Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency
We are advising on the consenting, reclamation, and property rights acquisition for the Ngā Ūranga ki Pito-one section of the Te Ara Tupua walking and cycling link project, connecting Wellington to the Hutt Valley.
The Government Policy Statement on Land Transport supports improving walking and cycling as transport choices as part of investing in liveable cities. Te Ara Tupua aims to deliver a safe, connected and attractive walking and cycling route along the State Highway 2 corridor, enabling more people to walk and bike along this critical transport link, and providing key connections with local paths in both the Wellington and Hutt Valley.
The Government Policy Statement on Land Transport supports improving walking and cycling as transport choices as part of investing in liveable cities. Te Ara Tupua aims to deliver a safe, connected and attractive walking and cycling route along the State Highway 2 corridor, enabling more people to walk and bike along this critical transport link, and providing key connections with local paths in both the Wellington and Hutt Valley. The project will also increase the resilience of this critical transport corridor to the effects of climate change-induced sea-level rise.
We partnered with Waka Kotahi to assist them to work alongside various stakeholders with interests in and around the project footprint. In particular, Waka Kotahi engaged in a partnership with mana whenua in respect of project consenting and design which will carry through to project delivery, and has worked closely KiwiRail, Councils and users of the adjacent Honiana Te Puni Reserve to ensure an outcome was reached where all parties supported the project.
Te Ara Tupua was the first listed government project consented via the COVID-19 Recovery (Fast Track Consenting Act) 2020. We worked with Waka Kotahi and key consultants to guide the project through this novel and time-pressured consenting process, while dealing with a range of sensitive environmental issues (including ecology, cultural values and coastal processes) in this challenging coastal environment.
The project also involves a significant reclamation along the coast adjacent to the existing railway, which has involved extensive consideration and advice on the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act 2011 and Crown land issues.