Ōpōtiki Harbour Development
World demand for seafood is increasing rapidly. The World Bank predicts aquaculture will supply over 60 percent of the fish we eat by 2030. Ōpōtiki is poised to contribute, with 160 kilometres of coastline encompassing thousands of hectares of highly productive seawater that has the potential to support a sizable aquaculture industry.
Large scale aquaculture requires a safe, accessible harbour for boats servicing and harvesting product from offshore marine farms. The existing Ōpōtiki harbour entrance is limited to smaller boats, which can only cross the bar in good conditions. The Ōpōtiki Harbour Development Project will provide access for larger boats by creating an entrance that is navigable in all but the worst conditions, enabling Ōpōtiki to become a service and processing base for aquaculture and other marine related industries.
The Ōpōtiki Harbour Development Project is underpinned by a strong commitment from local community leaders, including iwi and Council, to improve the community’s social and economic wellbeing by creating new jobs, increasing the average household income across the district, and adding millions to the economy.
Read Te Ara Moana a Toi – a path to the sea (redacted version).pdf
Harbour-Wharf Masterplan
The Ōpōtiki Harbour Development is on track to open at the end of 2023. This is an exciting time, and we are well placed to plan out how the community wants the harbour and wharf space to look and function over the next five, 10, 20 years.
ŌDC has created a masterplan to maximise the benefits of the harbour development project, for both recreational and commercial users of the new harbour. Council endorsed the Ōpōtiki Harbour-Wharf Masterplan at the 27 September 2022 Council meeting.
You can read the Harbour-Wharf Masterplan here
and read the report for Council here.
Some key features of the masterplan are:
- it identifies the users of the harbour and wharf areas, and enables Council to strategically plan its assets and services, to maximise the many different benefits the harbour development project will bring to the district
- it identifies the best economic opportunities that Council and the public can pursue when the harbour opens (e.g., the wharf has been identified as a location where charter boats and tourism business could operate from because it’s well connected to the town centre)
- it plans ahead for the increase of recreational fishers Ōpōtiki district expects to receive short after the harbour opens, by planning our purpose-built facilities
- it provides recreational value for users of the wharf and build on the other recreational facilities in the town centre by looking to connect these two areas.
Earthquake-prone buildings
The Building Act 2004 and the Building (Earthquake-prone Buildings) Amendment Act 2016 set out the legislative requirements for earthquake-prone buildings in New Zealand. The legislation aims to identify buildings that are at risk of collapse in an earthquake and ensure they are strengthened or demolished to reduce the risk of harm to people and property.
Local councils have a key role in implementing the legislation and identifying earthquake-prone buildings in their districts. Councils are responsible for assessing buildings and issuing earthquake-prone building notices to building owners. The notices require the building owner to either strengthen or demolish the building within a specified timeframe.
Building owners have a responsibility to ensure their buildings are safe and comply with the legislation. They must take action if their building is identified as earthquake-prone, either by strengthening or demolishing it. Building owners must also display an earthquake-prone building notice in a visible location to inform the public of the building's status.
The cost of strengthening or demolishing an earthquake-prone building can be substantial, and the government has introduced measures to support building owners. This includes funding assistance and low-interest loans for eligible building owners.
If you have any questions, please call Katherine Hall, Policy Planner on 07 315 3030.
Ōpōtiki town centre revitalisation project
We want the Ōpōtiki town centre to be a vibrant area that reflects the past, present and future communities.
Council continues to move at pace with revitalising the Ōpōtiki CBD, using the funding provided from the Provincial Growth Unit. Several projects have been completed in the last 12 months, and several more are programmed for the coming year.
- Development of a masterplan. (This will be completed by the end of the year).
- Spruce it Up: Council and building owners work together to smarten up the town centre. This could include activities such as painting building facades; repairing verandahs; decluttering signage and replacing flags. (New flags have been ordered and we expect them to be in place by September)
- Heritage and Taonga: Council work with stakeholders to develop a heritage and taonga trail into, and around, the town centre. (A group of students from Ōpōtiki College will provide assistance by developing a website and information boards)
- Connecting land and sea: Council work with stakeholders to develop a walkway/cycleway between the town centre and wharf. (Work will start on the cycle trail connection between the town and wharf by the end of August.)