Opinion: How we (fail to) plan in Kerikeri - Part 7

Imagine our surprise when we saw the headline Dystopian vision of Kerikeri from 50 years ago discovered.

An article by Mike Dinsdale in the Northland Age of July 23rd.

This vision of Kerikeri written in 1974 by an unknown author was discovered in the archives of Heritage New Zealand. This nearly 50-year-old visionary document outlined a far-sighted and innovative concept for the township of Kerikeri. It warned against the evils of “ribbon development” – increased commercial and housing activity hanging off a single main arterial road. If the people of Kerikeri did not change their ways, a grim future awaited and noted that already the main street of Kerikeri is crowded with cars. This street, straight and carrying through-traffic, can be difficult and even dangerous to cross especially for children and the elderly,”. This warning has come to pass.

The last words of the anonymous writer who took time to record their thoughts five decades ago:

“There is no doubt that Kerikeri is quite capable of making itself a unique and remarkably civilised place. We all want it. It needs brains, work and cooperation. Starting now.” But 50 years later, almost no tangible improvements have been made to the traffic problems in our main street.

The full article can be read on the NZ Herald website.

So, the story of planning for the CBD, the impact of vehicles on our town centre and traffic along our linear Kerikeri Road and a bypass linking Butler Road via Homestead Road to Clark Road, has a long history. Vision Kerikeri (VKK) were aware of a history dating back to 1986 starting with a report to the old Bay of Islands Council by Beca Carter entitled “Kerikeri Concept Plan” which incorporated a “Precinct Plan”. This was reiterated in subsequent reports by several other consultants to FNDC which was formed in 1989, then embodied in the 2000 Structure Plan which went nowhere, and then incorporated in the 2007 Structure Plan which had wide public consultation, was adopted by Council, and then largely ignored. Since that time, VKK has chronicled this issue to Council in submissions, letters, presentations, and meetings without effect until quite recently. The failure to act indicates a failure of council to respond to the needs of our local community and appears to have had an element of parochialism.

The proposed bypass would run parallel to our Main Street, redirecting "through traffic" away from the town centre, and this remains an essential pre-condition for a “Precinct Plan” for our town centre. This new route would allow vehicles to still pass through the Main Street, but it would no longer be the main thoroughfare. Instead, the focus would be on creating a more pedestrian-friendly and safer environment, where people and other modes of transport take priority, and vehicles become guests in this space, ultimately contributing to our overall well-being.

Council did take early steps toward a bypass by purchasing properties, then sold them and then purchased them back again. Since 2006, eight houses between Butler Road and Clark Road have been bought at a cost of $4.845M.

Recently, the FNDC 2024 to 2027 plan, schedules a CBD Roading bypass at a cost of $5.232M in year 3 which is good news. A challenge is that Kerikeri is not on a State Highway. State Highways are funded by NZTA for internal roads, so it is difficult to get funding from NZTA, however the bypass could be funded by say targeted rates or from surplus land along the new road.

In August 2021, following presentations by VKK and Our Kerikeri and prodded by Councillors Ann Court and Rachel Smith, Council at last recognised growth in Kerikeri was barely controlled by our very permissive District Plan and started a review of the 2007 Structure Plan.  Two Zoom meetings with some community, public commercial and institutional participants took place, which apparently is regarded as sufficient public consultation, and the ponderous, Te Pātukurea, Kerikeri Waipapa Spatial Plan for the greater Kerikeri/Waipapa area has commenced. New consultants have been appointed and Spatial Planning is proceeding slowly.

Representations from Vision Kerikeri and Our Kerikeri for planning a more detailed master plan for the CBD area in tandem with this Spatial Plan, were rejected by Council. The CBD, though compact, is an important focal area. The chairpersons of VKK and Our Kerikeri collaborating informally with staff from FNDC and Far North Holdings were making promising progress, but these efforts were abruptly halted by FNDC staff, who stated that completion of Patukurea was required before further action could be taken on a masterplan. Our Kerikeri had conducted several public meetings and analysed data from 1,200 community participants, but this work has now been put aside as too old. The notion of a “Precinct Plan” with its traffic issue well established and a simple solution of a 350 Metre grid road between Butler and Clark Roads, is generally understood by the public as not merely to solve congestion but a well-being issue to create a great people first place in the CBD and to get the centre of our town back but is not understood it seems by Council staff.

A grid network would offer multiple ways to navigate the town. Even if traffic congestion is not yet a significant issue for Kerikeri, as questionable traffic reports suggest, from an urban design perspective, how many towns rely on a clunky and complicated one-way system as their main thoroughfare?

According to council planners, nothing can be done without first finalising a high-level Spatial Plan presumably to make certain that a bypass is in fact needed from future growth. The French have a proverb “L’ennemi du bien est le bien” or “perfection is the enemy of the good”.

So, after 50 years little has been done to resolve a problem known since 1974 and for which the Council has spent nearly $5M buying property. Meanwhile, further development is continuing along Kerikeri Road and other areas and will only increase the traffic in our town.

Pātukurea, the Spatial Plan, is dealing with growth and high-level infrastructure and is admittedly complex but is very process driven. After the council delivers a Foundation Document, a Framework Document and a Spatial Plan there will be other planning layers to be peeled back, rather like an onion skin, and is likely to take decades to implement. The Proposed District Plan will have an impact; infrastructure, and affordability will be a challenge.   

FNDC advises that a stakeholder workshop for the Patukurea is planned in September with public engagement in November.