Kerikeri looks to learn from Focus Paihia

A public meeting has been called for Tuesday evening in Kerikeri, aimed at establishing a new community group modelled on Focus Paihia to boost community spirit and make the town a better place in which to live and work.

Provisionally named as Our Kerikeri, the group’s aims will include deciding on a shared vision of Kerikeri’s future, creating a master plan for the town’s development over the next 10 years, and undertaking town improvement projects.

Tuesday’s meeting, at the Turner Centre at 7pm (with the bar opening at 6.30pm), will be facilitated by the founders of Focus Paihia, with a welcome for all.

A decade or so agoo Paihia was a fractious town with poor public facilities — one of its toilets was famously dubbed the worst in NZ — and a tired, run-down appearance that did nothing for its status as Northland’s busiest tourist town.

The formation of the Focus Paihia Charitable Trust introduced a new era of unity and co-operation, and a plethora of community-driven town improvement projects, including revamped Marsden Rd public toilets, a waterfront park on a prime site once squandered on car parking, and a major mountain bike park at Waitangi.

In many cases Focus Paihia has managed to defy red tape and get things done by simply going ahead and doing them, then asking for permission afterwards.

Go to www.kerikeriourtown.co.nz for more information.