Two Whakatāne-based events – The Local Wild Food Festival and Trust Horizon Light Up Whakatāne – have been nominated as finalists for the 2024 New Zealand Events Association Awards.

In a move towards revitalising the Central Business District (CBD), the Council has announced the purchase of the property at 144 The Strand (old Credit Union). This site has been identified as a strategic location within the CBD, playing a crucial role in the town's future regeneration efforts.

Whakatāne District Council is celebrating a double win at the Taituarā Excellence Awards.

For the second year in a row, the Council has been recognised in the Organisation and People Development category of the Taituarā Excellence Awards for its innovative Reimagining Work programme.

This category highlights projects focusing on organisational redesign, human resource management, leadership development, or other means of building staff and organisational capability.

The second round of the Reorua ki Whakatāne fund, which is aimed at promoting the use of the Māori language in the township, has opened last week (Monday, May 27, 2024).

In a move to ensure road names reflect local history, culture, and identity, Whakatāne District Council Elected Members have approved the draft Road Naming and Addressing Policy to go out for public consultation. 

The current policy was last reviewed in 2014. The current policy review aims to provide a clear, inclusive process for naming and renaming roads, better aligning with the Council's vision, strategic priorities and strategies.

The Council encourages public feedback on several key proposed changes, including:

Last week (30 May), Whakatāne District Council's Infrastructure and Planning Committee approved the Three Waters Consent Replacement Strategy, which outlines the Council’s approach to renewing resource consents for drinking water and wastewater.

The Council is already underway with a plan for stormwater management and has lodged a comprehensive consent that will cover stormwater discharges in the Whakatāne township catchment. Similar consents for other schemes will start gradually over the next five to 10 years. 

Whakatāne District Council has decided to withdraw a proposed plan change that would’ve introduced new rules for the use of audible bird scaring devices, such as gas guns, in the district.
The decision follows a pre-hearing mediation process, where Council staff, the kiwifruit industry and affected residents agreed to work together to find alternative solutions to reduce the noise impacts of bird scaring on the community.