By Moana Ellis, Local Democracy Reporting
Whanganui District Council has adopted a new strategy to guide the district’s future, replacing its decade-old Leading Edge plan with a fresh focus on housing, infrastructure, the environment and cultural identity.
The Strategy for Whanganui will also promote better health and quality of life for all residents.
The new strategy is built around five goals: Grow, Build, Protect, Activate and Celebrate.
Mayor Andrew Tripe said it was developed in partnership with local Māori and the wider community to clarify the council’s priorities.
“It reflects the aspirations we’ve heard over many conversations – in our forums, in community hui, at local events and across our online platforms. This strategy sets a clear direction for where we want to go and how we want to get there,” Tripe said.
Its purpose was to guide council decision-making, planning and investment.
“Our next step is to bring this strategy to life,” Tripe said.
“This means aligning our budgets, plans, and performance measures to deliver on the goals. We’ll also be working to ensure the community sees real and lasting benefits from the direction we’ve set.”
A detailed plan would be developed over the coming months to implement the strategy.
Strong economy
The first goal – Grow – requires the council to invest in growth and provide local economic opportunities to raise quality of life.
The strategy expects Whanganui’s population to grow to 53,000 by 2035. The larger rating base would help share the costs of services and manage the rate burden.
New training, education and technology would mean more residents can work or train in Whanganui, rather than leaving to pursue those opportunities.
A strong economic base would help to grow and attract businesses and provide jobs, and new and higher paid jobs would raise the district’s GDP and lift median income.
The second goal – Build – requires investment in housing and the council’s $2 billion infrastructure network.
Prioritising housing growth in existing areas and through infill development would reduce the costs of growth and make the most of existing infrastructure.
In 10 years, the council aimed to see 1000 affordable, warm and dry new houses, improving housing and rental affordability.
Facilitating the delivery of affordable housing projects to cater for the district’s demographics would encourage people to stay, including older people, new residents and young families.
The council would also look to invest in hard and social infrastructure, including marae infrastructure and community facilities, to support community wellbeing and economic activities.
Transport would need to meet the community’s needs and enable economic growth, and the council would support renewable energy development.
Improve water quality
The third goal – Protect – focuses on Te Awa Tupua (the Whanganui River and its tributaries and catchment) and the environment.
The council would work with partners to improve river water quality, restore habitat for native species and use policy settings to protect the environment.
Some of the city’s open spaces would be planted with native species to support biodiversity and natural habitats for native fauna.
The council would measure emissions, take action to reduce them and develop a climate change risk assessment for the district.
The number of trained civil defence responders would be increased, and more marae would be equipped to serve as community hubs to respond to natural events.
The fourth goal – Activate – would pursue better health and quality of life for all residents, encouraging better use of existing facilities, services and public places including outdoor spaces, playgrounds and cycling trails.
This would include a focus on improving accessibility for Whanganui’s ageing population and those with disabilities.
Culture and heritage
The final goal – Celebrate – would see historical sites and heritage assets valued as critical to the Whanganui “brand” and tourism offerings.
The district would build on the UNESCO city of design designation and investment in Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery to boost returns from tourism.
Culture and art would be showcased and celebrated.
The new strategy was formally adopted last week after a review of the Leading Edge plan introduced in 2014.
Work on the new strategic direction included feedback from a community wellbeing survey, input from one-to-one meetings with local leaders, and ideas gathered from community events and four strategic forums.
A steering group of hapū representatives from across the district worked alongside council staff throughout the strategy’s development, ensuring that the views of tangata whenua were embedded.
Community consultation on the draft strategy ran throughout April. Most respondents supported the draft goals, and their feedback contributed to changes made ahead of adoption, Tripe said.
Awa FM – Te Reo Irirangi o Whanganui
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