Growth – Properly funding growth

The need for a community-led approach to development planning is a message that is coming through loud and clear. There are examples of this approach being successful locally, such as with the establishment of the Transport and Infrastructure Forum and One Mahurangi’s successes with Hill Street, Te Honohono ki Tai/Matakana link road and Watercare’s pipeline in Queen Street. Mayor Brown at the NAG annual general meeting recently said that if locals wanted authority they should take it, implying that the necessary planning would not come from council. WALG is taking up that challenge in conjunction with One Mahurangi.

WALG has already started to involve community groups and landowners in this process. It has met with the bowling club to discuss options for the development of its landholdings for the benefit of both the club and the community. The technical group is meeting to prepare some development options for the town centre, with group discussions, before presenting them to the general community at an open exhibition and further public discussion meetings.

In doing so, it will be necessary to talk to all landowners and businesses to see what opportunities realistically exist to enhance the centre to accommodate those increased demands for new retail, accommodation, community facilities and parking.

The message is that changes will have to be made to meet these demands, but not at the cost of what the community wants for the centre. It has historic character on its “main” streets and attractive features such as the riverside, which need to be enhanced in conjunction with appropriately
designed new buildings.

Warkworth has to become more of a destination where locals and visitors will stay longer and use all the amenities and facilities available. There should be a theme that identifies its uniqueness. Many town centres have adopted such an approach, developed through Main Street programmes where businesses, councils and the community come together. The Warkworth community needs to create such a theme.

How will all the additional infrastructure and facilities be funded? The Mayor clearly stated that “growth should pay for growth”. It is not the existing community that should pay, but the developers through extended development contributions, as is already being applied elsewhere in Auckland City.

The cost of new roads, services, community, health recreational facilities, and schools could reach around $120,000 to $150,000 per household unit. Previously, development contributions were substantially less. These increased contributions have to become the norm. It will, however, increase the cost of sections and houses, as the developers will have to pass these on.

All this highlights the need for a much more integrated approach around how development can be funded and implemented, and in an appropriate and realistic time frame. Council, government agencies and developers have to work more closely to find a solution. The present approach with development being promoted ahead of time is creating significant issues that need to be properly resolved.