Greenways Plan

Many residents will be aware of the “Greenways Plan” and the proposed Nukumea Path. This would run along the Nukumea Stream on the northern boundary of Kensington Park.

Some Committee members and our Manager met with Council and Urban Solutions recently to discuss the project. The intention of the meeting was to enable us to understand the proposal and the process Urban Solutions will be going through on behalf of the Auckland Council. We agreed that these meetings will be held on a regular basis and also that the KPRA Newsletter will send out the information provided by Urban Solutions.

We as a Committee understand that there is likely to be a range of opinions amongst residents as to any benefits or disadvantages that this pathway might bring. This being the case we see our initial role as being to provide as much information as possible on the plan and on the opportunities for individuals or groups to be part of the consultation process that will take place after initial investigations.

Below is a copy of the letter sent to us by Urban Solutions. We hope this will enable all residents to fully understand the project itself and the opportunities that will be provided in the future to be part of any public consultation.

“Further to our introductory meeting on the 25th September, we are excited to be progressing the Nukumea Path proposal and hope that future consultation with the residents of Kensington Park will provide some local knowledge which will be valuable to the feasibility of this project. As discussed, we shall update the Kensington Park Residents Association every three months on the status of the project, or as significant milestones are achieved.

The Hibiscus and Bays Local Board wants to promote a path network with the purpose of greatly improving walking, cycling and ecological connections across the Hibiscus Coast and East Coast Bays area. The Nukumea Path has been prioritised by the Local Board and is 1.8km of proposed path linking Hillcrest Road to Hibiscus Coast Highway, via the Pacific Heights subdivision, past Kensington Park and along the edge of the Nukumea Stream.

The proposed path aims to improve access to the unique bush and stream environment while protecting and enhancing the environmental features of the area. The path is planned to connect at strategic points along the route to provide improved safe access to neighbouring streets and Orewa Beach.

In order to progress the preliminary stages of the project, Mana Whenua have been engaged and some investigations are scheduled over the next couple of months. These include a topographical survey, archaeological, arboricultural and ecological assessments. The design, community engagement, and resource consenting process are planned to be completed over the next two years. Funding for construction has yet to be allocated by the Local Board.

Once the investigations have been completed and the physical constraints identified, public consultation on the proposed path can be undertaken. Council will be seeking feedback from the public to obtain local knowledge to give us a better understanding of how residents and users will use the pathway and any issues that they may foresee. Public consultation is likely to be undertaken in April / May 2020 by way of community engagement, drop in sessions and via the Shape Auckland “Have your Say” project page on Auckland Council’s website. In the meantime, you may see consultants walking along the proposed route wearing hi-viz jackets undertaking investigations and fieldwork.”

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