By Ian Powell
During one of the many well attended election meetings, I and other candidates were asked whether we supported a central hub for Kāpiti Coast? This wasn’t an issue raised in any other of the districtwide councillor meetings I attended (I’ve attended all of them).
I expressed scepticism about this suggestion. But it has encouraged me to think more about the underlying issues.
To me, if this is the question then the wrong question is being asked. It confuses form with function. One of the biggest problems in the health system was the propensity, from time to time, to fail to put function (what needs to be done) before form (where it is done). It is rather like building a new hospital before it has been decided what services should be provided inside it.
The first question to consider is what is Kāpiti Coast. It is a relatively narrow piece of land between the Tararua Range and the sea (around 22 kilometres between the Range and Ōtaki Beach). Going north it starts at Paekākāriki and ends at Ōtaki (about 34 kilometres apart). Its most well-known distinctive feature is Kāpiti Island.
Kāpiti’s population is nearly 54,000 with around 21,000 living in the biggest town, Paraparaumu. It has several small towns and villages, all with different characters and all with Māori names that indicates something of their different histories.
The next question is what is a central hub. In essence, it is the main centre of activity within a defined geographic area. In a city context it could be the central business district. If form was to precede function, then Paraparaumu would be Kāpiti’s central hub.
Except that, given the geography of Kāpiti, this makes no sense. When discussed at the election meeting I began this article with, another candidate (Lawrence Kirby) described Kāpiti as a string of pearls. I agree. Kāpiti’s pearls are its towns and villages, including the natural beauty within which they are located. Each has its own unique character and history.
If the term ‘hub’ is to be used then these pearls are Kāpiti’s hubs. Rather than a central hub, Kāpiti Coast District Council should focus on strengthening the strings between its pearls. This is in order to enhance the culture and wellbeing of Kāpiti as a whole so that it is greater than the sum of its parts.
It is about improving interconnectivity beginning with enhancing public transport (both train to Ōtaki and more buses, and types of buses, between the pearls). This is putting function before form.
Ian Powell is standing as a Districtwide candidate for the Kāpiti Council
