REGIONAL STRATEGY​​​​​​​

Rautaki Rohe

Kōkiri ai te Waka Hourua

Te Tai Tokerau moving forward in partnership - a regional strategy for play, active recreation and sport

What is Kōkiri ai te Waka Hourua?

Kōkiri ai te Waka Hourua is the 2021-31 strategy for play, active recreation and sport in Te Tai Tokerau. 

Undertaken as a collaborative project between the Northland Sport Coalition, Sport Northland, the four Northland Councils, Te Kahu o Taonui (the Iwi Chair’s Collective) and Sport NZ, the strategy provides a high-level strategic framework to guide decision making for play, active recreation and sport in Te Tai Tokerau.  

First and foremost, the strategy looks to create a bi-cultural future for play, active recreation and sport in Te Tai Tokerau, with the name (Kōkiri ai te Waka Hourua) reflecting a desire to move forward under the waka hourua (double-hulled canoe/waka) partnership, allowing people to give effect from a tangata whenua (iwi/hapū /marae/whānau) approach and a tangata tiriti (people of the Treaty/non-Māori) approach. ​​​​​​​

This strategy and its insights will help guide our approach, programme of work and how best to undertake planning for future provision. By working in a collaborative manner, a view of the priorities for future play, active recreation and sport needs has been developed. It is intended this will help guide Councils across Te Tai Tokerau, and relevant funding agencies, in their decision making. It will also help the sector as a whole be better informed as to what the needs, rather than wants, are across the region. ​​​​​​​

Relevant Documents:

Northland Aquatic Facilities Plan


Northland Sports Coalition Executive Annual Plan


​​​​​​​District Spaces & Places Plans

There is an importance and need for Kōkiri ai te Waka Hourua to be supported by district level, facility and programmes focused plans and strategies. Whangārei, Kaipara and the Far North district level plans will help inform future reviews of the over-arching regional strategy and will collectively inform council long term plans (LTPs) and work programmes across the full range of sector organisations.  

Kaipara Spaces and Places Plan   ​​​​​​​

Whangarei Active Recreation and Sport Strategy

Whangārei Indoor and Outdoor Courts Strategy


Whangārei Sports Field Supply and Demand Study


For more information about Kōkiri ai te Waka Hourua or the District Spaces and Places Plans, contact Brittany White, Sector Strategy & Community Funding Lead on 022 4753054 or [email protected]

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