Whanganui District Council installed thin mesh wire on the riverside boardwalk after reports of slippery conditions when wet. Photo / Erin Smith
Whanganui District Council installed thin mesh wire on the riverside boardwalk after reports of slippery conditions when wet. Photo / Erin Smith
Mesh wire on Whanganui’s riverside boardwalk is under scrutiny after backlash from residents and Mountains to Sea (Ngā Ara Tūhono) Cycle Trail staff.
The busy boardwalk is part of the Mountains to Sea Cycle Trail which passes through Whanganui on its final leg towards the Tasman Sea.
“When itgets wet, because it’s relatively historic timbers, [it] gets quite slippery and that’s caused some issues for walkers and cyclists,” Mountains to Sea Cycle Trail champion Lynley Twyman said.
After concerns were raised about the slipperiness, the Whanganui District Council installed thin wire netting on part of the boardwalk surface.
However, a council spokeswoman said it had since received several reports of people sustaining injuries related to the wire and one person getting a punctured tyre.
Twyman regularly visits the 329km trail system to check for maintenance issues.
She said she appreciated the council’s initiative to address the slipperiness issue but better consultation may have helped avoid the use of a known problematic material.
“It is something that happens with that particular style of fix,” Twyman said.
“It’s really hard to install properly and the staples come out.”
Twyman was aware of cyclists sustaining punctures after cycling over the wire.
Mountains to Sea trail champion Lynley Twyman visits the 329km cycle trail network regularly to check for needed maintenance. Photo / Martyn Davies
The council’s decision to use the metal mesh, known as bayonet welded mesh, was a combination of prior use and cost.
“This product is a common anti-slip product for boardwalks and walkways and has been applied to multiple bridges and boardwalks across the district,” parks and property manager Tania Henare said.
Twyman said the Mountains to Sea Trail typically used non-slip straps, also known as grip treads, or a plastic mesh “which is proven to have a better outcome for all users”.
Henare said wire mesh was selected over plastic netting “because plastic was not considered durable enough for this high traffic area”.
“Grip treads were considered but not chosen at the time due to their high costs.”
The council was notified of a person who fell and grazed their hands and face on the mesh, and a child who stepped on a piece of protruding wire.
Whanganui resident Jeanette Bailey posted on Facebook to warn other cyclists to avoid the wire section after receiving a puncture and finding detached metal lodgedin her rear tyre.
“I was very annoyed about having to walk home pushing my bike and putting a new tube in,” Bailey said.
She told the Chronicle she and a friend had gone on a bike ride along the riverbank when she noticed her tyre going flat after being forced by foot traffic to ride over a portion of the wire.
“We tried to avoid the mesh as much as possible.”
Bailey, who is a council employee, reported the issue later that day.
She said other Whanganui cyclists she had spoken with shared her frustration and concern about the wire.
“If you look at the cyclists, mostly they’re riding on the wood on either side of the mesh because they don’t trust it.”
The loose pieces of metal which broke off or protruded from the mesh posed risks to pets and children who frequently walked barefoot along the boardwalk, she said.
“We want everybody, our walkers, our cyclists, our mobility scooters, to all have a really good experience,” Twyman said.
“Getting a puncture or slipping on the boardwalk as it was is not ideal.”
The Mountains to Sea Trail is maintained collaboratively by the supporting Mountains to Sea Trail (Ngā Ara Tūhono) Charitable Trust and councils in the areas the trail passes through.
The trust maintains enhancements such as markers and signage while councils are responsible for infrastructure.
Erin Smith is a multimedia journalist based in Whanganui.
