Council greenlights ‘future-focused’ coastal plan

Waikato Regional Council has approved notification of a decisions version of a new coastal plan, a major milestone following years of work and community input.
 
Councillors received the Hearings Panel’s recommendations on the Proposed Waikato Regional Coastal Plan at the final full council meeting for the triennium, held on 25 September.
 
The panel of experts, including commissioners with extensive knowledge and expertise in regional planning, coastal engineering and tikanga Māori, considered 1359 submissions, including 1252 proforma submissions and 30 further submissions. 
 
The new coastal plan aims to protect the region’s unique coastlines, marine ecosystems and community values while enabling sustainable development. 
 
“The current operative coastal plan has been in place since 2005, but with changing environmental pressures and community needs, a refresh was long overdue,” said Science, Policy and Information Director, Tracey May. 
 
The Waikato region’s coastline stretches more than 1150 kilometres, encompassing diverse environments, from the rugged west coast and iconic harbours like Kāwhia, Aotea and Whāingaroa to the sheltered waters of the Hauraki Gulf, Tīkapa Moana – Firth of Thames and the Coromandel Peninsula.
 
“Developing a plan to manage and protect such a dynamic area was no small task,” said Ms May. “Over the last five years, we have embarked on a comprehensive journey, seeking input from iwi, agencies, industry and coastal residents and users to ensure the plan reflected a broad range of perspectives.
 
“This is a plan shaped by the region, for the region,” said Ms May. “It’s future-focused, inclusive and developed to last.”
 
The decisions version of the coastal plan will be publicly notified in the coming weeks. 
 
Read more about the proposed Waikato Regional Coastal Plan: waikatoregion.govt.nz/proposed-rcp

Hearings background

Hearings for the Proposed Waikato Regional Coastal Plan were held from 17 February to 30 April 2025 in Hamilton. The five-member Hearings Panel – comprising two regional councillors and three independent commissioners – formally closed the hearings process on 14 July 2025.