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Kia ora and welcome to

Omanawa / Lower Kaimai

Thanks for sharing your thoughts Omanawa and Lower Kaimai. This is what you told us matters most to your community.

These are the top priorities for the whole of the Western Bay District.

Maintaining The Area

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CLIMATE CHANGE

Planning for natural hazards and severe weather events.

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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Building a strong and thriving economy.

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Accident Bypass Route

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WASTE MINIMISATION

Providing the right services and infrastructure for reducing waste.

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SPEED MANAGEMENT

Creating a speed management plan for our local roads.

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Indoor Facilities

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TRANSPORTATION

How our roads, cycleways and walkways can be improved.

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REPRESENTATION

Ensuring your community is effectively represented.

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Hydro-electric Heritage

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Maintaining The Area

What are the next steps?

Your feedback will help shape future recreation and open space planning at McLaren Falls Park as well as the Kaimai Ward Reserve Management Plan which is scheduled to be reviewed in 2024/25.

Accident Bypass Route

What are the next steps?

Your feedback will be used to help shape the development of a local community response plan for the Oropi/Ohauiti/Pyes Pa area. This will be coordinated by Council’s Emergency Management team alongside the community and is scheduled to begin in 2024.

Indoor Facilities

What are the next steps?

Your feedback will be used to help shape the planning around Council’s approach to community facilities as part the Long-Term Plan 2024-34 kōrero.

Hydro-electric Heritage

What are the next steps?

Your feedback will be used to help shape the planning of a potential project celebrating hydro-electric heritage organised by the Western Bay of Plenty Museum and the local community. This initiative will be funded through Council’s local wellbeing initiatives budget.

Climate Change

What are the next steps?

Your feedback will help set out the next steps for Council’s Climate Change Action Plan. This work in ongoing and includes gaining a better understanding of what our risks are to help inform our future actions.

Economic Development

What are the next steps?

Your feedback has helped shape the review of Council’s Economic Development Activity Plan as part of the development of the Long Term Plan 2024-34 which is scheduled for adoption in 2024.

Waste Minimisation

What are the next steps?

Your feedback has helped shape the development of Council’s Waste Management and Minimisation Plan which will be adopted in 2024.

This refreshed plan is built on the great mahi we’ve collectively done and also what we’ve heard from you. We want to build on our successful programmes such as our kerbside service, mobile recycling trailers and waste education, and make it easier for our community to do even more.

Speed Management

What are the next steps?

Your feedback has helped shape the development of Council’s Speed Management Plan which will be adopted in 2024.

Our proposed approach is for a 50kph speed limit in urban areas and 80kph speed limit within rural areas, with exceptions including schools, Marae, town centres and community identified areas.

To achieve the best safety outcomes for the local community we’ll be prioritising areas with the highest need first. The priorities identified for the first three years of the Speed Management Plan are:

  • Schools
  • Marae (and associated community hubs)
  • Other high-risk and high benefit areas (e.g., places with a high concentration of people like town centres)
  • Areas identified by the community as important (e.g., particular roads or areas where there is local community support for a speed limit reduction).

Transportation

What are the next steps?

Your feedback has helped shape the review of Council’s Transportation Activity Plan as part of the development of the Long Term Plan 2024-34 which is scheduled for adoption in 2024.

At the same time, it’s also helping shape the procurement approach for renewal of our roading contract in 2024/25, where we are looking to work closer with local suppliers and businesses to deliver high-quality roading services that meet the needs and expectations of the community.

Representation

What are the next steps?

Your feedback will help shape our representation review process which is scheduled to begin in early 2024.

As a result of Council establishing a Maori ward earlier this year – this process will consider the number of wards, and number of councillors and community boards, with a chance for community feedback before July 2024.

Community Maintaining The Area
Community Accident Bypass Route
Community Indoor Facilities
Community Hydro-electric Heritage
Council Climate Change
Council Economic Development
Council Waste Minimisation
Council Speed Management
Council Transportation
Council Representation

The Omanawa and Lower Kaimai communities are located in the upper Wairoa River catchment; its numerous waters adorning the landscape.

Historically, the Wairoa River and its tributaries have been valued for their sanctuary, the sustenance they provide, and their strategic importance as both boundary markers between hapū and travel routes in and out of Tauranga Moana.

Consequently, the rohe of several hapū converge here, these being Ngāti Hangarau, Ngāti Kahu, Ngāti Rangi, Ngāti Pango, Ngāi Tamarawaho and Te Pirirākau.

Omanawa is the home of the lush Omanawa Falls. It is a small community that prides itself on its rural appeal. Efforts are underway to help create better and safer access to Omanawa Falls and to create enterprise within this small community.

Primary land uses in the rural communities of Omanawa and Lower Kaimai are horticulture, agriculture and forestry.