We came to you!
From mid-February to late March 2023, we visited 11 towns and villages across the district and held 15 events where we spoke with hundreds of residents about our future.
The places we visited included: Te Awamutu, Kihikihi, Pirongia, Ōhaupō, Rukuhia, Karāpiro, Te Pahū, Pukeatua, Te Miro, Cambridge, Ngāhinapōuri.
We were blown away by the number of people who came to speak with us and have their say on this plan (around 30+ per event in our smaller villages and 100+ per event in our larger towns).
We also asked residents to tell us what they thought online via our social pinpoint page, or by filling in a hardcopy survey available from our council offices and libraries in Cambridge and Te Awamutu.
What did we hear?
While we are still in the process of analysing the feedback we received, some of the key themes we’re seeing include:
Support for improvements to walking and cycling connectivity, increased protection around the peat lakes and improvements to bus services.
Support for the planting of more native vegetation across the district and in general for the environmental outcomes proposed in the interim draft plan.
A mix of support for and concern about the development of more housing choices (duplexes, townhouses and apartments) in our main towns.
Concern about whether there are enough schools in Waipā to cater for our growing population.
General support for the potential growth of Ōhaupō beyond its 2050 town boundaries.
Many of our smaller communities told us they did not want to lose the small village feel of their homes.
You can take a look at our social pinpoint page below to see more of what residents told us about their towns, villages and our district.
