Western Bay of Plenty residents are being invited to have their say on recreation and open spaces, including a new dog park.

The community's thoughts and ideas will inform Western Bay of Plenty District Council's new reserve management plan for the Te Puke-Maketu ward, which includes stretches from Te Puke along the coast to Otamarakau including Pongakawa, Paengaroa and Pukehina.

Open online for feedback from Monday this week, the reserve management plan is Council's guidebook for recreation and open spaces. It sets out how Council has agreed to develop and manage these spaces over the next 10 years.

'Recreation and open spaces hold a lot of value for our communities, and as our region grows it's important to make sure these spaces are well planned and looked after,” says senior recreation planner Katy McGinty.

The review includes big ticket items such as transforming part of Lawrence Oliver Park in Te Puke into a dog park, and starts the conversation on where should Te Puke's new indoor pool be built? By the schools? In the centre of town? Or by the sportsgrounds?

'The best way for us to get it right is to talk and listen to you. By talking about the future of our reserves now we can put plans in place and make the changes you want to see in your community.”

Feedback will help inform draft reserve management plan and guide the proposals we present – such as the preferred locations for Te Puke's new indoor pool.

These proposals will be shared for everyone to consider early in 2022 before the plan is adopted in June 2022.

'We've created an online hub where you can share your thoughts on the various topics using online maps, polls, digital pin boards and surveys,” says Katy.

'We want to make it easy and fun for you to share your ideas and thoughts.”

Other topics being considered are

- Jubilee Park / Jamieson Oval development in Te Puke

- Reserve development in Maketu and Pukehina

- Playgrounds

- Natural and artificial shade

- Memorial gardens

- Horse riding

- Naming of places

People can have their say on key topics by visiting WBOPDC's website.

Feedback opened from September 13 and runs through to October 11.

Your feedback will inform the development of the plan, which will then be released for formal consultation for two months from March 2022.