As the Whakatāne District looks ahead to where future generations will live, work and raise their families, Awakeri’s strategic potential is being explored. Whakatāne District Council is now in the early stages of structure planning to guide how the area could grow while retaining its rural village feel.
During the development of Our Places – Eastern Bay Spatial Plan in 2025, Awakeri was identified as a Priority Growth Area, while work being undertaken through the Local Growth Strategy proposes structure planning as the next step to guide future development.
With strong transport connections via State Highways 2 and 30, larger land parcels that support integrated planning, and a favourable natural hazard profile, the area is well placed for carefully managed long-term growth.
To plan for that future growth, the Council is developing the Awakeri Structure Plan, a high-level framework that will guide where homes and businesses could go. It will also consider transport connections, stormwater and natural hazards, and how to maintain Awakeri’s unique characteristics as the area evolves.
Manager Policy Planning and Consents, Nicholas Woodley, said planning ahead gives both the community and the Council greater certainty.
Awakeri is an important part of our district’s future. If growth is coming, we want to plan for it properly, not react to it later. This Structure Plan helps us think carefully about where homes and businesses could go, how infrastructure will work and how we protect what people value about Awakeri. We’ve already heard from the community that retaining the small village feel is important, and that will remain central to this work.”
The project also responds to the National Policy Statement on Urban Development, which requires councils to ensure there is sufficient development capacity for housing and business land over the short, medium and long term, while supporting well-functioning urban environments with housing choice, access to jobs and services, coordinated infrastructure and resilience to natural hazards and climate risks. Mr Woodley emphasised that the Structure Plan is not a construction programme.
“This isn’t about immediate development. It’s about setting direction. The Structure Plan provides a framework so that any future growth is deliberate, connected and well considered.”
The Council will engage with the community from the start of the structure planning process to ensure local knowledge and community values help shape the direction of the plan.
“We’ve heard strong interest from Awakeri residents about being involved early and meaningfully. There will be opportunities for people to share their views as the work progresses, and we encourage everyone to take part in guiding Awakeri's future,” said Mr Woodley
