Dunedin is one of the world’s great small cities.
We have a thriving economy, a connected and supportive community and a distinctive built environment. We are active, safe and healthy, vibrant and creative and sustainable and resilient. We are a city of learning and we value and protect our natural environment.
To help direct the city’s limited resources towards achieving this vision, the Council, along with the community and stakeholders, has been developing a strategic framework with key priorities for investment, effort and development.
The Strategies
All of the eight key strategies are now in place:
- The 3 Waters Strategic Direction Statement sets out how the DCC will ensure the city has safe, reliable and affordable water services.
- The Spatial Plan shapes the form of the city.
- The Economic Development Strategy sets out priorities for creating jobs, incomes and opportunities.
- The Social Wellbeing Strategy outlines how the DCC will foster inclusive communities and quality lifestyles.
- The Integrated Transport Strategy sets priorities for how the safe and efficient movement of people and goods will be supported.
- Ara Toi Ōtepoti Arts and Culture Strategy roadmaps strategic actions which support the creative sector in Dunedin and develop an environment which acknowledges the intrinsic value of the arts.
- Te Ao Tūroa, Dunedin’s Environment Strategy delineates Dunedin’s climate change impact plan and connects the communities with sustainable ecology and environmental actions.
- The Parks and Recreation Strategy develops the use of Dunedin’s open spaces, recreation facilities and parks to connect and value our spaces and promote more active communities.
All of the strategies, and Council’s decision-making in general, are underpinned by two key principles: sustainability, and respect for the Treaty of Waitangi.
Through the Long Term Plan, and within the parameters of its Financial Strategy, the Council outlines its commitment to resourcing the activity to deliver the city’s strategic priorities.
Te Taki Haruru, Dunedin City Councils Māori Strategic Framework
A Unified Pathway to Wellbeing in Ōtepoti
Te Taki Haruru is more than a strategy—it’s a city-wide commitment to collective wellbeing. Grounded in shared values, this framework was developed through genuine collaboration to support all whānau in Ōtepoti to thrive, now and into the future. It brings to life the vision of Kāika Ōtepoti, Kāika Oraka – A Thriving Home, A Thriving Village, shaping a future where our tamariki and mokopuna inherit a city that nurtures their cultural, social, economic, and environmental wellbeing.
For mana whenua and Māori, Te Taki Haruru represents an intentional and deeply grounded commitment to intergenerational wellbeing. It acknowledges the need to create the right conditions - socially, culturally, environmentally, and economically -so that all communities can flourish.