International recognition for Te Pātukurea | Kerikeri Waipapa Spatial Plan

The project has won the Commonwealth Association of Planners 2026 Award for Outstanding Practice in Planning for Human Settlements / Plan-Making in the Commonwealth.

After winning the 2026 New Zealand Planning Institute (NZPI) Best Practice Award | Strategic or non-Statutory Planning, and the Nancy Northcroft Supreme Planning Practice Award, Te Pātukurea Kerikeri Waipapa Spatial Plan has been recognised by the Commonwealth Association of Planners (CAP).

Under the umbrella of the Commonwealth of Nations, CAP brings together 30 national professional planning organizations around the world, which represent almost 40,000 professional planners.

In the Award citation, the judges said:

Te Pātukurea Spatial Plan for Kerikeri-Waipapa is an outstanding example of integrated, long-term spatial planning.

Developed through partnership with hapū and combining scenario testing, infrastructure planning, compact-growth principles, climate and hazard resilience, and staged delivery, the plan provides a clear framework for sustainable growth over the next 30 years.

Its technical strength, cultural grounding and coordinated approach to land use, infrastructure and community needs offer valuable lessons for planners across the Commonwealth.

This is the fourth honour from the Commonwealth Association of Planners for Boffa Miskell. Earlier awards include category wins for the Milford Sound Piopiotahi Masterplan (2022) and the Waikawa Integrated Catchment Management Plan (2024), alongside a commendation for the Tūpuna Maunga Integrated Management Plan Strategies (2020).