Paraparaumu Ward council candidate K.(Guru) Gurunathan says Mayor Jenny Rowan’s statement encouraging the community to help shape Paraparaumu Town Centre adds little to the earlier clinical statement made on August 27 by KCDC chief executive, Pat Dougherty.
“I would have thought Ms Rowan’s political statement would have included the additional fact that the shape of the town centre’s urban development would depend on NZTA’s proposed Expressway.”
The council paper tabled on August 26 states that the Expressway decision is a complicating factor that will have an impact on local connectivity issues and could affect access and roading requirements in relation to the town centre land.
“It’s important to keep highlighting this simple political fact to our communities – the shadow of the Government’s Expressway is looming large over everything we are used to and take for granted – and almost every decision on urban form and development, said Mr Gurunathan.
“We must look at what we want in our town centre but our political leaders must keep reminding the people that a juggernaut of unknown description is on its way,” said Mr Gurunathan.
