Making Magic

Using the wisdom of all of a community’s heads leads to great plans for the future.

Last night (May 9) Making Magic (https://hastings.wistia.com/projects/h3tcf2opvn), a video and booklet on community-led planning, was shown to the communities for the first time – to a very pleased response.

Some pre-screening nerves were suffered by community members interviewed for the documentary-style video showcasing the successes in their neighbourhoods as a result of the plans. But in the end the smiles were broad.

Hastings has 10 community-led plans in place, some just started; others in their second or third iteration. Successes range across all the plans, from the community centre built in Camberley and the fully mature community garden in Anderson Park, to the revamped playground in Flaxmere and the revitalisation of the river corridor in Whakatu.

Hastings mayor Lawrence Yule introduced the video, saying the successes to date showed just what partnerships between communities and Council could achieve.

“All our communities are different, with different issues, different aims and different strengths. The things they have in common are their vibrancy and their people’s passion for their neighbourhoods.

“Planning at this level, with the community taking the initiative and Council doing what it can to help achieve the aims or introducing communities to other agencies that can help, is achieving results that Council could never achieve on its own.”

With 10 plans on the board, Council is encouraging more communities to think about setting up a plan.

“Have a look at the video and the booklet. These are concrete results for real people in our communities, and there is no reason more of us cannot get the same outcomes,” said Mr Yule.

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