The Western Bay of Plenty District Council is hoping to attract more people to use Jubilee Park with it agreeing to the second stage of its Te Puke Town Centre plan.

The developments include a sound shell, destination playground and cultural courtyard costing $945,000, subject to certain funding requirements.

A large crowd came to Jubilee Park to meet some All Blacks this year, more large crowds are hoped for in the future at the park following the completion of its development.

The development was agreed at the council's last full meeting of the year, held last week, with the work expected to begin in early 2012.

Most of the funding is from the Te Puke Town Centre budget and includes a $100,000 contribution from the Te Puke Community Board.

'We have had a lot of local buy-in for this development and the new walkway has also brought positive feedback since it opened recently,” says Community Board chairperson Karyl Gunn.

'This project on Jubilee Park will improve the economic wellbeing of Te Puke and its overall design embraces cultural, environmental and social principles.

'It is very exciting to see this project coming to fruition after five years of planning.”

The project entails extending the walkway from the newly built Heritage Walkway in the centre of town, to Jubilee Park. The walkway will lead to a cultural courtyard, a sound shell and stage.

A destination playground will feature equipment for use by children and adults and it will include a half-court for basketball and other activities.

The development means some of the redwood trees around the Jubilee Park perimeter will be felled.

The council intends using some of the wood from the trees to create park furniture.

Council will plant trees within the cultural courtyard and around the perimeter of the park as part of the project's landscape plan.

Tapuika iwi plans to reinstate the waharoa (gateway) at the entrance to the park from the Commerce Lane walkway and the cultural pou reflecting the multi-ethnicity of Te Puke will also be erected.