Background In 2010 Whangarei District Council (WDC) began developing a Rural Development Strategy (RDS) to implement the policy direction established in the Growth Strategy: Sustainable Futures 30/50. It was intended that the RDS would examine rural issues that are relevant to the District Plan and present options aligned with the priorities identified in the Growth Strategy primarily through policy and decision making under the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA). The RDS aims to examine the rural issues that are relevant to this District. The RDS applies in those areas outside of Whangarei City and its five urban villages and the growth nodes of Hikurangi, Waipu and Parua Bay as defined by the Growth Strategy. The Urban Transition Environment (UTE) has been created to provide living choices in the District. The UTE is not covered in the RDS scope. In addition to the rural and coastal villages and hamlets identified in the Growth Strategy, a number of rural living clusters are also proposed.
Scope of Rural Development Strategy
Figure 1: Scope of Rural Development Strategy
Hikurangi
Whangarei Urban Area Parua Bay
Coastal Area of Influence
Marsden Point Ruakaka
Waipu
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