A vision and plan for the future.

Hawera is a town of 11,000 people in South Taranaki, second only to New Plymouth in size.

Hawera’s Town Centre was not meeting the needs of the community including businesses and residents. The town form is a long main street sitting off to the side of SH3, and many of the buildings were created in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Much of the area that is still seen as the Town Centre, with its focus around High Street, was laid out and developed over 100 years ago. There are heritage values that can be attributable to this area, but the community’s social, economic, cultural and environmental issues and expectations, have changed considerably since that time. 

Location

Taranaki

Project team

Marc Baily
Helen Baggaley

Worked with

New Zealand Transport Agency
BizLink Hawera

Project date

2013 - 2016

South Taranaki District Council approached Boffa Miskell in 2014 to ask for assistance in preparing a long-term vision and a town plan for the future. The Hawera Town Centre Strategy will assist the community to generate a vibrant and economically sustainable Town Centre attracting new residents, businesses and visitors.

The strategy, prepared together with South Taranaki District Council, and input from community members and stakeholders, identified a number of key issues. These included:

  • Lack of a clear vision and strategic direction within the Taranaki regional context.
  • Poor economic performance relative to other town centres.
  • No clear plan for coordinating emerging civic or asset development projects.
  • Many older buildings, some of which have heritage values, are earthquake prone.
  • Lack of quality public open space, including green space, to provide amenity.
  • Hawera Library is not meeting people’s needs and requires upgrading. 
  • Lack of distinctive character that provides a basis for promoting and encouraging investment.  

After community engagement, and subsequent adoption in 2016, the Town Centre Strategy and identified initiatives are being implemented over time.

Thinking about the town centre as a social venue saw the investment by Council in a new library and gallery facility. The town plan process determined the location, and the design includes a new town square. Construction of two new lanes to connect anchor activities has been completed and recent economic figures have shown uplift in the town’s retail spend.

Korimako Lane