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MANGAWHAI'S NO.1 NEWSPAPER  header call 
Melody sales@mangawhaifocus.co.nz 021454814
Nadia n.lewis@xtra.co.nz 021677978
Reporting: Julia news@mangawhaifocus.co.nz 0274641673
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Your Questions Answered - Careful planning needed to cope with growth

 

The property feature in the Mangawhai Focus last week – with the headline Housing boom brewing - should cause Council and all in Mangawhai to reflect on the implications that this has for community development.

• Growth puts Council on notice that good de-sign and investment is required for the infra-structure that supports growth. In particular, the layout and form of our roads and intersec-tions need thought for both safety and traffic flow reasons; footpath decisions need to be made; and our storm water and waste systems need to keep up with the pace of growth.

• Growth puts Council and the community on notice that community amenities are important for the development of a well-rounded community. Facilities for children, for youth, for those who exercise and walk, and for the ageing population need to be invested in. • Growth puts pressure on property developers and land bankers to judge the market well, and to ensure that their developments are attuned to the type that the market demands.

• Growth alerts new business to opportunities to invest – health centres, food and general retailers, and retirement villages.

Planning for Mangawhai’s growth has nev-er been straightforward. Mangawhai responds dramatically to the ups and downs of the Auck-land property market. As an east coast holiday des-tination, its population rises rapidly in the sum-mer vacation time. Community facilities and

Council infrastructure will always come under stress in these periods.

What is your Council doing to cater for Mangawhai’s growth?

Firstly and most importantly, we are doing our best to sense trends and to engage with residents, businesses, property developers and community groups.

• Commissioners and Council’s senior management team make a practice of being in Mangawhai every week, meeting community groups, business peo-ple and residents. Our Chief Executive, Dr Jill McPherson lives in Mangawhai.

• Council’s office in Mangawhai is charged with serving the community conveniently. It accommodates the majority of Council’s building and resource consenting team. • Council staff and Commissioners are working with the Mangawhai Community Park Steering Group on a master plan to make this Park into a public space for recreation and the enjoy-ment of the outdoor environment.

• An advisory panel of community members and Commissioners is being put together this month to review the key elements of the Mangawhai Community Wastewater Scheme – disposal, connections, funding and capacity.

• To date, with strong community input, com-munity action plans have been developed for and number of smaller communities including Wood Street Shops and Kaiwaka. Council plans to continue this programme of work on into 2015. For more information visit Council’s website www.kaipara.govt. nz.

Does Mangawhai need a higher level Master Plan?

Some argue that an overall master plan for Mangawhai is missing – that Mangawhai has grown in an unplanned and haphazard way, and that more thoughtful di-rection is needed. There are examples of where roads and intersections are not lined up in a “ra-tional” way. There are other examples like the village market where this private sector initiative has been so successful that it is now putting pressure on public space.

Master plan exercises are common with new developments. In Mangawhai’s case today, Commissioners agree that Council has a key planning role to play. At this stage however, we have not attempted to take on a larger Man-gawhai wide Council / community planning exercise.

Labour weekend Kaipara’s special holiday destinations – around the Kaipara Harbour, Kai Iwi Lakes, our west coast beaches, and Mangawhai – will again receive a flood of visi-tors this coming Labour weekend. Enjoy the holiday weekend, be mindful of others, and please act responsibly with litter!
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