An artist's impression of the design of Tupua Horo Nuku Eastern Bays Shared Path. Image / HCC
An artist's impression of the design of Tupua Horo Nuku Eastern Bays Shared Path. Image / HCC
The bill for Hutt City Council’s share of a new coastal path has more than tripled and is now expected to cost a “staggering” $25.5m.
The 4.4km Tupua Horo Nuku Eastern Bays walking and cycling path, including replacement seawalls, was originally estimated to cost $30m in total.
It was funded with $15m from the Government’s Covid-19 Response and Recovery Fund, $7.5m from Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, and $7.5m from Hutt City Council.
But the Herald can reveal the council will now have to pay an additional $18m, bringing its total share to $25.5m and the overall cost of the project to more than $48m.
Hutt City Council head of transport Jon Kingsbury said cost pressures included construction industry labour shortages as well as the cost and availability of materials.
Some redesign work was also required, including making the path safer on the side where there is a steep drop into the sea.
Kingsbury would not confirm what the overall budget blowout was because the council was still in talks with its funding partners about their contribution.
“The council is fully committed to this project. We don’t want to see the project delayed or split into separate projects over a period of time, so that’s forming part of the basis of our conversations.”
He stressed the increased cost did not equate to the same ratio as the original $30m funding split.
Kingsbury said the project was both a shared path and a resilience project to help protect the eastern bays, which get “hammered” in southerly storms and swells.
The boat came off its mooring and washed into the side of the road, causing holes in its hull.
Storm surges also caused trouble when construction started on the eastern bays shared path in November. Wave barriers being used to protect the excavation site at Windy Point were damaged.
“A couple of high waves came in and smashed over the top,” Kingsbury said.
Those working at the site also discovered the rocks in the existing seawall were in poorer condition than first thought. This made them more difficult to remove.
Construction workers decamped to another section at Windy Point where the rock was in better shape and they were able to excavate between the tides.
Kingsbury said they were investigating stronger wave barriers and making some construction tweaks, which would allow them to go back and complete the original section in the coming months.
He said the construction timeline was not affected.
An artist's impression of the design of Tupua Horo Nuku Eastern Bays Shared Path. Image / HCC
Hutt City mayor Campbell Barry said it was not surprising Tupua Horo Nuku was facing cost increases in the current economic environment, as were many major projects across the country.
“This project is vital for the resilience of the Eastern Bays, which was laid bare with severe weather events last year. While updated funding arrangements are still being confirmed, council remains committed to funding our share and delivering the project.”
Barry said more money for the project could be found by reprioritising and rephasing other work in the council’s annual plan this year.
Cycling Action Network spokesman Patrick Morgan said the cost increase was staggering.
“This is a taste of the kind of costs that have to be met if we want to protect our vital infrastructure.”
Morgan said there have already been cost increases on shared paths along Evans Bay and Cobham Drive in Wellington City, so it was not surprising to see a similar pattern for Lower Hutt’s eastern bays.
He said this project was as much about road protection as it was about making it better for people on foot and on bikes.
“The counterfactual is what happens if we don’t do this, are we going to abandon roads to our coastal communities? And I think sometimes the answer will be yes but that’s unlikely to happen in our cities.”
The project is also about resilience and will include new seawalls for better protection in storms. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Speaking generally about managing natural hazard risk, Waka Kotahi transport services acting general manager Deborah Hume said major weather events were becoming more frequent and intense.
Waka Kotahi has developed a Climate Change Adaptation Plan that outlines how to help the transport network prepare for, and respond to, the effects of climate change, she said.
“We are looking at our investment policies, processes, tools, and guidance, so they support climate adaptation responses. We have also introduced a climate policy requiring climate risk management in capital projects and maintenance, renewals, and operations.”
Planning for climate change can already be seen in local projects and decisions, Hume said.
