Since 2013, the Horowhenua District has experienced rapid population growth. According to Census New Zealand, the Horowhenua District grew by 2% per annum between 2013 and 2018 and was the fastest growing district in the Manawatū-Whanganui region over that period. 
Waitārere Beach has seen an increase in new dwellings and residents, this trend is set to continue into the future.

To prepare for growth, the beach community has been subject to a ‘Master Planning’ process. The Waitārere Beach Master Plan has been in development for the past two years and has been prepared in collaboration with key landowners from within the Master Plan area. 
In early 2020, community feedback was sought on the draft Master Plan design principles and community character. Resulting in the following being included in the master plan:

· Introduction: that provides a location map and introduction to the plan.

· Design principles: which are the key outcomes sought for the area. These include good connectivity, variety of housing types, integrated infrastructure, and recreational amenity.

· Design description: that describes the intent behind the design.

· Spatial maps: showing the overall master plan and underlying layers for archaeology, street network, street typologies, shared path network, vegetation and open space, conceptual ideas for The Lakes Reserve, density, land use and housing diversity, and anticipated staging.

In order to enable development to occur in accordance with the Master Plan, the identified land needs to go through a District Plan Change process, in accordance with the First Schedule of the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA). The proposed changes will relate only to the area known as the Waitārere Beach Growth Area.

The Proposed Plan Change seeks to rezone land and make amendments to the District Plan provisions to enable the development of the Waitārere Beach Growth Area. This includes a structure plan, additional policy context and changes to rules alongside the rezoning. The Proposed Plan Change mainly uses the existing District Plan framework as a basis for the amendments, however the proposed specific controls have been designed to be consistent with the National Planning Standards.

Consultation has begun on a proposal to change the zoning of 100 hectares of land to enable residential and supporting commercial development at Waitārere Beach. The development is proposed for the eastern side of the existing settlement and enables the development of approximately 700 lots over the next 20 to 30 years, development will not happen overnight. The proposal would also enable supporting commercial development and provide new reserves.

Group Manager Customer and Strategy, David McCorkindale, said “The land in question has a variety of zoning and had been signalled since 2008 as being a future growth area.”

Submissions close at 4pm on 27 April 2021.

Documents can be viewed online by visiting www.horowhenua.govt.nz/PPC5 or in hard copy at Council’s Office on Oxford Street in Levin, or any Council Library in Levin, Foxton and Shannon.

Council Officers will be available to help you understand the plan change at the following ‘Drop-In’ sessions held at Waitārere Scout Hall on Tuesday 6 April 10:00am-12:30pm, Sunday 11 April 2:00pm-4:00pm and Monday 12 April 4:00pm-6:00pm.

If you have any questions about Proposed Plan Change 5 then you can email districtplan@horowhneua.govt.nz or call (06) 366 0999 and ask to speak to Milcah Xkenjik or a member of the Strategic Planning Team.

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