Coromandel Peninsula Blueprint
This is the story of how central, regional, local government and Māori worked with the Thames-Coromandel community to develop a 50-year integrated plan to manage growth pressures in an area of outstanding beauty.
Over the past fifteen years, the Coromandel Peninsula has undergone a period of rapid growth. Its stunning natural environment attracts around 140,000 tourists each year, and the permanent population of about 25,000 households is expected to double over the next four decades.
The Thames Coromandel District Council (TCDC) decided a 50 year plan was needed to manage this development.
A joint approach
Knowing a planning organisation cannot work in isolation, TCDC developed an integrated plan - the Coromandel Peninsula Blueprint - with partners Environment Waikato (EW), Hauraki Whaanui and the Department of Conservation (DoC).
For both TCDC and EW, ‘planning for the future’ is a key strategic outcome. It is also a key strategic issue for DoC in its Crown role and for Māori in terms of kaitiakitanga.
TCDC Strategic Relationships Manager, Peter Wishart, said they had to think outside the square to put the project into practice, as it had not been done before. The Blueprint project was an integrated planning process aimed at joining up all four agencies’ processes and outcomes.
The four partners believed
- we can’t plan for the water unless we know what’s happening on the land, and vice versa
- communities don’t exist in isolation
- agencies and Māori with statutory responsibilities for land and water must work together, and
- local, district, regional and national objectives are important and need to be linked.
Advantages of collaboration
The joint approach saved over $35,000 because of the combined consultative approach. Each agency was able to progress several projects simultaneously, and time was saved because stakeholders were able to engage with all the agencies at the same time.
Key stakeholders developed a greater understanding of the long-term issues facing the district and the need for a coordinated response.
The Coromandel Peninsula Blueprint
The process involved
- preparation of a district and trends profile
- identification of 10 distinct work areas
- collating and comparing the aspirations of local, district and Hauraki Whaanui communities
- identifying statutory resource management objectives
- identifying key issues on which consultation would take place
- formulating four development scenarios for people to provide feedback on
- a pre-consultation process to raise awareness of the project, six months in advance of the project start date, which included extensive radio and print media coverage
- a major consultation process to receive feedback from the community on their views of the four scenarios.
A creative approach
It’s hard to think 50 years ahead, but it’s easy to remember the past.
To help people think about the future of the Coromandel, the project team took a 1970s caravan to all community information days, and a beach hop which attracted around 80,000 people. The caravan displayed historical photos and a DVD of the district 50 years ago, produced by the team in association with the NZ Film Archive (cost $325).
Three staff in 1950s dress generated great interest, connecting the team with people otherwise unlikely to engage.
Engaging the community
Nearly 150 children and teenagers gave their feedback on the four development scenarios via a competition in which they were asked to describe what they loved about living on the Coromandel and what they might do to make it better.
They contributed photos, drawings, poetry and even DVD presentations. Several schools were invited to get involved and a Bebo site was set up. Some schools sent in feedback as part of classroom exercises.
The involvement of Hauraki Māori was key to managing relationships with local Māori. The technical team appointees and the Political Steering Group kaumatua provided communication links with their communities.
Traditional consultation tools included
- a direct mail-out to ratepayers (including the 50% living outside the district)
- a website and on-line feedback form
- newspaper/radio advertisements.
Branding
A special logo was developed for the project featuring a globe/crystal ball, Coromandel scenes, a sting ray and the words "Te Tara o Te Ika a Maui" (Māori legend refers to the North Island as Te Ika a Maui, with Maui’s fish a stingray).
This branding helped to profile the project and position the Coromandel Blueprint as special and important.
Achievements
Project milestones achieved included:
- over 2,000 feedback forms (from more than 8 per cent of ratepayers, many with a primary residence elsewhere)
- six community open days
- seven waananga
- strong media coverage in addition to limited paid advertising (including letters to the editor and articles)
- 250 Bebo hits
- political representation at open days
- key stakeholder meetings (including with Transit, PowerCo, Land Transport NZ, Federated Farmers).
The joint approach allowed the four partners to achieve specific outcomes, including:
- a process for aligning district and regional statutory documents
- integrated catchment management
- a single process for meeting different statutory requirements
- a means for public and stakeholders to talk to all four partners at the same time
- a vehicle for infrastructure and service providers to have access and input into a co-ordinated strategy
- sharing ideas, experience, skills and perspectives
- communities more aware of the issues facing the district
- greater awareness of the impacts of activities
- being more cost-effective by sharing resources and avoiding duplication.
Where to next?
From feedback on the four scenarios, the partners are clear about the kind of development that residents want, and where they want it.
Development will be concentrated in Thames, Whitianga and Whangamata. Efforts will be made to control rural and coastal subdivision, and protect landscape values and enhance biodiversity.
Next steps involve development of local area blueprints to assist local communities’ planning.
Conclusion
The partnership formed between Māori and central, regional and local government brought a new approach to planning and development in the Coromandel of benefit to the whole community, including local business and service industries.
Collaboration and wide consultation across the community have generated economic benefits by pooling resources and building infrastructure in growth areas.
There have also been
- environmental benefits (through integrated management)
- cultural benefits (by understanding community and Hauraki Whaanui concerns and aspirations), and
- social benefits (by knowing where, what and when services are required).
