Councillor's Comment: Mel Courtney

From forgotten heritage to a living waterfront

Nelson is a seaside city with a beautiful waterfront, and we have a wonderful opportunity to make the most of this stunning natural feature. Council has released its Draft Haven Waterfront Masterplan for public consultation, giving you the chance to help shape the long-term future of this important area.

Our vision is for an attractive, active and accessible waterfront that reflects Nelson’s unique maritime character. This is about more than physical improvements. It is also about economic activation, celebrating our heritage and bringing life back to a magical but underused part of the city.

For many years, the community and Council have wanted to strengthen the connection between the city centre and the maritime precinct. This draft masterplan is an important building block towards achieving that ambition. It brings together transport, water access, business and heritage through a series of options for the long-term, coordinated development of the precinct.

The stretch of Haven Road and Wakefield Quay has historically been one of Nelson’s centres of activity, with wharves, jetties, boathouses, the Custom House, the Anchor Building and an early rail line. The draft masterplan honours that story. It does not erase our past; it brings it forward through proposals to reuse heritage buildings and improve public access.

The plan outlines how people could move through the area on foot, by bike, bus and car. Access to the sea is a key feature, with options for new steps and a renewed boat ramp. It also supports business growth and sets out genuine choices for the future of the precinct’s heritage buildings.

Owned by Council, the Anchor Building, NCC Electricity Building and Custom House have been empty or underused for too long. The draft plan identifies opportunities to bring them back into productive use, preserving their character while creating new commercial, community and cultural spaces.

Nothing is locked in. Public feedback will help determine what proceeds. We want a whole-of-community approach, involving individuals, community groups, iwi, businesses and investors.

You are very welcome to attend the public meeting on 9 October at the Nelson Yacht Club or visit a pop-up consultation session. Submissions close on 2 November. Please have your say and help us take this important step towards transforming our waterfront into a vibrant, welcoming place for everyone to enjoy.

To give your feedback visit Haven Waterfront Masterplan | Shape Nelson