Taupo Quay redevelopment plans confirmed

Published on 28 January 2014

28 January 2014

Mayor Annette Main says the Wanganui District Council yesterday confirmed development plans for Taupo Quay, including a new landscape design featuring native tree species.

The redevelopment, between Market Place and Victoria Avenue, combines a number of elements included in existing council policies and plans. These include access to public transport, connecting the central city and riverfront areas, supporting environmental sustainability, assisting economic development, integrating infrastructure and land use planning and financial sustainability.

“Six existing plane trees will need to be removed to enable the improvements to go ahead and they will be replaced with a larger number of native trees. While some of the community believe the plane trees should be retained at all cost, we are advised the trees are heading toward the end of their life span and their expansive and unrestrained root structure is affecting essential underground services.

“Councils are tasked with ensuring the most efficient use of our resources. We have to consider the substantial costs and the potential for loss of key utility services. Removing the trees will allow underground utility services such as power, gas, stormwater and sewer lines to be reinstalled in new ducts at the kerb. Some of those services are already failing because of the damage being done to pipes by the tree roots.

“One of the issues facing our district is the need to ensure the electricity suppliers can guarantee continuity of supply to our businesses and industries and to do this they need to install a new trench along this section of Taupo Quay and eventually to St Hill Street. The lack of a guaranteed back-up supply is affecting business development opportunities and we are aware of at least one significant business which has decided to expand elsewhere, rather than in Whanganui, because of this.

“The Council has made the proviso that the planned work will go ahead only if Powerco commits to ensuring it completes the continuity of power supply.”

The new streetscape will include environmentally-friendly rain gardens planted with native species. There will be a raised platform, similar to the new one in Watt Street, at the Taupo Quay and Drews Avenue intersection to slow down traffic. Changes to parking will provide 40 additional spaces and kerbs will be changed to allow easier pedestrian access across Taupo Quay.

“There was a range of views around the Council table with considerable discussion focussed on the need for some existing trees to be removed,” Mayor Main said.

“We spent considerable time discussing all aspects and implications before making a decision. Decisions such as this need to balance the longer term benefits to the security of essential services such as water, gas and electricity, the opportunity to enhance previous improvements to the riverbank area, and the future proofing of our district’s development, against the desire for aspects of the area to remain as they have been.”