Te Rimutahi is one year old this month, having officially opened on 17 May, 2025. Already, Te Rimutahi is a community hub and a welcome destination in the heart of Ponsonby.
People from all walks of life, of all ages and for all reasons, enjoy the space and beauty she provides.
A year on, it’s timely to look back and reflect on how we got here and what lessons we’ve learnt along the way.
Te Rimutahi is the result of a volunteer ‘Community-Led Design’ (CLD) initiative, enabled by the Waitematā Local Board back in April 2015. The formation of the CLD group was a result of the Board’s 2014 consultation with the wider local and business communities, which resulted in 77% of submitters choosing the whole-site, open space option for the available land. Given the high level of community interest and the tight budget constraints, the Waitematā Local Board resolved to initiate a CLD process to develop a design and budget for the site. With no funding being available, there was no other way to move the project forward.
So we got to work!
The Te Rimutahi CLD process took many, many years to achieve and included residents, local businesses and visitors. We spent countless weekends handing out information, engaging with people and asking for feedback. Genuine, real world, face-to-face engagement. And it worked. People were interested, they paid attention, engaged, came along to our events and exhibitions and made significant and meaningful contributions. All of which shaped a better result. By understanding the needs of the entire community, and involving them every step of the way, through consultation after consultation, the team developed a mandate that was bespoke, accurate and place-centered. BRAVO!
Over the years, our volunteer Community-Led-Design Group has learnt a few critical lessons that we think are worth sharing for anyone who might like to use a similar model for other community development projects.
1. Allow time for true engagement. Once is not enough, nor is twice. We canvassed the community and kept them updated with our feedback along the way. We called this “breathing in and breathing out,” and just like with actual breathing, it’s essential to maintain!
2. Be comfortable with people holding alternate points of view and endeavour to work with them. We had such groups during the project; include their views in the process, but accept that you can’t please all of the people, all of the time.
3. Stay principled. Don’t be tempted to take shortcuts or push an outcome that consultation doesn’t support. Test your conclusions and provide all data to council decision-makers so they can trust what you say.
4. And, most importantly, assemble a team of people who share your vision. This will enable tagging in and tagging out, whilst still keeping the project moving forward. When someone is tired or swamped with the stuff life throws at us all, a team keeps the course and maintains the determination needed to succeed.
There are too many people for us to thank individually, but we would like to acknowledge:
• Mana whenua, for their significant contribution to the realisation and enrichment of this project, including the gifting of the name Te Rimutahi.
• The many iterations of the Waitematā Local Board.
• The Auckland Council councillors who voted unanimously to retain the whole site for the new civic space, which is now Te Rimutahi.
And last but not least, we want to acknowledge everyone who interacted and engaged with the CLD process. Be it through making a submission, attending an exhibition and/or event, discussing the project with us, or simply staying up-to-date via the website, our Facebook pages, or through our Ponsonby News articles – THANK YOU. We couldn’t have done it without you.
And just look at what we have achieved! (Jennifer Ward)
In loving memory; Gerry Hill, past Chair of the Western Bays Community Group. Our CLD group members, Andy Smith and Bryan Bates. We are saddened they didn’t get to see Te Rimutahi completed, but we are forever grateful for their considerable support and commitment along the way. Arohanui.
For more information or to contact the Friends of Te Rimutahi (formerly the CLDG), see our website 254ponsonbyrd.org.nz Instagram te_rimutahi_ Facebook Te Rimutahi or 254 Ponsonby Road.
Te Rimutahi Awards to date;
Designers Institute of New Zealand (DINZ) BEST Awards ‘GOLD’ (2025) NZILA Award of Excellence in Unbuilt Visionary (2019)
World Architecture News (WAN) Future Projects: Civic Award Winner (2018)
World Architecture Festival (WAF) Civic Future Project Award Finalist (2018)
Te Rimutahi Update - May 2026
