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Waikato District Council - Te Kaunihera aa Takiwaa o Waikato

Pookeno Community Hub check in and survey

Thank you to the over 200 residents who participated in the online survey and to those who attended the community check-in sessions. The engagement confirms support for the Pookeno Community Hub, and provided great feedback that can be considered as the project moves forward with detailed design and costing confirmation.

The new Pookeno Community Hub will be a modern, flexible place where community, technology and learning come together in the heart of Pookeno.

The hub is a priority that has been identified in Council’s Long Term Plan and was also identified as a priority in the Pookeno Public Realm Concept Plan 2022.

Planned features in the hub include: multi-purpose meeting spaces for community group activities, meetings and classes; private functions and events; Council services; library and lifelong learning; computer and internet access and shared working stations.

Examples of the feedback received:

  • Almost two-thirds (63%) of respondents like the overall idea of the hub, with 26% disliking it and the rest remaining neutral. Some examples of the reasons for liking the idea include it being  "good for community building" and "having a library and space which can be used for all age groups to come together".
  • Of those who dislike the overall idea, some examples of the comments made include "using the money better" and "getting the basics right".
  • Opinions shared on the design of the hub varied from it being "fresh, new and exciting" to those who thought improvements could be made, noting things like a "lack of parking".
  • There were comments made around the need for other community facilities like a pool or sports facilities, a cafe and a library space.

We will update this page as the project continues to progress.

FAQs

The community hub will be an accessible, flexible, multi-purpose space for activities such as community group activities, meetings and classes, private functions and events, Council services, library and lifelong learning, computer and internet access, shared working stations. 

It will be a welcoming, whaanau-friendly, community space in the heart of Pookeno, and future-proofed for future generations. 

The library space will be a flexible space, with moveable shelving, reflecting the modern libraries’ role in communities as spaces for connectivity, lifelong learning and activity. 

The building also has space for a small number of desks for Council staff to work in Pookeno to service the community, this will enable the ending of the lease costs for the office in Tuakau. 

The site of the proposed community hub was purchased for this purpose in 2020 with additional land purchased in 2024. The site was further consulted as part of the 2024 Community Workshops on the Project and tested against two other Council owned sites. The site in Market Street was preferred option from the community feedback. The site has been selected as it also allows for the building to be expanded in the future, should that be needed as well as being in the town centre. 

A new Pookeno community hub, including a library and Council customer services was prioritised in the Council’s Long Term Plan 2021-2031. The current Long Term Plan 2024-2034 has the same budget that was set in 2021 of $7.07m for the community hub project.  

At this stage the design is estimated to cost some 8 -9% above the budget, so we are doing further work to reduce the costs and we are also seeking external funding to support the funding from development contributions. Should the final cost estimate be above the Long Trem Plan budget then this will be addressed by Council prior to any contract being let to build the hub. 

The construction cost of the Pookeno community hub is funded from development contributions collected from across the Waikato District for community facilities and the operating costs from general rates from across the Waikato District. There will also be some income from the facility when the spaces are hired for use. 

Development contributions are fees charged to developers for new residential and non-residential construction, subdivisions, or land use changes. They fund the extra infrastructure and services required to support population and economic growth, such as new or expanded roads, water supply, wastewater, and stormwater systems, and community infrastructure like parks, reserves and other community facilities. 

The concept design plans show what the intended spaces and uses are for this multi-purpose hub.  

The concept design and site plans were developed based on engagement with the community at co-design workshops, technical expertise, and what we could deliver within the available budget. 

The check-ins are being held to ensure that we build something great that meets the needs of the local community. 

It is expected that site works will start in February 2026 with the first phase involving earthworks and other enabling works to have the site prepared for construction of the building to begin in June 2026. 
It is expected that the building will be open for the public in late 2027. 
   

When we asked the community at the recent workshops to consider the advantages and disadvantages of each of the three draft options, Option1 became the preferred choice. Option 1 retains the Pookeno Hall, addresses the site constraints of 10 Market Street and provides greater activation to Great South Road.

Some of the pros and cons of Option 1:

Improving the quality of the Pookeno town centre is the main driver of the Public Realm Concept Plan. The Pookeno community hub is one of the key moves for town centre enhancement. Other moves to improve the town centre include:

  • Great South Road streetscape and roading improvements.
  • Transport Hub to support bus and rail connections and park and ride
  • Pedestrian and cycle friendly Market Street and more parking on Marlborough Street

These have been considered as we developed the options. The areas in grey in each of the options are not part of the $6.5m budget for this project and could be considered in future. What the building looks like and the interior design will come later in the detailed design stage.


The activities in this space could include:

  • Community group activities, meetings and classes
  • Multi-purpose meeting spaces
  • Private functions and events
  • Council services
  • Library and lifelong learning
  • Computer and internet access
  • Shared working stations

The internal spaces are indicative and are not the final design.

Click on the image to enlarge.

Next steps

Once we’ve received the feedback from the community on the preferred option, our next steps are to consider the financial, risks and deliverability as part of the Options Assessment, and finalise the feasibility study to support Council decision making on option to advance for the delivery of the community hub with library in Pookeno.

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