Johnsonville Community Strategy
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The Top 20 Goals for Johnsonville
​Built Portfolio
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1. New Library
In the decades since the Johnsonville Library was built and became Wellington’s most used, population growth in the expanded catchment for this facility has far exceeded its capacity. Similarly, impending residential intensification will add an enormous “qualitative demand” for 21st century library services, and these forces combine to create an overwhelming demand for a substantial, world-class Library facility as a physical and cultural centrepiece for the Northern Suburbs’ communities
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2. Redeveloped or New Shopping Mall
Survey results indicated that better retail options, and particularly a new mall, was the highest priority of all for the Johnsonville community. Other research had revealed interesting facts that relate directly to issues that have prevented commercial redevelopment in recent years, and we believe they highlight significant opportunities to gather many disparate stakeholders (central and local government agencies, Johnsonville retailers, and a number of national & international operators) around the table to explore imaginative new solutions to this recalcitrant problem.
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3. Create Public Greenspace in Central Johnsonville
Quality open public space is at the essence of a community centre, and it is unimaginable that the lack of such within the Johnsonville Triangle can continue. We shall work with WCC and land-owners to explore imaginative solutions to this problem
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4. Safer Pedestrian Access & Improvements to Traffic Flow
Now that a major upgrade of the Johnsonville Triangle is approved, much new “raw material” will soon exists on which to base solutions to these long-standing problems. But much remains to be done to fix Johnsonville’s Traffic woes. Wellington prides itself as being a “walkable city” and so JCA aims to encourage minimum standards and forJohnsonville pedestrian access to be raised to standards consistent with the objectives of WCC. In both these transport modes, we will continue to engage with WCC, NZTA and commercial operators to ensure all are “rowing in the same direction” toward integrated, locally focussed solutions .
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5. Cinema
A Cinema is seen by many as critical for leveraging a variety of synergistic entertainment options in Johnsonville, and with a rapidly expanding local market the demand for a boutique local theatre is set to expand significantly. With a newfound focus on shared facilities, and at least two major new public facilities on the way, the possibilities for novel approaches for achieving this objective are numerous, and exciting.
Services Portfolio
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6. Undergrounding of all Utilities (including Cabling & UFB)
As intensification takes effect, urban Johnsonville will become more highly built-up, and airspace will become more highly valued, and more key to our wellbeing. JCA will work with WCC and utilities companies to accelerate the “aerial de-cluttering”, and preserve “airspace” for sunshine and tree canopies. Johnsonville Community Association Ten Year Strategy Page 13 -
7. Integrated Public Transport
Many of Johnsonville’s traffic and parking issues can be traced to a public transport framework that does not work well enough to encourage greater usage. This project will enable Johnsonville commuters get to work easier, faster and cheaper than driving. A key element of our PT service is the integrated, off-street train and bus hub in central Johnsonville that provides an excellent node at which residents can board, switch or leave PT, and carry out their daily shopping nearby. Johnsonville residents value this hub highly, and most consider it central, and critical, to other aspects of this Strategy (e.g., a town centre, integrated transport, etc.). -
8. Enhanced Park ’n Ride services
Johnsonville’s position at the end of a commuter rail line, and amongst a major shopping centre, places unique demands on commuter parking which manifests on our residential streets. Yet high population density, wider roads, and approaching residential intensification will soon place higher demands on those streets. Radical and innovative Park-n-ride solutions are required if we are to maintain the liveability of Johnsonville, and avoid the perverse effect of driving commuters away from Public Transport altogether. -
9. More responsive street maintenance services
Significant numbers of survey respondents expressed dissatisfaction with the provision of basic horizontal infrastructure services. We will work first with our residents to ensure that issue reporting is prompt and appropriately directed, and if issues still remain we will engage with WCC and (if necessary) Contractors to ensure customer expectations are appropriate, service delivery levels are realistic, and responses are too. -
10. Improved & Enhanced Services for Senior Citizens & Youth
Demand is high for improved services for older citizens, and JCA will seek funding for an older persons services coordinator based out of the Johnsonville Community Centre. Always a family suburb, recent census data confirms a “bulge” of primary age children is nearly here, and will become “permanent” as a result of MDRA. Our survey confirms a very strong feeling that “there is nothing to do” for youngsters in Johnsonville. We plan a comprehensive strategy to ask them how that is best solved, and help them to achieve that solution.
Recreation & Culture Portfolio
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11. Improve Recreational Cycleway
With challenging geography and climate, Johnsonville could struggle to encourage recreational cycling economically unless it integrates with existing trail investments, thereby leveraging extra benefits from the sunk costs. Constructing a trail through existing trails (such as connecting with Ara Tawa at Takapau station) offers a substantial cumulative advantages. Other new trail options to improve non-highway access south to the CBD will also be explored, as will as new walking/cycling trail through reserve land from Mclintock St to Broadmeadows. -
12. Recreation Centre (indoor facility)
The ‘Allgate Report’ commissioned by WCC in 1998 identified a strong need for indoor sports facilities in the Northern Suburbs, and while there has been some progress on this in Tawa, there are no suitable facilities either close or accessible to Johnsonville residents at all yet. There is ongoing and increasing demand for a large, multipurpose indoor space suitable for recreation or cultural events, either within Johnsonville or very close nearby. Johnsonville Community Association Ten Year Strategy Page 14 -
13. More and Better Playgrounds & Green Open Spaces for all ages
We will aim to follow the principals laid out in the Northern Growth Management Strategy. Because Johnsonville’s population is denser, and its available greenspaces is less, as well as less accessible, than other suburbs, we will seek to ensure that quantity is expanded where possible, and quality is maximised in ways that are commensurate with the particular demands that Johnsonville presents. -
14. Upgrade Alex Moore Park Facilities
As demand for recreational space rises, this park remains the premier jewel in Johnsonville’s recreational crown. As pressures on these fields rises (for playgrounds, parking, clubrooms and re-vegetation, etc.), we will undertake to work with all stakeholders to preserve its value to the suburb, and work with WCC, sports clubs and commercial sponsors to achieve the best possible outcomes for the entire Johnsonville community. -
15. Wheels park
Wheels parks (Skates, Skateboards, etc.) represents the type of positive, challenging creative and competitive recreational infrastructure that we are obliged to provide if we wish our young people to develop positively. This is needed with increasing urgency since Johnsonville’s only youth facility was decommissioned
Strategic Portfolio
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16. A Town Centre / Heart
Johnsonville continues to see itself - and its future – as a “village”, and ensuring this actually occurs will be a priority. “Public space” is entirely lacking in the Triangle, and purchase or swap of land could be central to resolving this issue. We will engage with council, commercial & community groups to help ensure a coordinated solution is achieved. . -
17. Beautification of Johnsonville
Achievable by prioritising this simple objective, and having a few keen residents maintain focus on it. Every attempt will be made to maximise the potential of public greenspace (even SH1 road reserve and rail corridors) to the highest achievable quality, to maximise the “greening” of what little public land we have. Beautification on public, residential and commercial land alike should be complimented by plantings to better off-set the effect of intensive re-development and restore indigenous biodiversity in the urban street settings. -
18. Preservation of History & Heritage
Working in partnership with Wellington City Council, Heritage N.Z. and local organisations to develop a set of high priority heritage sites that can be appropriately signposted (to inform of their significance), opened to the public, or otherwise better preserved or presented for the benefit of all Johnsonville Residents. -
19. Better Motorway Access (North Johnsonville)
Most of Johnsonville’s traffic congestion is caused by people from other suburbs travelling through Johnsonville - not because they want to but because they have no choice. Working with NZTA and WCC Transport Planners to provide that choice should reduce stress on Johnsonville roads & improve the liveability of Johnsonville to a significant degree. -
20. Establishment of a Community Board
The establishment of a community board for the wider community (in partnership with NPPA and other related communities). Achieving this objective will indirectly help this strategy by improving representation & democracy in the region (devolving power back to the community), and is expected to directly assist with the achievement of all other Projects in this Strategy.
