Fifty-year vision for the district endorsed by Council
Feet on the Ground
Eyes on the Future
Hearts in the Right Place
These small phrases tell a big story about Central Otago people, whose aspirations have been captured in a fifty-year vision for the region.
This week, the Central Otago District Council (CODC) endorsed a fifty-year vision that articulates the aspirations of the people of Central Otago. Central Otago - Our Place in the World represents the voices of the many people who participated in the research and engagement process, through initial stakeholder workshops, ward-based focus groups and a wide-reaching public survey. It captures the views of young people, who shared their dreams for the future of this place, with Aukaha helping to ensure that mana whenua perspectives were visible in this glimpse of the future.
The Shaping Tomorrow Together project gauged what the community valued most about living in Central Otago. The results were presented in the Central Otago Community Survey report, which was shared with Council during a public workshop last year. Key insights revealed that a strong sense of security and personal safety, combined with a vibrant community spirit, were central to residents’ quality of life. Respect for the natural environment, for peaceful enjoyment and recreation was identified as a top priority. Affordability and the need to manage growth were also highlighted as important. Embracing the future, while honouring Central Otago’s past was another key aspect identified in the research report.
“Council’s endorsement is a significant milestone for the Central Otago District Vision project and cements its role as a foundation document for future strategic thinking about Central Otago,” CODC Community Development Advisor, Rebecca Williams said. “Anyone working in, or for, Central Otago, can now access information that articulates the aspirations of the people that live here.”
“This work is the first of its kind for Central Otago. It has provided a rich body of evidence and has been used to revise the Council’s community outcomes, which are included in the 2025-34 Long-term Plan, and provided the foundation for the updated Economic Development Strategy, which is currently underway” CODC Group Manager – Community Vision Dylan Rushbrook said.
Mrs Williams acknowledged everyone who had been involved in the project, noting it as a personal career highlight. “This vision is the result of many different contributors, each of whom have influenced its outcome and I want to take a moment to thank them.”
Accompanying the presentation to Council was one of the videos that was used during the community engagement phase of the project. This video is a celebration of living in Central Otago and can be found here: Shaping Tomorrow Together | Let’s Talk Central Otago.
The next piece of work to flow from this is the development of high-level indicators, to help track progress towards achieving these aspirations. These may include measures such as perceptions of safety and housing affordability. This work is already underway and is expected to be brought back to Council for input later in the year.
Link to the workshop presentation and survey results can be found here: PowerPoint Presentation
