Vision Seaview Gracefield 2030
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FINAL Vision Seaview Gracefi eld 2030 Transforming the Future Photo acknowledgement (cover): ‘Silk Poplar Dress’ Deborah Sweeney, Stansborough, Heavy Metal, HTS-110, Dulux, Seaview Marina, E Sime Group Contents Mayor’s Letter 4 Introduction 5 Once Upon a Swamp 7 Faces of Seaview Gracefi eld 11 Vision Opening Page 14 Theme 1: Existing Business 16 Theme 2: New/Emerging Business 20 Theme 3: Recreation 25 Theme 4: Environment 29 Appendices 34 3 Vision Seaview Gracefi eld 2030: Transforming the Future Seaview Gracefi eld is crucial to the future growth and prosperity of our city. It is a major industrial and commercial hub for the Wellington region. We want that to remain so, but for that to happen, we need to plan for its future. That starts with a vision. It therefore gives me great pleasure to present the vision for Seaview Gracefi eld. Vision Seaview Gracefi eld 2030 – Transforming the Future will help guide the direction of Seaview Gracefi eld for the next 20 years and beyond. We asked individuals, organisations and businesses in Seaview Gracefi eld what they want to see happen between now and 2030. Their ideas are contained in this document, and I want to thank them for their valuable contributions. We are committed to working together with the Seaview Gracefi eld community in implementing the vision and transforming the area for the future. David Ogden MAYOR 23rd June 2010 4 Vision Seaview Gracefi eld 2030: Transforming the Future Introduction What is Vision Seaview Gracefi eld 2030? Vision Seaview Gracefi eld 2030 (S-G 2030) is our shared vision of what the Seaview and Gracefi eld Industrial Area of Hutt City could be like in the future. The Vision captures the current issues and future ideas of our Seaview Gracefi eld community. This Vision forms a part of the programme of vision statements undertaken by Council – Petone (2007), Central Business District (2008) and Seaview Gracefi eld. The four themes • Providing stability and effi ciency to support existing businesses1 • Creating a suitable environment for the growth of new/emerging businesses1 • Making better use of recreational opportunities • Contributing towards a better environment These four themes incorporate the Community Outcomes identifi ed in the Long Term Council Community Plan 2006-2017 in accordance with The Local Government Act 2002. The outcomes that apply are Community Prosperity, Connected, Entrepreneurial and Innovative Culture, Healthy Environment and Sense of Place. Council will use the Vision in the review of our plans, providing opportunities for implementing new ideas. Changes will incorporate the feedback received from our community in Seaview Gracefi eld. We will give recognition to what the community consider is of value and has future potential. Institutions and organisations with an interest in the future of Seaview Gracefi eld will also be able to use our Vision as a framework to guide their decisions. Footnote 1: Both of these themes are aligned with Hutt City Council’s Economic Development Strategy 2009 - 2014. 5 Vision Seaview Gracefi eld 2030: Transforming the Future How was the Vision developed? The Vision is based on • Ideas that came from workshops and face-to-face meetings with individuals, organisations and businesses in Seaview Gracefi eld - Appendix 1 • Feedback received from public consultation - February to March 2010 Vision scope Our Vision is for the area marked as Seaview Gracefi eld - please refer to Appendix 2. There are implications as a result of our Vision that relate to the neighbouring communities as well as the City and region as a whole. These implications are included where they apply within the Vision. Next Steps Council will start implementing the Vision starting with the following: • Preparation of a Work Plan, fi rst draft by December 2010 • Six monthly progress report to the Strategy and Policy Committee • Appointment of a Seaview Gracefi eld (Science and Research) “champion” by December 2010 6 Vision Seaview GracefiVision eld Seaview 2030: TransformingGracefi eld 2030: the FutureTransforming the Future “Once Upon a Swamp” Historic Journey The people of the land, the tangata whenua had a number of settlements in the Hutt Valley, including Ohiti, a village on the eastern side of the Waiwhetu, the star-refl ecting stream. Prior to the earthquake in 1855 there was suffi cient depth of water in the Waiwhetu stream for launching vessels and the quiet water was navigable as far as Belmont. The shipyard on Waiwhetu built a 55 ton vessel in 1848. For decades following the earthquake, Seaview had been discussed as a sandy “no man’s land” surrounding a hillocky swamp, but in 1929, Caltex Oil moved into the area – the Wellington Harbour Board erected the Point Howard wharf in anticipation of the future industrial potential of Seaview. Extract from History of Lower Hutt by D.P. Millar In 1936, Ford Motor Company built a modern plant where the meeting houses of the historic Maori village of Ohiti once stood. It was 18 acres in size and the plant produced Zodiac, Zephyr, Consul, Prefect, Anglia and the Thames truck and Fordson tractor. Griffi n & Sons built the ‘Garden Factory’ in 1938 with 87 staff, mostly women who lived in the nearby railway workshop. Dulux established its new manufacturing plant in 1939. Ajax Bolt and Rivet Company built a manufacturing facility in 1940 – producing 29 million nuts, bolts, washers and rivets annually. The Industrial Chemical Industries (ICI) N.Z. established its plant in Gracefi eld in 1950. The fi rst Hutt Valley Industries Fair was held in August 1960 in Lower Hutt Civic Centre to celebrate Hutt Valley. According to the Prime Minister W. Nash at the time, “no area in New Zealand has made a greater contribution to the story of growth and diversifi cation than the Hutt Valley.” Photo acknowledgement: Petone Heritage Library Hutt City Council 7 Vision Seaview Gracefi eld 2030: Transforming the Future In the sixties, the Hutt Valley played a major role in felt and textiles of New Zealand with Feltex in Bell Road Gracefi eld. In 1961, the Dominion Physical Laboratory in Gracefi eld became one of the several important scientifi c institutions in the Hutt Valley. Built in 1943 as part of the war munitions programme, soon joined by the Radio Development Laboratory, it was one of the bigger branches of the Department of Scientifi c and Industrial Research (D.S.I.R.). The Wellington Flour Mills new $1million plant opened in 1972 as New Zealand’s most modern fl our mill. In 1981, Peter Baker Transport moved to their massive 10,000 square feet storage and distribution depot. A world fi rst was achieved when a team of Hutt scientists from the D.S.I.R. led by Dr Jeff Tallon successfully used superconductor technologies in an electromagnet applied to radiocarbon dating. This later led to a patent being awarded in 2004 that paved the way for producing industrial magnets, motors and transformers, an industry estimated to be worth $300m at the time. In 2000, Dr Bill Robinson from the D.S.I.R. (later Robinson Seismic Ltd.) invented the Roballs that are used for earthquake protection. In April 2001, the Waiwhetu Stream Working Group, pushed for the cleanup of the Waiwhetu Stream. Concern was expressed by the iwi that the Mauri or Life Force of the stream was seriously compromised with ecological damage to the waterways. A more active role of kaitiakitanga (guardianship) was called for3. In July 2009 the Waiwhetu Stream Restoration Project begins with a plan to plant natives along the banks and to restore the ecological environment. Footnote 3: The Tangata whenua perspective on history and values of the Waiwhetu Stream by Teri Puketapu – taken from the Waiwhetu Stream Action Plan April 2001. 8 Vision Seaview Gracefi eld 2030: Transforming the Future Map acknowledgement: Sourced from Hutt City Archives - ‘The Hutt Valley 1840-1940’ from an original drawing by Lance Hall 1940 9 Vision Seaview Gracefi eld 2030: Transforming the Future Today Seaview Gracefi eld has around 700 businesses employing almost 7000 people. Since the adoption of Council’s Economic Development Strategy in 2002 the number of businesses increased by 25 percent compared to 20 percent for Hutt City. The main contributor to the increase came from larger businesses with 50-99 employees. The average number of employees per business in Seaview Gracefi eld is also higher at 9.7 compared to Hutt City at 4.8. PATRICK: DULUX NEW ZEALAND “Seaview / Gracefi eld is built on the long term success of manufacturing and industrial businesses like Dulux. It is a great place to do business, with good infrastructure, great support from other local businesses, and continued commitment to the area by the Hutt City Council. These are the key reasons we have chosen to invest $28M in our Gracefi eld site to upgrade our manufacturing facilities and infrastructure . This investment guarantees our future as a paint manufacturer and key employer in the local area for generations to come.” Patrick Jones - General Manager, Dulux New Zealand 10 Vision Seaview Gracefi eld 2030: Transforming the Future Faces of Seaview Gracefi eld ALLEN: TOP 10 HOLIDAY PARK “We would like visitors to stay longer - let’s promote more activities for visitors to do and raise the profi le of the whole area – we have a great history with Ford Motors, Feltex, railway workshop etc.” STAR: KOKIRI MARAE “Let’s beautify Seaview Marina and make it a centre for recreation.” CARL: METAL ART offi ce and street furniture maker “We source around 75-80 percent of our metal from local businesses within Seaview Gracefi eld.” GLENN: eNZOIL regeneration of transformer oil “We reduce the need to discard the oil into our environment.” MIKE: NZ ROAD TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION “The transport industry here is supported by other key industries, e.g.