community Ideas Forums. Registrations have now closed. We are reviewing applications and will reach out to all applicants in the week of 13 October. For everyone else, there will be plenty of opportunities to get involved and share your ideas as the project progresses.


We're doing some big-picture thinking to take your community to the next level.

Over the next two years we'll be developing a Spatial Plan for Waihī Beach, Bowentown and Athenree.

A Spatial Plan is like a map and a guidebook rolled into one - it looks at how our towns, neighbourhoods and rural areas are set up now, and how they could grow and change over the next 30 to 50 years.

It's about managing growth pressures and planning for all the things that make a place great to live in - like homes, parks, roads, walkways, cycleways, community spaces and place for work and businesses.


Why do we need a Spatial Plan?

Waihī Beach, Bowentown, and Athenree all share a relaxed, small-town pace of life.

This lifestyle is attracting a growing number of people who are choosing to live here fulltime, and visitors who support the local economy, but also bring seasonal pressures.

Water, wastewater, and stormwater systems are under pressure, especially during peak holiday times. Investment and smarter design are needed to keep up with growth.

As coastal communities, Waihī Beach, Bowentown and Athenree are also vulnerable to the effects of sea level rise, flooding, erosion and storms.

A Spatial Plan will help plan and manage growth, while protecting what makes each of these three communities special.

For a more in-depth look at what we know about your community, view our baseline report. community.


How will the community be involved?

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.

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.

Registrations of interest for the Forum have now closed and we are in the process of selecting participants. Those who are selected will sit on the Forum alongside directly appointed community leaders, including elected members, iwi/hapū representatives and key stakeholders.

The Forum will help shape the next round of public engagement, providing valuable input for the next stage of the process toward a draft Spatial Plan.

Note: The Community Ideas Forum is advisory only. It does not have formal decision-making powers, but its input plays a critical role in shaping Council's engagement, planning and project outcomes for the Spatial Plan.


Iwi/Hapū Partnership

As part of our commitment to upholding partnership, the Community Ideas Forum will have appointed Iwi/Hapū members from within Waihī Beach, Bowentown and Athenree that sit alongside the forum and have membership in the Forum.

Tangata Whenua have deep and longstanding connections to the rohe which brings a unique and valuable perspective to the Spatial Plan.

Working in partnership ensures we make more informed and inclusive decisions for the whole community.


Are there other ways I can get involved?

Yes! Over the next two years there will be several events and opportunities where you can get involved and share your ideas.

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.


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.