Work on website for Paekakariki by Paekakariki underway

Screen Shot 2016-09-29 at 11.19.02 AM

The development of a website platform for Paekakariki is now well underway, led by Paekakariki Informed Community Inc. (PICI). PICI is the former publisher of newspaper Paekakariki Xpressed and a Paekakariki Directory, and current managing body for Paekakariki 88.2FM.

It is anticipated that the website build, created by a collective of Paekakariki residents will be complete in the first half of 2017, with enough initial seed funding already found to commence construction.

Pooling the expertise within the village, this will be platform created by Paekakariki for Paekakariki and visitors. After initial scoping, the collective came together over winter for initial workshopping around the needs of both locals and visitors.

The community collective will be welcoming feedback to the proposed structure with a presentation in November.

The platform will be designed to bring together some key functionality for the village’s residents, groups and businesses, and recognise Paekakariki as an engaged, expressive and resilient community. It recognises that:

  • Our modest size sees the majority of Paekakariki businesses and community groups without a strong web presence, nor local information always easy to access.
  • Paekakariki Tauhokohoko and Paekakariki Xpressed have demonstrated the significant engagement of local citizens in local affairs but beyond Paekakariki FM we do not have our own local media and not all engage with Facebook.
  • Visitors to Paekakariki and residents alike have no one place they can visit online for listings of upcoming events or for information on opening hours of local businesses or facilities.
  • Visitors are interested in getting an overview of the amenities available to them when visiting – they are often visiting Paekakariki as a destination, rather than to visit one particular business or facility.

PICI research undertaken nationally shows such a web platform is employed in most other towns close to major cities that have had to evolve their identities as destinations (i.e. that are not on major roading networks – as we will be shortly). However we have been able to see their variable success in meeting their goals both as a community resource and marketing tool, and learn from them. Key feedback has been the necessity for the web platform to be working for both smartphones and bigger screens that has fresh content and up to date information. PICI plan to employ an editor following setup to enable this.

Key established components now under development are:

  • A community events calendar – from regular opportunities like yoga to concerts.
  • A things to do guide, with relevant writing and links.
  • A ‘Paekakariki Xpressed’ blog section with regular commissioned articles and other writing from residents
  • A clubs and groups section providing pages update-able for all community groups (or links to their existing sites) with editorial support.
  • A ‘Directory of Everything’ Paekakariki
  • Information about Paekakariki, including a short history.
  • Opportunity for local businesses to become key modest weekly sponsors to enable the website to be self-sufficient and provide a visibility for those businesses

The website will be designed to complement and enliven our strong community platform Paekakariki Tauhokohoko on Facebook.

Paekakariki.org.nz will be a vital tool in:

  • providing a centralised hub for up to date information for both visitors to Paekakariki and residents
  • sharing ideas and views on important issues to Paekakariki
  • asserting the strong distinct character of Paekakariki
  • providing strong local independent media
  • supporting local groups with group/organisation pages within the site – maintained by these groups with professional support.
  • promoting Paekakariki as a destination

The collective actively working on the site currently comprises of Mark Amery, Sylvia Bagnall, Mark Coote, Kate Drury, Gina Goad, Pete Handford, Holly Jane Ewans, Maria McMillan, Don Polly, Tina Pope, Paul Radich and Miles Thompson with assistance from other PICI trustees.

The set-up over the coming months will involve many other residents – it will be a village effort to build this ship. We very much welcome offers of interest in being involved and feedback.

Questions and comments can be made here or to project manager Mark Amery: [email protected]

Image: Mark Coote