Woodend Beach Domain Playspace, Toilet and Carpark Upgrades
Waimakariri District Council is seeking community feedback on a proposal to relocate the playspace at Woodend Beach Domain as well as updating the toilet and carpark facilities.
Background
The playground, toilet and carpark at the Woodend Domain need to be upgraded due to the deteriorating infrastructure and safety concerns.
Investigations into the state of the playground at the Domain revealed that the playground’s lowlying location made it prone to flooding, especially in winter, making it hard to access and causing the equipment to deteriorate. The playground now needs to be replaced.
Although the toilet block has been built above flood level, it’s in poor condition and does not meet our current standards or expectations around safe and accessible public toilet facilities.
The carpark is now also up for replacement with the surface covered in potholes and ongoing drainage issues. More importantly, the arrangement of the parking areas is confusing, especially the area closest to the toilet which is an irregular shape with no clear alignment for parking. There is no clear pedestrian walkway through the site and the Tuhaitara Coastal Pathway cuts right through the entrance with no clear distinction to warn road users or walkers.
What we’re proposing
The Council has approved funding for this financial year as part of the Long Term Plan to complete all three projects simultaneously. This will ensure that the upgrades are well-integrated, future-proofed against environmental challenges such as flooding, and align with the community’s vision for the area.
Playspace
We’ve created a master plan that covers all three projects at the site. A key step was identifying a suitable location for the new play space to ensure a long life span. We’re proposing creating a coastal dune play space along the beach access path. This concept would use the natural shape of the dunes to include features like forts, slides, and a flying fox, making it a distinctive attraction for the region. Because the dunes sit on higher ground, this location would avoid flooding problems and allow the toilets to stay in their current, central position.
While more traditional play elements have been included in the design, the space is highly focused on providing opportunities for natural play and to create a sense of invitation to explore the wider space.
Carpark
For the carpark, we’re proposing to simplify the layout:
- a basic one-lane two way system with parks on both sides where there is space, including four accessible car parks, and a turnaround area at the eastern end;
- vehicle entrances created to the north and south for maintenance/access to the Woodend Beach Campsite and coastal walkway;
- the Tuhaitara Coastal Walkway is formalised with a change in material across the carpark making it very visible to both walkers and drivers.
The main central lane travels through two gardens which create an intentional entranceway and will include a sculptural entrance feature. Paths are planned on both sides to provide safe pedestrian access through the site to the toilets and the beach access track. Areas of the carpark will be raised to ensure adequate drainage and soakage gardens will also be created through the carpark and include native gardens and some tree species.
Toilets
The current toilet facilities require essential updates due to a decline in quality and rising safety concerns. Entrances are hidden at the rear of the building and narrow hallways with poor visibility create risks of entrapment and antisocial behaviour. Additionally, the toilets are located atop a mound with no formed pathway let alone an accessible path.
We’re proposing to change the orientation of the toilet block so that they face the main car park area, making them safer and less prone to antisocial behaviour. The four proposed toilets will be individual unisex accessible stalls with a bench for changing in each. The toilets also include a shower located on the side of the building for beach swimmers.
Concept Plans
Click to enlarge
Playspace Layout Concept Plan
We Want Your Feedback
We’re inviting residents, domain users, and community groups to share their thoughts on:
- The proposed facilities plan
- Any concerns or suggestions
- Getting involved
Have your say using the survey below before: 5pm, Wednesday 8 October 2025.
Next Steps
As we continue planning these renewals, we are also seeking expressions of interest from the community to be involved in projects to further develop the site. These could include community groups building things such as the Whare Play areaor locals who want to create navigation markers or other fun aspects such as fairy houses. Please leave your details on the survey provided if you or your community group would like to get involved.
Your feedback will help shape the final proposal. A summary of consultation results will be presented to the Woodend Sefton Community Board before any decisions are made.
