Nga Tawa Diocesan School wants safe walking path to Marton township

Plans to build a path along Marton's Calico Line are part of the Rangitīkei District Council's annual plan. Photo / Bevan Conley

Nga Tawa Diocesan School wants a pathway built along Calico Line between the school and Marton township to help keep students safe.

The project is part of the Rangitīkei District Council’s draft annual plan which will go out for public consultation.

Nga Tawa is on Calico Line and school bursar Helen Campbell said the road was used a lot by the school.

“[We] just need a safe walking path,” she said.

Currently, students walk along the road which has an 80km/h speed limit.

The council is consulting on two options.

The first and preferred option by the council is to design and build a basic gravel pathway from the intersection of Calico Line and Nga Tawa Rd to the existing pathway from the intersection of Brendis Line.

This option would be debt funded and cost around $275,000, but, if put into action, the path would be completed by the end of the financial year.

The second option was to postpone work on the pathway to apply for funding from Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency for the 2024-27 funding round.

It is not assured the project would meet the requirements for funding, and an estimated cost was unable to be determined as it would depend on funding from Waka Kotahi.

The plans outlined in the consultation document were those asked for by the school, Campbell said.

“We requested that it would be put into their annual plan,” she said.

“We would like it done as soon as possible, but we realise there’s a process to go through.”

The full consultation document for the plan can be found on the council’s website under the “Consultation” section of the “Council” menu.

Submissions to the plan can be made in multiple ways, including through the council’s website, by dropping off the form at service centres, emailing the council at info@rangitikei.govt.nz or posting to Private Bag 110 Marton 4741.

People need to have their feedback submitted by 5pm on April 25, with councillors deliberating and making decisions on what to do with the plan from May 11 to June 1.

The council will then vote to adopt the plan on June 22, with it being put into action in July.