The planned boardwalk walkway along Pilot Bay has been approved for construction with building expected to start next autumn.
Councillors at the Projects and Monitoring Committee on Monday agreed to a proposal that follows the public intent as expressed in the submissions process.
Construction on a new boardwalk along Pilot Bay will begin next April.
The large grass area at the Salisbury Wharf end of the bay used for many events is being retained with the walkway passing between the road and the Norfolk Pine trees.
The boardwalk starts from Port of Tauranga gates and passes in front of the carpark, cantilevered over the seawall on piles.
A combination of treatments will be used with brushed concrete at intersections or connections. The bulk of the walkway will be timber.
Tauranga City Council has committed $295,000, and the Port of Tauranga has pledged $200,000 for the project, which is expected to begin construction next April.
The width of the boardwalk will vary with a maximum of three metres. Councillor Catherine Stewart's motion to reduce the maximum width to 2.5 metres failed.
During the committee meeting today park rangers team leader Warren Aitken produced a 3metre and 2.4metre length of timber and Tony Christiansen demonstrated with his wheelchair that a boardwalk any narrower would not leave much room for a pushchair.
Two of the sticking points from an earlier report, the future of the dinghies and the waka ama are being resolved.
The dinghies are going onto beach side racks near where they are currently tied, and the waka ama are moving to a new home, probably nearer the northern end of the bay.
See the Pilot Bay walkway plan here. http://econtent.tauranga.govt.nz/data/documents/committee_meetings/2012/September/AGEN%20ProjMon%2010.9.12%20-%20DC287.pdf
10 comments
BLOW THE DOUGH!
Posted on 10-09-2012 17:54 | By TERMITE
Whacky idea this, all was just wonderful in Pilot Bay as it was, anyway all the people are ont eh beach side most of the time as the wind is ratehr cold off the water most days. Next they will want to build a bus stop for buses that don't go there, for passengers that don't exist! Men in Black.
Why on earth do we bother to elect them
Posted on 10-09-2012 22:08 | By Hebegeebies
The correct width for this walkway is actually 2.4m yet here we have an elected member with his wheelchair demonstrating that you need 3metres because of the width of a childs pushchair.Well a wheelchair or a pushchair is around 600mm/800mm and if they passed one another that would still leave a gap of about 1.2m or at least 1m between them.FITH
Council must have pots of money!!
Posted on 11-09-2012 10:02 | By wreck1080
This council is crazy. Pilot bay is awesome as it is and there is no need for a walkway of any kind. Better to build a skateboard bowl or playground etc that actually adds new and interesting facilities. It is already very easy to walk around pilot bay so a walkway adds nothing. Tauranga councillors have no imagination or creativity. The only thing they appear to do well is waste money.
Locals
Posted on 11-09-2012 12:38 | By Colleen Spiro
This walkway is NOT for the locals....most of them don't want it. The Port of Tauranga is contributing a substantial amount, because the Cruise Ship Passengers do not like sand in their feet.
more council stupidity.
Posted on 11-09-2012 13:40 | By the kurgan
plenty of GRASS or SAND there to walk on. This namby pamby PC council is an embarrassing joke.
when will they get it right
Posted on 11-09-2012 17:12 | By Butch
forget the boardwork, tar seal the beach, Pilot Bay is just fine the way it is, or another option, is cut down alot of problem Pohutakawas and use the timber to build the walk way.
Rat house
Posted on 11-09-2012 19:20 | By Johnney
Great environment for big rats under the boardwalk. You should see the size of them on the boardwalk along the main beach. What wrong with exposed aggregate concrete. A lot more practical, quicker to build, cheaper, no splinters, no rats, no maintenance.
vote them out
Posted on 12-09-2012 07:06 | By tuatua
Why the hell do we need a boardwalk in waikorere bay.My great grand parents walked on the grass and sand and so can we.Why is this council so determined to waste our money.Time to vote them out
vote
Posted on 12-09-2012 08:17 | By Capt_Kaveman
elections nxt yr let boot them all
WILL THERE BE ANY GRASS LEFT?
Posted on 14-09-2012 11:31 | By TERMITE
Wow 3m wide and counting ... where are they going to put that? can not be between the trees and road as there is no room for that, so that means most of the grassed area will be lost/gone forever? Just can not quite figure out what the purpose at teh end of it all is? Surely you so tot eh shoreline for the sand and grass, not to "Walk the Planks"!
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to make a comment.