Memorial Park in Te Awamutu features a large collection of heritage memorials, play areas, walkways and natural springs, framed by a collection of mature trees, our community has enjoyed picnicking and spending quiet time here for over 50 years.
We reached out to the community last year to understand their aspirations for Te Awamutu’s premier park, and we received a passionate response. They told us they wanted:
We're proposing a lot of changes to the original plan based on your feedback. These include:
We're still to adopt a final concept plan for Memorial Park, however we are keen to ensure that key aspects of the plan can be progressed in partnership with mana whenua, the Te Awamutu & District Memorial RSA and local community members to ensure the park remains a place our community enjoys visiting and is proud of.
Staff have undertaken a detailed analysis of the feedback and had subsequent discussions with mana whenua and the RSA.
These changes were reported to Te Awamutu Community Board on 9 March 2021 and will be presented to Council’s Strategic Policy and Planning Committee on 6 April 2021.
The proposed changes to Memorial Park in Te Awamutu received the most community feedback of all the big issues facing Waipā, and required a broad discussion during deliberations.
Following a second round of community consultation, it’s clear that the park is important to the community and the feedback strongly highlighted the desire to increase maintenance and make some necessary improvements to the park, rather than leave it as it is or implement the full Memorial Park Concept Plan.
Therefore Council landed somewhere between Option 1 – status quo, and Option 2 – fund the full implementation of the Memorial Park Concept Plan.
Council will remove some of the proposed features outlined, which will bring the project costs down to $5,075,500, which will be funded by asset sales.
The changes to the park will:
When considering changes to the park and the final design plan, consideration was given to the feedback and needs of stakeholders, including the RSA and mana whenua as well community feedback.
A key change that wasn’t deemed necessary from the community’s perspective to upgrade the playground will still go ahead due to the age and safety of some equipment.
Work will begin on a Heritage Management and Maintenance Plan in 2021/22 which will cover off the stone work along the front of the park.
The next steps in progressing the plan for Memorial Park will be to get stakeholders together again to ensure everyone is on the same page with what is proposed before work begins.
OPTION 1Status quo - no additional development at Memorial Park |
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OPTION 2Full implementation of Memorial Park final concept plan |
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This option:
But:
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This option:
But:
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COST: |
COST: |
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$0 |
$9,040,450 with $5,520,126 funding from asset sales |
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impact on rates: |
impact on rates: |
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$0
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Year 1 = $129,960 Year 2 = $255,479 Year 3 = $218,684 Year 4-10 yearly average = $416,600 |
Option 2, funded on the condition we could sell land assets, would meet mana whenua, RSA and our community’s aspirations for Memorial Park and bring this park to its full potential.
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