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A 65-page draft plan for Warkworth town centre that cost nearly $103,000 to develop is going out for public consultation and feedback this month.
The draft Puhinui Warkworth Town Centre Plan 2023-33 includes a range of ideas aimed at re-orientating the town around the Mahurangi River, providing accessible paths and transport options, more public spaces, community facilities, nightlife and a sustainable and circular economy.
Rodney Local Board contracted community engagement group Community Think and urban designers Motu Design in June 2021 to work with residents, mana whenua, businesses, community groups, property owners and developers to create a plan for the town centre and river.
The board allocated a budget of $102,795 for the plan, with the aim of setting the direction for development of the area, guiding future decisions on place-making projects, public spaces, accessibility and connectivity, land use and community projects in and around the town centre and riverfront.
It was also intended to demonstrate more sustainable and collaborative ways of designing and developing the town centre that would meet the needs of the whole community, nurture and protect the river and provide a well-designed, vibrant and attractive place for everybody.
Community Think organised and oversaw a range of events and opportunities for public feedback and incorporated ideas into the resulting draft plan, which includes a look at Warkworth’s trends and issues, future growth, regional infrastructure, key town centre streets, walkways, and the riverfront.
The Puhinui Warkworth Town Centre Plan 2023-33 consultation period runs from Tuesday, July 4 to Monday, August 28.
View the draft proposal and submit feedback here: https://warkworthcentreplan.thinkport.nz/
Draft goals of the Puhinui Warkworth Town Centre Plan:
• illustrate a commitment to actions that improve the health and wellbeing of the river
• identify opportunities and projects for council and private landowners to improve the appearance and functioning of the town centre
• identify opportunities to improve the relationships between community facilities, the town centre and residential areas, including shared outcomes for further development
• provide for high quality public spaces that will become social and community hubs with attractive and safe pedestrian connections
• reflect Ngāti Manuhiri aspirations, culture and identity
• improve accessibility of the town centre for all modes of transport – walking, cycling, public transport, parking
• create a sense of place that reflects the diversity of the culture, history, people and their connections to the area
• demonstrate best practice community engagement and urban design
