We’re ready for steady growth

Waipā District is on track to meet national growth targets, with no new urban growth areas needed for the next 30 years.

At a growth workshop yesterday, executive director Katie Mayes told the Council that Waipā was in a strong position.

"We've planned well, invested at the right time and we're ready for the growth ahead," she said.

The government’s National Policy Statement on Urban Development classifies Waipā as a Tier 1, or high-growth, urban area. Tier 1 councils are required to enable 30 years of feasible housing capacity in their district plans, using high population growth projections.

Approximately half the growth has happened in Cambridge, quarter in Te Awamutu and Kihikihi and a quarter in the rural part of the district.

Non-residential building consents peaked at 60 in 2019/20, dropping to 17 in 2025/26.

This included the new Cambridge Wastewater Treatment Plant, a $108.5 million investment which is due to open later this year.

The population of Waipā is expected to grow by about 8100 people between now and 2035, with approximately 3600 new houses needed. In the next 30 years Waipā is expected to grow by 22,200 people, with approximately 9300 new houses needed.

Mayes said the Council was improving how growth is planned, tracked, and delivered with tighter sequencing, investment timing, and data-driven decision-making. This will be addressed as part of the Council’s Future Us transformation programme.

The workshop also considered eight draft growth principles intended to guide how the Council strategically manages, plans, and responds to growth in its 2027-37 Long Term Plan.

The proposed draft growth principles are:

• People are at the heart of growth in Waipā.
• Reflecting place, culture, and identity.
• Growing well in the right places.
• Enabling homes, business, and jobs.
• Using public investment wisely and staying financially sustainable.
• Protecting the environment and reducing risks from natural hazards.
• Being able to adapt as conditions change.
• Growing through partnerships.

The growth principles will be presented for adoption at the Council meeting on Wednesday, June 24.