Community PlanningWhakamahere ā-hapori

A Community Plan is the voice of a community. It obtains local people’s views on the place that they call home, celebrates the things that make their community special, highlights their goals and aspirations and creates a future vision for the community.

Led by the community, community plans are about community members coming together to develop a local plan to shape the development of their community into the future. Agreement is reached on objectives, actions, delivery responsibility and timeframes, all with the aim of improving the social, economic and environmental wellbeing of a local community. Community-led plans have a vision, actions and an implementation plan. They are endorsed by Council, so can guide decision-making by the Council and other agencies.

There are many active community plans - some have just begun, and others are in their second or third version. Successes range across all the plans, from the community centre built in Camberley, to the revamped playground in Flaxmere, the revitalisation of the river corridor in Whakatū and the restoration of the monument in Maraekākaho.

The inclusive and deliberate planning process outlined in this guide ensures that our community plans are clear, focussed, equitable, and feasible, and that all community plan stakeholders understand the process, purpose and outcomes. The plans provide an opportunity to empower individuals and agencies to support and improve the lives of each of our distinctive communities.