A Vibrant Timaru City Hub

Council's role in the regeneration

This proposed regeneration has the potential to impact our community across all four well-beings (social, economic, cultural and environmental) by improving the inner-city user experience including retail options, eateries, spaces to gather, places to live, events and entertainment, and improved community connection.

We’ve received a lot of really interesting feedback and ideas from the immediate CBD community. Now it’s time for the District to think about what is the right scope, scale and timing to get things moving in the Timaru CBD, and what role the Council should play in making it happen.

Council's Decision

Council has an enabling role in the Timaru City Centre regeneration.

'Enabling' includes leading a significant work programme (with the community and private sector) to change the look and feel of inner-city public spaces to improve inner city lifestyles, assisting with the creation of focal points and public gathering places around the George Street / Bay Hill area and at Strathallan Corner, and supporting the scaling up of existing events such as the Caroline Bay Carnival and Food Festivals to regional level events.

The costs associated with the enabling option include $31.9 million debt funding over the period 2021-31 to undertake capital work programmes, additional operating costs of $15.2 million (in total) from 2022/23 (Year 2) to 2030/31 (Year 10), and a further $10 million of work undertaken in the period 2031-41.

Our challenge and opportunity

2020 raised community awareness of the economic challenges faced by the retail and hospitality industries. However, COVID-19 is only one piece of the puzzle. Other challenges – such as trends in online shopping, building earthquake standards and rising operating costs – have and will continue to put pressure on town centres throughout New Zealand.

Our vision is to recreate a vibrant and sustainable city centre that will meet the diverse needs of our residents for the next 30 – 50 years. This vision will embrace Caroline Bay and the Carnival, the Bay Hill, Stafford Street, the Landing Services Building, Te Ana Rock Art Museum, the new South Stafford Street Heritage Precinct and everything in between.
We already have a seaside inner city rich in heritage and culture. How can we build on what we have in ways that provide more of what our residents and visitors want from their inner-city area and lifestyle?

What's planned

We have a vision for a living, working and vibrant inner-city area with a strong identity that links Caroline Bay through to the new Heritage Hub at the south end of Stafford Street, creating points of interest along the way. Timaru CBD 2
In the short term we anticipate small-scale changes, such as more pedestrian friendly areas or gathering spaces. In the longer term we want to help refocus the area from a largely transactional retail and hospitality precinct to a more holistic living, working and gathering place.
We will continue to engage with residents and visitors to distil and to implement specific projects which will create a real lifestyle and cultural destination. These projects could include:

  • a mix of public spaces;
  • “greening” the city;
  • anchor “destination locations” such as a unique playground;
  • great public art;
  • narratives about our history;
  • improvements to the nature and frequency of community events, festivals and markets;
  • opportunities for more people to live where they work and play in the revitalised city centre

Who are the players?

We believe that the changes Council can lead will support a more positive investment climate for necessary building improvements to help create a vibrant, sustainable city centre that looks and feels like the heart of our thriving District.
However, while Council has a role to play with planning and infrastructure, this sort of change depends on community support, and leadership

Further Information

City Hub Frequently Asked Questions

Supplementary information to inform community feedback on the LTP consultation options (Facilitate, Enable, Transform)

Updated 24 Aug 2021
DOWNLOAD PDF(150.1 KB)

City Hub Stakeholder Summary Report

Report prepared by consultants Beca on key stakeholder issues and aspirations for the Timaru CBD (2019)

Updated 24 Aug 2021
DOWNLOAD PDF(2.9 MB)

Long Term Plan Council Report - City Hub

Summary of options (Facilitate, Enable, Transform) and community feedback received, officer recommendations and Council decisions on proposals.

Updated 24 Aug 2021
DOWNLOAD PDF(1.2 MB)

City Hub Residents' Perception Survey 2021

Issues and aspirations for the Timaru CBD, identified and prioritised by residents of the District (2021)

Updated 24 Aug 2021
DOWNLOAD PDF(4.6 MB)

Timaru District Town Centres Study Report 2016

Challenges and opportunities facing the town centres of Timaru, Geraldine, Temuka and Pleasant Point (2016)

Updated 24 Aug 2021
DOWNLOAD PDF(11.6 MB)

The options

Our preferred option is option 2.

Facilitate
Summary of Option

Council has a facilitation role in the Timaru City Centre Regeneration
What this Option will look like

Council’s role would include:

  • Encouraging community and private sector investment
  • Minor roading changes, such as wider footpaths and/or changes to parking to create improved public gathering space
  • Some beautification, maintenance, and support for small scale activities to create a vibe in the city centre such as upgraded lighting and a refresh of the green spaces.

This option provides a short-term cosmetic refresh to the city centre but no significant infrastructure or public space changes.

Under this option the benefits of this strategy are expected to take 20 years to be fully realised and will require significant investment from external parties.

Capital Cost

$8.5M

Debt funded

Operating Costs

$4M

Additional operating costs from 2022/23 (Year 2) to 2030/31 (Year 10) funded by rates.

These costs relate to interest, depreciation and other costs.
There is a need for greater private investment for this option to succeed

Enable
Summary of Option

Council has an enabling role in the Timaru City Centre Regeneration
What this Option will look like

Council’s role would include:

  • Leading a significant works programme (with the community and private sector) to change the look and feel of inner-city public spaces to improve inner city lifestyles
  • Assisting with the creation of focal points and public gathering places around the George Street/Bay Hill area and at Strathallan Corner
  • Supporting the scaling up of existing events such as the Caroline Bay Carnival and Food Festivals to regional level events

This option requires Council investment in changes to public spaces, art and culture features, and improved linkages from Caroline Bay and through the city centre. While more expensive to implement, the benefits will be sustainable and enduring.

Under this option benefits of this strategy are expected to take 15+ years to be fully realised. A further $10M of work is planned for 2031-41.

Capital Cost

$31.9M

Debt funded

Operating Costs

$15.2M

Additional operating costs from 2022/23 (Year 2) to 2030/31 (Year 10) funded by rates.

These costs relate to interest, depreciation and other costs.

Transform
Summary of Option

Council has a transformation role in the Timaru City Centre Regeneration
What this Option will look like

Council’s role would include:

  • Leading the works programme identified in Option 2 but with a greater scope requiring additional investment.
  • Potential property acquisitions and partnerships with private investors to create a new heart at Strathallan Corner
  • Changed transport patterns in Stafford Street, such as one way traffic and pedestrianising some streets
  • Improved infrastructure so that local, regional and national events could be hosted in the CBD

This option provides the opportunity for the most significant change, but requires considerable commitment and investment from Council and the private sector.

Under this option benefits of this strategy are expected to take 10+ years to be fully realised.

Capital Cost

$85M

Debt funded

Operating Costs

$40.5M

Additional operating costs from 2022/23 (Year 2) to 2030/31 (Year 10).

These costs relate to interest, depreciation and other costs.

Preferred Option

1

Facilitate

2

Enable

3

Transform

Summary of Option

Council has a facilitation role in the Timaru City Centre Regeneration

Council has an enabling role in the Timaru City Centre Regeneration

Council has a transformation role in the Timaru City Centre Regeneration

What this Option will look like

Council’s role would include:

  • Encouraging community and private sector investment
  • Minor roading changes, such as wider footpaths and/or changes to parking to create improved public gathering space
  • Some beautification, maintenance, and support for small scale activities to create a vibe in the city centre such as upgraded lighting and a refresh of the green spaces.

This option provides a short-term cosmetic refresh to the city centre but no significant infrastructure or public space changes.

Under this option the benefits of this strategy are expected to take 20 years to be fully realised and will require significant investment from external parties.

Council’s role would include:

  • Leading a significant works programme (with the community and private sector) to change the look and feel of inner-city public spaces to improve inner city lifestyles
  • Assisting with the creation of focal points and public gathering places around the George Street/Bay Hill area and at Strathallan Corner
  • Supporting the scaling up of existing events such as the Caroline Bay Carnival and Food Festivals to regional level events

This option requires Council investment in changes to public spaces, art and culture features, and improved linkages from Caroline Bay and through the city centre. While more expensive to implement, the benefits will be sustainable and enduring.

Under this option benefits of this strategy are expected to take 15+ years to be fully realised. A further $10M of work is planned for 2031-41.

Council’s role would include:

  • Leading the works programme identified in Option 2 but with a greater scope requiring additional investment.
  • Potential property acquisitions and partnerships with private investors to create a new heart at Strathallan Corner
  • Changed transport patterns in Stafford Street, such as one way traffic and pedestrianising some streets
  • Improved infrastructure so that local, regional and national events could be hosted in the CBD

This option provides the opportunity for the most significant change, but requires considerable commitment and investment from Council and the private sector.

Under this option benefits of this strategy are expected to take 10+ years to be fully realised.

Capital Cost

$8.5M

Debt funded

$31.9M

Debt funded

$85M

Debt funded

Operating Costs

$4M

Additional operating costs from 2022/23 (Year 2) to 2030/31 (Year 10) funded by rates.

These costs relate to interest, depreciation and other costs.
There is a need for greater private investment for this option to succeed

$15.2M

Additional operating costs from 2022/23 (Year 2) to 2030/31 (Year 10) funded by rates.

These costs relate to interest, depreciation and other costs.

$40.5M

Additional operating costs from 2022/23 (Year 2) to 2030/31 (Year 10).

These costs relate to interest, depreciation and other costs.