Taruheru River from Lytton Rd Bridge. Gisborne District Council says a business case has found a $13.50 return for every $1 invested if the Taruheru River Pathway is built. Photo / Gisborne Herald
Taruheru River from Lytton Rd Bridge. Gisborne District Council says a business case has found a $13.50 return for every $1 invested if the Taruheru River Pathway is built. Photo / Gisborne Herald
The search is on for funding to support a significant river pathway project decades in the making in Gisborne.
Gisborne District Council says a business case, developed in partnership with Tapuwae Tairāwhiti Trails Trust (Tairāwhiti Trails), has found a $13.50 return for every $1 invested if the Taruheru River Pathwayis built.
An existing walking/cycling path, completed in 2022, connects Wainui and Tamarau to the city.
The proposed Taruheru River Pathway is a mixture of off-road concrete pathway, widened footpaths and on-road separated cycleways running from Derby St to Campion College.
The estimated construction cost of this option is $15.7 million, according to the business case. A full riverside pathway was expected to cost $33m.
It would be funded by multiple sources, including direct council contributions, community funding partners and potential applications to the National Land Transport Fund.
A four-stage delivery approach was the preferred option:
Campion Bridge to Dalrymple Rd ($6.87m)
Mitre 10 to Roebuck Rd ($2.08m)
Roebuck Rd to Stanley Rd ($4.42m)
Stanley Rd to Dalrymple Rd ($2.35m)
The preferred option for the proposed Taruheru River Pathway is a partial river pathway. Graphic / Gisborne District Council
The council confirmed the route and delivery strategy last week and endorsed a search for external partner funding to realise the pathway.
“The Taruheru River Pathway will link neighbourhoods along the awa [river] with safe, accessible walking, cycling and wheeling connections for all ages and abilities,” a council statement said.
“With almost half of Gisborne’s population living within a five-minute bike ride of the river, this key active transport connection [as highlighted in Council’s Active Travel Strategy 2024] will support recreation, healthier lifestyles, lower transport costs and stronger connections between communities.”
Taruheru River next to the Botanical Gardens, pictured during low tide. Photo / Gisborne Herald
Michele Frey, council’s director of liveable communities, said the decision last week marked a major milestone in delivering a long-standing community aspiration.
“People have talked about the Taruheru River Pathway for decades. It’s been part of council’s long‑term plans since 2009. This decision confirms the route and how it will be delivered, so we can secure partner funding and turn community expectation into reality.”
“This has been a long time coming. It’s been a huge effort from our steering group [which includes mana whenua, council staff and fellow trustees] as we researched and created a viable business case. It will be a trail for the community, built for all users to safely go about their daily journeys, including going to work, school, visiting friends and recreation. It will connect communities, safely.
“Our trust also envisages storyboards along the pathway that reflect the significant history of the river. The pathway won’t just move people, it will honour the river, celebrate our identity, and enhance the wellbeing of our region.”
The business case was developed to confirm the preferred pathway route and to test the project’s benefits, supporting the search for partner funding.
An estimated $13.50 return for every $1 invested comes from improved health outcomes from increased activity, better educational and cognitive outcomes for school-aged users, reduced travel costs and emissions, reduced congestion, increased tourism and amenity value.
A counter on the existing section of the Taruheru pathway records 500 daily passes. It is projected that, once the new sections are completed, 1000 daily passes are likely.
Frey said the flexible, staged delivery endorsed by the council enabled parts of the pathway to begin construction around summertime 2026/27 and then continue to grow as funding is secured.
