Million-dollar facelift,Work on cycle/walkway to Midway begins

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

WORK began on the long-awaited ?one-kilometre Waikanae to Midway walkway this morning.

The walkway, named in Gisborne District Council’s agenda as the Oneroa Cycle and Walkway, will consist of 344 metres of concrete and 562m of boardwalk with total costs expected to be within an approved budget of $1.4 million.

The council’s project manager Kylie Cranston said the walkway would connect with both the riverbank walkway and the Alfred Cox walkway as part of an expanding cycle and walkway network, which would “showcase our district”.

Councillors approved the main construction contract with Earthworks Solutions at a price of $888,054.

Earthworks Solutions completed the Alfred Cox cycle and walkway on time and under budget in 2013.

Tenders were also received from QRS Wairoa for $888,634 and from CPM for $924,200.

The concrete component will be carried out by McLeods Concrete and the boardwalk component by members of the Certified Builders Association.

We are pleased to see this project going to locals,” said Ms Cranston.

“Volunteer labour contribution and sponsorship from the the Certified Builders Association, Gisborne Rotary and Gisborne West Rotary help make this a real community project.”

The intention to develop a beachfront walkway can be traced to council documents dating back to 1992.

But the concept had to wait until 2009 when the council applied for resource consent.

Original plans were changed after concerns from objectors, many of them nearby residents, about design and alignment options.

Experts consulted included a coastal scientist, ecologists, boardwalk engineers, landscape architects, local timber merchants and builders.

The only point of contention raised when councillors approved the Earthworks Solution tender last week came from Roger Haisman who questioned the name of Oneroa.

He asked where the name had come from and complained that too many names had appeared in the district without the approval of councillors.

Chief executive Judy Campbell said the Oneroa name had been used in council papers before and had never been questioned.

Mayor Meng Foon said Oneroa meant long beach.

Pat Seymour pointed out there was an Oneroa Road at Wainui.

Mr Foon adjourned the meeting for morning tea and the discussion was not continued when the meeting reconvened.

Ms Cranston said construction was expected to take just over three months and was due to be completed in June.

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