It looks like the Council plan to rezone some areas at Waikawa Beach, in order to have more people living here:
[On 21 November 2018] Horowhenua District Council adopted its Growth Strategy, which identifies what is needed for successful future development of urban and industrial areas and where that development should occur.
“Our population is expected to increase by a third in the next 20 years,” said Horowhenua District Council Growth Response Manager Daniel Haigh. “However, growth in the past three years has exceeded expectations and, if maintained, will see Horowhenua reach those levels in the early 2030s.” …
Group Manager Strategy & Development David McCorkindale said “2018 has been a year of talking about the future of Horowhenua District as a whole”.
“In 2019 the conversation will shift to each location, and the first conversations will be with residents in Levin, Foxton Beach and Waitārere. We will be creating master plans for new neighbourhoods in growth areas in each location and that will then lead to District Plan changes.”
Mr McCorkindale said later in the year Council will bring to the community an urban growth District Plan change that will propose to rezone some of the growth areas identified in the Growth Strategy in Foxton Beach, Foxton, Ōhau, Manakau, Tokomaru and potentially Waikawa Beach. …
Source: Horowhenua will plan for new neighbourhoods in 2019 – Horowhenua District Council.
Read an interesting article on Stuff this morning … it feels like HDC is ignoring the sentiment from us as Waikawa Beach residents. GROWTH is a TERRIBLE MANTRA from the HDC
https://www.stuff.co.nz/opinion/108783158/how-mount-maunganui-turned-from-paradise-to-prison
” … Meanwhile, the emphasis on development carries on, with local councils full of the growth mantra that has destroyed this beach town one subdivided property at a time.
As large councils increasingly see themselves as quasi-corporates rather than community gatekeepers of this once uncluttered land, the development and growth continues with little regard for the loss of lifestyle the busy roads and endless subdivisions bring with them.”.
“… Today, Mount Maunganui is the place where the growth experiment failed. It serves as a tipping point, an example to all councils of what has been lost along the way. It is an example of what not to do.”.