Basin project almost done

The finishing touches to a transformation of Kerikeri's Stone Store Basin which began with the $14 million Heritage Bypass project in 2006 are due to get under way next month.

The focus of the work will be upgraded parking, traffic flow and landscaping aimed at improving visitors' experience of the historic area.

The joint project between the Far North District Council, Department of Conservation, NZ Historic Places Trust, tourist industry interests and local iwi will include a new entrance to the car park below St James Church on Kerikeri Rd; enlarging and sealing the car park; and building new public toilets.

The remnants of the sealed road in front of the Stone Store and Kemp House, New Zealand's oldest and most historically significant buildings, will also finally be removed.

Council community policy manager Sue Hodge said the area would be grassed and landscaped in keeping with the area's heritage values.

"It's hoped that improving the parking off Kerikeri Rd and changing the road layout will deter visitors who enter the area by vehicle from driving right down to the wharf, allowing it to become an attractive pedestrian precinct."

Ms Hodge says tour buses would still be able to access the area. Vehicle access would also be preserved for patrons of the Pear Tree restaurant and tourist operators working from the wharf.

The work was due to begin in mid-May and take about a month to complete.

The project is another step in carrying out the recommendations in the Sustainable Development Plan for the Kororipo-Kerikeri Basin. So far the old road bridge has been removed, a new pedestrian bridge built upstream, and the high-voltage power lines have been placed underground.