Trees saved on new pathway

Councillor Brian McLachlan with pohutukawa trees along the Onerahi waterfront, some of which have been saved thanks to revised plans for the cycle/walkway. Photo / Michael Cunningham

Public outcry has saved five pohutukawa from the chop in plans for the new Onerahi cycle and walkway.

Whangarei District Council has revised the Onerahi section of the city-wide $1.5 million plan, which aims to connect communities with safe off-road walking and cycling routes, after a public meeting last week.

The changes have reduced the planned path from three metres in width to two metres, stopping at Kaiwaka Point rather than the Onerahi boat ramp - which means only one of the six pohutukawa originally mooted to be removed will be chopped.

Also now protected are rare yellow pohutukawa near Kaiwaka Point.

"We get our footpath and we get to save our trees - it's a win-win," Okara ward councillor Brian McLachlan said.

WDC spokeswoman Ann Midson said: "The trees were able to be felled as they were not named heritage trees listed in the district plan."

A pohutukawa on the corner of Kamo and Mill Rd could not be axed as it was listed in the district plan as a heritage tree and is the last remaining tree of the Kensington Estate.

Mr McLachlan called for the meeting after seeing drawings of the initial plans for Onerahi.

"I knew there would be opposition to removing trees in the green space."

More than 20 people turned up to the meeting and WDC senior roading engineer Greg Monteith said the general consensus was people were in favour of the cycle/walkway. "But protection of the trees was paramount, and the protection of the green space was paramount."

The public also asked council to consider a shared space/pedestrian zone from Kaiwaka Point to the Onerahi yacht club.

Mr McLachlan said: "What we are thinking of doing is making it into an esplanade.

"We want to have a shared space and slow the street. It's quite a mixed-use space - quite a lot of boats go out of there."

He expects the cycle and walkway and shared space esplanade would be big drivers in bringing people to the area.

"Council has recently completed the Onerahi seawall and this project complements the recent Bikes in Schools project at Raurimu Ave and Onerahi Primary Schools."

Contracts are about to be awarded for the work, which is due to start in a few months.

The council has received a 61 per cent subsidy from the New Zealand Transport Agency to complete the project - which includes replacing two bridges on the Waimahanga Track.

When complete it will connect Raumanga Falls to Beach Rd in Onerahi, by a path along Cockburn Street, the Waimahanga track, Riverside Drive and the Hatea Loop.