Cambridge’s four main town entrances will receive a makeover shortly thanks to the local community board.
Following the Cambridge i-SITE’s successes in the Keep New Zealand Beautiful Awards, the Cambridge Community Board and i-SITE have been reviewing the current town signage.
The four sites where visitors are welcomed to Cambridge have been identified as needing an upgrade. These sites include Hamilton Road, Victoria Street, Tirau Road and Cambridge Road.
The current signs were designed for the World Rowing Championships, 10 years ago, and are now showing signs of wear and tear.
Waipā District Council group manager Debbie Lascelles said the signs were no longer fit-for-purpose and did not showcase Cambridge’s beauty.
“Our town signs have needed a revamp for some time now. Cambridge is growing rapidly and we want our signage to reflect our town and community.”
Four images, chosen by Council staff and the Cambridge Community Board, have been selected to represent the town:
- Leamington Band Rotunda representing the town's architectural heritage in 1910
- Victoria Bridge representing the structure connecting the two sides of the Waikato river
- Lake Te Koo Utu showcasing the ‘wash bowl’ and a community facility
- Rowing on Karāpiro showcasing one of our world champion facilities and sports represented here.
The board also took advice from Ngāti Koroki Kahukura for the signs which will feature the wording ‘Nau mai Haere mai ki Te Oko Horoi’ meaning ‘Welcome to the wash bowl’, as said by Kingi Tāwhiao in the 1860’s.
Ngāti Koroki Kahukura spokesperson Poto Davies said the new signs were a reflection of mana whenua’s strong ties to Cambridge and history of the town.
“Kingi Tāwhiao and many hapū camped at Lake Te Koo Utu when the Native Land Court was sitting in Cambridge. Following the land wars and the confiscation of 1.2 million acres, Tāwhiao sought the return of whenua [land]. Lake Te Kō Utu was a place of solace and symbolical healing as he and the people prayed and washed away the pain and grief of land loss.
“It is an important part of our history and something that should be reflected in our town signage,” Poto said.
Council’s transportation team also gave technical advice on final designs to ensure they had appropriate and safe designs for the road corridor.
The new town signs are expected to be in place next week.
