Hawke’s Bay Regional Council has launched Our Strategy 2026-2030 | Tā Tātou Rautaki, a new strategic framework that set the direction for the Council’s work and aims to shift the dial on critical environmental issues.

At the heart of the strategy are five strategic priorities that will guide where the Council focuses its effort and investment and support informed community discussion ahead of the next 2027-2037 Long Term Plan.

The three core priorities are reducing food risk, supporting water security, and promoting healthy land and water, supported by two cross-cutting priorities: responding to a changing climate and strengthening financial health and affordability.

Council Chair Sophie Siers says the strategy reflects what councillors have heard from the community about the importance of delivering the services that have the most impact across the region.

“We want to shift the dial and reduce flood risk through an effective combination of flood protection and natural systems, reduce the gap between supply and demand of freshwater, and support land and water health through strong collective action.”

“To do this, requires some hard choices about what to fund and when over the next decade. These strategic priorities give us a clear framework for focusing our effort on what matters most for the region, while being upfront about the financial constraints we’re operating under,” says Chair Siers.

The priorities will be the foundation for a regionwide communications and engagement programme over the next year, designed to build awareness, understanding and meaningful discussion across Hawke’s Bay ahead of the 2027–2037 Long Term Plan.

In the year leading up to the formal Long Term Plan consultation, Council will take a structured, sustained approach to engagement – using a mix of digital engagement, surveys, polls and meeting people at community events– to ensure people understand the challenges facing the region and how they can be involved in future decisions.

Chair Siers says the approach reflects Council’s commitment to transparency and informed participation.

“We want people to understand not just what we’re prioritising, but why. These conversations are about building a shared understanding of the challenges ahead, the unavoidable tradeoffs, and how we can make the best decisions for Hawke’s Bay together,” she says.

The engagement programme is intended to support informed discussion rather than replace formal consultation, which will occur through the Long Term Plan process in March through May 2027. Feedback gathered over the coming year will help shape the options and decisions considered as part of the next Long Term Plan.

More information about the strategic priorities and upcoming engagement opportunities will be shared as the programme gets underway.

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