The Invercargill City Centre Master Plan sets out a pathway for revitalising the heart of Invercargill and we want to hear your thoughts.

The Invercargill City Council’s Infrastructural Services Committee yesterday (Tuesday, 1 December) adopted the Master Plan, which aims to attract people to the city centre and create connections between new developments and existing retailers and businesses.

The Master Plan draws on past ideas about how we reinvigorate the city centre, along with the views of city interest groups and individuals through a Project Working Group.

Feedback was gathered through six workshops, a city centre hikoi, youth- and activation-focused sessions and multiple individual meetings.

Over the next two months, Council will once again involve those groups in the planning process and seek their views on the Master Plan.

Views of the wider community are also invited and will be considered by Council early in the new year.

Council Group Manager – Environmental and Planning Services Darren Edwards said gathering community views is an important part of the Master Plan development.

“The Master Plan itself is just the start of the process. It offers a framework for future projects, along with guidance on how we can make the city centre work better for people.

“There are some up-front pieces of work that can quickly be carried out, but the idea is that the concepts and proposed projects are future-focused and will be developed in more detail over coming months and years,” he said.

“It’s important that we hear what the community thinks right throughout the process. Whether you’re already involved, or you’d simply like to share your views, we’d like to hear from you.

“We recognise we’re moving swiftly toward the Christmas break, so we’re keen to hear from you now, but then we’ll remind everyone after the new year how they can take part.”

The Master Plan seeks to bring life, fun and activity to the centre of Invercargill. It includes some initial projects, along with a range of strategies for making the city a more exciting, attractive place to be. These include creating precincts to focus activities such as entertainment, retail and open spaces, along with proposals to make the city more pedestrian and cycle-friendly and to introduce new design to enhance streetscapes.

The plan does not try to achieve everything all at once; along with some initial improvement projects, its aim is to set the scene for future planning.

Council is creating a framework for activity and investment in the city that brings it all together and guides future work.

View the Master Plan at: www.icc.govt.nz/citycentreplan

Tell us what you think by emailing citycentreplan@icc.govt.nz