Waikato Mayoral Forum Progress on a Waikato Spatial Plan

 When we have a collective voice we succeed: RTC’s advocacy for the Waikato Expressway JOG funding for rail – double tracking the ECMT Confidence to support record investment in NLTP  Local Govt is a small financial player, but important: Resource allocation (water, soil, air, coastal space) Settlement pattern Core community infrastructure  A productive relationship with Central Government Collective Voice is about leadership

The Need for a Collective Voice  Identified by Governance and Planning Groups  Needed to engage with central government  Focus on priority issues and opportunities  More effective service delivery – reduce duplication  Improve efficiencies in planning practise:  Over 640 policies, strategies and plans  Multiple RMA policies and rules saying different things  Key stakeholders engaging on multiple fronts

Aligns with LGC decisions  Single voice to advocate to central government  Reduce duplication and inefficiency  Simplifying planning processes  Improve strategic capacity and decision making  Operational capacity for core services would improve  Future proof against demographic change  Eliminates uncertainty and need for current councils to agree on service arrangements

A Waikato Plan  Provides a shared vision on high priority issues, capacity to address them and a collective voice to positively influence  It needs to:  Guide more efficient planning and service delivery  Provide a collective approach to investment decisions  Support conversations on governance frameworks  Not an ‘Auckland Plan’ - recognise the local, national and inter-national forces shaping our communities

Waikato Context NZ’s 4 th largest region and economy Strategic location in UNI central to two major ports Rural productivity and related manufacturing drives exports Strong knowledge base Inter-regional exports: 40% of nations electricity Food and water supplies Minerals Forecasted doubling freight demand by 2031

Strong relationship with Auckland and BOP Regions Increasingly influenced by Auckland growth Freight from rural productivity Centralising of freight logistics

 Over $3B to Waikato economy in 2011/12  Inter-regional product movements  Peak month (October):  3M kilometres  45 % on local roads  55% on State Highways

Labour Markets 1991 Labour Markets 2006

Demographic Change is Coming

Long term affordability drivers

Don’t constrain thinking… RMA LTMA LGA NATIONAL National Policy Statements and Standards Integrated approach RPS Regional Plans District Plans Structure Plans Resource Consents GPS on Transport NLTP RLTP Regional PT Plan District Transport Strategies and Plans Waikato Expressway Network Plan Sub-Regional Growth Strategies Long Term Plans Asset Management Plans Contributions policies

The Outcome A Waikato Spatial Plan that: Contributes to the Waikato’s social, economic, environmental, and cultural well-being through a comprehensive and effective long-term (30-year) strategy for Waikato’s growth and development. (Sec 79 LGAC Act)

Project Stage 1  Common evidence base across well-beings  Issues, strengths and opportunities  What do we want to have a collective voice on..?  Where is our opportunity to provide leadership

Next Steps  By February  Scope of Spatial Plan agreed  Project plan, budget and structure confirmed  Anchored in triennial agreement / spatial plan agreement  2014 Waikato Spatial Plan development  Project establishment  Sector engagement  Plan development  Links to LTP’s, Infrastructure strategies, Govt. agencies

Potential implications  Benefits of a spatial plan through implementation  Some thoughts…  Decluttering the regulatory environment  Greater partnerships with Central Govt  Joined up engagement / partnership with community  Aligning of resource allocation to settlement pattern  Joint asset management / service delivery  Enabling legislation change