Affected Businesses

Comprehensive stakeholder database established for early and ongoing communications.

Letter issued to all property owners within the affected precinct.

Drop-in letter provided to affected businesses within the affected precinct.

One-on-one visits provided to affected businesses (where possible).

Follow-up with affected businesses and property owners (where desired).

Online survey of affected parties conducted and results analysed.

Contact with representative groups such as Chamber of Commerce, NRDA, Uniquely Nelson and Hospitality NZ.

Analysis of early engagement feedback, key themes and insights to inform concept design.

Iwi Partners

Formal Iwi engagement through Council’s Te Ohu Whakahaere Forum.

Communications with Iwi General Managers and distribution of project papers.

Individual meetings offered and held with iwi representatives.

Engagement with mana whenua practitioners.

Analysis of iwi feedback and insights from previous work.

Analysis of existing relevant plans and strategies such as He Tātai Whetū and Taonga Tuku Iho.

Workshops scheduled to focus on environmental outcomes and Toi Māori outcomes

General Public

Shape Nelson page created with project updates and FAQ’s.

Media release and publicity via local media.

Development of “Bridge to Better” branding and relevant collateral.

Phantom poster campaigns underway to give the project visibility.

Rollout of interview series with project stakeholders and community members.

Communications rollout through social media and Our Nelson.

Partner event arranged with Nelson Tasman Chamber of Commerce.

Community session held with Make/Shift Spaces as part of ‘What If Whakatū Nelson’ series.

Workshops being held with special interest communities on arts culture, mobility and inclusivity/accessibility.

Affected Businesses*

Awareness – There is strong awareness of the project among affected businesses, thanks in part to the publicity and visibility of the project. Generally speaking, there is greater awareness of the streetscape upgrades proposed and less knowledge around the three waters infrastructure upgrade, which is the catalyst for the above ground work.

Engagement - Business owners have been positive about the approach to pre-engagement ahead of concept design commencing. They appreciate the early communications provided and the opportunity to share their concerns and aspirations. Businesses were eager to continue to be kept-informed throughout the lifecycle of the project.

Impact Mitigation - There is a need for a plan to address environmental impacts effectively - such as noise, dust, vibration and any limitations in access. Some businesses suffered through the bus terminal construction and have a heightened awareness or level of concern about the impact on trade, access and the disruptive environment construction can create. Others shared that they haven’t felt well informed of such works in the past and appreciate the early and proactive communications.

Identity and Character – Businesses have expressed that they would like to see a more joint up approach to understanding and celebrating our core precincts within the city and within Bridge Street. Bridge Street has pockets of quite unique and distinctive activity that should be better recognised and the changes to the streetscape design provide an opportunity to embedd those identities into the street. There is a strong creative theme across throughout the precinct, which can be further leveraged to create more of a destination feel that Bridge Street could become known for and branded around. Many businesses reflected on the identity of the city centre and the perception that we’ve lost currency in this space – they see the project as an opportunity to support that revitalisation.

Parking and Vehicle Access – Parking feedback ranged from support for pedistrianisation (which is not being considered as part of the project) to a focus on short-term and on-street priority parking. The majority of the affected businesses recognised the value of the city centre’s large off-street parks which service Bridge Street businesses. Whilst the feedback around parking differed considerably from business to business, there is no doubt that parking is a major interest area for most businesses. Many businesses on Bridge Street require vehicle access for essential freight and delivery services, as well as for emergency situations, such as an ambulance reaching a dentist during a crisis.

Accessibility and Safety – Accessibility for an ageing population, those with limited mobility and people visiting for treatments is a common area of interest. Some businesses service customers who are often brought to the area by caregivers, relatives, friends or taxi services which requires them to be dropped off close to their destination. Recent reports indicate a rise in anti-social behaviour and safety concerns across the city, with certain locations emerging as hotspots, causing concern among impacted businesses.

Public Amenity - Affected businesses have proposed a host of enhancements to the public space, including expanded outdoor seating, the introduction of night markets and food trucks, the creation of children's play zones, an increase in bike facilities, dynamic temporary activations, community-centric events, provision of shaded areas, and the activation of street art. These suggestions point to a clear demand for creating versatile, activity-friendly spaces in the precinct, encompassing both temporary installations and permanent developments.

Attractiveness and Revitalisation – There was strong support for revitalisation and beautification of the area to improve the urban environment in Nelson. Businesses felt people should see the CBD safe place to visit more often, to enjoy themselves and have positive experiences. Several businesses noted that the vibrancy in Nelson has changed for the worse less activity in the CBD.

Optimistic Outlook - Businesses are generally engaged and positive about the area and its potential – they recognise the need for improvement and the opportunities to position as more of a destination for unique shopping and leisure. Businesses want to see an attractive area to ensure its a place people want to come to and spend more time in. Despite genuine concern about the disruption, there is optimism about the benefits the project can deliver.

Iwi Partners

Significant Opportunity – Iwi feedback has been supportive of the project and its intentions, with a strong desire to see improved environmental outcomes and opportunities to celebrate our unique regional identity. They wish to be engaged as partners throughout the process and to see decisions align with Councils commitments to Toi Māori and Taonga Tuku Iho.

Cultural Design Language – There is a need to establish a cohesive design language that informs the entirety of the project, establishing a tangata whenua lens across all decisions, not just embellishments or artworks. This design language must speak to the whakapapa, associations and cultural values of the area and its surrounds to ensure its authentic. This design direction can then inform all aspects of the project, not just a single component or add on.

Effective Engagement - To ensure the engagement process is resourced, builds capability and is leveraged to support success in other areas, not just on an isolated project. The engagement process needs to be effective and enabling, not extractive or tokenistic. Iwi are viewed as partners throughout the project and taken seriously as such.

Whole of Project Approach - To see this as an active and iterative design partnership, that needs to support the entire project and its lifecycle, including beyond construction and with regard to the future use of the space. The project should strenghten the partnership to set us up for future success and set a design direction for the rest of the city.

Holistic View - Ensure the project scope and benefits extends beyond a narrow focus on core infrastructure and addresses the cultural, social, economic and environmental benefits that could flow from this project. The project must always consider and address the mutlitude of considerations and factors that it impacts and supports. This should be seen as a complete picture rather than seperate aspects.

Historical Context - The importance of letting the whenua speak for itself – to understand what’s beneath the ground, the stories that area carries and the significant history that surrounds it. To provide for opportunities for greening and vegetation that are native and significant to the area, helping address the disconnect between the current and original state of the area and recognising the reclamation of land that has occured to the coastal environment.

Bi-Cultural Design – Ensuring that outcome is a streetscape that looks and feels like us again, that celebrates rather than sidelines our bi-cultural identity and that sets the tone for future developments across the city. To ensure that we can “see ourselves” in the design and identify with the outcomes. To build pride, connection and a sense of belonging amongst the community by beginning addressing the imbalance of historical narratives and design.

Alignment with Existing Strategies - This project must align with and deliver to He Tātai Whetū (Arts and Creativity Strategy), Taonga Tuku Iho (Heritage Strategy) and Tūpuna Pono (TT Intergenerational Strategy) to ensure the appropriate delivery of outcomes, realise the commitments that have been made previously and activate Toi Māori within the city centre.

Toi Māori Outcomes - There was unanimous support for embedding Toi Māori throughout the project and ensuring that culture was embedded in the design of Bridge Street and surrounds, not an embelishment or add-on to an established design. This design needs to be well considered, culturally appropriate, inclusive and of a high standard.