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O’Connor Planning Consultants director Burnette Macnicol has more than 15 years of planning experience, is an accredited hearings commissioner, lives locally and loves the outdoors. Here are her views on Warkworth’s growth:
Retaining characteristics that define the town will be key. These include:
- the ability to access and use the river and improve the water quality
- The treed environment – a key element of the residential character is dwellings and development nestled amongst established trees
- Retain the elevated hill features that surround the town, which form a green edge to the developed area
- Encourage areas of native vegetation along the northern side of the river and cloaking the Dome hills
To accommodate population growth, a range of living environments will be required to cater for young families and the growing retiring population – a ‘one size fits all’ approach is unlikely to achieve the desired outcomes in a manner that uses our land resource efficiently.
As growth occurs, we need to ensure that we create liveable spaces that are well connected in all senses – servicing, reserves, cycle ways and pedestrian networks. Key links within the town need to be preserved and enhanced such as the McKinney loop.
We need cycleways and pedestrian networks that co-exist on a separate network to the road network enabling people to move in and around the town in a safe and healthy way.
Urban design needs to be factored in to new development so we achieve high quality urban growth in an efficient way – we can have smaller sites interspersed with reserve areas and the connections mentioned above.
We need a vibrant town centre area catering to all ages and stages, which is more pedestrian-friendly and with key links to the river to enable more enjoyment and use of this special space.
Community gardens and fruit trees on under-utilised reserves could add value to open space areas and fulfil a community need to provide fresh fruit and vegetables.
This vision can be realised with a collective community vision that people support and through ongoing positive consultation and communication with community groups, developers and Council.
The greatest change will be an increased population living in a denser and intensified residential environment, along with associated outcomes such as increased traffic and noise. It will be difficult to maintain our ‘country feel’.
