A walkway winner

Extending New Plymouth’s Coastal Walkway to Waitara is a win-win proposition, a community advocate group says.

The New Plymouth District Council voted recently to invest $4 million dollars to extend the Coastal Walkway from its current ending on Mangati Rd, Bell Block, to the Waitara township about nine kilometres north.

Vicky Dombroski, from community development group Waitara Alive, has been advocating the walkway extension since 2014 and was delighted the council had decided to go ahead. ‘‘I think it means a lot to Waitara,’’ she said.

Dombroski said about 70 per cent of the population head into town in the morning.

‘‘If they could ride a bike to work safely on the walkway rather than out on the main road, that would be awesome.’’

It would also boost tourism in Waitara, along with signage so that people stopped mistaking the town for New Plymouth, she said.

‘‘I first started making submissions for this issue probably about 2014 for a little while but it wasn’t really on the radar then. .’’

Dombroski said it would be nice to see the walkway follow the coast rather than come inland around the airport, ‘‘but I can see there’s not a lot of room’’.

However, a walkway around the airport would be a nice option as part of the upgrade. ‘‘If they’re waiting for a flight they could go for a walk along the walkway.’’

Jonathan Marshall from the Waitara Community Board said it would improve not just Waitara but all of north Taranaki.

‘‘I think it’s a good move for everybody. There’s a lot of people who would love to have a cycle or walk out to Waitara and back.’’

Work is set to start next year, with NPDC’s $4 million input matched by the New Zealand Transport Agency. The route and proposed completion date have not been confirmed.

NPDC is also investing in the town’s water network, including $14 million to renew ageing sewer pipes, $9 million to improve the stormwater system and $6 million to improve wastewater pump stations across the district.

A new fishing area at the Marine Park, which will open up the river mouth to all anglers including those in wheelchairs, is planned for the 2019-20 financial year at a cost of about $65,000. A $1 annual lease has also be given to the Waitara District History and Families Research Group to help preserve three of the town’s oldest buildings.