Slew of upgrades to benefit community
It’s a hive of activity in Awanui with multiple projects on the go. FNR is finishing the Awanui carpark and shoulder pull-over area and hoping (weather permitting) to be completed before Awanui Day on November 5.
Velosolutions started on the pump track last week and will be missing in action this week as they have some competitions to compete in but will be back in action on Tuesday next week. For the following week starting November 7, they are looking for eight to 10 local guys who can wheelbarrow hot mix onto the track, so if you know anyone available for four days and up to hard physical labouring work, please get in touch with Andrea or Suzie.
OS Group led by Dan O’Rourke has begun work on the Awanui boardwalk, which is right next to the Bakerman Cafe. New decking and paving will go down in this area and some new landscaping to give a nice link from the cafe to the river for residents and visitors to our area.
In Ahipara, the first public toilet looks great with Te Rarawa designs thanks to Danaan Beatson. The footpath going up the hill towards Te Kohanga or Shipwreck Bay is progressing well with an expected completion date early in December.
Allen Bell Park now has a toilet installed; however, we are still waiting for the final connection to the sewer so it’s not quite in working order just yet. On Facebook there was a request to have a toilet at Matthews Park. If people want something significant like that it is quite a long process. The Allen Bell Park facility has been in process for two years so it’s important you let community board members know and perhaps put in a request for service and once there is enough interest the community board can request it from FNDC to put into the long-term plan so it can be budgeted for; as you can imagine its not a cheap exercise to install a new toilet block.
Kaitaia has Stonecraft Construction working its way along the pavement between He Korowai Trust and Shackleton’s Pharmacy to improve the footpath. We have also allocated $50,000 for Stonecraft to install cricket nets and a concrete pitch. We had to get the fields surveyed as they are multipurpose and a tight fit to ensure it doesn’t compromise any other sport and therefore it will be placed into the corner near the carpark.
This budget was allocated when we removed the old and inadequate facility at Korora Park in Ahipara. It is an excellent solution to have it incorporated at the Te Hiku Sports Hub and will be so much more central for more people to utilise it in future. Recreational Services have also started installing the outdoor exercise equipment, bench seats and rubbish bins around the Te Hiku Sports Hub loop pathway which again will be an awesome addition to the popular loop path that so many people are using.
Hope everyone enjoyed the long weekend and now it’s time to enter the crazy season as Christmas looms. Keep safe and enjoy the new additions in our community.