A visualisation of the Ngā Ūranga to Pito-One path at Paroro-Rangi Point

A year of milestones for the Ngā Ūranga ki Pito-One section of Te Ara Tupua

Kia ora,

2021 was a significant year for the Ngā Ūranga ki Pito-One section of Te Ara Tupua - the project which will provide the missing walking and cycling link between Wellington and Lower Hutt. The project took some big steps forward towards construction starting and ultimately providing a new choice of ways to travel between the two cities. 

Waka Kotahi Regional Manager System Design Kesh Keshaboina says it has been a challenging year but a lot of progress has been made towards delivery of the project. 

"At the start of 2021, we had not yet secured resource consent, and our procurement process was only just beginning. In 12 months we have made big strides towards the start of construction which we expect to see next year," says Kesh. 

February - Fast-tracked consents approved

The project was selected in 2020 for inclusion in the COVID-19 Recovery (Fast-track Consenting) Act. This provided a new consenting process which enabled the project's main consent to be approved in a much shorter timeframe than traditional consenting approaches. The consents were approved in February this year just four months after the application was lodged in October 2020.

April - Preferred delivery team selected

In April we announced the selection of the preferred delivery team, made up of Downer NZ, HEB Construction, and Tonkin+Taylor. Waka Kotahi selected these firms, based on their capability and track record, to form a project delivery Alliance for Te Ara Tupua. An Alliance is a collaborative form of construction contract between Waka Kotahi and our design and construction partners which is used for large and complex projects around Aotearoa New Zealand. 

July - Te Ara Tupua Alliance formed at Te Tatau o te Pō Marae

On the second of July, Waka Kotahi and the companies in the successful delivery team signed the Interim Project Alliance Agreement. Under this agreement, design and construction planning work is carried out to understand key project challenges and agree on the target cost to deliver the project. The signing followed a pōwhiri, at which members of Te Atiawa Taranaki Whānui welcomed the new project team. 

The name Te Ara Tupua Alliance was gifted to the delivery Alliance by Te Atiawa Taranaki Whānui. Kura Moeahu explained to new project team members more about what the name and narrative means. 

October - Te Ara Tupua wins IAP2 Indigenous Engagement Award

In October Waka Kotahi, and mana whenua partners Taranaki Whānui and Ngāti Toa were recognised at the IAP2 (International Association for Public Participation) Core Values Awards, winning in the Indigenous Engagement category. This award reflected the partnership between Waka Kotahi and iwi during the consenting phase (2019-2020), and the engagement and knowledge sharing between the project, uri (descendants) of Taranaki Whānui, stakeholders and the community. 

Next year, we expect to be able to share more about the next steps for the project and some of the details that you'll see as construction begins. 

Click the image to watch a video from the agreement signing for Te Ara Tupua Alliance, held in July this year

Te Ara Tupua Alliance Formation

Six months of progress by Te Ara Tupua Alliance

Te Ara Tupua Alliance was officially formed on 2 July 2021 in a signing ceremony at Te Tatau o Te Pō Marae in Lower Hutt. Representatives of Downer NZ, HEB Construction, Tonkin + Taylor and Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency signed the Interim Project Alliance Agreement, under which design, construction planning, and cost estimating work is carried out.

Part of this is understanding in detail the challenges presented by the project location, and developing the design and the construction method to suit. The project location is made particularly complex thanks to the harbour and its waves and storms, the natural environment and habitats, and the rail line - one of the busiest in the region. 

The design of all project features has been further developed during this period alongside detailed planning of construction logistics. 

One innovation during this period has been in measuring and modelling the wave environment. The project team placed a wave buoy in the Harbour near the project site, loaded with equiment to measure and record the frequency and size of waves in the area. 

Data from the buoy was combined with expected climate trends to enable us to model current and future wave impacts on the path. Both computer models and a physical model of possible revetment and seawall designs were used to test the effect of these waves, so that the project design can take them into account. 

The image below shows one of the physical models in action. 

More information

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

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