Boardwalk consultation 'was lacking'

BY GEMMA REDDELL

Controversy surrounds the Orewa estuary boardwalk project as work started last week.

Hibiscus Coast councillor Zane Taylor says there was insufficient consultation and the boardwalk is not being built the way people wanted.

The 8km boardwalk, which starts near the Western Reserve, will go across to Orewa College and then follow the estuary edge.

Mr Taylor says there's no doubt it will be a fantastic asset, and residents are excited about getting a connected walkway-cycleway around the estuary, but he says it could be better.

"The consultation was lacking," he says. "They sent a questionnaire to residents asking if they want a connected walk/cycleway around the estuary and of course they said yes. That's as far as it went."

He says there was a better option for the route bypassing the school with a mangrove boardwalk that some people, including the school community, preferred.

"The mangrove boardwalk option moved the walkway off the land at the back of the school," says Mr Taylor.

"It was a missed opportunity. It would've been a fantastic feature to a great asset, better for the environment, for tourism, and for the school if we had taken that opportunity."

He says the school has a few concerns and reluctantly signed the agreement, believing it was a foregone conclusion.

"The school is concerned about people entering the property through the walkway at the end of the field," says Mr Taylor.

"They already have trouble with that at the rainbow bridge by the council buildings, but this one they won't be able to monitor because it's at the end of the field.

"There are also going to be security fences and cameras which cost to monitor and maintain," says Mr Taylor.

"The school loses direct access to the area of mangroves the students use for studies, as well as a chunk of their field."

Construction has started with a bridge that connects the Western Reserve to the edge of the school field.

This bridge, which is costing about $900,000, was allocated funding in Rodney's long-term council and community plan, along with funding from an Auckland Regional Transport Authority subsidy.

"The excuse for not wanting the other boardwalk option was that it was going to cost the ratepayers extra money," says Mr Taylor.

"But this wouldn't have been the case if we had been a bit more patient.

"We may have still got the subsidy, but ARTA didn't know of any other options for the boardwalk."

He says Rodney's budget for this part of the boardwalk had to be included to get ARTA funding, but once it was approved he expected them to come back with the options.

"We don't know the motivation for choosing this option - who is making the decisions?

"We as councillors were under the impression that we were going to be taking this up again in a meeting this year. We thought we'd have another chance in February to discuss the options."

Mr Taylor says the two options were discussed by councillors and school representatives and it was unanimous that the other option was favoured.

"In my opinion it's the wrong plan. Don't get me wrong, the boardwalk will be a fantastic asset and the residents wanted one. It just could've been done better."

Council media manager Mike Isle says consultation has been extensive, particularly with the college and other affected parties.

"In fact, it's still going on as we negotiate the logistics and the form of the walkway adjacent to the college grounds."

Project manager Peter Bilton, the council senior parks and coastal capital works engineer, says they are negotiating the details for the final agreement.

"After the first round of consultation with Orewa College, their response was for a boardwalk option around the perimeter of the school property for the cycleway-walkway connection between the Maygrove Esplanade section and Western Reserve.

"Further consultation with the college resulted in the board of trustees agreeing in principal to the council's preferred land route along the estuary edge of the college grounds behind their sport fields," says Mr Bilton.

He says this was subject to various conditions, such as fencing for security purposes, maintenance, lockable gates, and a relocation and upgrade of the college fitness trail.

- © Fairfax NZ News