WhaT ARE WE
DOING?
Timaru CityTown is the culmination of many years of both formal and informal conversations with our stakeholders and communities. It also builds on a range of plans, strategies and technical reports highlighting the opportunities and challenges facing our urban centres. From this shared understanding we are now embarking on an exciting programme of trials and tactical conversations to test our understanding of community & stakeholder activity in the heart of Timaru, and to prioritise the projects which will have the greatest immediate impact on wellbeing.
TIMELINE
2014
Investigate
Research & initial engagement
2021
Discover
Identifying next steps for CityHub
2022 - 2023
define, Develop & Test
Defining the shared vision with a Strategic Framework.
Urban masterplan design modelling & testing
2024
Deliver
Select option and finalise urban masterplan
2024-2034
Living CITYTOWN
10-year LTP work including public/private sector
Background
As a first step in the preparation of the Timaru CityTown Strategic Framework the Project Team analysed the available insights from earlier community and stakeholder engagement together with relevant research and technical reports. This stocktake was completed in parallel with a series of design workshops with the Project Steering Group, council’s multi-disciplinary project team, the Development and Investment Group, the Community Advisory Group, and the CBD Group whose 2018-2028 Long Term Plan submission created the initial impetus for the plan. Input was also sought, and has been generously provided, by Te Rūnanga o Arowhenua to ensure that the evolving vision, kaupapa and aesthetic were well aligned with local mana whenua narratives and aspirations.
This vast body of work, reflecting both local insights and expert analysis, has now been rationalised into the Timaru CityTown Strategic Framework which sets forth the Vision, the Kaupapa, the Outcomes and the Key Moves proposed to enable urban regeneration in the Timaru City Centre, or Te Hokinga ki te Ngākau, a Return to the Heart.
Strategic Approach
In addition to articulating stakeholders’ collective aspirations, the Framework also includes the long list of possible projects that could, over the 30-50 year term typical of infrastructure planning, fully implement the Key Moves and so realise the desired Vision and Outcomes. Planning in this way – from long term aspirations back to immediate investment priorities – anticipates future issues and gives a framework for continued improvement.
Delivery on the full suite of possibilities over a 30-50 year term, as would be required to fully realise present stakeholder aspirations and deliver on the proposed vision, is not therefore within the present scope and budget. Understanding this now, before the available funding is committed to any particular projects, enables us to lead a robust and constructive conversation about the scope and scale of what’s achievable within the 10 year CAPEX budget of $31.9M.
To support this conversation the Strategic Framework introduces three possible on-budget Delivery Tactics, each with a different investment and impact focus. As a random selection of popular projects would not optimise value for ratepayers, these scenarios offer examples of how complementary projects could be differently packaged together in the evolving Master Plan to best promote the identified Outcomes. The scenarios are indicative at this stage in order to trigger conversation with our community about strategic prioritisation and early wins. Over the next 18 – 24 months these will be refined, through community engagement, including the Trials programme, and through technical data and modelling, to produce two fully realised Options for community consultation through the Long Term Plan 2024.
As part of the design process to scale from possibilities back to priorities, the Framework sets forth the range of exploratory and targeted Trials that may be undertaken. The purpose of the Trials is to test and refine concepts for change with the community before committing large amounts of funding to irreversible physical works.
Research & Reports
A broad range of reports providing insights and aspirations from the preceding 5 years of stakeholder and community engagement have informed the Timaru CityTown
Strategic Framework.
These include but are not limited to the consultation undertaken by Colin Bass in 2019, the submission made by the CBD Group to the Long Term Plan 2018-28, the consultation undertaken by Beca in 2020, the Key Research report of 2021, the Long Term Plan 2021-31 consultation feedback, and our 2021-22 workshop series alongside technical documents such as the Town Centres Study and the Growth Management Strategy.
Timaru CityTown
Strategic Framework 2022
The Framework leverages all conversations, research and data collection to date together with case studies from around the country to inform the Vision, the Kaupapa, the Outcomes and the Key Moves proposed to enable urban regeneration in the Timaru
City Centre, or Te Hokinga ki te Ngākau, a Return to the Heart. It also proposes a tactical process for the next 18 months which will enable us to refine back from a long list of possibilities to our immediate investment priorities.
Refining the Master Plan 2021-2024
Isolates the components of the Strategic Framework that will inform our tactical process over the next 18 months to distil Options for the Timaru CityTown Master Plan in time for community consultation through the Long Term Plan 2024-34.
Long Term Plan 2021-31 consultation
Investment in the Timaru city centre was presented as Big Issue number 4, City Hub, for community consultation through the Long Term Plan 2021-31. That consultation invited the community to give feedback on their preferred level of ratepayer investment in the city centre but did not articulate the project suite that would match each of the three options and price points presented – to Facilitate, to Enable or to Transform – as this had not yet been determined. The Officer Report summarises the feedback themes and community preference for a very high level of return on a moderate amount of investment.
Workshop series
2022
To realise Council’s aspiration to “enable” urban regeneration in the heart of Timaru, a local Community Advisory Group and Development and Investment Group were established to help review, refine and define the strategic ambitions for our Timaru CityTown Strategy. Both groups contributed to a series of four design workshops looking at current state, future state, shared purpose and role & influence. The two groups helped set out the Vision and informed the Strategic Framework underpinning the Tactical Master Plan. They will continue to provide feedback over the course of the next few years as we begin to trial, test and refine ideas.
Current State Report
2022
The assessment reviews the current performance of Timaru CityTown against seven attributes of forward thinking, inclusive cities that put people first (accessibility, affordability, amenity, community attitude, cultural distinctiveness, economic vitality, environmental responsibility). These attributes can be aligned with Timaru District’s Community Wellbeing Outcomes as set out in the Long-Term Plan (2021-31) (Connected Citizens, Resilient Infrastructure, Enhanced Lifestyle, Diverse Economy, Sustainable Environment).
TDC City Hub resident’s perception Survey
In preparation for the Timaru CityTown project a broad research was required to gather the views, ideas and aspirations of residents across the District for the city centre of Timaru. The research provided a mechanism for residents to identify and prioritise their preferred purposes for the city centre and the activities/experiences they wished to have there.
timaru district growth management strategy 2018
The Growth Management Strategy (Draft GMS) is a 30 year strategy to manage urban and rural land use growth. The Draft GMS will inform the supply of zoned land provided through the District Plan Review and also how the new District Plan manages growth in existing zoned areas, including the growth of residential, rural residential, industrial, commercial and recreational activities. The approved GMS will also inform the Long Term Plan, particularly the provision of infrastructure services. It may also inform the provision of infrastructure by non-Council agencies.
Beca City Hub Stakeholder Summary Report
In late 2020 our stakeholder engagement workshops Over 120 people, representing city centre stakeholders and over 30 community, private and government groups were invited to attend these sessions. The workshops were structured to ‘walk through’ a common and shared understanding of the challenges and the main themes for the city hub strategy project to develop.
TIMARU RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY MARKET STUDY 2022
Colliers Timaru Residential Property Market Study gathers insights into the local residential property market including the existing residential typology, sales and rental data, local demographics, business demographics and information on relevant commercial projects and data points.
CBD Summit Outcomes
Report
This report captures the highlights of two workshops that were held on the 22nd and 23rd of February 2020 to assist the development of a CBD plan for Timaru. Close to 100 property owners, business owners and CBD stakeholders attended the evening and morning workshops held at the Landing Services Conference Centre.
timaru retail market assessment 2015
A retail demand/supply study within the Timaru District analysing the future scale and type of retail provision required to cater for projected future growth of the Timaru market.
Town centre
study
This report examines the issues and opportunities faced by the District’s town centres and presents options to address those matters.
people involved
Mana Whenua
Tewera King
Fran Spencer
Project Steering Group
Mayor Nigel Bowen
Councillor Allan Booth
Councillor Sally Parker Councillor Owen Jackson
Karl Jackson (Arowhenua General Manager)
Mark Geddes (CBD Group)
Sue Harrex (CBD Group) Wendy Smith (CEO SC Chamber of Commerce)
Shaun Stockman (Managing Director Stockman Group Ltd, Town Centre Ratepayers Action Group)
Andrew Dixon (General Manager Infrastructure)
Paul Cooper (General Manager Environmental Services)
Nigel Davenport (Chief Executive Officer Venture Timaru)
Community Advisory Group
Raeleen de Joux (Te Aitarakihi Multicultural Trust), Katy Houston (Aoraki Multicultural), Carolyn Cooper (Presbyterian Support SC), Lizzie McIvor (Age Friendly Strategy), Lionel Wilson (Rotary, disability community), Michael Armstrong (local arts community), Christina Cullimore, Jo Beswarick (YMCA, youth), Tash Dominey, Mark Bower (YMCA, rainbow), Brian Gallagher (Sustainable South Canterbury Trust), Amanda McNoe (AMPSS101), Andrea Grant (DHB), Victoria Barrowman (Plunket), Amanda Everett (Sport Canterbury), Chris Thomas (Age Concern South Canterbury)
Development and Investment Group
Mayor Nigel Bowen, Councillor Allan Booth, Nigel Davenport (Venture Timaru), Frazer Munro (Timaru District Holdings Limited), Wendy Smith (South Canterbury Chamber of Commerce), Shaun Stockman (Town Centre Ratepayers Action Group), Sue Harrex (CBD Group), Barrie Suter (RSM Law), Karl Grant, Michael Karabassis (Handsome Group Limited), Tony Preen (Miss Timaru, Preen)
Working Group
Development Manager Rosie Oliver, Land Transport Manager Suzy Ratahi, Transportation Team Leader Simon Davenport, Parks and Recreation Manager Bill Steans, District Planning Manager Hamish Barrell, Building Control Manager Jayson Ellis, Roading Corridor Technician Aleisha Eddington, Property and Client Services Manager Nicole Timney, Strategy and Corporate Planning Manager T.B.A, Communications Manager Stephen Doran, Group Manager Infrastructure Andrew Dixon, COO Venture Timaru Di Hay
Christchurch-based Isthmus Group (led by Helen Kerr) are the urban design consultants working with council and community stakeholders to deliver the CityTown master plan. They are working in collaboration with award-winning Christchurch placemaking social enterprise Gap Filler (led by Ryan Reynolds).
