A draft roadmap shows quick, short-, mid- and long-term visions which include shade structures, restorative planting, adventure play features, barbecues, seating, toilet block, drinking fountain, fitness equipment, cultural narratives and educational signage.
A draft roadmap shows quick, short-, mid- and long-term visions which include shade structures, restorative planting, adventure play features, barbecues, seating, toilet block, drinking fountain, fitness equipment, cultural narratives and educational signage.
The council has called on the community for a hui at the Kerepehi Community Hall on December 12 to “learn what’s possible and tell us what you think”.
“The fun’s about to begin but we need your voice in the kōrero,” a council spokesperson said.
“Following on from our placemaking kōrero with the Kerepehi community, and with the adoption of the Kerepehi Placemaking Plan, we’re now ready to look at options for one of the placemaking projects, the playground upgrade.”
Led by design company Isthmus, the plans are designed to reflect the aspirations of iwi partners and communities to improve public spaces.
Placemaking plans set out a series of key projects and a toolkit of interventions to support communities in delivering local opportunities.
A projects overview map for Kerepehi.
In Kerepehi, priority projects include the playground upgrade, green link connections and street identity activations with walking and cycling tracks and a wharf upgrade tagged as placemaking projects.
The community has already told the council the playground is a well-used community space, but the existing equipment is limited and does not cater to a range of ages or abilities.
There is a strong desire for enhanced opportunities for expression through mahi toi (art and craft), along with integrating the area’s history and cultural connections.
Improvements could include creating safe, illuminated areas for rangatahi with diverse activities and incorporating fruit-bearing trees that provide shade.
The community said the space currently feels run-down, and simple upgrades such as painting fences and maintaining the existing equipment could make a significant difference.
The playground vision for Kerepehi.
Additionally, the playground could benefit from spaces designed to accommodate larger family groups, fostering a more inclusive and welcoming environment.
A draft roadmap showed quick, short-, mid- and long-term visions which included shade structures, restorative planting, adventure play features, barbecues, seating, toilet block, drinking fountain, fitness equipment, cultural narratives and educational signage.
Colour scheme concepts, signage, street furniture, planting and application zones were also presented in the plans.
The council spokesperson said they were ready to begin the work in bringing the ideas to life by “showcasing local history, values, and community spirit while fostering love and connection to these towns”.
In September 2023 Isthmus was contracted as the lead adviser to undertake the Placemaking planning work. The initial scope of the project was workshopped with the council’s community partnerships committee.
Council staff met with mana whenua in October 2023 to discuss the idea of placemaking and how the council could partner with iwi.
The first project update was reported to the council in December 2023 with two subsequent updates going to the Community Partnerships Committee.
There are three main phases in the project:
Speaking together – In this first co-design phase Isthmus and council staff undertook a stocktake of the three towns, met with Hauraki iwi, and engaged with the community via face-to-face events. The focus of this engagement was to establish a story of place and what people’s vision and goals are for their town, what they want to see more of in their public spaces, and what challenges and opportunities exist. The communities’ initial ideas and comments were presented to the community partnerships committee in February in the placemaking plans stocktake.
Imaging together – This second co-design phase took place during the week of February and included Isthmus-led public workshops in Paeroa, Ngatea, and Kerepehi. Workshops were also held at Hauraki Plains College, Paeroa College and Goldfields School. The co-design conversations centred on high-level vision and goals for the towns, specific projects people would like to see happen, and inspiring creativity through the use of collage. A report on this co-design phase was presented to the community partnerships committee in June. Hui were held with iwi to discuss what collective stories, history and key principles they would be happy to share with the community in the placemaking plans.
Planning Together – This phase of the project involved meetings between Isthmus, council staff and key stakeholders, such as the Waikato Regional Council and Waka Kotahi to further discuss the proposed projects. A hui was held with iwi to receive feedback on the draft plans. A hui was also held with councillors to receive feedback on the draft plans. The meeting with staff from the Waikato Regional Council centred around the importance of the stopbanks to the communities as recreational spaces and the importance of the stop-banks for flood protection. Isthmus and staff discussed the potential of working together to maintain the integrity of the stopbanks, while also enabling placemaking projects.
