A draft concept for the area surrounding the North Mole.
A draft concept for the area surrounding the North Mole.
Government funding of $876,250 has been secured for works surrounding Whanganui’s North Mole.
The group in charge of the project is community and hapū-led collective Ngā Ringaringa Waewae, which sits under the umbrella of charitable organisation Project Castlecliff.
Ngā Ringaringa Waewae representative Jamie Waugh said the North Mole was one of the most popular recreational areas in Whanganui.
“The repair and reinstatement of the Mole, along with the upstream fishing platforms, has only seen that usage increase.
“There are many days when the current car park is absolutely packed.
“At the moment the Mole itself is looking great but our community aspires for more. It is time we give the surrounding area the respect and care it deserves.”
The funding comes from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s Tourism Infrastructure Fund.
Waugh said the contribution from central government couldn’t have come at a better time.
“It provides a glimpse into the transformational power of the hapū and community-led way of working under Te Awa Tupua and Tupua te Kawa and will assist delivery of a vision our community has been working on for at least a decade.”
Whanganui District Council handed over control of the project to the collective earlier this year.
Ngā Ringaringa Waewae representative Jamie Waugh. Photo / Mike Tweed
Contributions from Horizons Regional Council and Whanganui District Council are being finalised through their respective long-term plan processes and it is anticipated North Mole improvements, including ecological and environmental rehabilitation work, a fit-for-purpose car park and toilet, and shared pathways, will be done next year.
Horizons is in charge of repair work at the North Mole itself.
Whanganui District Council chief executive David Langford said the council handed over control of the project to the community because it wanted to build on the learning and success to date of Te Pūwaha (the port development project) - “by getting out of the way and enabling the community to take the lead”.
“This additional funding Jamie and the team have secured is a testament to this different way of working,” he said.
Te Pūwaha project director Hayden Turoa said he saw the funding announcement as a significant milestone in the Te Pūwaha project.
Te Pūwaha is a partnership between Whanganui iwi, Whanganui District Council, Horizons Regional Council, Q-West Boat Builders and the Whanganui District Employment Training Trust.
“It is important to acknowledge central government, along with those who have contributed to the North Mole project along the way, as together we will be able to bring to fruition the aspirations of our ancestors, for tangata whenua and the wider community,” Turoa said.
“Those involved range from community members attending focus groups, through to those who have collated aspirations and created the vision we have today, to others who have provided expert advice, whether it be to source funding or to explain the benefits of plant species.”
