Ahu Ake plan a finalist in geospatial awards
Waipā’s ‘‘biggest and most important plan’’ is up for a prize less than half-way through its development.
Ahu Ake – Waipā Community Spatial Plan has been named a finalist in the Asia
Pacific Spatial Excellence Awards in the Community Impact category. The entry is based on models that map out the district – down to farm herd sizes – and StoryMaps that were created to help understand what the district’s future could look like, a statement from Waipā District Council said.
‘‘This is the biggest and most important plan we have ever created and already a lot of work has gone into it. This is a testament to that work,’’ chief executive Garry Dyet said.
‘‘We’ve worked alongside Beca to create a series of GIS models which map out everything from all rivers and tributaries and green spaces in our district to the type of farm animal and size of herd on every farm,’’ Dyet said.
That’s been used to look at future options for the district and bring them to life through the online interactive tool, StoryMaps, he said. The StoryMaps can be viewed online.
The council is now working on the first draft of the spatial plan. It will be shared with the community in early 2023 for feedback.
Once developed, Ahu Ake will be a blueprint for the district for the next 30-plus years and will influence everything from transport and housing to how growth will occur, the council said.
‘‘We still have a long way to go until we have a complete spatial plan, including extensive engagement with the community in 2023, but this is a very encouraging start.’’
The awards celebrate the best, most innovative projects that use spatial data to solve real-world problems. Winners will be announced on Thursday, November 3, in Wellington. More information about the project can be found at ahuakewaipa.nz.