Welcome to the Whakatane District Council

District Planning

The Whakatane District Council’s District Plan identifies the resource management issues important to the District. The plan deals with ways of addressing these issues, acting as a planning tool that makes sure Whakatane is developing the way the community wants it to.

Relevant plans of the Council include:

Proposed Whakatane District Plan - This includes Variation 1 (Esplanade Reserves), Variation 2 (Whakatane, Ohope, Edgecumbe, Murupara and surrounding rural land) and Variation 5 (Crematoria). 

Transitional Whakatane District Plan 

Plan Change 50 to the Transitional Whakatane District Plan - This plan supercedes the provisions contained in the Transitional Plan relating to business zoned land.

The Council is currently developing new Variations to the Proposed Plan on the following matters:

  • Variation 4 (Indigenous Biodiversity)
  • Variation 6 (Coastal Hazards)
  • Variation 7 (Retail)
  • Variation 8 (Accessory Buildings for Habitation)
  • Variation 9 (Financial Contributions)

These Variations will be available on-line once they are publicly notified.

The Council is also preparing the following  strategies or investigations:

  • Industrial Growth Strategy
  • Residential Growth Strategy
  • Natural Hazard Planning
  • Heritage Study
  • Ohiwa Harbour Strategy (Jointly with Environment Bay of Plenty and the Opotiki District Council)
  • State of the Environment Report