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In 2000,
Napier City Councillor Barbara Arnott started a crusade to convince the six Rotary
Clubs of Napier to become involved in a project to circle Napier City with a
cycling/walking pathway. This also extended to links north to the Bay View/Whirinaki
areas and south to meet with a future possible such project emanating from Hasting
City and links through Hastings District towards Napier City.
In the 2002 local government elections, Barbara Amott was elected Mayor
of Napier City. This lead a more determined Barbara Amott to have the proposed project
succeed and to also have Rotary fully involve both as a funding facilitator and agent
to have public involvement. |
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While
Council had its strategies in place for cycling and walking facilities, the funding
being applied each year by Council to these projects was never going to be at a level
to reach some realistic construction time frames and the wishes of the community. This
Is where the Rotary Trust has really come to the fore with the facilitating of funding
from both the commercial sector and the general community of Napier.
October 2002 bought all this to fruition with the forming of the Napier
Rotary Pathways Trust. The Rotary Club of Taradale was a founding member of this Trust
along with the other five Rotary Clubs in Napier. Sadly in 2003 the Trust was reduced
to five clubs with the disbandment of the Napier West Club.
Taradale Rotary Club involvement was to be a full partner in the Trust
and club member Alan Watton, was appointed as the Taradale clubs Trustee to serve on
the Trust. Alan has extensive experience through his employment in local roading
activities and also figured prominently in setting up in both Hasting and Napier
Councils their Walking and Cycling strategies, building requirements for such pathways
and most importantly a very good understanding of the funding of such projects,
including that of securing Central Government funding from the government annual roads
vote allocation. |
At the time of forming the Rotary Trust, Napier City Council were
already very active in planning and constructing ‘on road’ cycleways and walkways
within their current road and parks infrastructure. The council was very proactive to
the Rotary Pathways Trust and the Mayor was elected as one of the founding Trustees
and signatory to the Trust deed. This set the trust up as a fully legal entity, with
any infrastructure that was to be built to become part of Council infrastructure
assets and hence no future maintenance issues for Rotary.
The Trust has held regularly monthly meetings since October 2002. This
has enabled the Trust to carry out the business of planning in conjunction with Napier
City, facilitate fund raising in the community and ensure a high public input in.
The original concept was to construct some 28 kms of cycle/walking
pathway around the outer bounds of Napier City and with physical links to Bay View and
Hastings City boundary. Some of the locations for the pathway required involvement of
the existing State Highway roading system and use of the river banks and berms of the
Heretaunga Plains Rivers. This bought in a close liaison with both Transit NZ and the
HB Regional Council respectively. |
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To provide cross links between the outer pathways projects, Napier City
Council put in place a strategy of internal links within the existing city roading
system, and any new roads being constructed, and on road network of key routes. |
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To November 2006, ‘Rotary funds’ raised by the five Napier Clubs
towards the project are as shown in table below |
Napier Rotary
Clubs and associated club activities** |
$111,000 |
Donations facilitated by Trust activities |
$378,250 |
Total |
$489.250 |
**
Rotary Club of Taradale contribution to this
total(2006) |
$16,100 |
To November 2006 a total of $3,060,000 has been expended on the overall project and
this has put in place 14.1 kms of cycleway/walkway pathway. Not all has had Rotary
funding with Napier City Council and land Transport New Zealand being major
contributors. |
Maps of the Pathways Network |
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Below is the Napier City
Council Cycling Strategy Plan, approved and adopted in 2000. Rotary Pathways Trust
project follows this strategy plan and Rotary funded, or part Rotary funded have been
highlighted.
Napier City Council Cycling Strategy Plan
(Click on map for a full view. Use the back arrow to return to the
web page.) |
This was the original map showing the concept of the
project. The red line rings Napier City with essentially a
off road cycling/walking pathway and when combined
with Napier City pathway links through existing reserves and on road cycleway marking,
total project realises some 74 kms of pathways
(Click on map for a full view) |
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Bay View - 1.6 km long concrete
opened in 2003. Joins Bay View to Westshore Esplanade which has on road cycleways
marked into Westshore. Pathway 2.5m wide.
Total cost $178,200. Funding by Rotary Trust and Land
Transport NZ. |
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Marine Parade — 2.0 km long concrete
section constructed and funded by Napier City Council as part of Council revamp of
marine Parade. This section of Pathway from the Port to NZ
Aquarium is 3.5m wide with inserted brick features. Opened in 2004. |
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Marine-Parade — Awatoto section.
Concrete pathway 7.0km long from Aquarium NZ to Tutaekuri River to join with proposed
river bank section back to Taradale. Pathway 2.5m wide
Total cost $786,000. Funding by Rotary Trust,
Napier CC and Land Transport NZ. |
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EIT-Guppy Road along Tutaekuri River
stopbank adjacent to Taradale residential area. 1.3 km long and constructed in
compacted lime sand with a width of 2.5m. Terminate at the EIT
and joins in with Napier CC on road,cycleway marking in Glouster Street.
Total cost $120,000. Funded by
Rotary Trust, HB Regional Council and Land Transport NZ |
Pictures of the Pathway |
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