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The development of a Town Centre Plan for Warkworth is one of One Mahurangi Business Association’s priorities this year, but it has already been told by Auckland Council that there is no money available to fund it.
Association co-chair Bevan Morrison describes the plan as the skeleton for the future of the town, which will underpin how the town centre grows and prospers.
“With all the change that’s coming, this plan is critical and we want to see it started this year,” Morrison says.
“But it needs to be done professionally and in a format that Council can use.”
The association is in talks with the Rodney Local Board to see if it might assist.
Morrison says the plan won’t come cheap and estimates it could cost “hundreds of thousands”.
But he is convinced that the town needs a plan so it can move forward with a positive framework. He identifies parking and traffic management as two fundamental issues that need to be addressed if Warkworth wants to attract visitors once the new motorway opens.
“We know whatever we come up with won’t please everyone, but we need to start the discussion. How do we turn the town towards the river, is one-way traffic through the town centre an option and so on.”
In Orewa, which also found itself bypassed by State Highway 1, a Centre Plan was prepared and adopted by the Hibiscus and Bays Local Board in 2015.
It set out some high level visions and aims, listed future priorities, focused on town centre development and included a project list. It also outlined development trends and opportunities.
