Footpath prioritisations in Te Hiku over the next two years
Te Hiku Community Board is planning to invest almost $1 million over the next two years on new footpaths, including widening a portion of the existing metal footpath that is part of the Te Araroa Trail.
Te Hiku Community Board is planning to invest almost $1 million over the next two years on new footpaths, including widening a portion of the existing metal footpath that is part of the Te Araroa Trail.
Te Araroa trail is New Zealand's long distance tramping route, stretching 3,000 kilometres along the length of the North and South Island from Cape Reinga to Bluff. The section of Te Araroa Trail to be widened is on Kaitāia-Awaroa Rd.
The footpath programme will be funded using $300,000 of community board allocated funding with the remaining $640,000 coming from the council infrastructure fund.
Te Hiku Community Board has created a list of 12 paths it aims to build before the end of the 2024 financial year. That list in order of priority is:
- Taupata Place
- Awanui: intersection of SH1 and SH10
- Mill Bay Road: SH10 to Rangakapiti Road
- Takahe Road, Ahipara: Golf course entrance to Kaka Street
- Awanui: SH1, Gill Road to approximately 19 SH1.
- Kaitāia-Awaroa Rd: Pukepoto School to approximately street number 673
- Kaitāia-Awaroa Rd: Okahu Road to street number 240 (widening the existing metal footpath)
- Pukenui: Houhora Heads Rd to Northwood Ave
- Karikari Peninsula: Perehipe Road from Whatuwhiwhi Road to cul-de-sac
- Karikari Peninsula: Doubtless Bay Drive to De Surville Road
- Ahipara: Tasman Heights from Foreshore Road to street number 25
- Kaitāia: Norman Senn Drive from Redan Road to Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Pukemiro.
The community board concedes that completing its ambitious footpath programme within two years will depend on constructions costs and contractor availability. It will provide ongoing guidance to Northland Transportation Alliance, which is managing the building programme, on its footpath priorities beyond the 2024 financial year.
Footpaths that were selected for year one of the funding and have either been completed or are ready for construction in the new year are:
- Ahipara Road – construction complete
- Kotare Street– construction complete
- Cable Bay Block Road – design completed, construction to begin early 2023
- Oruru Road – design completed, construction to begin early 2023.