Bridge, Te Whanganui-a-Tara

First milestones for delivery phase of Ngā Ūranga ki Pito-One section of Te Ara Tupua

November 2022

Kia ora,

This month, New Zealand’s most ambitious walking and cycling route marks its first milestone with the start of construction on the Ngā Ūranga ki Pito-One section of Te Ara Tupua, a new pathway between Wellington and Lower Hutt.

 Preliminary works at Honiana Te Puni Reserve, and between Ngā Ūranga ki Pito-One signal the start of the new 4.5km walk and cycle path to connect and encourage communities to shift to active transport options, with new public access to the coast of Te Whanganui-a-Tara.

Honiana Te Puni Reserve

Honiana Te Puni Reserve  lies at the northernmost point of the Ngā Ūranga ki Pito-One section of Te Ara Tupua.

The Reserve was returned to Taranaki Whānui ki to Upoko o te Ika as part of their Treaty settlement in 2009, and is managed by Hutt City Council.

New community and cultural buildings will be built in the east side of the Reserve, while the west side is required to support construction of the new shared pathway.

To support construction of the Ngā Ūranga ki Pito-One Path, the construction team will establish a construction yard on the west side for site offices, and storage of machinery and materials. The west side of the Reserve area will be closed to the public from early 2023, through to the completion of the Te Ara Tupua Ngā Ūranga ki Pito-One Path, expected to be in 2026.   

Wellington Rowing Association and Wellington Water Ski Club, who are currently located in the west side of Honiana Te Puni Reserve will share a new club building on the east side of the Honiana Te Puni Reserve, which is expected to be completed in late 2023. The new building means the clubs can continue to be based in the Reserve during construction of the pathway and into the future.   

The east side of the Reserve will remain open, but construction works mean the area will look different. From January 2023 public parking will be restricted at times, with no parking available during some stages of construction. Construction is expected to be complete on the east side in late 2023.

A temporary cycling and walking route will be in place.  

Tāwharau Pods

Among the changes at Honiana Te Puni Reserve will be the construction of the Tāwharau pods, new cultural and community buildings, on the eastern side.

The Tāwharau Pods will initially be used as a Te Ara Tupua project information centre, and a carving studio for iwi Māori artists who will work on cultural design elements of the project. The Pods are small relocatable buildings and will shift from their temporary location in the east side of the Reserve to the west side on completion of the path in 2026.

The construction of the Tāwharau Pods at Honiana Te Puni Reserve is a key milestone for Taranaki Whānui with the regeneration of iwi physical presence on iwi owned land.

The name 'tāwharau' means shelter and the pods symbolise the shelter and protection that Honiana Te Puni himself extended to early settlers, and the welcome that iwi mana whenua will continue to extend, to the few and to the many manuhiri who will visit and respect our whenua of significance.

Image below: Tāwharau Pods shown in their later location, on the west side of Honiana Te Puni Reserve

Preparing for coastal construction

Other preliminary works between Ngā Ūranga and Pito-one the community can expect to see include the construction of two temporary barge landings on the coastal edge of Te Whanganui a Tara. 

The two landings will support barges being used to transport heavy equipment and materials, and will go a long way to mitigate disruption to the public during the project by reducing truck traffic associated with construction. 

Once these preliminary works are completed during the summer, construction activity on site is expected to ramp up from March.  

We will keep you informed of milestones throughout the project.

About us

The Ngā Ūranga ki Pito-One section of Te Ara Tupua is a new 4.5km shared pathway between Wellington and Lower Hutt, and marks a new partnership between Waka Kotahi, Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika and Ngāti Toa Rangatira.

It is being delivered by Te Ara Tupua Alliance, made up of Tonkin + Taylor, Downer NZ, and HEB Construction. 

Keep in touch

For more information on the Te Ara Tupua project, contact us at TeAraTupua@nzta.govt.nz

Visit our website www.nzta.govt.nz/TeAraTupua