Andy Foster — Your City Councillor

ONSLOW-WESTERN

News Release

Wellington City Council is seeking public input on the future of one of the city’s most important suburban centres – Kilbirnie.

The Council has launched a project to develop a Kilbirnie town centre plan which will be developed with the community and local businesses. It will look at how the town centre and its surrounds can be revitalised and enhanced, creating an attractive, vibrant and prosperous part of Wellington City. 

The Council’s Urban Development and Transport Portfolio Leader, Councillor Andy Foster, says the Council wants to know what people like and don’t like about Kilbirnie and what opportunities they think there are to revitalise it over the long-term. The final plan will comprise a future vision and concept design for the town centre.

“Kilbirnie has always been a community with a mix of homes and industrial and commercial developments alongside each other, but the town centre has not really lived up to its potential as a key destination. By planning ahead we can improve the look and feel of the town centre and carefully manage challenges such as traffic and parking, the impacts of new development and maintaining the village feel of the area.”

Kilbirnie, along with Johnsonville, Adelaide Road and the central city have been identified in the Council’s Urban Development Strategy as key centres on the ‘growth spine’, which is where significant employment and residential growth is expected to occur in the next 20 to 30 years.

Understanding the issues facing Kilbirnie town centre is the first step in developing the town centre plan. Members of the public can discuss their ideas with Council officers at drop-in sessions at the Kilbirnie/Lyall Bay Community Centre in Bay Road on Thursday 4 June (1-4pm), Saturday 6 June (10am-2pm) and Tuesday 9 June (5-8pm).

A Kilbirnie town centre questionnaire is available in the ‘have your say’ section of the Council’s website, Kilbirnie, Miramar, Newtown and Island Bay libraries, the Kilbirnie/Lyall Bay Community Centre, and the Wellington Regional Aquatic Centre. You can also join our Facebook group. Just type in ‘Kilbirnie town centre plan’ on www.facebook.com to have your say.

Public comments must be received by Monday 15 June.Vision and design workshops are proposed to be held in July and August before the public is consulted on a draft town centre plan in October and November. You can find out more about the Kilbirnie town centre project by visiting the Council’s website www.wcc.govt.nz

For further information, please contact:

Cr Andy Foster, Council Urban Development and Transport Portfolio Leader, mob 021 227 8537

Michelle Brooker, Council Communications, phone 801 3281 or 021 227 8170.

Wellington City Council news releases are also available daily as Web Alerts through the Council's website, www.Wellington.govt.nz. To subscribe, select the Web Alerts icon on the home page.

 

21 May 2009

Help revitalise Kilbirnie town centre