The final 2km push... what's needed now
Exciting news
Another 500 metres of the final push to complete the Waipu to Waipu Cove cycle trail is under construction. The newest section moves the crossing from the McLean Rd intersection to a safer spot further along Cove Rd. Then the trail crosses the road to finish on the seaward side past Hamon Road.
The work is being undertaken by Paul Cowpland and paid for by the Waipu Cycle and Walkway Trust. We are very grateful to all the landowners who have agreed to easements over their land to enable this community asset to go ahead, and to Whangarei District Council for their contribution to survey and legal costs. Thanks also to the contributions fromPaul Jenkins, Dave Whittaker, Mountfield Quarry, and Fulton Hogan. We also acknowledge the stunning native plants provided by Waipu Waters Community Nursery.
While the trust has funding on hand to cover the work being done now this month, we will need to raise more funds to finish the trail to Hamon Road and invites donations through this Waipu Cycle Walkway website. The very last trail section from Hamon Road to Riverview Place is being built by Whangarei District Council (WDC) due to the nature of the road curve and berm slopes. WDC will fund this work from their annual plan.
Thank you to those who made submissions to WDC to support our request for the annual plan to prioritise funding so we can get this trail finished.
Over the next 6 months we will be:
Let's go Waipu and make this incredible journey a reality.
The work is being undertaken by Paul Cowpland and paid for by the Waipu Cycle and Walkway Trust. We are very grateful to all the landowners who have agreed to easements over their land to enable this community asset to go ahead, and to Whangarei District Council for their contribution to survey and legal costs. Thanks also to the contributions fromPaul Jenkins, Dave Whittaker, Mountfield Quarry, and Fulton Hogan. We also acknowledge the stunning native plants provided by Waipu Waters Community Nursery.
While the trust has funding on hand to cover the work being done now this month, we will need to raise more funds to finish the trail to Hamon Road and invites donations through this Waipu Cycle Walkway website. The very last trail section from Hamon Road to Riverview Place is being built by Whangarei District Council (WDC) due to the nature of the road curve and berm slopes. WDC will fund this work from their annual plan.
Thank you to those who made submissions to WDC to support our request for the annual plan to prioritise funding so we can get this trail finished.
Over the next 6 months we will be:
- building the trail as efficiently as funding on hand allows us to
- fundraising the final $200,000 to build and finish the trail including costs for trail building, fencing, planting, signage and possible other amenities such as shelters
- advocating to WDC to complete their commitment on building the final section.
Let's go Waipu and make this incredible journey a reality.
Route options to link the trail
We explored the main route options to link Riverview Place with McLean Road and identified that the best route for a number of reasons (ecological values, cost, safety, private landowner concerns) is alongside Cove Rd, on the seaward side.
Consultation
Discussions with landowners along this route have been thoughtfully considered along with the views of Council and the community.
Pros and Cons
There were pros and cons for each route option. Much of the land on the edge of the river and estuary is public land and could be used for public access such as a walkway. However there are a number of reasons including the Department of Conservation Wildlife Refuge, rare bird nesting grounds, a dog exclusion zone, and exposure to storm events, to prefer the roadside option.