$700k kick-start for Napier waterfront project

The Iron Pot site for a berth for the relocation of the mooring of the wake Te-Matau-a-Maui in a rejuvenation of the Ahuriri and Napier inner harbour waterfront. Photo / Supplied

Napier's Ahuriri waterfront and inner harbour precinct redevelopment has been given an early kick-start of $700,000 from the Government's Tourism Infrastructure Fund.

Napier City Council will match the funding, with design and development, including a new berth for ocean-going waka Te Matau-a-Māui to the Bridge St end of the Iron Pot, expected to start next year.

It will include facilities to host tour groups and support other activities based at the waterfront including those associated with the waka. The facility will also provide toilets and changing facilities, and educational storyboards.

Mayor Kirsten Wise said it will become "a real community hub for Ahuriri, enabling workshops, gatherings, and celebrations and a "fitting opportunity to pay respect to Ahuriri's rich history and heritage."

The project also gives opportunities to improve stormwater quality, provide protected viewing spots for nesting kororā (little blue penguins) and share cultural and historical stories.

Wise says Napier has an exciting opportunity, made possible with help from the grant, to develop the area in a way that complements other Ahuriri-based projects.

"It is going to be wonderful to be able to enrich this important area that has a special place in Napier's past and present. It will be a drawcard for tourists seeking authentic experiences and something our locals can feel really proud of."

Council is working in partnership with Ātea a Rangi Educational Trust to help expand their activities, and mana whenua, including Mana Ahuriri Trust which last week celebrated the Treaty-settlement return of Pakake, a site of historical significance off Customs Quay, which flanks the Iron Pot.

The total cost of the overall project, to upgrade existing assets or add new ones to Napier's inner harbour, has been budgeted at more than $10 million, the majority included in the Long Term Plan 2021-31.

Ahuriri is one of the earliest settled areas in Napier, its safe mooring spots and sheltered waters seeing it grow into Hawke's Bay's main port before the 1931 earthquake forced its relocation to the current site.