PEDESTRIAN AND CYCLIST SAFETY TO BE IMPROVED ON TE MOANA ROAD

The Council is upgrading Te Moana Road and Park Avenue intersection to improve pedestrian and cyclist safety and accessibility.

The work involves shifting an existing bus stop eastwards and installing a central refuge on Te Moana Road to improve pedestrian and cyclist access across Te Moana Road to Greenaway Road. The kerb line at Te Moana Road and Park Avenue intersection will be moved to reduce traffic speeds and make it safer and easier for people to cross the road.

Infrastructure Services Group Manager Sean Mallon says the work to upgrade the intersection follows community consultation about improving cyclist facilities on Park Avenue to enable better access to the Waikanae town centre late last year.

“Through this community consultation process upgrading the crossing points on Te Moana Road was identified as a priority.”

Work to upgrade the intersection will commence next week and is expected to be complete by late June. There will be some disruption while the work is carried out but Council aims to keep this to a minimum and traffic management will be place.

“Traffic patterns and volumes and patterns have changed on Te Moana Road since the Expressway opened to traffic and the improvements we’re making will make it safer and easier for pedestrians and cyclists to move between Waikanae’s beach area, the M2PP Shared Pathway and the town centre,” Mr Mallon said.

FOOTAGE FROM THE KĀPITI MARINE RESERVE NOW ON DISPLAY AT KĀPITI I-SITE

Visitors to the Kāpiti i-SITE visitor information centre can now view dynamic underwater video footage from the Kāpiti Marine Reserve following the recent installation of a permanent display.

The i-SITE display showcases the Reserve’s abundant sea life which includes blue moki, kingfish, seals and dolphins and provides information about the rules and regulations that protect the Reserve’s rich marine environment.

Kāpiti Coast District Councillor and Guardians of the Kāpiti Marine Reserve committee member, Angela Buswell, says Kāpiti Marine Reserve is rated by the Department of Conservation as one of their top ten coastal gems.

“The Reserve and surrounding marine environment is a huge draw card for visitors to the Kāpiti Coast and is one of our district’s greatest natural assets and it’s great to be able to share it with people.”

The Kāpiti Marine Reserve is located between Paraparaumu and Waikanae beaches and Kāpiti Island. It was established in 1992 to protect nationally significant recreation, education, ecological and scientific resources. The Department of Conservation is responsible for managing the Reserve.

“As a long time diver I have been very fortunate to experience our local marine life first hand,” says Councillor Buswell.

“The Kāpiti i-SITE display is a fantastic learning resource which will inspire visitors to our district and local residents to get out on the water and experience the amazing marine life that inhabits the protected waters around Kāpiti Island.”

The Kāpiti i-SITE visitor information centre is situated beside the Mediterranean Food Warehouse in Coastlands Shoppingtown, Paraparaumu. The i-SITE provides national, regional and local information as well as bookings for transport, accommodation and activities. Opening hours are Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm and Saturday and Sunday10am to 4pm.

ONE WEEK LEFT TO HAVE YOUR SAY ON MACLEAN PARK

If you haven’t already provided feedback on the future of Maclean Park, there’s still time. The Kāpiti Coast District Council is working with the community to decide on the long-term future development of the park.

“Using the ideas and stories our community shared with the Council, we developed three different concepts for Maclean Park which combine a range of possibilities for long-term future development. There’s less than week left to take look at what we’ve come up with and let us know which concepts you really like, and which you don’t think should make the final cut. From this we’ll try to balance the community’s wants and needs with what’s achievable long-term,” says Parks and Recreation Manager Alison Law.

“Each concept has a different focus and there are a wide range of possibilities proposed, so there should be something for everyone,’ she says.

Information about the three long-term development concepts, and the feedback survey, can be found atwww.kapiticoast.govt.nz/maclean-park-refresh.

Copies of the survey are also available at the Paraparaumu Library and the Council’s Rimu Road Service Centre. People have until 25 May to give their feedback, which the Council will use to pull together one draft development plan that will be incorporated into a draft reviewed Management Plan for the park. The Council will be carrying out formal consultation on the draft Management Plan later this year.

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