Edgecumbe Community Plan

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND EDGECUMBES ASSETS ISSUES VISION EDGECUMBE DEVELOPMENT & IMPROVEMENT TEAM PROJECT PLANNING

3 4 5 6 7 8&9 10

NAME Kathryn Davis Sharon Walker Kathe Davey-Emms Evan Harvey

ROLE Chair Deputy Chair Secretary Treasurer

SIGNATURE / DATE

VERSION CONTROL AUTHOR Matthew Pryor (Council Policy Planner) Vicky Richards (EDIT Committee member) STATUS Draft Final DISTRIBUTION EDIT Committee EDIT Committee ACTION Established draft document Finalisation of document

EDGECUMBE DEVELOPMENT & IMPROVEMENT TEAM TOWN VISION PLAN

INTRODUCTION

This is the Community Plan for the township of Edgecumbe. The plan has been developed by the Edgecumbe Development Improvement Team (E.D.I.T) and is about capturing the aspirations of the Edgecumbe community. It follows community consultation with people interested in the future management of the Edgecumbe township. The purpose of the Community Plan is to:
Outline important issues facing Edgecumbe township Provide a vision for the towns future Identify steps to achieve that vision.

EDGECUMBE DEVELOPMENT & IMPROVEMENT TEAM TOWN VISION PLAN

BACKGROUND

In the early years of the 20th century, Riverslea (as Edgecumbe was then known) was a little settlement only accessible by an un-metalled road from Te Teko, or by a precarious ferry service from the Awakeri side of the Rangitaiki River. The draining of the Rangitaiki plains in the 1920s and the shifting of the Rangitaiki Dairy Factory from Awakeri to Edgecumbe accompanied by timber mills, paved the way for a prosperous hub and the town grew at an exponential rate.
Edgecumbe Post Office official opening 1968

By 1964, the town boasted a population of 1,320 and was declared a county town; the Rangitaiki Dairy Factory was one of the largest butter producers in the southern hemisphere. With the success of the dairy factory, the settlement grew; a brand new secondary school, a post office and one of the largest undercover rural shopping centres in New Zealand, constructed by the dairy factory at a cost of over $1,000,000. Edgecumbe also boasted four bank branches in the town. At its peak, the population of Edgecumbe tipped 3,000 people.
Main Street/Bridge Street intersection in 1963

The Edgecumbe earthquake in 1987 caused widespread damage to property and infrastructure in the town, including the shopping mall, War Memorial Hall and the pub; this brought about the rebuild of the shopping mall and the Edgecumbe Plains Hotel in their current locations. As with many small provincial centres in New Zealand, the buzzing town of Edgecumbe suffered a slow decline. The ANZ bank - the last of four banks closed its doors on the 26th of July 1996, and the Riverslea shopping mall with its ever increasing vacant stores was sold to private investors in 1997.
Edgecumbe tea rooms c1930

EDGECUMBE DEVELOPMENT & IMPROVEMENT TEAM TOWN VISION PLAN

EDGECUMBES ASSETS

Edgecumbe has many special features that distinguish it from other towns. A number of assets have been identified by the community - by identifying and recognising the value of these assets they can be better utilised for the benefit of the community. Location: Close proximity to Whakatane, Rotorua, Tauranga, Airports etc Outdoor activities: Close proximity to beaches, river, bush & lakes; these provide great opportunities for activities such as hunting, fishing, kayaking, surfing and mountain biking. Services: Doctors, Vets, Library, St. Johns, War Memorial Hall, Police, Fire Brigade, Petrol Station. Service Clubs: Lions, Cosmopolitan Club, Edgecumbe Blue Light. Industries: Fonterra, including nearby Norske Skog and Carter Holt Harvey Companies. Schools: Kindergarten, Play centre, Kohanga, Primary and Secondary Schools. Sports Clubs and facilities: Tennis, Squash, Bowls, JAB Rugby, Tai Kwon Do, Zumba, Badminton, Go Kart, Mini Bikes, Motorcross and Skate Park. Small Business (Retail/Industrial): Opportunity Shop, Plant Stop, Hair Salons, Peppers Building Supplies, Fish n Chip shops, Local dairy. Events: Annual touch tournament, Christmas in the park. Other Assets: Climate, Riverslea Mall, Churches, The Brook, Amazing Maze n Maize, also nearby Berry Farms, Awakeri Hot Pools, Onepu Wetlands and Mountain Bike Track and Te Teko Race Track.

Edgecumbe War Memorial Hall

Edgecumbe Library

By maximising these assets, the community of Edgecumbe can better realise their town vision.

Edgecumbe Skate park

EDGECUMBE DEVELOPMENT & IMPROVEMENT TEAM TOWN VISION PLAN

ISSUES

The community is concerned with the general decline of Edgecumbe township over the last 15 years. This is evident through the closing of the ANZ bank, loss of business from the Riverslea Shopping Mall, derelict buildings and general degradation of the towns amenities. Alongside the towns general economic decline is the need to rekindle a sense of community and community spirit. The local community has a diverse range of skills that can contribute to the social, environmental, cultural and economic wellbeing of Edgecumbe. These attributes need to be harnessed, along with the realisation of the towns environmental resources. The towns close proximity to the Rangitaiki River provides many potential benefits in relation to amenity values and recreational opportunities.

Edgecumbe Bridge

Mount Putauaki

Edgecumbe Town Centre

EDGECUMBE DEVELOPMENT & IMPROVEMENT TEAM TOWN VISION PLAN

VISION

VISION

The community of Edgecumbe will once again be the vibrant heart of the Rangitaiki Plains
The town vision aims to reinstate the former glory of Edgecumbe as a vibrant an prosperous community the heart of the Rangitaiki Plains. By creating an overall plan for the town, it will ensure that future projects and developments are in keeping with the aspirations of the community. Four objectives stem from the vision: 1. To encourage pride in Edgecumbes community through the revitalisation of the town centre. 2. To promote sustainable economic development in Edgecumbe township. 3. To create a vibrant, safe and connected community. 4. To make connections with the river that enhances the towns amenity and recreational values. PROCESS PRIORITY GOALS ARE: Community Vision meetings co-ordinated by the Rangitaiki Community Board were held across the ward, the aim of these meetings were to give each community an opportunity to put forward their visions and ideas for their towns. The outcome of the meetings has seen the Edgecumbe community identify key visions and goals with an overall outcome and desire is to see Edgecumbe reinstated as the heart of the Rangitaiki Plains, and to see positive growth in the town. The first steps taken to achieve Edgecumbes overall vision has been the establishment of a residents group who have officially named themselves Edgecumbe Improvement and Development Team (E.D.I.T). E.D.I.T have already started the ball rolling by prioritising what community ideas and goals that they will action first; this was done by voting on each of the following identified visions/ideas: Revitalisation of the town (Clean up) Development of a town theme and signature event. Stage 1 of the River Walkway Project 1. Clean up (Revitalisation) of the town 2. Support the establishment of banking facilities back into the community 3. Revitalisation of Riverslea Mall 4. Town theme and signature event 5. Community garden 6. Picnic area and access to the river & walkway 7. Motor home dump station 8. Encourage the establishment of new business into the town 9. Community access to the college swimming pool 10. Support the enhancement of neglected buildings within the community 11. Youth centre 12. Establishment of a community market 13. Welcome signage at the entrance to the town Of these items, three were given priority for implementation within the first year of establishment. It was decided that these items were achievable, and would maintain the momentum and drive of the group.

EDGECUMBE DEVELOPMENT & IMPROVEMENT TEAM TOWN VISION PLAN

EDGECUMBE DEVELOPMENT & IMPROVEMENT TEAM

YEAR 1 Three projects are to be undertaken in the first year of the Town Vision Plan: Revitalisation of the town Development of a town theme and signature event Stage 1 of the River Walkway project

Action is well underway for these priority projects, with clean up days co-ordinated by E.D.I.T already taken place, and Stage 1 River walkway project also planned to start in the new year of 2012. Other initiatives that have already been achieved have been the establishment of the motor home waste disposal station, and a small community market co-ordinated by the local college. These initiatives contribute to the overall Edgecumbe Town Visions and require ongoing community support. YEARS 2 - 5 Stage 2 - River walkway Support the establishment of banking facilities into the community Support the revitalisation of Riverslea Mall Community Garden Picnic area and access to the river and walkway Encourage the establishment of new business into the town Support community access to the college swimming Pool Support enhancement of neglected buildings within the community Youth centre Welcome signage at the entrance to the town.

Rangitaiki Cosmopolitan Club

Riverslea Mall

EDGECUMBE DEVELOPMENT & IMPROVEMENT TEAM TOWN VISION PLAN

EDGECUMBE DEVELOPMENT & IMPROVEMENT TEAM

Edgecumbe Development and Improvement Team (E.D.I.T) was borne out of Community Vision workshops as a response to the need for a Residents group, which the town lacked up until now. E.D.I.T are a group of motivated residents of locals who have a desire to celebrate and acknowledge the unique community and its assets, and work together with the community to build a better future for the town and its people. A group of 40 locals assembled at the first forward planning meeting and their wants and needs were extracted for the towns vision. It was also identified that a structure and detailed plan was required to be put in place to ensure the overall town vision and objectives were achieved. The enthusiasm and drive for the town vision has seen E.D.I.T take on the lead role of establishing a structure and vision plan for Edgecumbe. PURPOSE The purpose of E.D.I.T is to function as a residents group to implement and support the wants and needs of the community though the support and implementation of community projects that support the Edgecumbe Town Vision. GOAL The goal is to achieve the town vision, to make Edgecumbe once again the vibrant hub of the Rangitaiki Plains, and to make Edgecumbe an attractive and cohesive community. E.D.I.T STRUCTURE The structure of E.D.I.T is split into a committee proper, with working parties implementing identified projects. The rationale behind the formation of the working party structure will mean that volunteers that cannot dedicate a lot of time to the cause, but want to be involved, can give their time to whichever particular project they are interested in. The group will operate under the initial elected committee, with an election to be held after the first 12 months of operation. The group will also give feedback and regular updates to Council via the Rangitaiki Community Board.

FOUNDATION MEMBERS A number of key personnel have been identified as founding members of E.D.I.T. The purpose of these founding members is to instigate the initial momentum, and set a high level of visions and goals for the group. These founding members are as follows: Chairperson: Kathryn Davis Deputy Chair: Sharon Walker Secretary: Kathe Davey-Emms Treasurer: Evan Harvey Committee Members: Matthew Bryson, Eunice Silvester, Sid Tunnicliffe, Sam Scott, Helen Morris, Kylie Carpenter, Andy Scott, Noel Buchanan, John Riley, Christine Scott, Len Rika, Graeme Smeaton, Viv Barr, Vicky Richards, Gerard Van Beek Project Managers: Viv Barr (Walkway), Sharon Walker (Railway clean up project), Vicky Richards (Town theme and event) Rangitaiki Community Board Representatives: Graeme Bourke, Kris Byrne, Viv Barr, Vicky Richards, Gerard Van Beek

EDGECUMBE DEVELOPMENT & IMPROVEMENT TEAM TOWN VISION PLAN

EDGECUMBE DEVELOPMENT & IMPROVEMENT TEAM

PROJECT PLANNING

REVITALIS ATION OF THE TOWN, TOWN THEME AND SIGNATURE EVENT, RIVER WALKWAY Project Objective: Revitalisation of Town: To beautify the town centre of Edgecumbe through the implementation of Community lead Clean Up - Working Bees. Town Theme: To establish a town theme that will distinguish the town of Edgecumbe, and organise a signature event that will celebrate the town theme, promote community spirit and economic benefits. River Walkway: Establish an attractive community walkway that will provide a link between the town and the river, and create a recreational feature for our town. Project Scope Revitalisation of Town: The scope will initially be a clean up of the gardens and vegetation in the areas adjacent to Riverslea Mall. For the next stage E.D.I.T will work in collaboration with other compatible partners (i.e. Local Businesses, Service Providers and Community Groups) to address other key areas identified: - Railway Embankment by Moby Dicks - Railway Embankment opposite Fonterra through to the entry into Edgecumbe. Town Theme: Establish a mutually agreed theme and event for Edgecumbe, through community consultation, by gaining input from all sectors of our community (Community Groups, Business Community, Schools). E.D.I.T will take a lead role in establishing a working party that is represented by all sectors of our community. The role of the working party will be the implementation of a Signature event for Edgecumbe. River Walkway: Create a walkway along our river that will start from our town centre and go to the Edgecumbe Domain, this will include the installation of structures that allow access for mowers, contains grazing stock. Installation of refuse receptacles and seating is also part of the plan. Scope Exclusions Private property, Council road carriages, structural or dangerous areas. Project Organisational Structure

Reporting Reporting will be directly to the E.D.I.T committee by the Project Manager during and upon completion of the project. E.D.I.T will provide an annual report which will document milestones achieved.
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EDGECUMBE DEVELOPMENT & IMPROVEMENT TEAM TOWN VISION PLAN