Project Mataura is into its second year as a community and economic development initiative designed to assist turn around Mataura'a Bridge Street's physical appearance, encourage new users for empty buildings, revitalise the Bridge St business district, and assist youth job creating and economic development generally. The initiative is encouraging and empowering local residents to become more involved in discovering and building their community and its economy.
Project Mataura's Community Vision Statement
"In the year 2018, Mataura will be nationally known and respected for the way it has built upon its human, cultural, environmentaland locational assests to create a prosperous, caring, safe, inclusive and proactive community. It will provide a strong sense of civic participation, responsibility and pride; a vibrant and diverse economy and employment base and a healthy quality of life for all residents."From: Project Mataura Strategy Overview, prepared by Heritage Futures International
The major initiative of the Project Mataura Board is to purchase four of the buildings in Bridge St an hold them in community ownership. Jack Phillips reportedly thinks that private ownership is the key to Mataura's revitalisation - but I feel that private ownership has got our community to where it is now, and that as a community we will be more in control of our future, and more likely to achieve our Vision for Mataura if we, as a community, take ownership of at least some of the commercial buildings in Bridge St.
