With the reduction of our retail footprint and enhancement of our city centre, our council has identified the need to encourage well-designed, mixed-use developments.
These developments include commercial, hospitality, cultural as well as visitor and educational accommodation and inner city living. The council supports these new developments by improving city amenity.
We are focusing on new green spaces, pocket parks, improved traffic flows and pedestrian access, better connectivity between east and west, installation of attractive lighting and more city safe infrastructure, as well as supporting current and new events that showcase Hastings' unique identity.
Our goal is to enhance the experience of those living, working and visiting our city and its surrounds.
The City Centre Strategy further identifies ways to make Hastings more attractive, including the upgrading of Civic Square, beautifying the entrances to the city and working with landlords to preserve our heritage buildings and upgrade heritage façades.
Central to this strategy is our Economic Development Team.
Our business development team is actively working to identify and attract new business to the region. The recent relocation of more than 100 Kiwibank staff to Hastings is a wonderful example of this strategy working successfully. Other council initiatives include personalised key account service support, an initiative that helps new businesses smoothly negotiate the regulatory process.
With our continued population growth, the Hastings District faces a growing demand for housing. As Auckland's rising housing prices and its traffic congestion grows, regions like Hawke's Bay are becoming increasingly more attractive.
Migration increases the demand for land and housing resulting in rising land prices. Our fertile productive land is coming under increasing development pressure. Hastings District Council is committed to reducing the impact of urban sprawl on our productive fertile land.
Global population growth predicts the world's food production demand will increase 50% by 2050. Our region, with its exceptional growing conditions, is ideally placed to contribute to meeting this demand.
To minimise the impact of urban sprawl on fertile land, we need to offer a greater variety of quality accommodation options, including suburban medium density and inner city apartment living.
People will choose to live in and near the city, if the city is attractive and well planned, and is a safe place to live. People living and working in or very near the city create a stronger central city economy.
Well-designed residential, commercial developments and quality urban design bring people into cities. More people in the city mean a greater need for shops, entertainment and hospitality.
Hastings East is well on the way to becoming an arts, culture and entertainment hub; ably supported by Albert Square and Landmarks Park it has also attracted new businesses. With the redevelopment of the Hawke's Bay Opera House precinct and private sector investment such as Focal Point Cinema, The Common Room and Parlour Projects, Hastings city will continue to grow.
The decisions we make today will determine the future of our city - the Hastings city we will pass on to our children and our grandchildren. I believe we can create an inner city where people want to live, work and play.
To secure a great future we must be brave, we must have a clear vision and we must work together to achieve it.
Sandra Hazlehurst is acting mayor of Hastings.
