Central City projects

  • Project scheduleOngoing
The James St Laneway in central Whangarei.

The Central City Revitalisation Programme is about our strategic vision for the re-development of Whangarei's central city area.

Plan, strategies and information is available here:

Central City Revitalisation

Pūtahi Park (New Town Basin Park)

The iconic new landmark, Pūtahi Park, opened in March 2022.

The $6.6 million park includes a water-feature, mini trampolines, a great lawn for performances and events, a slack-line tight-rope, toilets and drinking fountains, shade sails, and ample seating.

Pūtahi Park

Town Basin facilities upgrade

A major re-vamp of the Town Basin’s bus and visitor facilities is starting in mid 2022 to improve the area for visitors and the wider community. 

The project will include safer bus stops for tour buses and cruise ship buses, new public toilets near the playground, upgraded carparks, and more mobility-friendly parking.

There will be new high amenity footpaths, landscaping and wayfinding signs from Pūtahi Park through to Hundertwasser Art Centre, and on towards the already upgraded children’s playground.

Town Basin facilities upgrade

Upgrade of connection between Rose Street and Vine Street

Creating a fresh new feeling to attract people back into Whangārei’s central retail area is the plan behind an experimental Tactical Urbanism project funded by Government.

Council has received $111,000 from Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency’s innovating Streets for People fund, to improve the connection from the bus hub on Rose Street to Quality Street, which runs between Vine Street and Cameron Street.

Image of the car park on Vine Street.

Council has a master plan for the Central City that aims to develop critical connections between active areas.

Dent Street and John Street roading improvements 2021

In June 2021, John Street pedestrian crossing across Dent Street was improved to make it a safer, wider, one-stage crossing to enable pedestrians to get to the waterfront from the central city and vice versa.

Graphic showing a stylised map of John Street changes

Earlier the pedestrians had to cross the road in two stages which involved them waiting out in the middle of the road.