Village Planning Programme - Porirua City Council
This section describes Porirua City Council's award-winning Village Planning Programme. The programme is a partnership with our communities to improve and develop their neighbourhoods.
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Porirua City Council and the community work to improve city villages
The award-winning Village Planning Programme is a groundbreaking partnership between Porirua City Council and its communities.
It puts communities in charge of developing a vision for their neighbourhoods and then partnering with Council to make it happen. This vision is brought together through community consultation and developed into Village Plans, which lay out the community's goals and aspirations for the future of their neighbourhood.
View the documents below to find out more:
Village Planning Projects - from skateparks to community fairs
Eleven Porirua communities are currently involved in Porirua City Council's Village Planning Programme; some are just starting, while others are well underway.
Many of the communities have developed village plans; setting out their vision for their neighbourhood. These village's plans are hugely diverse, reflecting the differing nature of the villages. Projects requested have included everything from a new waterfront promenade and skatepark, to a beach management plan and community fair.
The Village Planning Programme has revolutionised the way Council works alongside its communities and the response from the community has been overwhelmingly positive. It is being reflected in a noticeable increase in community pride and a deeper relationship between Council and its communities.
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Award winning Village Planning Programme
In 2011 the project to develop Waitangirua Community Park was judged the best in New Zealand for outstanding community engagement.
Waitangirua residents drove the development of the park, to create a heart for the suburb on underused land. Residents worked alongside Porirua City Council staff at every stage; from the concept to construction.
The project was named the New Zealand regional winner for Australasia of the International Association for Public Participation IAP2 Project of the Year 2011 Awards.
The project did not take out the overall Australisian award, which was announced in October 2011.
You can view the IAP2 Project of the Year 2011 award entry (PDF 6.7MB)
At the 2010 International Liveable Communities Awards, the Villages Programme won first place in the Socio Economic section of the Environmentally Sustainable Project Award. Porirua City also topped the Community Sustainability criteria in the Whole of City award.
You can view two stunning DVDs created for the awards of the Village Planning Programme and the Whole of City on the Porirua Videos webpage or go to this YouTube link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28XNW9MdT2w
To learn more about these awards and Porirua City Council's entries return to the Community Projects home page.
In 2009, the Village Planning Programme won the supreme award at the 2009 Local Government Excellence Awards. View the award entry. (PDF 4274 kbs)
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Village Planning Programme budgets and future work programme
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Village Planning Programme Review - 2011
A review of the Village Planning Programme was commissioned as part of the development of the 2012-12 Long Term Plan. The aim is for it to provide advice for Council on how to plan for the programme over the next ten years and gives advice on planned improvements to the village programme.
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Porirua City Council Village Planning Programme contacts
For more information or to provide news updates, contact Villages Programme Manager Ian Barlow on phone (04) 237-1418, mobile 0275 303 317 or email ibarlow@pcc.govt.nz.
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