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Waitangirua Mall Owners Work with Community
28 September 2011
Waitangirua Mall Owners Work with Community
The owners of Waitangirua Mall have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Porirua City Council to support the community in an on-going clean-up of the shopping centre.
Mr. Mohammed Yusuf and his wife Azima Bibi have agreed to supply paint and painting equipment to stay on top of graffiti. They are also supporting a group of Waitangirua residents carrying out a regular litter collection at the new community park and developing the gardens at the southern end of the mall.
It comes as the community and the mall owners work to reinvent the area into a well-maintained and loved community space.
That work started with the development of the Waitangirua Community Park in a partnership between residents and the Council's Village Planning Programme. Now, Mr. Yusuf is tidying up the mall. He has removed derelict buildings from behind the mall and has installed bollards to control vehicle access to the rear of the mall.
As well, he plans to upgrade the southern end of the mall so it can be used as a community hall. It used to be a Write Price supermarket and is currently empty.
He says since the development of the community park, which opened in December last year, there has been a real sense of the mall area thriving.
"Things are changing. It's been good. There is more life coming to the area."
He's also pleased with the recently signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Porirua City Council.
"I'm grateful. We appreciate the help with the repainting and gardening."
Porirua City Council Village Planning Programme Manager Ian Barlow says the MOU is a great step forward in getting the community and the mall owners working together to look after the area.
"This shows a real willingness to improve the mall and shows how much can be achieved when communities work together."
The next step in the revamp will be the painting of nine big murals along the southern end of the mall.
Nine community groups are working with the Council and Housing New Zealand to finalise designs and the aim is to start painting around the end of October, once the weather warms.
ENDS
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