Doubts surround $30m shared path for Wellington's eastern bays

Sunday, 28 August 2022

Eastbourne community board chairperson Virginia Horrocks, pictured in 2019, led the fight to get the Eastern Bays shared path built.

It has taken more than 40 years, but work is finally about to begin on a $30 million shared path around Lower Hutt’s eastern bays.

The existing road design through Eastbourne forces cyclists to use the shoulder, which in some places is non-existent. About 4000 residents live in the area.

The new 4.4km path between Pt Howard and Eastbourne aims to be a much safer option for cyclists and walkers and should provide some protection against rising sea levels.

Representatives from various agencies involved in the project met on Wednesday for a huringa nuku (sod turning ceremony), led by Te Āti Awa Taranaki Whānui, to mark the start of construction.

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The exiting route for cyclists is narrow and dangerous, especially in high winds.

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Lowry Bay is increasingly being hit by storms that close the road and threaten houses. A new sea wall being built to protect a shared path is not expected to a long term solution to rising sea levels.

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Eastbourne board chairwoman Virginia Horrocks said after decades of lobbying, locals were delighted to finally see some action.

Waves cover cars driving around Lowry Bay in Wellington.

The existing road was very dangerous for cyclists and walkers, she said, and predicted it would be popular.

“It will get a lot of use and I think we will find that a lot of kids will cycle to school around the bays.”

Lowry Bay and Eastbourne are experiencing increasing numbers of storms that close the road and threaten houses.

Horrocks believed the path and sea wall would provide some protection, but did not see it as a long term solution.

“It will mitigate sea level rise to some extent, but you can’t stop the sea. It will give us some time.”

Mayor Campbell Barry recently said the frequency of storms hitting the city was a growing concern and more needed to be done to make Lower Hutt resilient.

All roading and infrastructure projects, including the new shared path, needed to be re-examined, he said.

Work is about to begin on the sea wall and new habitat for kororā and other species.

Barry said it had been “keenly anticipated” by locals and he was pleased to finally see progress.

“It’s exciting to finally have shovels in the ground.”

Longtime Eastbourne resident and keen cyclist Bruce Spedding predicted it would be a game-changer, encouraging cycling tourism and commuting.

He used to ride into central Wellington every day and said a lot of people who were “intimated” by the existing path would use the new design.