An artist's impression of the railway underpass to be constructed in January 2023, linking with the future waterfront boardwalk. Photo / Supplied
An artist's impression of the railway underpass to be constructed in January 2023, linking with the future waterfront boardwalk. Photo / Supplied
A railway underpass is one of a number of changes to Tauranga's city centre that the council says will transform the waterfront.
It comes as the Tauranga City Council's commissioners today approved the reclassification of a small area of land at Marine Park, Sulphur Point, kick-starting the development of a marine research and education facility.
The railway underpass will be constructed next to the Harbourside Restaurant and is earmarked for completion in early 2023. It will provide a shared pathway for pedestrians and those travelling by bike, linking the waterfront boardwalk from The Strand through to Tunks Reserve at the eastern end of Elizabeth St.
A new section of the boardwalk will also be constructed to join the underpass at the southern end of The Strand.
Stage one of two of Te Hononga ki Te Awanui - the connection with Tauranga Harbour will reconnect the city centre to its waterfront heritage.
Commission chairwoman Anne Tolley said it was important to create better connections to the waterfront as more people started to call the city centre and broader Te Papa Peninsula home.
An artist's impression of the railway underpass to be constructed in January 2023, linking with the future waterfront boardwalk. Photo / Supplied
"Great seaside cities around the world have memorable waterfronts," she said.
"We can create something stunning here, on this very special harbour. Let's create a space that's truly for people.
"It's time Tauranga had a waterfront to brag about, and it's exciting to see this project come to fruition, given the significant effort and support from the community which has brought us to this point."
Stage two is in its infancy and is intended to provide an extended harbour-edge connection between Memorial Park and the city centre. This requires further investigation and engagement with adjoining landowners to develop a responsive and innovative design, the council said.
The designs for both stages of the project are also being prepared with input from hapū and iwi representatives.
Principal cultural adviser Josh Te Kani said the pathway reflects "our intrinsic relationship with the natural environment and the many stories of the sites of significance along its shores".
The project has been in the pipeline for over 20 years.
Construction of the underpass is earmarked for completion in early 2023, with the new section of the boardwalk following in mid-2023. Public opening is anticipated in late 2023.
Funding for both stages of this project is included in the 2021-31 Long-term Plan (LTP). The LTP currently provides for a budget of $18.96 million spread over the next five financial years, however, more accurate costings will be developed as part of further design work.
Reclassification of land at Sulphur Point given the green light
Tauranga City Council commissioners today approved the reclassification of a small area of land at Marine Park, Sulphur Point, kick-starting the development of a world-class marine research and education facility.
The decision follows public consultation which saw 66 per cent of more than 300 submitters support the reclassification.
Of those supporting the reclassification, more than 90 per cent were strongly in support, and a substantial majority of younger people supported the proposal.
Of the submitters who opposed the proposal most were concerned about the loss of open recreational space.
The proposed site for the facility was chosen to mitigate the loss of open space, as it is set back from the water's edge and maintains access to harbour margins. An observational study of this area of Marine Park conducted in 2021 confirmed that the area proposed to site the facility is under-utilised.
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