Harmony lacking over cycle path

Jeremy Busck is among those Onerahi residents against the concreting of the Waimahanga Track. Photo / John Stone

Consensus is proving elusive when it comes to what Whangarei residents want from their cycling infrastructure - despite at least five public meetings on the issue in Onerahi alone.

The small seaside suburb will soon be linked to the CBD by a $1.5 million cycleway - but the form this should take is still being debated.

Over the next three years about $7 million will be spent constructing a new 6.5km Kamo cycling route as well as those to Onerahi and Raumanga. Funding was from WDC and the New Zealand Transport Agency. WDC spokesman Nick Marshall said there had been "a hung jury" on a number of issues around the Onerahi cycleway in particular.

These included whether or not to concrete the Waimahanga Track, the safety of a shared space around Beach Rd, what portion of the track should be started first and how wide it should be.

He was encouraging residents to attend an information meeting today, which would give an overview of the district's walking and cycling strategy, as well as exploring specific issues around the Onerahi route.

"There has been a lot of different opinions which is part of the reason for the previous workshops."

The Onerahi project met community opposition late last year, when the proposed plans showed a 3m-wide concrete path extending from the Pah Rd roundabout along the Beach Rd foreshore to the toilets by the park, which would require the removal of six pohutakawa trees. The finalised path was then revised to 2m wide and stops at Kaiwaka Point. Onerahi resident Jeremy Busck said he was appalled at talk of concreting the entire Waimahanga track.

"For crying out loud leave it alone, and don't put lime on it because it will raise the PH level and have an effect on the plant life and the trees," he said.

-Onerahi residents and any others interested are invited along to an open afternoon at the Onerahi Community Centre today between 4pm and 7pm.