Bethlehem retirees want a Carmichael Rd footpath extended so they can get out and about safely.

Bethlehem Country Club Residents’ Committee chairman Ian Travers said 218 residents had signed his petition asking for the footpath to be extended between 90 and 123 Carmichael Rd.

Travers said residents of the country club, retirement village and community often used the footpath but it had a gap of about 200m.

The gap meant people had to cross the road or walk along the grass, which he said was causing an indentation.

Travers took his petition to the Tauranga City Council City Delivery Committee meeting last week.

He hoped the council would extend the footpath, fill the gap and create a continuous route along Carmichael Rd with access to the Gordon Carmichael Reserve and wetlands.

The footpath leading to the Gordon Carmichael Reserve. Photo / Kelly O'Hara

“It just gives [residents] freedom of access without being forced to immediately cross the road.”

Some residents, including those at the country club, have to cross the road to access a footpath.

“We’re talking about a significant number of people.

“I think the average age in the Bethlehem Country Club is 81.”

He said the health of many country club residents meant having to cross the road to access a safe walkway was a challenge.

He said more housing was being built at the country club, which would increase the population, and Carmichael Rd was a “rat run”, especially at peak times and with nearby schools.

Travers said the 218 signatories showed the number of people affected was significant.

“If we want people to stay safe, we want people to stay healthy, we need to make sure that the footpath is available.”

He would be “super delighted” if the petition succeeded.

Club member Murray Watkins said he found it hard to walk on the grass as it was uneven and he’d had both his hips and knees operated on.

Bethlehem Country Club member Murray Watkins. Photo / Kelly O'Hara

He said it was a “very busy road” and it was dangerous walking along the side of the road without the footpath, especially when the grass was wet and slippery.

Watkins said he had lived there for six years and this was the third attempt by the club to get the footpath extension.

Dave Randell said the problem inconvenienced many people, who would use an extended pavement often.

Bethlehem Country Club member Dave Randell. Photo / Kelly O'Hara

“Someone said put a pedestrian crossing, but all that does is delay the traffic and cause more inconvenience.”

He said people using walkers or mobility scooters had to cross the road.

Tauranga City Council transport strategy and assurance manager Karen Hay said the council had previously undertaken a high-level investigation into extending the footpath.

She said there was pedestrian access from opposite 85 Bethlehem Rd to the footpath network. A short section of footpath from Charles Lever Drive provided bus-stop access and pedestrian refuge to connect with the footpath on the opposite side.

Tauranga City Council transport strategy and assurance manager Karen Hay. Photo / John Borren

The investigation found the missing links, about 110m towards the Carmichael Reserve crossing and 220m towards Bethlehem Rd, were constrained by overhead power lines, retaining structures and a transformer.

This made construction significantly more complex than a standard footpath.

She said a previous preliminary investigation estimated the cost of completing the missing footpath links at about $1.175 million.

Hay said there was no project planned. Previous investigations found it would require significant works.

“The council remains open to considering whether smaller or targeted improvements may be feasible.”

Hay said the council acknowledged the safety and accessibility concerns raised.

“We appreciate the concerns raised through the petition and will meet with representatives of the retirement village to better understand residents’ accessibility needs and discuss the findings of previous investigations.”

Ayla Yeoman is a Local Democracy Reporting journalist based in Tauranga. She holds a Bachelor of Arts majoring in communications, politics and international relations from the University of Auckland, and has been a journalist since 2023.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.