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Nowhere in the Mahurangi district is the rapid pace of change more evident than in Matakana.
In the space of just over 10 years, the quiet country village has been transformed into a Mecca for holidaymakers and weekend day-trippers.
And like bees to a honey pot, new businesses and housing developments are springing up to cater for the area’s newfound popularity.
While some may mourn the passing of the Matakana they once knew, others are embracing the change but are apprehensive about the lack of Council investment in infrastructure to cater for the growth.
The Matakana Community Group, which formed several years ago during the Slow Town debate, has identified three priority projects this year – remedying the open drains along Matakana Valley Road, completion of the walkway bridge from Tamahunga Drive, and the opening of a school/public carpark in Logan Campbell’s paddock, adjacent to the school.
Chair Simon Barclay believes that Matakana’s best interests will be served if all stakeholders – residents, businesses and the school community – can work collaboratively.
“People must be kept well-informed and consultation is essential,” he told this month’s meeting.
“Matakana is a fabulous place to live but unless we work together, we could lose it. There is development happening now that is completely out of keeping with the aims and aspirations of the 2006-2016 Matakana Structure Plan.”
The group plans to hold a community engagement event in the cinema complex in early April to encourage greater stakeholder buy-in.
Group member Amanda Stewart says the display will be an opportunity for the community to see what the group has achieved through projects such as the walkway/cycleway, to view current projects and to revisit the Structure Plan, with the view of planning the village’s future direction.
Group member Chelsea de Barry says looking forward, it will be about identifying “who we are, what we stand for and how we want Matakana to develop in the future”.
The Matakana Community Group meets in the meeting room beside the Matakana Hall on the first Thursday of every month, starting at 7.30pm. New members and visitors welcome.
