Projects
Muriwai update
June 2010
Greetings from the Muriwai ranger team!
The winter season has gotten off to a busy start at Muriwai Regional Park with preparations underway for the annual planting season. With an ambitious target of getting 25,000 plants in the ground this year, we need your help!
So far we’ve planted 8,000, but have had some of our attempts disrupted by rainy weather. This means that a good turnout at our next planting day is more important than ever! So please join us on Sunday 27 June, from 10am, for some dune planting.
If you can’t meet us at the ranger station at 10am, head to the surf tower. Bring sturdy shoes, warm clothes and a drink. We hope to be finished by lunchtime.
Lastly, a big thank you to the school kids, community groups and locals who have volunteered already. Your help is much appreciated. If you have any questions about the park or want to join our conservation programmes, drop into the ranger station at the end of Motutara Road or give us a call on 09 411 8076.
Muriwai rangers Scott, Van, Sonya and Joe.
Motutara Road landscaping project kicks off
With more and more people visiting Muriwai Regional Park every year and a diverse range of activities carried out on or alongside the park, it is important that we continue to make improvements and take care of this ever-changing environment.
The ARC and Rodney District Council (RDC) are collaborating on a landscaping project to improve the area at the southern end of Motutara Road, making it more accessible, safer for pedestrians and cyclists and improving stormwater and green areas.
This project will be carried out in stages over the next two to three years. The landscape design plan on the following pages will guide the work and gives a broad overview of what the area will look like when works are complete. The works focus on:
- Improved plantings
- Stormwater improvements
- Pedestrian safety and visitor accessibility
- Parking and traffic – continuing to provide for visitors
Why is this work being done?
The relocation of the Muriwai Surf School gave both councils the opportunity to look at how people use Motutara Road and activities in this area. The ARC and RDC have come up with a plan to carry out work together, minimising visitor impact and disruption and achieving cost efficiencies.
What does the landscape plan cover?
The design emphasises an informal feel by keeping structures to a minimum, enabling easy access to the café, surf school, playground, toilet an beach slowing vehicle speed, enhancing pedestrian movement and cycle access, encouraging increased public use of the information kiosk and encouraging use of the public open space.
Motutara Road is heavily used for visitor parking and offers critical vehicle access to the beachfront parking area, emergency access to the foreshore and boat launching. The plan retains as much parking as possible by keeping parking spaces together in one place. Vehicle speed will be reduced, but vehicle access will not be restricted. The aim is for vehicles and pedestrians to experience a safe shared space.
This concept reflects the park’s management plan and the landscape design and layout is consistent with the Muriwai Design Guidelines.
The Motutara Road design concept will be implemented over the next couple of years.
What changes will take place?
The first phase of the project will concentrate on improving stormwater management, enhancing pedestrian access and cycle use and encouraging increased use of the public information kiosk. You will also see more space for leisure activities provided.
Some of the initial changes you will see are:
- Marginal reduction of the road width to slow traffic and provide a pedestrian crossing area
- Cycle racks installed
- Widening and planting of the stormwater drain to create a swale, improving water quality and reducing velocity of water during storms or heavy rain.
To find out more about this project or if you have any queries about work being carried out on Muriwai Regional Park please visit the Muriwai ranger station or phone us on 09 411 8076.
