Ideas sought for city centre playground
Nelson/Whakatū’s city centre playground is a step closer, with Ngā iwi o te Tauihu stepping up to lead the multi-million dollar project.
The iwi will partner with Nelson City Council to create Playspace Whakatū, a multi-generational playground in Rutherford Park: and they want the community to weigh in with their ideas.
The playground has been in the works since October 2023, when Nelson City Council announced Rutherford Park would be the site of a new playground.
Part of the council’s Te Ara ō Whakatū strategy; the playground was intended to be a draw for people to visit and spend time in the city.
Rutherford Park, which has already had significant council investment, was selected due to its proximity to the city, its size, and its potential for growth.
The playground will sit alongside the Maitai pathway, south of the “Old Lumpy” skate area.
The $3m cost will be met by $2.4m Government funding, awarded to Council under the previous Three Waters reform. Council allocated a further $600,000 to the budget as part of the Long Term Plan 2024-2034.
Te Ātiawa o te Waka-a-Māui chief executive Justin Carter said one of the project’s main objectives was to create a public space celebrating Whakatū’s culture, identity and mana.
“We also want the space to be attractive for all whānau, somewhere they can connect, explore and play, and a place they want to keep coming back to.”
Submissions on the playground are open, with a significant group of stakeholders — 200 students — having already weighed in via school visits.
City centre playspace taskforce chair, councillor James Hodgson, said iwi had stepped up to deliver the project as quickly as possible.
The project was part of Kōpū, a programme of iwi-led initiatives that will help revive the city centre “through cultural expression and identity”, Hodgson said.
Planning and procurement are under way, with a design and build partner expected to be announced in April.
You can have your say at playspacewhakatu.nz, or head to your nearest library, or to the Council Customer Service Centre.
Caption: The new playground will take shape south of the existing skate park at Rutherford Park, near the Trafalgar Centre.
By Warren Gamble, Nelson Mail
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