Whakatāne District Council is continuing work on the draft Awakeri Structure Plan following three Community Reference Group workshops that brought together local knowledge, questions, concerns and ideas about the future of Awakeri.

The final workshop was held on June 24 where attendees took part in a gallery-style session to view and discuss an emerging concept-level structure plan.

The session showed how feedback from the group, alongside technical work, had been brought together across six key planning layers: water and environment, recreation and public amenity, growth and new homes, transport and movement, identity of Awakeri and planning, infrastructure and funding.

Council growth manager Daniel Smith said the Community Reference Group process had not been about seeking endorsement for growth in Awakeri, but about listening to local views early and testing ideas before a draft plan is prepared for wider community feedback.

“People came to the workshops for different reasons. Some wanted to better understand the process, some wanted to raise concerns, some wanted to challenge the thinking, and some wanted to help influence what future planning could look like. That mix of views is exactly why this process has been important,” said Smith.

Awakeri was identified through the Our Places – Eastern Bay Spatial Plan in 2025 as one of the most appropriate locations for future growth in the district, based on a range of strategic and technical assessments.

As part of that work, a range of possible growth locations across the district were assessed, including Edgecumbe, Matatā, Thornton, Te Teko and other areas. The assessment considered factors such as infrastructure capacity, natural hazards and climate risk, environmental values, transport connections, impacts on productive land and overall cost.

“The Spatial Plan process showed that, when all of those factors were considered together, Awakeri was one of the district’s more suitable locations for future growth. That does not mean growth happens overnight, and it does not mean every detail has already been decided. Structure planning is about creating a long-term framework so that, if growth occurs, it happens in a planned, coordinated and well-considered way,” said Smith.

Feedback from the final workshop reflected a range of individual views rather than a collective position from the group. Some participants identified opportunities for stream restoration, wetlands, green spaces, floodable parks, safer walking connections, better school access and more communal neighbourhood layouts.

Others raised concerns about flooding and drainage, infrastructure costs, traffic, rural character, effects on farming activities, ecological protection and avoiding development that feels too urban for Awakeri.

Written comments on the night included calls for “floodable parks”, “more communal hubs/shared spaces”, “not a grid of roads” and stronger integration with streams and green spaces.

“People have made it clear they value the rural identity and village feel of Awakeri. We have also heard concerns about drainage, traffic, school safety, infrastructure, farming activities and what future development might look like. At the same time, people have pointed to opportunities to restore waterways, create usable open spaces and plan growth in a way that is more connected and less ad hoc,” said Mr Smith.

The emerging draft Awakeri Structure Plan includes a large-lot residential edge around the urban fringe to help create a transition between future housing and the surrounding rural environment. More central areas could allow for lower and medium-density housing, along with a mixed-use village centre.

It also considers how future development could improve safety and connectivity around Awakeri School, including potential changes to road layout and internal connections that could allow safer access away from the state highway.

Stormwater management has also been a key focus. The emerging approach includes landscaped drainage channels, planted areas, wetlands and storage ponds designed to slow water flows, allow some water to soak into the ground and release stored water gradually into existing waterways and drainage networks.

Smith said the Community Reference Group had helped the council better understand what mattered locally, but the wider community, key stakeholders, iwi and hapū would have the opportunity to provide feedback once the draft plan was complete.

“The next stage is about refining the draft Awakeri Structure Plan, completing the supporting technical work and then opening the conversation up to the wider community. We want people to be able to see what is being proposed, understand why Awakeri has been identified and have their say.”

The plan will help guide future decisions about how growth in Awakeri could be planned, coordinated and managed over time. It does not approve development or commit funding.

Any future urban development would still need to go through the required planning, infrastructure funding and investment processes, with the structure plan providing the framework and evidence to support those future decisions.