Kaitake Community Board Plan 2020-2023
Te Mahere o Te Rūnanga Hapori o Kaitake 2020-2023
Welcome
This Plan has been developed by representatives across each of the townships who recognise and see the opportunities and risks of unrestrained population growth and development. Our communities want to grow and develop – but at a rate and in a manner that is sustainable and respectful of the unique rural nature of the Kaitake Community Board area. The power of this Community Board Plan, as with the Plans from the other board areas is that it has been developed by the community, for the community. The issues and aspirations are informed by people who live and work in the area and want the opportunity for their children, parents and future generations to enjoy all that these special places have to offer. We in the Kaitake Community Board area do not want to halt progress, we want to enable and encourage progress, progress that makes sense for current and future generations and progress that is enabled with us and by us, and not just done to us.
The Kaitake Community Engagement Project operated in Ōmata, Ōākura, and Ōkato over 36 months. During that time over 70 meetings took place and over 300 people contributed to the conversations. Our purpose was to hear the voices of our community and to be heard by our Council. We talked and debated, agreed and disagreed and arrived at a number of common aspirations and strategic challenges. To achieve a positive outcome, we expended a huge amount of energy working alongside our community ensuring that their voices have been heard. Since the development of the initial Plan we have completed a first review (2020) to ensure the plan includes the communities’ current issues and aspirations. This wide-ranging review involved 3 stakeholder focus groups and a community-wide survey. The survey was completed by 309 respondents who provided 1748 pieces of information to consider.
The Community Plan is a small step but we believe a vital one. What has been documented for our three communities to date will be challenged and will change over time, as it should, but for now this document and the individual underpinning Community Engagement Reports and surveys provide Council with a basis to understand who we are and to respond meaningfully, through policy and investment to the opportunities and challenges as they arrive.
Community Board Priorities
The priorities that the Community Board would like to see expedited as part of the Long Term plan commitments are detailed below. The aspirations do not represent all of the aspirations reflected by the communities; only those matters within the direct sphere of Council influence and control. Areas of common aspiration across the board townships are detailed first and these represent the Community Board’s focus for the Long Term Plan. The areas of common aspiration are underpinned by the specific concerns and interests in each of the township areas, thus conversations with each community of interest are essential. As the Council attends to the nine priority areas listed below many of the individual township priorities will be met, however not all, and it is essential that the Council maintain the dialogue with the Ōākura, Ōkato and Ōmata communities about how their wider aspirations can be responded to and met.
Environment
- Maintain rural character and feel of the townships.
- Protect view-shafts.
- Zoning allows for staged, controlled development and growth.
- Restrict large scale industrial activity and support small scale ‘cottage’ industry developments.
- Support low rise development.
- Provide for mixed housing development opportunities appropriate to location (rural to higher density) and community demographics.
- Limit the range of permitted and controlled activities permitted in zoned areas.
- Sites of cultural significance and historical heritage are recognised, protected and their stories told.
- Recognise that Taranaki mounga, the Kaitake and Pouākai ranges, the ring plain, and the coastal lands adjacent to the sea are of high importance to tangata whenua and define part of their Taranaki Iwi tribal identity.
- Encourage ongoing community stewardship of the local environment and its biodiversity in partnership with mana whenua and territorial authorities to restore and maintain natural habitats, ecosystems and viable populations of native species.
- Kerbside waste collection services are expanded, re-use and locally based transfer stations are provided, and re-cycling receptacles are provided in CBD areas and public places at key locations.
- Remove freedom camping opportunities away from all coastal reserves to alleviate mana whenua concerns, avoid pollution issues and other biodiversity impacts.
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Traffic and Movement
Review speed limits and implement traffic calming measures, enhance parking, and expand and upgrade footpaths for increased pedestrianisation.
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Destination
- A network of pathways, cycle-ways and bridle paths is developed.
- Beach access is reviewed and the public right to use and access beaches is appropriate for the protection of the environments and respectful of mana whenua.
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Communities and Citizens
- Development of CBD / township plans that programme township upgrades and enhancements that maintain social amenity and rural character.
- Recognise and contribute to the vision of Te Ara Taiao as a collaborative community effort to uplift the mauri and natural ecology of the Kaitake.
- Upgrade and enhance the community halls and the Ōkato swimming pool, and provide for enhanced recreational assets (parks, mountain bike and pump tracks, and other sports facilities).
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Growth, Industry and Talent
Maintain and enhance a network of quality, environmentally sustainable Three Waters infrastructure (water supply, waste, wastewater and stormwater) to meet current community demands and future anticipated growth.
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Community Engagement
Recognising the unique nature of the three main townships influenced the decision to develop three community surveys in 2016 and 2017. The community responses were considered alongside the focus group deliberations in each of the township areas. A further survey was completed in 2020 that collected 309 responses and providing 1748 pieces of information for consideration in the Community Plan review.
How did the Board identify the Key Priorities?
Recognising the unique nature of the three main townships influenced the decision to develop three community surveys in 2016 and 2017. The community responses were considered alongside the focus group deliberations in each of the township areas. A further survey was completed in 2020 that collected 309 responses and providing 1748 pieces of information for consideration in the Community Plan review.
Community Survey Outcomes
Ōākura – A growing community
Ōākura's natural features - its rivers, parks, coast, and the Kaitake ranges make the area a unique and special place to live and visit. Having a clear strategic approach to maintaining and enhancing biodiversity at the same time as providing for development will provide clarity to the community and protect the environment. We asked the community:
- What is the priority for biodiversity access and enhancement?
- Where do you want development on the coast and how do you want it to look?
- What parts of the coastal area would you like to protect from further development?
- Are there views to the ranges that should be identified and protected?
- How can we provide for low impact design to sustainably manage our natural resources?
For outcomes and more information on the Ōākura community engagement view pages 17-24 of the Kaitake Community Board Plan.
Ōkato – A Connected Community
The Ōkato Engagement Project was an eight-month-long study within the community to establish Ōkato issues and aspirations. The process was undertaken by a community focus group. The group considered matters relating to: coastal development, growth areas, the coastal natural and built environment and adjacent lands. The overriding objective of the project was for the community to determine the community issues rather than to provide solutions for them, as many are complex and challenging.
A community survey was developed by the focus group, mailed to all residents and made available online. The survey was available for a twelve week period and attracted one hundred and twenty three responses.
Ōkato Survey Key Results
- 109 respondents named the sense of community as important to them.
- 100 respondents named the lifestyle.
- 90 replies indicated the clean, green environment.
- 84 said the people living there was important.
For outcomes and more information on the Ōkato community engagement view pages 25-30 of the Kaitake Community Board Plan.
Ōmata – In the rural landscape
The focus group developed a community survey that was available online, with paper copies available from two community locations. It was available for six weeks and attracted 81 responses.
The survey asked respondents to identify what their connection to Ōmata was, with the opportunity to mark all that applied. They responded as follows:
- 66 respondents said ‘I live in Ōmata’.
- 23 respondents said ‘My children go to school in Ōmata’.
- 18 respondents said ‘I have family who live in Ōmata’.
- 17 respondents said ‘I work in Ōmata’.
- 8 respondents said ‘I used to live in Ōmata’.
- 5 respondents made a comment under ‘Other’.
For outcomes and more information on the Ōmata community engagement view pages 31-36 of the Kaitake Community Board Plan.
The comments received through the community engagement undertaken are far too many to included here, click on the button below for further information on the Kaitake Community Board Plan Review Survey 2020 outcomes for Oākura, Ōkato and Ōmata.
Concluding Remarks
From the considerable amount of feedback received it is clear that residents of the Kaitake Community Board area choose to live here because of the lifestyle they have, value and wish to retain. Residents want to stay connected to each other and be engaged as builders of our future community rather than just consumers and critics. Residents have a clear understanding of the bigger picture and recognise growth as inevitable, it will happen whether we are ready or not but it won’t necessarily lead to satisfactory sustainable community outcomes if the community are not engaged in meaningful processes about how that growth is managed.
The outlined issues are issues right now, not ‘could be’ issues that may present over time. Therefore development that is not guided by appropriate, concise and well-informed decision makers will exacerbate the problems that are emerging in the community and we will miss the opportunities that are already in front of us. The issues and opportunities for our Board area extend beyond the scope of district council operations and as a Community Board we must work closely with the Taranaki Regional Council, Venture Taranaki Trust, the Department of Conservation, the Taranaki District Health Board, the South Taranaki District Council and a range of other community partners. A cohesive, collaborative, planned approach to Kaitake’s development is required and an approach that puts local community values first must be embedded in the district and regional Councils’ policy planning processes and investment decisions.
A strong and sustainable community is one that grows at a rate that is appropriate and practicable; it must improve the quality of life for all within the carrying capacity of our community and environment. This is the future that we want for the Kaitake Community Board area.
Click here for full version of the Kaitake Community Board Plan 2020-2023, please click on the following button.
Click here for Inglewood, Waitara and Clifton Community Board Plans
Report an Issue
Many of the comments received through the survey were issues that could have been dealt with via a service request direct to the New Plymouth District (for Council assets and issues) or Waka Kotahi NZTA (for State Highway issues).
Report an Issue to New Plymouth District Council
For Council issues there are four ways to report an issue:
Via phone: 06 759 6060 (available 24/7)
Via email: enquiries@npdc.govt.nz
Via NPDC's website: Report an Issue
Via "New Plymouth in Your Pocket App" which you can download for free via one of the following buttons:
For Android:
For Iphones/Ipads:
Report an Issue to Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency
To report an issue on a State Highway by calling 0800 4 highways (0800 44 44 49); or
Click on the button below to submit via the Waka Kotahi NZTA website.
