Te Pae o te Rangi - Coastal pathway extension

He ara tēnei e kaha takahia ana i tēnei rohe, e te hunga noho ki konei, me te hunga ka kūtoro mai i waho. Ka huakina ngā tini āhuatanga ki te hunga e arohaina nuitia ana, me te aha ka whakatakoria he ara haumaru hōu mo ngā mahi rēhia me te māwhitiwhiti atu i Ngāmotu ki Whaitara. Ka kūtorohia te paewhenua roa e te tāngata, ā, ka tuituia anōtia ngā hapori, ka rukuhia anōtia ngā hītōria hoki.

E 9.7 kiromita katoa te roa o ngā ara hōu e toru, ā, ka eke ki te 22.9 kiromita te roanga o te ara roa ki tahatai.

Ko te whāinga kia tīmata i ngā mahi hei te hikumutu o te tau nei, ā, kia oti katoa te ara hei te hikumutu o te tau 2027. E tāria ana te whakaaetanga whenua me te pūtea hei whakatutuki i te hanganga o te ara tuarua me te ara tuatoru.

He maha ngā ara uaua i te roanga o te kūreitanga, otinoa ngā urupā me ngā wāhi tapu, me noho rāhui tonu. He take tonu te horo o ngā pariparinga i tahatai, ngā kōhanga manu, me te tiaki tonu i te takiwā o te tauranga manu rererangi. He mahere hā mātou hei whakapai ake i te wheako mā te katoa o te hunga ka eke i te ara, pērā i ngā wāhanga tahatai ki Mangati me Whaitara.

Ka tīmata i Otupaiia, ā, ha ahu ki te māuru. Ko te ara tuatahi mai i Tuna Boardwalk, i Whaitara, ki te pito o ngā huarahi o Brown me Tate.

Kua waihangatia ngātahitia te ara ki te taha o ngā māngai o ngā hapū o Manukorihi rātou ko Otaraua ko Pukerangiora ko Puketapu, me tā Te Kotahitanga o Te Atiawa taituara hoki. Nā ngā kōrero tuku iho te āhua i whakawhanake, ā, e ka puta mai i ngā tohu me hētehi takiwā motuhake.

I whāia tētehi tūkanga whakawhāiti i ngā waihanga kia poroa ngā utu o te mahi whakaroa. I tirohia e mātou ngā matū hei hanga papa hīkoi, te whānuitanga o te ara, te whānuitanga o ngā takiwā whakangā, ngā mahi panoni paewhenua, ngā takiwā tūrama, ngā waihanga arahanga, me te whakaū i ngā tikanga whakatō tupu. 

E matapengia ana ka $39.4 miriona te utu, ā, ko te $18 miriona o taua utu nā Waka Kotahi.

Ka whakahau te ara nei i te hunga taraiwa i hō rātou ake waka, ki te takiputa me te eke i te ara ki tahatai mai i Whaitara ki Ngāmotu. Hei āpitihanga, ka whakatōngia ngā tupu 96,000 hōu, me te whakatupu anō i ngā hūhi me ngā takiwā motuhake hōu.

Huhua noa atu hōna hua:

• He whakahoki i te tangata whenua ki hōna ake rawa, ki tōna tuakiri, ki hōna mātāpono ā-wairua, ā-ahure, ā-tikanga hoki.  
• Hei whakahaumanu i te whenua me te whakarite āheitanga ki te whakaako i te hunga eke i te ara ki te paewhenua o te ahurea, o te hītori, me te wairua tuku iho, i te wā e tōhipahipa ai rātou. 
• He kōtuitui hapori: Ka tuia ngā hapori o Whaitara me Mangati, tae rawa atu ki Ngāmotu. Ka huakina ngā ara kia tere paepae mai te hunga mātai i te hītori me te taiao o Whaitara. 
• Ngā hua mō te hauora: Kua ākina e te whanaketanga o te ara nei te hunga mā ake me te tirotiro haere i tōna paewhenua hirahira. Ko te matapae kia pērā tonu i te whakaroanga nei; kia eke pahikara te iwi, kia mā ake mā raro, mā runga papawīra, kutarere hoki, me te whakahau i te ora me te whanake ā-tinana hoki. 
• Ka māmā te tomo a te katoa: Ka waihangatia te ara kia pai ai mō te hunga e eke ana i ngā kātū waka nekeneke. Ka ngahau tonu te eke ā te hunga noho tūruwīrā, eke kutarere, me ngā mātua whai tōneke kōhungahunga rānei, i te mea kāore hōna piki, hōna pito rānei.  
• Ka haumaru ake: Ka haumaru ake te ara hīkoi me te ara eke pahikara i waenga i ngā hapori mo ngā haerenga o ia rā, ngā mahi rēhia rānei. He ara hōu mō te hunga e eke ana i te huanui matua. 

Kāore anō kia tau tēnei. Heoi anō, kāore e kore he wāhi motuhake hōu, he taumata tirohanga, he takiwā whakangā, he nōhanga, he ara pahikara me ngā wāhi tuku para hoki. E mahi tahi ana mātou ki ngā hapū ki te whakapai ake i te āhua e taiāwhio ana i te ara kia whai wheako ki ngā wāhi tūmatawhānui hōu.

Kāo, kāore e whai wāhi ana. I hangaia taua arahanga hei pupuru i te paipa para wai mai i Whaitara ki Ngāmotu, ā, i āpitiria he ara hīkoi. Heoi anō, he wāhi tapu tēnei, nō reira me āta rāhui, me te aha e ngana ana mātou ki te whakatika i te hē mā te mahi tahi ki ngā hoa hapū kia hangaia he arahanga pai ake hei tahuti i te awa.

The Coastal Walkway is undoubtedly one of the most popular features of our district, for both residents and visitors alike. Not only will we be delivering more of what people love, but we’ll also have a safe off-road route for leisure activities and commuting between New Plymouth to Waitara. People will have access to landscapes they haven’t been able to reach before, and we’ll be connecting communities as well as making deeper connections with our histories.

All three stages will be 9.7km combined, which will take the full length (from Waitara’s Otupaiia/Marine Park to Ngamotu Beach) of the walkway to 22.9km.

We aim to begin later this year and to have the entire pathway completed by the end of 2027. Construction of stages two and three depends on confirmation of land purchases and some additional funding.

Going coastal for the entire length was too difficult for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the number of urupa and historical sites along the coast that need to be treated respectfully. There are also issues around coastal erosion, nesting birds and airport security. We have plans to make the route a stunning experience for all users, including a coastal stretch at Bell Block and Waitara.

We plan to start at Otupaiia/Marine Park and work our way westward. Stage one runs from the Tuna Boardwalk in Waitara to the intersection of Brown and Tate roads.

The pathway has been designed in partnership with representatives of Manukorihi, Otaraua, Pukerangiora and Puketapu Hapū, with the support of Te Kotahitanga o Te Atiawa Trust. The look-and-feel was developed with specific stories in mind, which are represented in the design and including some highlight areas.

We undertook an intensive design refinement process to reduce the cost of the project. We looked at the type of path materials, the width of path, the size of rest areas, the amount of earthworks, lighting and bridge design, and using revegetation instead of specimen planting. 

The total estimated cost is $39.4m including $18m from Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency.

The shared pathway will encourage more people out of cars and onto active transport between Waitara and New Plymouth. In addition, the design includes 96,000 new plants, the regeneration of wetlands and the creation of reserves.

There are many:

• Reconnecting tangata whenua to natural resources, heritage, spiritual, traditional and cultural values.  
• Restoring the whenua and providing opportunities to educate path users on the significant cultural, traditional, historical and spiritual landscape the shared pathway passes through. 
• Connecting communities: Connecting Waitara and Bell Block communities and onwards to New Plymouth. Extending the shared pathway from Waitara will encourage exploration of the town’s history and environment by more locals and visitors. 
• Health benefits: The development of the Coastal Walkway over the years has encouraged people to get moving and explore our remarkable landscape. We expect this extension will do the same thing; get people on bikes, on foot, on skateboards and scooters, encouraging physical health and development. 
• Accessible for all: The path will be designed for everyone using active modes of transport. Those who rely on wheelchairs, mobility scooters, or parents with prams can enjoy the pathway without the difficulty of kerbs or steps.  
• Safer: A safe walking and cycling connection between communities for commuting and recreation. The path will provide an alternative for cyclists to using SH3. 

We are still working through this. However, it is likely the pathway will have additional reserves, viewing points, rest areas, seating, cycle parking and toilets. We are also working with hapū to enhance the area around the pathway for a broader experience including access to new public spaces.

No, it won’t. The existing bridge was installed to carry the wastewater pipe from Waitara to New Plymouth and a footpath was added on top. However, it’s in an area with historical significance that needs protection, so we’re righting a wrong by working with our hapū partners to identify a better route across the stream.