Waipā District Council is to run its first ever ‘World Café’ bringing together residents, staff and experts to share knowledge, collaborate and generate ideas on complex issues.
The initiative is part of Ahu Ake – Waipā Community Spatial Plan – a blueprint for the district for the next 30+ years.
Council’s strategy group manager Kirsty Downey said it was a fantastic opportunity for Council to work with the community in a way it never had before.
“In March this year, we heard from hundreds of residents and received valuable feedback on what the future of our district could look like.
“Now, we need to delve deeper into some of the more complex issues in the spatial plan like growth, housing and the economy. A World Café is the perfect way to do this.”
Council is looking for 40-45 people to get involved. Participants will be required to attend 3-4 online and face-to-face workshops in September and October 2023 and will make recommendations for elected councillors to consider.
The workshops will be hosted in a café-like environment where different topics will be discussed at tables around the room.
Residents can express interest in taking part by completing a short survey – available online and in hardcopy. From these, 40-45 people aged 16 and up will be selected who represent the Waipā’s population in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, education levels, home ownership and family make-up.
Downey said it was important to hear from a variety of people with different backgrounds and experiences of living in Waipā.
“If you are a resident and want to take part, we want to hear from you! This is a fantastic opportunity to contribute to the future of our district.”
More information is available at www.ahuakewaipa.nz/our-spatial-plan. Sign-up closes at 5pm Sunday 20 August 2023.
What is a World Café?
- A World Café brings together a group of people to share knowledge, discuss topics and generate ideas at tables in a café like setting.
- For Ahu Ake, residents will have the opportunity to discuss topics including growth and housing, the economy, parks and public facilities and heritage, arts and culture.
What will be required?
- Participants will be required to attend 3-4 workshops in person and online (Tuesday 19 September, Saturday 14 October, Tuesday 24 October and Saturday 4 November 2023).
- Participants will be given a $150 Prezzy Card as a thank you for their time. Council will also arrange transport for people to attend the workshops.
How will the selection process work?
- From 26 July to 23 August 2023, residents across the district will be able to sign-up to participate in the World Café via an online survey (available at www.ahuakewaipa.nz) and hardcopy survey, available at both Council offices and libraries in Cambridge and Te Awamutu.
- Participation is open to all Waipā residents over the age of 16.
- The survey includes questions about gender, age, ethnicity, education levels, homeownership and location in Waipā. This information will be used to select 40-45 people who will reflect what our future communities will look like.
- The World Café and selection process will be run in collaboration with the University of Waikato.
