Time to “zhuzh up” the main street

Te Awamutu and Kihikihi Community Board chair Ange Holt wants to get plans to “zhuzh up” Alexandra Street in Waipā District Council’s long term plan.

Alexandra Street, Te Awamutu

The board heard at its June meeting that work was underway on the council’s 2024-2035 long term plan from strategy manager Melissa Russo.

Holt said she was thrilled to see Te Awamutu Market in Holmes Garage on the list of key projects and asked Russo how to get other community-led ideas on the list.

“We’ve been having these discussions and asking for feedback and then it stops,” Holt said.

“The retailers, as a group, feel very unheard. It would be great to be able to say we’ve got this into our long term plan. The main street is the bit that attracts people, it needs to look good, and we need to allow some funding to be there at intervals to, make it look good or give it a freshen up.”

Alexandra St

“We are in a really financially constrained environment,” Russo said, before asking Holt to email her and other council officers with their ideas.

“I would encourage you to use that to demonstrate that it’s not just an idea that you’ve come up with, that this is something that has been in train for a while.”

Staff will provide regular progress on the project at each community board meeting, Russo said in her report.

The chairs and deputy chairs of both community boards could attend plan workshops and consider and provide input on plan related matters including major projects.

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