The trail would stretch for 8.3 kilometres in total, with work undertaken in three stages. Photo / Bevan Conley
The trail would stretch for 8.3 kilometres in total, with work undertaken in three stages. Photo / Bevan Conley
A group proposing a $1.72 million trail along Rapanui Rd says it will increase safety and encourage more usage of recreational areas.
Kai Iwi Beach Community Group member Janice Handley said once completed, the trail would run from the intersection at State Highway 3 to Kai Iwi Beach - adistance of 8.3 kilometres.
“We have expanding residential growth in our area - lots of lifestyle blocks and lots of activity at the beach,” Handley said.
That was on top of existing farming and horticultural operations on the road.
“We also have three very significant public recreational areas - Westmere Lake, Bason Botanic Gardens and Kai Iwi Beach - and two educational facilities, Westmere School and Rapanui Brunswick Playcentre.
The trail would allow locals and tourists to enjoy and explore the sites along the road, she said.
“Obviously, any physical activity is great for all of us in terms of our health, and we see there would be greater utilisation of recreational spaces by having a trail that links the three.
“There are also a lot of historical and cultural points of significance along the road which, we feel, are as yet untapped.”
According to the group’s report to the committee, hapū representatives made it aware of the historical connection of Taipake Marae, currently located in Kai Iwi, just off State Highway 3 behind Kai Iwi School.
“Taipake was historically located in Mowhanau, where the playground currently stands,” the report said.
“Hapū used this site as a fishing kāinga to gather and preserve many species with traditional methods, to be shared amongst the hapū as important food supply.
“There is an opportunity to raise awareness of this historical site and the connection of the hapū to this area.”
The trail would pass Bason Botanic Gardens. Photo / Bevan Conley
Fellow group member Quentin Handley said it would be a two-metre-wide shell rock trail.
“What we are proposing at present is it should be done in stages, maybe three stages.
“It doesn’t have to be done immediately.”
Stage one would be State Highway 3 to the school, followed by the school to Bason Botanic Gardens.
The last leg would link the gardens to Mowhanau Drive.
An estimated complete project cost was $1.72m, the report said.
That included a boardwalk at Westmere Lake ($150,000) and a bridge/culvert over the Mowhanau Stream ($200,000).
Hapū/iwi support of the proposal was contingent on accidental discovery protocol, including the attendance of hapū representatives to oversee any earthworks, the inclusion of information boards along the trail and a toi māori [artistic] component which would provide a visual representation of the mana whenua of the area.
A baseline figure of $100,000 for that work was included in the final amount.
The group wants the project to be adopted into the council’s Long Term Plan and for the council to commit to funding a proportion of it.
Council chief executive David Langford said the council’s current financial assistance rate (FAR) from Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency was 62 per cent.
“As the council prepares our budgets for our Long Term Plan, we also prepare budgets that go into the regional land transport plan.
“We have to do a bit of work to make sure those two stay aligned, so when we get funding from the ratepayers, we are also getting the funding share through the FAR subsidy from Waka Kotahi.
“For projects that have a very high alignment to the Government policy statement for transport, there is the possibility of applying for enhanced FAR subsidy. What that percentage is depends on the project and whether it meets certain criteria.”
Stage three of the trail will link Bason Botanic Gardens to Kai Iwi Beach. Photo / Bevan Conley
Group member Kevin Booth said the project ticked “a lot of boxes”.
He said he was a regular user of Rapanui Rd and had seen some close calls.
“It is clear to us that many drivers are not aware of the 1.5-metre passing rule as signposted along the road.
“A lot of drivers do not seem to understand the vulnerability of cyclists when passing at high speed -100 km/h - and how we all fit into the narrow space provided is beyond us.
“You might say, ‘Well, don’t go on the road as a cyclist’, but we’re all road users and we all have a right to be there. We just want it to be safe and enjoyable.”
Booth said when the project started, there was a focus on wellbeing and safety.
“As we went along and had our meetings and met people, we were really quite surprised by the amount of interest that was generated,” Booth said.
“Whanganui & Partners suggested a possible loop for more keen riders to go to [Kai Iwi] Beach, then up the beach to Castlecliff.
“It’s a circuit, and there is a possibility in the future of getting Francis Rd and Tayforth Rd into that. It’s not just recreational use, it’s people moving from their home to their place of work.”
Mike Tweed is an assistant news director and multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily the Whanganui District Council.
