Opening of Kaitāia’s new town square delayed to end of May

The opening of Kaitāia’s new town square won’t be until the end of May - coinciding with the opening of the Te Hiku Sports Hub - after delays in the project.

Kaitāia’s new town square is unlikely to be officially opened until the end of May - to coincide with the opening of the Te Hiku Sports Hub - after structural design issues delayed the project.

The project is the final part of the award-winning Te Hiku o te Ika Revitalisation Open Spaces Project that has helped transform Kaitāia, Awanui and Ahipara with art and place-making developments.

The Kaitāia town square project is co-funded by Kanoa, the Government’s Regional Economic Development and Investment Unit, and the council, which secured funding through its Long-Term Plan.

It had been hoped to open the square by the end of this month, but that has now been put back.

Project spokeswoman Andrea Panther said the delay was due to engineering issues.

Panther said the art installation - or tomokanga - for the square is due to go up between May 10-17.

‘’We are working with Te Hiku Sports Hub to co-ordinate openings as ministers from Wellington will be coming up to both. We are aiming for May 30 or 31 for the openings/blessings.

The formal entrance to Kaitāia’s new town square, which now won't officially open until the end of May.

‘’For our Te Hiku o te Ika Revitalisation project this is the last of 81 projects completing the original contract so there will be a big celebration. We have local hapu working on the naming of the artworks and the blessing,’’ Panther said.

‘’We will be working with a number of groups to provide live entertainment and pop-up stalls as part of the celebration. This is a collaboration of efforts from local groups, local artists, local designers and local tradespeople who have accomplished improvements for our Te Hiku area for all to enjoy.’’

She said a silver lining of the delay to construction is that it will be close to the Te Hiku sports complex opening and it would work in the attending ministers’ favour if the events were co-ordinated for the grand openings.

Meanwhile, the much-loved mosaic tile wall, which had to be removed for the project to proceed, is being held in storage. The original wall consists of mosaic tiles made by about 500 people in 1997, and the tiles will be incorporated into the project.