After a successful Lotteries Community Grant being approved, a group of passionate locals are now able to begin work on the new Ruawai walk and cycleway. A subcommittee of the Ruawai Promotions and Development Group is overseeing the project which is expected to begin in late February 2018.

Spearheaded over twelve months ago by Stella Clyde, the project will follow the waterfront, starting from Ruawai Wharf and heading south to the end of Simpson Road, a distance of just under four kilometres.  “Stella gathered up a group of interested community people, found out their strengths and together we made it happen” says Anna Curnow, Chair of the RPDG sub-committee.

Current work is focussing on new signs outlining the walkway and will also include the area’s history and wildlife. The track that runs on top of the Ruawai stop bank will be three metres wide and metalled so that it is suitable for both walkers and cyclists. It connects to public roads to allow users to complete a loop of just under ten kilometres.

It is expected that the project will be finished later in 2018 and will be celebrated with an opening and fun run walk event.

The committee is thankful to the several local community groups that wrote letters of support to help with the success of the grant application, and it is expected that the walkway will provide a useful recreational facility for the community and visitors to the area.

The social, environmental, economic and health benefits of walking and cycling are well understood and there is increasing support and investment in the development of walking and cycling infrastructure.

Over the past few years the government has invested over $50 million into NZ Cycle Tracks nationwide ( Click here ) so it is hoped that if local Kaipara communities show initiative and make a start, they may attract larger scale funding to link their tracks. Other parts of the country have seen significant economic benefits to small local economies from similar projects.

The Kaipara District Council would like to develop the district as a walking and cycling destination to support economic growth and they have developed a Walkway Cycleway Strategy to achieve this. Kaipara is now being seen as one of the key walking and cycling destinations, especially being within a day trip of a major city population.  For now, Ruawai leads the way.