Damage to the North Mole roadway will be discussed at the second public meeting regarding the rejuvenation of the North Mole and Morgan St in Castlecliff. Photo / Bevan Conley
Damage to the North Mole roadway will be discussed at the second public meeting regarding the rejuvenation of the North Mole and Morgan St in Castlecliff. Photo / Bevan Conley
Jamie Waugh hopes that work on stage two of the Castlecliff Rejuvenation Project will be under way by this summer.
Stage two of the project focuses on rejuvenating the North Mole and Morgan St, which was discussed at a public meeting attended by Waugh in March.
On that occasion, about80 Castlecliff residents shared their thoughts on subjects such as vehicle access to the beach, the dumping of rubbish and "hooning" vehicles.
Waugh is the facilitator of the project and said there will now be a second public meeting at Castlecliff School beginning at 5.30pm this Thursday.
"If the community says we're going in the right direction and are on the same page at the meeting, then it's really a matter of getting it done," Waugh said. .
"Then it's a matter of the people who work behind the scenes begging, borrowing and stealing what we need to make the artist's impressions become reality."
An artist's impression of the future North Mole will be revealed at the meeting as well as the results of questionnaires filled out by the first meeting's attendees.
Key aspirations for the community so far include maintaining the rugged feel of the area with added amenities and minimising anti-social behaviour such as dumping rubbish.
Waugh said it was important that people attended to show their level of interest and commitment when it comes to rejuvenating Castlecliff.
Jamie Waugh and Whanganui deputy mayor Jenny Duncan have been driving consultation and facilitation of the Castlecliff Rejuvenation Project. Photo / Zaryd Wilson
"If the people don't have their say, they won't be heard and it's unlikely that what they say will be taken into account in what happens going forward," he said.
"The more voices we hear and the more perspective we hear, the more accurate our take of the community's aspirations will be."
Stage two of the Castlecliff Rejuvenation Project follows the successful beautification and improvement of facilities on Rangiora St beginning in 2015.
Waugh has met with fishing clubs and the Wanganui Board Riders to discuss the artist's impression of stage two, which has been met with positive feedback.
He said the project had to be community-led.
"Some of the things from my personal perspective that I think should have happened earlier on in the rejuvenation project haven't happened yet.
"That's because I saw, through the consultation process, that the community wanted other things."
An issue that will be discussed at the meeting is the North Mole roadway, which has been temporarily closed since August 13 due to erosion damage.
Whanganui District Council team leader parks Wendy Bainbridge said the roadway is currently closed to vehicles.
"Whanganui District Council and Horizons Regional Council are currently investigating repairs to North Mole including scope, timing and cost," Bainbridge said.
"There will be an update on North Mole at a public meeting held by Progress Castlecliff Inc in partnership with Whanganui District Council and Horizons Regional Council next Thursday, 22 August, at 5.30pm at Castlecliff School Hall."
