Read about what we have heard during engagement with tangata whenua, businesses and the wider community as well as what is driving the change.
What we heard
Ongoing engagement with tangata whenua, businesses and the wider community was an integral part of developing this plan.
Tangata whenua
At the heart of this kaupapa are the marae of Raahui Pookeka—Huntly: Waahi Paa, Te Oohaakii, Kaitumutumu, Te Kauri, Hukanui a Muri, Matahuru and Maurea.
More than places of gathering, these marae are living expressions of whakapapa, tikanga and cultural continuity. They carry the resilience, identity and mana motuhake of their whaanau and hapuu, and are important social and economic anchors.
Engagement began in 2024 with the support of the then Tai Raro Takiwaa Maaori Ward Councillor, and continued through collective hui at Te Ohaaki Marae, marae chairs hui at the Waahi Whaanui Trust offices, and individual conversations with marae chairs and mana whenua organisations.
The wider community
- Residents: staff attended existing community meetings and events to talk with people who live and work here. Comments raised through Long Term Plan engagement were also taken into account, and progress was reported regularly to the Huntly Community Board.
- Business: one-to-one interviews with local employers, and a workshop attended by around 35 local businesses.
- Agencies: Waikato Regional Council, central government agencies and other regional organisations, to understand their roles here and line this plan up with work already under way.
What is driving change
Eight forces are shaping the township’s next decade. The plan responds to all of them.