Auckland Transport (AT) have released a media statement outlining the process for building Stage 2 (thorugh the Pourewa Valley) and Stage 4 (across Hobson Bay) of the shared path. Most disappointingly, timelines have slipped significantly further and reading the media release there are certainly a lot of “ifs” in the wording that raises a lot of questions – namely what the heck is going on here?!
Five years ago in November 2014 AT organised a public meeting in Meadowbank seeking feedback on the proposal and in October 2015 this was the projected timeline:
In March 2019 we were given the following timeline and we were extremely dismayed at the delays:
As of the latest media release, both section 2 and section 4 are “subject to funding approvals” and no timelines are currently available at all, other than a decision will be made by the end of the first quarter in 2020.
We have watched delayed weeks slip away and turn into delayed years… and more years… Our children are growing up without being able to cross the valley to school, people who were looking forward to cycling to work are retiring, and 3 years after the first section of the shared path opened, it still leads nowhere. How did it get to this? Surely the difficult terrain and design and construction challenges have been well and truly investigated before now?
We have asked everyone we could possibly contact about this but haven’t been able to get any answers on what is going on with the project. It has been especially difficult with the recent election and the Orakei Local Board (OLB) are yet to have their first meeting. We will keep asking questions and seeking answers.
First and foremost we want to see Stage 2 of this path (through the Pourewa Valley) completed and the local links that also provide cross valley access to be constructed. There are many places to go once you’ve reached Orakei Station, but there is no way to get up/down the Pourewa Valley, and no (safe) way to get across the valley. This is why Stage 2 of the path is so important and the reason why the council funding for the local links was successful in the first place – because it provides links to our communities and the shared path from both sides of the valley. Kids can walk and bike to school and college, and Meadowbank Station becomes just a few minutes from Kohimarama. There would be no problems with parking at the station either yay! And we need this path now, not in another five years time, or further way.
We wonder how does the OLB feel about funding the Tahapa Reserve upgrade including spending money on connecting paths that now don’t have anywhere to connect with? What does this mean for the OLB and council funding from the long term plan that was secured to build the local links to the path, providing a route across the valley from Gowing Dr to John Rymer Place? We rely on our elected representatives to advocate for the Orakei Ward and Orakei Local Board area. This shared path and its local links was chosen as their #1 project for funding because it commanded substantial community support and huge benefits. We are relying on them to see this project to completion.
We are looking forward to AT delivering the promised community consultation in October 2019… or if not October, then ASAP. Irrespective of whether the project gets delayed further (heck, we’re used to that by now), there’s no reason not to share the detailed design. The detailed design was sufficiently done in April 2019 to announce construction starting in October 2019, so we just don’t understand what the delay is in getting the information out to the public.
We just don’t think this situation is good enough for our community. Come along to our monthly meetings on Tuesday 12 November and Tuesday 10 December to find out the latest from our elected representatives. You can also email and tell them why the shared path is important to you and your community and ask for more information. Don’t let the construction of this fantastic asset for our community become further delayed or even worse, no secure the necessary funding.
Artists impression of the Glen Innes – Tamaki Drive Shared Path Stage 2, which passes through the Pourewa Valley to the north of Meadowbank
