Repairs to Ōpua-Paihia coastal trail planned

The Council will reallocate budgets so that work can begin as soon as possible to replace a busy section of a coastal walking track between Ōpua and Paihia that was closed just before Christmas.

Access to a wooden boardwalk and bridge, located south of Te Haumi Beach near the entrance to the Paihia Top 10 Holiday Park off State Highway 11, was blocked by the Council after an engineer’s report confirmed piles supporting the structure had been seriously weakened by rot and marine worms. The report warned that the bridge could collapse under weight and should be closed immediately.

That section of track takes walkers across a tidal inlet and through a grove of mangroves. While it is relatively short, there are no safe alternative routes that bypass the boardwalk, effectively cutting pedestrian access between Ōpua and Te Haumi.

Andy Finch, General Manager – Infrastructure and Asset Management says that closing the boardwalk was necessary to protect public safety. However, he acknowledges that closure of the link between Ōpua and Paihia has impacted locals and visitors. The track also forms part of the popular Te Araroa Trail that links Cape Reinga to Bluff.

“This is an important asset for the Bay of Islands community, and we want it reopened as soon as possible. To achieve that, we have reallocated future funding from our Long Term Plan so that we can get detailed designs underway and completed by the end of February. All going well, we hope to start work in March.”

He says the work should take up to four weeks and the goal is for it to be completed by the end of July. However, he warns that the completion date could be pushed out as far as September due to ongoing problems sourcing building materials and a lack of capacity among contractors to take on new work, especially those with marine construction experience.

“I know that residents and business owners are hoping to see the track reopened as early as possible. We are working hard to achieve that. In the meantime, I ask that track users be patient and not risk using the boardwalk until it is replaced.”

He says that funding allocated in the Long Term Plan 2021-31 will see upgrades undertaken to the rest of the Ōpua-Paihia coastal trail over the next two years.