Hutt City Council has received revised cost estimates for the Tupua Horo Nuku project showing that the new seawalls and shared path will cost a total of $79 million to complete.

The project, previously known as the Eastern Bays Shared Path has long been planned to increase the resilience of the Eastern Bays and provide a safe walking and cycling connection between Seaview and Eastbourne. It was previously estimated to cost $30 million to complete.

Lower Hutt Mayor Campbell Barry says the increased cost is significant, but in line with the experience of other major coastal infrastructure projects.

"The increased cost of Tupua Horo Nuku is due to the complexity of operating in a coastal marine environment, and includes changes from the original plan to address much-needed resilience upgrades to Marine Drive. These changes will help combat the effects of sea level rise and increasing instances of extreme weather due to climate change."

"Like other major infrastructure projects across the country, it has also been impacted by cost pressures, such as higher costs of materials and shipping, as well as workforce shortages.

This project will create a crucial walking and cycling connection between Seaview and the Eastern Bays, and increase the resilience of a key transport route which will protect coastal communities from climate change."

"We are clearly experiencing more regular adverse weather events. We know for example, that the road between Seaview and Eastbourne was impacted 8 times last year," Campbell Barry says.

The proposed cost increase will form part of Council’s upcoming consultation on the Annual Plan for the next financial year. The community will be asked whether they support increasing Council’s budget by $18 million to $25.5 million.

Campbell Barry says discussions are ongoing with Waka Kotahi and Crown Infrastructure Partners about the project.

"The majority of the project is currently funded by contributions from Waka Kotahi and Crown Infrastructure Partners who have collectively committed to funding $22.5 million of the previous $30 million cost, with Hutt City Council contributing $7.5 million".

"While Council is proposing to increase our share of the increased cost as part of the upcoming Annual Plan, discussions are ongoing about the project with our partners," says Campbell.

Head of Transport Jon Kingsbury says investment from central government helps keep the overall cost down for Council.

"What we do know, is that the co-investment approach we have taken means the project is more affordable than it otherwise would be if Council was funding the entire project. If the project is delayed, we know that the costs are only likely to increase."

Consultation on Council’s draft annual plan 2023/24 opens on 31 March and closes on 30 April. People will be able to have their say on Council’s proposal to increase the budget for Tupua Horo Nuku.

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