What is Future Proof?

We estimate that there will be nearly half a million people living in Hamilton and the surrounding Waikato and Waipa districts by 2061. That means we will almost double our population in the next fifty years. We want to know our future by planning today. It’s important we work together now on the complex issues - future urban and rural land use, transport, natural and cultural resources, roads and essential infrastructure - and come up with a plan for our region to grow well and make the most of sharing its resources, so we have a quality of life we can all enjoy.

Future Proof is that plan. It is a growth strategy specific to the Hamilton, Waipa, and Waikato sub-region and has been developed jointly by Hamilton City Council, Waikato Regional Council, and Waipa and Waikato District Councils, as well as Tangata Whenua, the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) and Matamata-Piako District Council.

We all move between places in our region to live, work and play - so collective planning and action between government, residents and businesses is critical to the long-term success of our region.

The Future Proof growth strategy aims to manage growth in a collaborative way for the benefit of the Future Proof sub-region both from a community and a physical perspective. The growth strategy provides a framework for ongoing co-operation and implementation. This will ensure the costs and resources required to fund and manage infrastructure such as transport, wastewater, stormwater, recreation and cultural facilities are provided for.

This document is a summary of the full Future Proof Growth Strategy. It paints the big picture for the Hamilton, Waikato and Waipa region and discusses what that region might look like in 50 years time. It outlines the key influences and drivers and looks at the directions Hamilton City Council, Waipa District Council and Waikato District Council wish to take to ensure the region’s long-term sustainability.

It covers the four key areas of development, what might happen in those areas and some of the timing involved:

• Residential Development / Settlement Patterns
• Rural Land
• Business and Industrial Land
• Retail and Commercial Development

The Future Proof Strategy and Implementation Plan 2009 was launched by Prime Minister John Key and Kiingi Tuheitia in Hamilton on 8 September 2009.

• Read the launch speech by Independent Chair Bill Wasley.

Click here to download a copy of the full or summary Future Proof Growth Strategy documents.

Download a copy of the 2011 Future Proof briefing paper for Waikato MPs.