Waikato District Council has adopted a Local Area Blueprint (LAB) for both Port Waikato and Gordonton.
The Blueprint is a plan that outlines how each area could progress over the next 30 years. Council says 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,” Council said in a statement.
It said Port Waikato aimed to be ‘a place with a rich history and natural beauty where the community is provided for and visitors are welcomed’.
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, she said.
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.
Read the Local Area Blueprint for Port Waikato and Gordonton.
