Spatial Plan FAQ's
What's a Spatial Plan?
Spatial plans set out what types of development will happen where and at what intensity. Spatial planning seeks to illustrate and show how in the future we look to achieve:
- Balanced socio-economic development.- Improvement of the quality of life.
- Responsible management of natural resources and protection of the environment.- Rational use of land.
- A long term strategy that sets a direction for a community to form the basis for coordination of decision making, infrastructure, services and investment.
- It provides a visual illustration of the intended future location, form and mix of residential, rural and business areas, along with critical transport and infrastructure required to service those areas and any relevant environmental constraints.
A spatial plan does not necessarily set out detailed land use patterns and densities or the locations of open space or layout and nature of infrastructure.
What will the Rotorua Spatial Plan do?
- Will provide a district-wide context within which neighbourhood and district planning policies can be set.
- Will also help to improve understanding of issues and implications that have geographical, physical or spatial dimensions.
- Is also intended to guide the district in its allocation of resources, such as the use of land and the construction of capital works (core infrastructure like roads, water supplies, parks and playgrounds).
- Is spatially orientated and will not replace the District Plan — it will be a strategic document to guide more detailed planning.
- Sets the framework for spatially based decision making in the future and outlines the actions needed to achieve the strategic direction for the district over the next 30 years.
Why do we have a discussion document?
Hearing from you, the community, about what you see as the important issues and how you see the district developing and growing is an essential part of the process of developing our spatial plan.
This discussion document is designed to get us all thinking and talking about this important piece of work. We’ve set out some initial ideas and what we see as priorities but what do you think? We want everyone to have input to help us develop our plan.
Following your input, we’ll develop a draft plan and then come back to you to check we’re headed in the right direction before finalising our plan.
How will the spatial plan work in the future?
The spatial plan will provide a crucial building block for future planning and decision-making.
It will align with our 2030 vision refresh and feed into future annual plans, long-term plans and district plans and provide guidance for development of infrastructure.
The plan will help us respond to population changes and global and national trends that will influence our growth and development.
It will help us balance the environmental, social, economic and quality of life factors affecting our community and guide allocation of resources such as land use and construction of capital works (core infrastructure like roads, water supplies, parks and playgrounds).