New footpaths mean safer journeys for those travelling by foot in CHB

New footpaths in parts of Central Hawke’s Bay (CHB) will make travel by foot safer and easier for children and residents, thanks to funding support from the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA).

Last year NZTA granted funding assistance for footpaths nationwide with CHB receiving funding to cover 60% of the cost of each footpath. This financial support has enabled the Central Hawke’s Bay District Council (CHBDC) to develop a wider programme of footpath improvements across the district guided by the Council’s newly adopted Footpath Policy.

Otane is CHB’s first community to benefit from the new funding mechanism, with new footpaths which now run along both Higginson Street and Dee Street. The footpaths mean safer journeys to and from school for parents and children who in the past had walked along the side of the road.

Every year the Council receives enquiries or requests regarding the possibility of new footpaths around the network. Each request is reviewed against a set of criteria to ensure funds are directed to those areas that need it most. The criteria looks at aspects of safety, proximity to schools, public transport, community and commercial facility linkages among others.

Otane isn’t the only community to benefit from the NZTA funding share with locations in Waipawa and Waipukurau also programmed for investment in 2019. Harker Street, Gow Street and Svenson Street are next on the list with work to be prioritised and scheduled for 2020 in other areas including Takapau and Tikokino.

CHBDC’s Chief Executive Officer, Monique Davidson said, “Providing safer walkways and footpaths for our communities is a key priority. This additional funding assistance has given us the means to deliver durable infrastructure, and this is particularly great news for our Otane community who rallied together to see these developments installed.”

Gow Street is next on the list, followed by Svenson Street and lastly Harker Street in Waipawa, which will see a new footpath installed from Waipawa Primary School linking the walkway to the Waipawa and Districts Centennial Memorial Pool.  These major projects will take approximately two months to complete and is expected to be in use for spring.

CHBDC will continue to add new footpath requests to the list alongside those remaining. All requests are ranked using the same criteria to determine the priority for new footpath construction in the future.

CHBDC will continue to add new footpath requests from the public that meet the criteria, to submit a request email customerservice@chbdc.govt.nz

2 August 2019

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