Taranaki Whānui ki te Upoko o te Ika, Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Minister of Transport Michael Wood, Waka Kotahi CEO Nicole Rosie and invited guests

Te Hura a Tai event marks project milestone

March 2023

Kia ora koutou,

Last week, about 100 invited guests celebrated with Taranaki Whānui ki te Upoko o te Ika, and Minister of Transport Michael Wood the completion of the new Tāwharau Pods buildings, marking the start of work for the Ngā Ūranga ki Pito-One section of Te Ara Tupua. Construction of the new coastal edge is about to begin along the harbour coastline.

The Tāwharau Pods are small buildings which will become a project information centre and studio workspace for iwi Māori artists creating works to be installed on the project. 

The Tāwharau Pods have been built on Honiana Te Puni Reserve, which is owned by Taranaki Whānui, having been returned as part of the Treaty settlement process which was completed in 2009. Hutt City Council manages it as a Reserve for public use. 

The construction plan for Honiana Te Puni Reserve was developed as a partnership between Waka Kotahi, Hutt City Council and Taranaki Whānui, working closely with the Wellington Rowing Association and Wellington Water Ski Club.

The two clubs will move into a new building on the East of the Reserve, which is also under construction now. Their existing buildings are inside the area now in use as a constructino yard and offices for our team. 

This work on Honiana Te Puni Reserve provides an opportunity to restore, rebuild and reconnect the community to the story of Taranaki Whānui tupuna (ancestor) Honiana Te Puni, a paramount chief of Te Āti Awa who signed Te Tiriti o Waitangi at Port Nicholson in 1840, and whose pā was on the Pito-One foreshore. 

Construction areas 2023-2026

Offshore construction works ramp up on Te Whanganui a Tara

We’re about to ramp up construction on the Ngā Ūranga ki Pito-One section of Te Ara Tupua – the project to increase resilience and provide a walking and cycling link along the harbour between Wellington and Lower Hutt. Work on the Harbour is starting soon.

You’ll see our crews build two temporary wharves on the water between the two cities, next to State Highway 2, and the railway line. There’ll also be barges with large cranes on the water too. 

We are building these two wharves so we can use barges to safely transport heavy materials and equipment to site and have fewer heavy trucks on SH2 during the construction phase. A barge will provide the main platform for the crane, and will be operated by our crews. 

The construction activity will be visible on the water and next to the railway line for the next few years. It will be visible when you drive on SH2.

Drive safely, and keep your eyes on the road to keep SH2 moving safely and smoothly. 

If you’re out on the Harbour in any kind of boat, please keep a safe distance away from our offshore construction zone areas.

If you want to see the construction up close, take the train – and check our website and social media channels for photos and videos of what’s happening.

Offshore habitats part of our wildlife protection plan

The design of the path aims to preserve and protect existing habitats as much as possible.

Existing habitats include gravel beaches, rocky reef areas, and natural off-shore rocky outcrops.

The project is working to ensure there are also new habitats for species once the project is complete.

This includes the construction of two offshore habitats for birds – small man-made islands which will provide space for birds to roost away from human activity on the new shared path. 

Bird species found within the project area, and Te Whanganui a Tara more broadly include: Kawau (shags), Kororā (little penguin), Tōrea pango (variable oystercatcher), Taranui (Caspian tern), Matuku moana (reef heron) and Tarāpunga (red-billed gull).

Golden Bay quarried rock, a total of 13,000 tonnes will be procured to create the offshore habitats. The larger habitat will have a diameter of 33 metres while the smaller one a diameter of 24 meters. The habitats will reach 5 metres down to the sea bed, and 4 metres above the surface at high tide. To build these offshore structures, our construction team will operate a 60T digger from a barge on Te Whanganui a Tara.

We’ll also be creating new penguin nesting opportunities along the coastal edge, adding new planting, helping to restore dunes along the Pito-One foreshore, and creating new habitat for lizards near the project area.

Taranaki Whānui ki te Upoko o te Ika, Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Te Ara Tupua Alliance, Minister of Transport Michael Wood, Waka Kotahi CEO Nicole Rosie, and invited guests at Te Hura a Tai

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