New Walkway’s Value Recognised Already

Thursday 15 July 2010

Golden Bay’s newly finished Pohara Sea Wall and Shared Path has been selected as a finalist in the Best Practice Walking Facility category of the 2010 Golden Foot Awards.

What makes this finalist selection all the more noteworthy is the long and somewhat controversial path this project had to travel to its completion. Working within the legacies of the band rotunda and the road carved from the rock walls the walkway was always going to be very closely watched, however, as the popularity of the area grows every year so did the need for a safe walking and cycleway.

The fulltime residents of the area, the little blue penguins, were also taken into account with construction timed to minimise the impact on their breeding season. Many of the trees were protected within the constructed seawall and path providing minimal disruption to the natural features now and into the future.

“It was important while building the walkway and seawall that we balanced the retention of the many natural and historical features that make this area unique with the need to build a safe access way for visitors and locals alike. It was also important that the features used in the construction reflected the coastal nature and didn’t look like a highly engineered project. Hardwood barriers protecting pedestrians/cyclists from moving traffic was used over hard engineering such as kerb and channel. This has been well received by the community as an effective, aesthetically pleasing, treatment of this sensitive area,” says Gary Clark, Tasman District Council’s Transportation Manager.

“The nomination recognises, I believe, that we have struck that balance and vindicates the hard work by the community and Council to achieve it.”

While the walkway has yet to be officially opened it has not stopped the facility from being used already by people to walk or cycle from Pohara through to Tarakohe.

The winners will be announced on 1 August 2010 on the eve of the New Zealand Walking Conference in Wellington.