Mayor confirms council commitment to pathway

by Carl McRae

Hutt City Council is one hundred percent behind the Eastern Bays Shared Pathway project, Mayor Ray Wallace says, and is still working on preparing the resource consent with the objective of lodging the application at the end of March.

“We made a commitment to the people of Eastbourne and Bays that we would see this project through to completion,” Mayor Wallace says. “There has been a lot of talk and speculation concerning its future recently, but ultimately, it will most certainly go ahead as has always been planned.”

HCC senior project engineer Simon Cager says the construction timetable is dependent on the resource consent process.

Eastbourne Community Board Chair Ginny Horrocks is delighted with Mayor Wallace's statement of full support for the shared path.

“We need to remember this is hugely important for everyone:; walkers, cyclists, cars and buses and now scooter riders,” she says.

“It’s great the Mayor has given his commitment to the project,” says Harbour Ward councillor Michael Lulich. “His support will go a long way toward the current $14 million-plus in the budget not being reallocated. That is very important.

"I am also 100 percent in support with the funding of the extra $2.5 million on the pathway this June. But it is the combined decision of the mayor and 12 city councillors, when budgets are tight.”

Mr Wallace says that the first section of the path to be constructed will be the southern end of Days Bay, around Windy Point. The Windy Point section has been identified as particularly dangerous, with cyclists often squeezed against the hills, or close to the edge on the seaside.

Mr Cager confirms that is likely to be the first part of the shared pathway to get underway.

“Although this is subject to the usual factors when building a shared path,” he says, “like safety and connectivity to the transport network.”

Ms Horrocks says Lime scooters are adding to the volume of users of this section. She says whichever section is the start point, the rest

Eastbourne Library staff and users celebrated 45 years of the local institution last week.

Community library manager Jacquie Arnot says while much has changed in terms of technology over the years, the core use of the library, as a place of meeting and community, remains strong and quite unique.

“I’ve worked in four of the other Hutt libraries, and Eastbourne is a community where there is a large amount of history. Families have lived here for generations, and you get a real sense of that.

Continues Page 13 matters just as much. Windy Point is horrific, but so are many other sections, plus some that are also scary for walkers, she says.

Cr Lulich says his experience tells him that at decision time, things can be a little unpredictable. “Though I am with the Mayor and positive the pathway will eventually be completed,” he says, “my strong advice to residents and their associations, is put in your annual plan submissions now for the money not to be re-allocated and for full funding of the shared pathway.” The decision on the final annual plan budget will be made on June 5 and Cr Lulich says as many as possible should attend that meeting and make public comment.