Waikato District Council adopted the Local Area Blueprint (LAB) for both Port Waikato and Gordonton this week, following consultation with both communities to identify their unique aspirations.
The Blueprint is a plan that outlines how each area could progress over the next 30 years. A robust consultation process was undertaken with both communities involving questionnaires, site visits, technical workshops and public consultation sessions to make sure the community priorities were reflected.
The process empowered locals to work together to develop a community focused vision, and to identify both challenges and opportunities within their respective hometowns.
Port Waikato aims to be ‘a place with a rich history and natural beauty where the community is provided for and visitors are welcomed’.
Top initiatives include undertaking a public realm upgrade at the wharf area to make a gateway statement and address the lack of gathering space.
Port Waikato Ratepayers and Residents Association Chair, Leah Fry, says adding wayfinding and orientation signage will highlight the significance of the wharf to the community and visitors.
“The wharf is the heart and identity of our community, so we want to share the stories and history of our home”, says Ms. Fry.
Gordonton hopes to re-establish its local markets including appropriate infrastructure for parking and safety protocols for traffic as one of its top priorities.
The reinvigoration of the markets will support bringing the Gordonton vision of ‘a compact satellite village with its own unique identity where a close-knit community welcomes visitors’ to life.
ENDS
For the editor:
Waikato District Council is taking a new approach to town planning. Since 2019, it has been creating Local Area Blueprints to address community social, economic and environmental needs across the district. Each Blueprint is co-designed with the community and considers identity, nature, iwi, communities, growth, economy, transport, infrastructure and governance. Having a clear sense of the community’s priorities will help direct Council’s resources towards the things that are really important to the community.
With the adoption of both the Port Waikato and Gordonton Local Area Blueprint this week, there are now 18 unique blueprints.
For more information, please contact:
Shelby Woodrow, Communications Advisor
communications@waidc.govt.nz
