Council’s Waterfront Redevelopment Taskforce set sail last week with its first meeting as we look to revitalise the area along Wakefield Quay and Haven Road to help strengthen the links between the city and the sea.
We have always been a maritime community with our sheltered port, and the Nelson waterfront is beautiful. I was involved 20 years ago in establishing the Nelson 2000 Trust that successfully redeveloped part of this area resulting in The Styx/Guytons building, the reconstructed seawall, the Early Settlers Memorial and the public walkway to the powerhouse building. The challenge now is to redevelop the areas either side of this project to make the most of this stunning location.
I’m not alone in this view. Many of the more than 150 people at the City Revitalisation Summit in March saw advantages in better connecting the city to the waterfront and redeveloping the properties owned by Council along this stretch. The Waterfront Redevelopment Taskforce, ably chaired by Councillor Mel Courtney, is one of the taskforces established in the wake of the Summit as we progress ideas to revitalise our city. Members of the public are already expressing interest about what should happen along the waterfront and the Taskforce members are keen to capture that enthusiasm.
Port Nelson is a vital partner in this project and work is progressing well on a Memorandum of Understanding between Council and the Port. We’ll also have a representative from the Port on the Taskforce to help guide the redevelopment of this area in a co-ordinated way. Nelson is the largest seafood processing port in Australasia – our fisheries and aquaculture industries dwarf other regions. Port Nelson is not only a major operator on the waterfront, it’s a pillar of our economy.
The Waterfront Redevelopment Taskforce’s work isn’t the only project to help grow the city’s links with the sea. We’re upgrading the walkway-cycleway between the city and Nelson Marina. We are also investing in implementing the Nelson Marina Masterplan and moving the Marina to an Asset-Owning Council Controlled Organisation to help us transform it into a modern, world-class facility for boaties and the community to enjoy.
