Community survey shows approval for hub concept

April 20th, 2013
[by David Armstrong]

The proposal for a Motueka community hub built around a new library received a cautious tick from residents through a High Street survey of 251 people by Motueka High School students taken in May.

The proposal was developed by Vision Motueka last year and endorsed by the Motueka Community Board in February, and has helped convince the council to think again about its library redevelopment project. (See our earlier story here.)

It suggested the two best sites for a library - in Decks Reserve and at the current library location - and urged it to be part of a longer-term project to design and establish a community hub for civic, community and tourism purposes, as a "heart" for the town.

The high school's Year 10 community issues class used ideas around the proposed new designs and locations to conduct its term 1 survey, and found results that will certainly inform the council's working party, which will soon begin meeting to plan the future of the library.

The students said most of the people agreeing to answer the survey were in their middle ages, with most young people declining to take part, so it was considered that the results were significant and quite reliable, provided by the people who would pay for the hub. Tourists were not included as they would not know enough about the issue.

The most basic question asked was "Do you support the proposal of the hub joining TDC services on one central site?". Nearly two-thirds said yes, just under one-quarter said no, the remaining being undecided. "There is nearly twice as much support for the hub than all of the 'no' or undecided answers," the students concluded.

However, repondents were evenly split on whether this project is a high or low priority.

Asked for their preferred site, one-half chose Decks Reserve, 44% said the current site beside Memorial Park and 15 people wanted another (unspecified) site.

The criteria people used to choose their preferred site, and therefore which would be important in the factors council will weigh up, were (in order) being easy to find, close to the middle of town, all [facilities/services] in one place, and accessible parking nearby.

Of the facilities that people would like to see in the hub (see graph, right), 26% wanted a library, 18% meeting rooms, 17% TDC offices (service centre), 15% entertainment and seating, and 14% a cafe.

Most people said we should have a "multi-purpose" hub.

The list of suggested facilities did not include some of the ideas put forward in Vision Motueka's concept - a youth centre, art and gallery space and a visitor information centre. However when extra general comments were given by surveyed people, several mentioned these facilities.

As would be expected, when the question of funding of a hub came up, most people were unhappy if it meant local ratepayers would have to pay more.

However, community board chairman David Ogilvie, who was invited to hear the presentation at the school yesterday, pointed out that in fact it would be paid by all Tasman district ratepayers as part of their general rate through the annual plan as just another item in the priority list. And if Motueka people did not want it, it would mean that the money would be spent anyway except in other parts of the district.

Those surveyed said that the TDC services they used most were the library followed closely by the Recreation Centre. Students said they were surprised that only 6% said they used Memorial Hall.

The results of the survey were presented by Graeme Coleman's class, with students all contributing to the graphs and Powerpoint slides and speaking to their own ones, making the presentation interesting for invited guests.

Graeme and the students commented on how it became clear that people in Motueka were becoming aware of the hub concept, were thinking and talking about it, and the idea was "gaining traction" in the community, so the survey was very appropriate and timely.

They said those who agreed to be surveyed developed more interest in the concept as the questions unfolded and they thought further about its implications for them.

Overall it was agreed by guests at the presentation that the work of the students was exceptional and will be of great value to the future of Motueka.

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