New Plymouth District Blueprint

The district is home to a unique natural environment with significant areas of indigenous vegetation, and rivers and waterways that flow from the mountain to the sea. Enhanced biodiversity will not only be positive for the natural environment and clean water but will also have significant cultural and economic spin-offs. Biodiversity outcomes will be achieved through collaborating with landowners and agencies – a multi-agency approach is required to achieve the desired environmental outcomes.

New Plymouth District is made up of many communities and neighbourhood centres. Strengthening and connecting local communities ensures that they become successful, safe and liveable environments for residents. The Council’s role is to support community, business and industry initiatives by providing high-quality public infrastructure and a pragmatic regulatory response that helps our community achieve their goals.

Engaging and enabling citizens will help to build community resilience. Encouraging community participation in events that are run in our parks and places will promote community connectedness and overall well-being. It is the Council’s role to build strong strategic partnerships and encourage public and community sector collaboration, leading to more sustainable social, economic and environmental outcomes.

Our district is growing and we need to consider how we provide for growth into the future. As a result of the anticipated population growth, new growth areas will be required in the city and towns to provide for additional dwellings during the next 30 years. Determining the appropriate locations for growth will contribute to all the community outcomes. The Council needs to be clear on how and where it will accommodate growth into the future, through providing adequate land supply and planning for network infrastructure in appropriate locations.

Our economy has a strong agricultural base and a nationally significant oil and gas sector. It also has a fast-growing poultry sector with significant expansion likely in the short term. Protecting and strengthening these industries will be important for ongoing economic growth and the subsequent benefits for the community. The Council’s role is through its funding of economic development initiatives (Venture Taranaki Trust) to help drive economic activity in the region. The Council can also support industry through appropriate infrastructure provision and a pragmatic solutions-focused District Plan and regulatory framework.

The New Plymouth District economy is strong, supported by agricultural economies, oil and gas and small business. There is a need to focus on growing a more diverse economy based on our ability to attract and retain talented workers, entrepreneurs and visitors. The Council has a role in ensuring that the highly-regarded Taranaki lifestyle is maintained, supported by our unique landscape, recreation opportunities, rich culture and history.

The central city of New Plymouth is the social, cultural and business hub for the district and the wider region. However, retail in the central city is facing a challenging transition in the face of new format retail experiences and online retail sales. The central area will need to deliver a diversity of speciality retail, entertainment, cultural and social experiences. The Council has a role in working with business and other stakeholders to develop a strategic approach to drive the success of the central business area.

Our natural assets – our parks, rivers, coast and Maunga Taranaki – are what make the district a unique and special place to live and visit. A ’flagship’ initiative to lead this direction is the Taranaki Traverse – a world-class recreational, environmental and cultural tourism experience. This is a long-term initiative that will require time, focus and a collaborative, multi-agency approach.