We’re proposing to exchange a small area of Waterloo Park with privately-owned land so – in time – we can provide a better entrance to the river.
Following consultation, elected members voted to ask the Minister of Conversation to approve the exchange. We are currently awaiting a decision.
This connects to a wider plan for Roxburgh Crescent
We’re currently working on a proposed plan change to turn industrial-zoned land along Roxburgh Crescent in Hokowhitu into a residential zone. We'll be consulting you about this later this year but in the meantime you can read about it here: Rezoning Roxburgh Crescent
As part of our planning for the new housing area, we're proposing to provide a new public entrance to the Manawatū River from Roxburgh Crescent. A land exchange could improve the location of the entrance. This would enable more plants, parking and facilities at the river entrance for our community to use.
We want to exchange a small piece of reserve for a new reserve
There is currently a small strip of Waterloo Park that acts as a buffer between Roxburgh Crescent’s industrial activities and homes in Tilbury Avenue. It's 11m x 120m, totalling approximately 1,300m2 (see photo gallery at the bottom of the page).
We won't need the buffer if Roxburgh Crescent is rezoned. That's why we're proposing to exchange this part of the park for land in the middle of Roxburgh’s future (proposed) new housing.
The current river access points at Ruahine Street and Ayr Place would remain.
The exchange would happen under the Reserves Act, in a separate process to the plan change. These processes have to happen separately due to different legislative requirements.
We need to ask the Crown’s permission
There is a multi-step process for this type of land exchange:
- We consult the community and consider any objections before deciding whether to apply for the land to be exchanged.
- Council makes a resolution, which we send to the the Minister of Conservation.
- The minister looks over the request and decides whether to grant it.
Only then would we plan the new entrance. Its classification as a recreational reserve would remain the same.