Ahu Ake – Waipā District Council’s draft 30-year community spatial plan has clinched another award, this time from the New Zealand Planning Institute.
The award for best practice in the use of digital tools was presented at the institute’s annual awards in Hamilton.
Ahu Ake will be a blueprint for the Waipā district for the next 30-plus years. It will provide the foundation for all of the council’s future planning, help identify opportunities for growth and investment and to prioritise where and how the council invests.
The community will get to have their say on the draft plan mid-year.
Group Manager Strategy Kirsty Downey said Ahu Ake was the execution of a vision of soon to be retiring Chief Executive Garry Dyet.
The award was an acknowledgement of the innovative approach to using GIS modelling and StoryMaps to explore what the future of the district could look like, and to tell the story in an engaging and easy-to-understand way.
“As project owner, I would like to thank Garry for his leadership and for entrusting the wider project team to bring his vision to life,” Downey said.
“This award is testament to the talented team who are wholly committed to and are passionate about, building connected communities.”
There had also been great support from elected members who had supported the team to try new and innovative ways of doing things.
“We also received overwhelming support from our wider community who really embraced the multiple opportunities to be involved in this project. It was the most comprehensive community engagement programme we have ever undertaken,” Downey said.
Waipā District Council won the Community Impact category for the development of Ahu Ake at the Asia Pacific Spatial Excellence Awards in November 2022 and took home the Oceania Award for the same category in May 2023.
