Community Board welcomes ideas for Mahara Place improvements

Ideas for improving Mahara Place by creating a plaza area were welcomed by Waikanae Community Board last night following months of work from the Mahara Place Development Committee (MPDC).

The MPDC, made up of local business and community representatives, has been working with Council to assess designs developed with the community in 2014 and 2016 to make sure they are fit-for-purpose.

Councillor Michael Scott commended the work of the Development Committee and welcomed steps to improve the vibrancy of the area.

Group Manager Infrastructure Services Sean Mallon says plans for the plaza include an open event space, gardens and areas for sitting and relaxing as well as new paving and lighting.

“We want to make Mahara Place a lot more vibrant, a place where people want to go and spend time and that is well connected to other areas of the town centre.”

The next steps are to work up detailed designs which we will share with the public in November.

“We hope to start major construction in early-2019 but may need to start some of the minor pre-works sooner.”

Mr Mallon says that as well as the plaza the MPDC has been working on ideas for future improvements in Mahara Place.

“Things like improving the laneways from the marae and the lane area from SH1 as well as the entranceway from the library end, and possibly a new playground, provide a vision for how the area could evolve into the heart of Waikanae town centre.”

The planned upgrade to Mahara Place is part of the Council’s 14-year town centre improvements programme. For more information about the vision for the Waikanae town centre, and other related projects happening in the area, visit www.kapiticoast.govt.nz/waikanae-town-centre