Published on 25 Mar 2025

Giving Rural Communities a Voice in Strategic Planning: Rural Resources Strategy

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Jacqui Haggland Senior Consultant Contact me

Hastings District Council found that despite rural communities comprising 15% of area’s population, they lacked representation in strategic planning, leaving their unique challenges unaddressed. Through our pro bono program, Allen + Clarke conducted a targeted scoping study that uncovered ways to address this significant policy gap. Our approach combined thorough document analysis with focused stakeholder engagement to identify rural priorities and provide practical pathways for a dedicated rural strategy - especially important after Cyclone Gabrielle's devastating impacts.

  • Document analysis revealed strong urban representation in council planning while rural communities' specific needs remained largely unaddressed.
  • Stakeholder feedback consistently identified environmental sustainability and economic resilience as top priorities, while tourism promotion ranked much lower.
  • We delivered two implementation options allowing the Council to choose between comprehensive new consultation or a more efficient approach using existing findings.
Our scoping study provided clear actionable outputs which gave the Council a solid foundation to make informed decisions about proceeding with a rural strategy as part of their Long-Term Plan.

Rural voices missing from strategic planning

The Hasting District Council's region included a significant rural population (15%) represented by the Rural Community Board (RCB). Despite having comprehensive urban-focused strategies, the Council lacked planning specifically addressing rural challenges. 

Rural communities faced complex issues including climate impacts, freshwater management, carbon farming and workforce shortages. Cyclone Gabrielle's impact - causing $800 million in transport infrastructure damage alone - highlighted the urgent need for better rural planning. 

Without a strategic framework focused on rural needs, the Council risked overlooking a critical portion of its population and economic base. They engaged Allen + Clarke to conduct a scoping study as the first step towards developing a dedicated rural strategy. 

We applied a practical, mixed-methods approach that combined research with direct community input. This approach built a comprehensive understanding of both the current policy landscape and rural communities' lived experiences, creating a solid foundation for strategy development. 

  • Website Generic Icons 1200x1200 GREEN 31 Thorough document review of existing council strategies and a gap analysis to identify where existing strategies missed rural-specific challenges.
  • Check mark Engaging stakeholders through targeted online interviews with RCB members and mana whenua.
  • Check mark Distribution of an online survey to stakeholders across various sectors.
  • Check mark Synthesis of findings to generate key insights and practical recommendations.
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Environmental sustainability and economic resilience are top rural priorities

Our document review showed that while some existing strategies acknowledged rural businesses' importance to the local economy, they failed to address rural communities' specific contexts and priorities. 

Stakeholder feedback clearly ranked environmental sustainability and economic resilience as top priorities, with community spaces also highly valued. Infrastructure challenges, particularly connectivity and road quality post-Cyclone Gabrielle, emerged as critical issues. 

Key findings included: 

  • Community assets like halls, schools and pubs serve as crucial gathering spaces that foster social connectedness and rural resilience. 

  • Farmers and growers feel disproportionately affected by rising compliance costs, often based on land areas rather than profit. 

  • Tensions exist between environmental sustainability practices and economic viability for primary industries. 

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Creating pathways for inclusive rural strategy development

Our scoping study provided clear actionable outputs which gave the Council a solid foundation to make informed decisions about proceeding with a rural strategy as part of their Long-Term Plan. By highlighting rural communities' unique challenges and opportunities, we helped emphasise the value of developed a tailored strategy that would provide better representation for a significant portion of the district's population and economic activity. 

  • Comprehensive analysis identifying specific gaps in rural representation. 

  • Evidence-based findings on rural priorities based on direct stakeholder input. 

  • Two practical development approaches which considered both efficiency and cost. 

  • Framework identifying potential beneficiaries across rural communities, Council and other agencies. 

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