Oamaru Farmers' Market could move to harbour

Oamaru Farmers' Market manager Lucianne White at a market celebration last year. The market could get a new site in the harbour precinct. Photo / Shannon Gillies

The redevelopment of the Oamaru Farmers' Market site in the town's harbour area is one of 18 new projects under discussion in this year's annual plan process for the Waitaki district.

In the preliminary 2017-18 annual plan proposal from the Waitaki District Council $215,000 has been allocated for harbour development ''including an urban park''.

Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher said the vacant lot next to the popular Scotts Brewing Co at the waterfront - used for both parking and by the six-year-old Sunday market - had been the subject of discussions by councillors on the Harbour portfolio during the last term of council.

''That site had always been seen as potentially a site to develop on, build on, and have some business come in and do something there, but it became clear in our discussions that actually having it as an open area was beneficial for a number of reasons,'' Mr Kircher said this week.

''Not the least was the Northern Hotel - it keeps views open from the Northern Hotel down through to the harbour and that would be a really important attribute if someone was looking to redevelop the Northern Hotel in the future.''

He said that there had been no expressions of interest in redeveloping the Heritage New Zealand category 2 building on the corner of Tyne and Wansbeck Sts but the plan was to keep that option available.

Further, he said the plans for the proposed urban park had not had any ''detailed discussion'' yet.

Mr Kircher said the park would not compromise the amount of parking, but would contain both ''hard landscaping'' and ''soft landscaping'' and would complement the area's already established identity.

Bike stands or lockers for Alps 2 Ocean trail bike riders, drinking fountains, seating, lighting, and a stage were all possibilities, he said.

''We're happy to get feedback from the public through the annual plan [consultation process],'' Mr Kircher said. ''I think what we'll end up with is a bunch of multi-functional spaces.''

Yesterday, Oamaru Farmers' Market manager Lucianne White confirmed she had had ''a couple of collaborative conversations'' with the mayor about ''what infrastructure and amenities you'd need in order to be able to host the farmers' market in that same space, but also other events''.

''How you'd blend those into the urban park theme, so that you get a really across-the-board use of it, and [how] the aesthetics of it work for all the different characteristics that are already in play down there.''

The market was ''really seasonal'', but at its summer peak hosted up to ''about 30'' vendors and through the year boasted a ''strong core of regular vendors''.

''They're local businesses,'' Mrs White said.

''To me, it makes sense that we create a space that is really welcoming and supporting not only local businesses but, yeah, locals that are customers.

''We've really established our reputation as being a focal point on a Sunday; everything else that's happening down there has helped that of course. But it's really social ...''

The council has proposed to spend $2,379,000 on new projects in the coming year, the majority of which are infrastructure projects and regulatory services spending, but the list of projects also includes $40,000 for a Graves Track investigation, $200,000 for the damaged Severn St terrace wall, to be funded from reserves and an internal loan, and $60,000 on streetscape improvements in Herbert, Maheno and Dunback.

This term the council has established a Harbour Area Committee made up of Mr Kircher and Crs Jeremy Holding, Jim Hopkins, Guy Percival, Melanie Tavendale, and Colin Wollstein.