Whangārei shared path aims to prevent fatal crashes amid rapid Bream Bay growth

Preventing fatal crashes in one of Whangārei’s fastest-growing communities is the aim of an off-road shared path in Bream Bay.

Both residential numbers and Marsden Point industry are growing, with future plans including a biorefinery at Channel Infrastructure and dry dock at NorthPort.

This means Port Marsden Highway is getting busier, with 40-tonne logging trucks alongside pedestrians and cyclists, said Bream Bay Shared Path Inc secretary Grant Brown.

Safety is the key reason why the community is pushing for the Bream Bay Shared Path, a 5km off-road path connecting Ruakākā Town Centre with Marsden Cove and nearby One Tree Point.

“It’s an absolute safety project to enable pedestrians, bikes, school children and elderly pensioners on mobility scooters to avoid crossing State Highway 15,” Brown said.

Ruakākā Residents and Ratepayers Association has led the charge, setting up an incorporated society to make the path happen.

Chairman of both, Jules Flight, said the community felt it could not afford to wait for Whangārei District Council to fund the shared path on its own.

The incorporated society was formed to speed up the process and lobby businesses for discounts, he said.

It has support from Trigg Construction, Hansens and Ken Orr, and the council is funding $400,000 toward the first part of the path near Ruakākā Town Centre.

While the first sod was ceremoniously turned on August 2 and work on the first part of the path is due to start shortly, there is still plenty more groundwork to do, Flight said.

Grant Brown and Jules Flight from Bream Bay Shared Path Inc are driving the project ahead, even though funding hasn't been secured for all of the project yet. Photo / Denise Piper

Easements for the middle section of the path still need to be settled, after being stalled by Marsden Maritime Holdings ownership changes, he said.

Further funding is also needed to complete the path, with the society soon to launch a fundraising campaign, Flight said.

Meanwhile, the need for the path grows, according to Ruakākā resident Ian Newey, from trucking company Newey Transport.

Trucks driving on Port Marsden Highway have large blind spots - with cyclists and pedestrians easily disappearing from view, he said.

With Bream Bay being “one of the most fantastic parts of New Zealand” and residents flocking there for fishing, swimming, walking and biking, the clash with heavy industry becomes even more apparent, Newey said.

Jules Flight and Grant Brown from Bream Bay Shared Path Inc both enjoy riding their e-bikes and want more people in the area to be able to ride without putting their lives at risk. Photo / Denise Piper

“To take that risk away, the bike path is paramount.”

Council traffic safety and roading engineer Pat Sugrue said council is supporting the project with $400,000 in funding, plus a further $800,000 for the high-priority Waipu to Waipu Cove cycle trail.

Sugrue said off-road paths were not included when the area developed, such as when the port moved to Marsden Point in 2007, because the growth in cycling was unforeseen.

Since then active modes of transport like cycling have become more prevalent, especially with e-bikes, and interest has grown as the council builds its shared path network across the district, he said.

Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.