Corrections Centre to be Built Outside of Town Centre

A win-win solution has been reached on the location of a new Corrections Centre in Flaxmere, now the Department of Corrections has identified a site in Wilkes Place.

The site is zoned as Deferred Industrial so allows for office and commercial developments such as the planned Corrections Centre (see attached map).

A ‘green’ development planned adjacent to the site will buffer the centre from nearby residential housing and the sites proximity to Te Aranga Marae may create synergies for client programmes.

Hastings Mayor Lawrence Yule says this was not a classic case of NIMBY (‘not-in-my-back-yard).

“The people of Flaxmere made it clear they were not against the Centre being in Flaxmere or the people who would visit it. They simply didn’t want the centre in the heart of their town and that is what they have got,” Mayor Yule says.

“Wilkes Place is an appropriate place to locate the service and still provides easy access for clients living in Flaxmere.

“Councillor Henare O’Keefe deserves much of the credit for this outcome. He has worked hard to negotiate between his community and the Department of Corrections and that has most definitely contributed to this successful outcome.

“Corrections should be commended for listening to the wishes of the community they will soon be working closely with. Corrections staff have shown a great deal of flexibility and good judgment in achieving this result,” Mayor Yule says.

The Swansea Road property will remain in the ownership of the developers and Council is open to working with the developer on the future of that site.