Community input will feed into Durie Hill lookout project
Published on 12 April 2022
Whanganui District Council held community conversations earlier this year on the landscape concept design for improvements to the Durie Hill lookout area on Blyth Street.
The council’s property operations manager, Sandra Woodhead, says, “Several themes emerged from this informal consultation, with most comments and ideas coming from Durie Hill residents along with the wider Whanganui community.”
Most people indicated support for the project with feedback received relating to four key themes:
- Inclusive, site-specific story telling – information signs and cultural installations that create a connection with the shared local history and heritage of this area
- Safety and accessibility – wheelchair access, lighting and general access to the site
- Amenities – seating, rubbish bins, a bike rack, water fountains and sun shading
- Landscaping – appropriate site plantings and contouring.
Sandra Woodhead says, “We’ll now take this back to the designers to see how they might incorporate these ideas into the final design concept for the Durie Hill lookout upgrade.
“We really appreciate the feedback we received during this initial consultation phase – the comments and ideas were overwhelmingly positive.
“The lookout area has historically offered local people impressive views of the lower Whanganui River, Mt Ruapehu and Mt Taranaki, as well as our city.”
“One of the most common themes expressed was the absolute need for inclusive stories that tell the full history of the site,” Sandra Woodhead says. “The council, with strong community backing, very much supports this area becoming a truly integrated reflection of our entire community.”
Once the design concept has been developed with further iwi consultation and aspects of community feedback, a series of updated artist’s impressions will be released for final community feedback via a survey.
The upgrade to the Durie Hill lookout area is being part-funded from a $100,000 donation made by Mars Petcare in 2021. Additional funding of $80,000 to support the project has been set aside from year two of Whanganui District Council’s Long-Term Plan 2021-2031.
For more information about the early stages of this project, including the initial concept design for the Durie Hill lookout upgrade, please click here.