What Hawea can learn from Wanaka

More Than a Population Boom

by Kate Murray, GM Community Link

Not that long ago, many people in Wānaka looked across the Crown Range at Queenstown with a sense of envy.

Queenstown felt vibrant, dynamic and full of opportunity.

Today, many locals still admire what Queenstown has achieved, but they also see some of the challenges that can accompany rapid growth, including congestion, affordability pressures, pressure on local infrastructure, and the feeling that residents can sometimes struggle to keep pace with the demands of a growing international destination.

The reality is that growth itself is not the problem.

The challenge is managing growth in a way that strengthens a community rather than weakening the things that people value most about it.

That is why I find Hāwea such an interesting place to watch.

Over the past few years, Hāwea has experienced extraordinary growth, with its population roughly doubling between 2018 and 2023.

New neighbourhoods continue to emerge, more families are putting down roots, and Hāwea is increasingly becoming a thriving community in its own right. That growth brings enormous opportunities. It also raises an important question.

In twenty years' time, will Hāwea look at Wānaka the way Wānaka looks at Queenstown today?

The Benefit of Hindsight

One advantage Hāwea has is that it is not starting from scratch.

It has the benefit of hindsight.

Wānaka's growth journey offers lessons that can help shape Hāwea's future.

When people talk about growth, the conversation usually centres on roads, water infrastructure, commercial development and housing.

Those things matter.

But if there is one lesson many communities learn, it is that a successful place is about far more than physical infrastructure.

It is about relationships.

It is about belonging.

It is about creating opportunities for people to connect with one another and feel part of something larger than themselves.

Growth can happen quickly.

Community takes longer to build.

The Foundations Are Already Here

The encouraging thing is that Hāwea already demonstrates many of the qualities that help strong communities thrive.

The Hāwea Community Association has spent decades bringing people together, advocating for local issues and helping residents shape the future of their community. One of the simplest but most effective examples is Errol's community newsletter, which helps residents stay connected with local news, events, activities and conversations, strengthening the sense of community that makes Hāwea special.

Community projects, volunteer initiatives, local events and grassroots groups continue to create opportunities for people to build connections and strengthen local identity.

Across the wider Upper Clutha, we see the same spirit every day.

We see it through organisations like Food For Love, which supports families during difficult times, and Wheels to Dunstan, which helps residents access essential medical appointments.

We see it in Kahu Youth, which creates opportunities for young people to connect, grow and thrive.

We see it in the volunteers behind Meals on Wheels, Pet Therapy, community sport and countless community organisations that quietly strengthen the social fabric of our region.

These initiatives are all very different.

But they share a common purpose.

They help people feel supported, connected and part of their community.

Those connections become even more important as communities grow.

Building the Future We Want

Perhaps the real opportunity is that Hāwea gets something Wānaka never had.

The benefit of learning from the experience of those who have already travelled a similar path.

The question is not whether Hāwea will grow.

The question is what kind of community it wants to become as it grows.

We spend a lot of time discussing how many houses will be built, where infrastructure needs to go and how populations may change.

Perhaps we should spend just as much time asking how we create connection, belonging and opportunities for people to contribute.

Because thriving communities are not created by growth alone.

They are created by people who choose to invest in one another.

Practical Takeaways – How Can I Help?

Support local groups, events and activities that bring people together.

Take the time to welcome new neighbours and help them feel part of the community.

Consider volunteering for a local organisation, school, club or community initiative.

Get involved in conversations about the future of your community and have your say on the places and spaces that matter.

Hāwea's future is not being shaped solely by developers, planners or population forecasts.

It is being shaped by the everyday choices made by the people who live there.

The opportunity in front of Hāwea is not to avoid growth.

It is to show that growth and community can grow together.

Because if Wānaka has taught us anything, it is that communities need to be nurtured as intentionally as the roads, parks and buildings that serve them.