Cost of Eastbourne shared path and seawalls skyrockets to $79m

Waves crashing over the road on Marine Drive, Eastbourne. Photo / Mark Mitchell

The cost of a new shared path and seawalls around Eastbourne’s exposed coastline has skyrocketed from $30m to $79m.

The 4.4km Tupua Horo Nuku Eastern Bays walking and cycling path, including replacement seawalls, has been long-awaited by residents.

The road between Seaview and Eastbourne was affected by adverse weather events eight times last year. The road gets hammered by sea surges in southerly storms.

The project was originally 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.

In January, the Herald revealed the council’s share of the cost had more than tripled. Now, the council has confirmed the new overall cost to all funding partners is $79m.

Hutt City Council will consult with residents on whether to increase its share of the cost to $25.5m to help plug the hole. If approved, that still leaves the project $31m short.

Waka Kotahi system design regional manager Kesh Keshaboina said the transport agency considered all funding decisions of this size carefully.

“We are reviewing this funding request through our normal processes. Following this, the recommendation will need to be considered by the Waka Kotahi Board. We expect to make a final decision in the coming months.”

In the meantime, the $30m already allocated by the three partners meant the initial two bays of the project were under construction, Keshaboina said.

“Waka Kotahi is working closely with Hutt City as a part of the delivery team.”

Lower Hutt mayor Campbell Barry acknowledged the cost was significant but said it was in line with the experience of other major coastal infrastructure projects.

“The increased cost of Tupua Horo Nuku is due to the complexity of operating in a coastal marine environment and includes changes from the original plan to address much-needed resilience upgrades to Marine Drive.

“These changes will help combat the effects of sea level rise and increasing instances of extreme weather due to climate change.”

An artist's impression of the design of Tupua Horo Nuku Eastern Bays Shared Path. Image / HCC

Barry said the project has also been affected by the increased cost of materials and shipping, as well as workforce shortages.

Hutt City Council head of transport Jon Kingsbury said investment from central government helped to keep the overall cost down for the council.

“What we do know, is that the co-investment approach we have taken means the project is more affordable than it otherwise would be if Council was funding the entire project. If the project is delayed, we know that the costs are only likely to increase.”

It’s not the first time these sorts of projects in Wellington have experienced cost escalations.

In 2020, Wellington City Council had to cover a $6.7 million overspend for a two-way bike path and separate footpath on Cobham Drive. The cost escalation was due to rock revetment work, to prevent coastal erosion and unexpected costs associated with varying ground conditions.

An extra $5.4 million was also forked out for a similar path around Evans Bay, from Carlton Gore Rd on Oriental Bay to Cobham Drive.

Councillor Sarah Free, who was the cycling portfolio leader at the time, said both were projects to be thoroughly proud of even if they had come at a higher cost.

“In some ways, this shouldn’t be a cost attributed to cycleway and walking projects, it probably should have been costs attributed to seawalls and resilience.”