Lighting up The Strand

The Strand in Whakatāne has been lit up with more than 21,000 new fairy lights as part of Whakatāne District Council’s aim to enhance the space, create more vibrancy and improve safety in the CBD.

The ‘Light the Strand’ project saw all 44 trees on The Strand installed with commercial-grade bud/fairy lights and new electrical connections – extending the light display to run from The Comm all the way to Noel Leeming.  The project was completed in time for the ‘Trust Horizon Light Up Whakatāne Festival’, which saw the CBD brought to life with a series of light installations from 19 – 28 August.

“When we applied for the funding grant through Trust Horizon, we had a clear vision of what we wanted to achieve,” says Steve Perdia, Strategy and Transformation General Manager. “We wanted to bring people back into a place which is meant to serve as a hub of activity.”

The ‘Light The Strand project’ will be transformational for the CBD. Not only will the lights enhance The Strand, they will also create a destination and define a precinct – encouraging the community to gather for events, evening entertainment, and outdoor dining and hospitality. They are expected to attract more people into the CBD, and increase the weekend and night-time economy for local businesses.

The project was 50% funded by Trust Horizon. “We hope the new lighting creates a safe and attractive downtown environment for locals and visitors alike, and sees the CBD continue to thrive,” says Derek Caudwell CE of Trust Horizon. “The Trust is pleased to be able to lend our support.”

You can read about more of Trust Horizon’s projects in our posts here.