Strategic Directions

A new Strategic Directions chapter is proposed to replace the current significant resource management matters chapter within the Taupō District Plan. This new chapter will include objectives and policy direction to guide planning and decision making at a strategic level.

This chapter establishes the direction for the District Plan and will help to better implement the Taupō District communities’ outcomes. The strategic directions are indicative of the matters which the Taupō District community has identified as being important and reflect the intended outcomes to be achieved through the implementation of the District Plan.

The strategic directions will be particularly relevant to guide any future changes to the Plan and those resource consent applications where there is a requirement to consider District Plan policy.

This chapter does not include rules. Relevant rules can instead be found in the chapters under the District Wide and Area Specific headings of the Plan.

The proposed strategic directions for the Taupō District are summarised below:

• Tangata Whenua: To better recognise and take into account the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi and the relationship that Māori have with land, water and significant sites.
• Fresh water quality: Recognise the importance of water quality in the Taupō District and support land use that enhances water quality rather than causing a decline.
• Urban form and development: To make sure our urban development occurs in a planned and efficient manner. This means it doesn’t cost our community more than it needs to when building infrastructure, in particular for drinking water, wastewater, stormwater and transportation.
• Climate Change: Support positive climate change outcomes and ensure that land we are developing is resilient to the effects of climate change.
• Strategic Infrastructure: Provide for the development of important infrastructure which is vital for the ongoing functioning of our urban and rural communities.
• Natural Values and Landscapes: Recognise the importance of our natural areas (also known as Significant Natural Areas or SNAs) and landscapes within the district.