Environmental Strategy

Environmental Strategy

Waipā is a diverse district that is renowned for its outstanding landscapes and special sites.

Council is guided by the environment strategy, which helps us all understand how environmental issues and features should be managed.

In 2023, Council will be talking to the community about our future with the Ahu Ake, Waipā Community Spatial Plan roadshow. One of the key actions for implementing Ahu Ake and planning for the long term wellbeing of Waipā, is developing a new environmental strategy for Council. This will direct how we want the Waipā environment to be maintained, improved and restored.

Like Ahu Ake, this strategy will have a 30-year outlook. Focus will be on better protecting, enhancing and managing the environment and life-sustaining resources, the mauri and the wairua. While taking into consideration how we live, work and play in our district.

Council will partner with Iwi and Mana Whenua, key stakeholders and of course our wider community. We are developing a long term strategy and climate change response, to help us make a better Waipā for generations to come.

Waipā in 2053 – a vision

Council’s vision for Waipā’s future environment is to build connected communities across Waipā, the Home of Champions, and to make Waipā a district:

• that has thriving, sustainable natural, residential and business environments
• where Council promotes sustainable living, climate adaptation and resilience for our social, cultural, economic and environmental wellbeing
• where Council works with communities to facilitate the sustainable improvement and protection of the mauri of the environment
• that has regard to the past, and the health and wellbeing of present and future generations of the Waipā communities.

Our Guiding Principles

With Ngā Iwi Toopū o Waipā, Council is developing a set of principles to guide the development and implementation of the strategy. Where there are choices or decisions to be made, these principles will help us choose wisely:

• Partnership, participation and inclusiveness
• Protection
• Connectivity and integration
• Collaborative approach to decision-making and implementation
• Equitable, efficient and cost effective resourcing
• Taking a balanced approach
• Use of nature-based solutions
• Knowledge led.

Council’s environmental priorities

We have identified seven environmental priorities common to Council and Waipā’s communities. Focus areas and Critical actions are being developed. These are a work in progress and are provided below.

Climate change response

Local authorities have major statutory responsibilities for improving community adaptation, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and growing resilience to the impacts of climate change.

Council has acquired greater responsibilities in the climate change area such as helping to implement the New Zealand Emissions Reduction Plan and National Adaptation Plan.

Focus areas:

• Climate mitigation
• Climate resilience

Critical actions required:

• Develop Council’s Climate Policy
• Produce a District Emissions Reduction Plan
• Identify Waipā’s climate change risks

Te Ture Whaimana o Te Awa o Waikato implementation

Te Ture Whaimana o Te Awa o Waikato – the vision and strategy for the Waikato and Waipā Rivers and their tributaries - this document sets out the vision, objectives and strategies to restore and protect the health and wellbeing of the Waikato and Waipā rivers and their catchments.

Focus areas:

• Rivers and streams
• Lakes and wetlands

Critical actions required:

• Ensure Peat Lakes improvement projects receive priority in the Long Term Plan 2024-2034
• Review the Reserves Management Plans for Council’s reserves adjoining the Peat Lakes
• Promoting Waipā’s environmental objectives to Water Entity B.

Biodiversity management and restoration

We need to preserve our biodiversity and environments or else we risk losing them and the benefits they bring to our district and lives.

Focus areas:

• Biodiversity
• Land management

Critical actions:

• Confirm boundaries of all areas of significant indigenous vegetation and habitats of indigenous fauna
• Confirm management plans for Significant Natural Areas
• Enable development of a continuous network of esplanade reserves along waterways.

Waste and resource minimisation

Waste is a large contributor to New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions and requires more and more land to be used for landfills. These have impacts on land use, waterways and climate.

We are also including water demand management in this challenge because Council needs to continue providing sufficient water to a growing population while also satisfying business needs.

Focus areas:

• Waste minimisation
• Water demand

Critical actions:

• Develop community-run resource recovery centres
• Review and update Council’s Waste Management and Minimisation Plan
• Enable on-site water storage in existing urban areas.

Low-impact living

How we live, work and play on a daily basis has a major impact on our environment at a community and district level. Our lifestyle choices, business decisions and desire to live affordably (environmentally and economically) should be easy.

In this challenge we consider what our towns and villages look like and how well they function, infrastructure services, new building design and construction, transport and greenspace networks, and developing a “greener” economy.

Focus areas:

• Urban design
• Economy

Critical actions:

• Develop a Council policy for the provision of community open space
• Develop a Biodiversity Improvement Programme for urban areas
• Complete and implement a Waipā Economic Wellbeing Strategy.

Population growth

Waipā currently has one of the fastest growing district populations in New Zealand. The challenge is to accommodate a growing population in a way that preserves highly productive land, while providing sufficient drinking water, reducing or minimising energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, enabling biodiversity to flourish, and keeping our urban and rural communities connected with each other.

Focus area:

• Urban spread
• Review Waipā 2050 Growth Strategy
• Implement the National Policy Statement for Highly Productive Land

Critical actions:

• Review Waipā 2050 Growth Strategy
• Implement the National Policy Statement for Highly Productive Land

Leadership by Council

This challenge is focused on Council’s own activities. The environmental role of New Zealand local government has been in planning and consenting, parks and reserves management, biodiversity protection and pest management, and providing infrastructure services.

With increasing responsibilities, Council needs to lead in a widening range of community environmental activities, through direct management of its own services, and by partnership working.

Focus areas:

• Council operations
• Council planning and policy
• Partnerships and collaboration

Critical actions:

• Develop and implement an Emissions Reduction Plan for Council
• Include actions for climate mitigation and adaptation for community resilience in the Long Term Plan 2024-2034
• Include the cost of carbon when considering options for Council projects, programmes and services as a factor for decision-making.

Next steps

The community engagement for Ahu Ake in February and March 2023 will help to tell us if we are on the right track with the Environment Strategy. It is proposed that Ahu Ake will need to be adopted by Council before the Environment Strategy, to ensure they both align.

In the meantime, Council will move forward, where possible, to progress some of the critical actions listed above. There is still work to be done to develop and refine the action plans.

There will be a period of public consultation on the full draft Environment Strategy as this will include details of objectives, targets, action and potential costs and project partners. The community will have opportunities to have their say.

Although the lifespan of the Environment Strategy is 30 years, it is anticipated that it will be reviewed at least every five years as environmental knowledge, understanding, priorities and legal requirements change.

To view the current Environment Strategy document, click here.