An update on the work on coastal track at QE park

I realise there’s some concern about what is happening to the Coastal Track at Queen Elizabeth Park so here is an update.

Greater Wellington Regional Council is planning to build a realigned section of the Coastal Track at Queen Elizabeth Park this winter.

For some time the Coastal Track north of Whareroa Beach has been closed because of the damage caused by cyclone Gita, which caused coastal erosion and meant the track was no longer safe for public access. Safety is always our top priority.

We’ve had preliminary talks with Ka¯ piti Coast District Council and the Paraparaumu Raumati Community Board regarding options for a new route. They were happy with our proposal — a new section of track further inland avoiding erosion prone and unstable dune areas, which keeps the feel of a coastal aspect and views for everyone to enjoy.

We are keen to connect the existing track in the best we can with the new line and location while still keeping the complete alignment safe for the visitors.

The reality is this work has to wait until winter for us to carry it out.

Not only do we want to ensure our planning phase is done well, we have to wait until the weather conditions are cooler and wetter to do this. We are wanting to avoid winds and hot weather so we don’t get sand blowouts on the track or the dunes.

We will be using a remote controlled mower to do the initial work cutting the new line through plant growth. This allows us to do the work quickly while minimising damage to the park environment. The surface will then be prepared by excavator and surfaced with gravel.

So you can look forward to getting back on this track once it starts getting warmer. While I realise some want this process to be quicker, but we can’t take ‘shortcuts’ that potentially put people at risk and result in expensive re-work — we need to ensure that all our visitors are safe and have an enjoyable experience on the track, so we want to take the time to get it right.

Thanks for your patience while we do this. The coastal track will open in spring 2019.

Footnote: If you’ve been frustrated because you didn’t know what was planned, you are always welcome to contact me directly at penny.gaylor@gw.govt.nz — as someone who has previously been harassed by the use of anonymous posters I’d like to encourage people to check in with me first before placing signs with my email and number on. Thanks — I’d really appreciate that approach.