Today marks the beginning of community engagement on the review of the Waikato Regional Coastal Plan.    The regional coastal plan is the policy document with which Waikato Regional Council (WRC) manages coastal hazards,  sea level rise and climate change,  the effects of activities, and allocation of space, for activities undertaken within our coastal areas.

See http://waikatoregion.govt.nz/healthy-environments

http://waikatoregion.govt.nz/council/policy-and-plans/healthy-environments/rcp-review/

In this first round of community engagement WRC will be asking the community for feedback on key issues, and on ways they think we can improve the current coastal plan. Feedback will be sought between November 2019 and February 2020 with further community engagement planned throughout 2020 and early 2021.

The Healthy Environments/Regional Plan review webpage will be updated with information to assist the community to provide feedback.  The webpage includes a preliminary list of issues that we have been gathered over the years on coastal matters. There will be options to provide online or written feedback.

A range of communications material has been produced including a brochure. In the coming weeks it is intended to write to all major stakeholders, community groups and iwi partners with an invitation extended to provide their input.

If there are stakeholders and community groups who you would like WRC to make sure we touch base with please send their names, and an email contact if you have one, to me at Denis.Tegg@waikatoregion.govt.nz and I will make that happen.

Feedback gained will be used to refine the issues to be addressed in the coastal plan and will be reported through to WRC early 2020. This engagement is one of many steps to work toward a notification date of a refreshed coastal plan in mid-2021.