Tauroa Road Boardwalk and Shared Path is a finalist in the Excellence in Road Safety Category in the 2022 IPWEA NZ Asset Management Excellence Awards.
Tauroa Road Boardwalk Provides Safe Access to Te Mata Park. The shared path, which provides a practical off-road walking and cycling route, was built to improve safety along a narrow stretch of road. The structure provides a safe link for walkers and cyclists accessing the popular Te Mata Park.
The Tauroa Road Boardwalk was built in response to calls from the community to make the area safer for road users. The location had been a safety risk for motorists, walkers & cyclists all using the same narrow road space. The boardwalk provides a practical off-road shared walking & cycling link improving the safety for all modes.
The scope was to provide walkers & cyclists safe access to the popular Te Mata Park, Havelock North. This was to be achieved by installing a shared path on an elevated timber boardwalk through Tauroa Reserve alongside a busy & dangerous section of Tauroa Rd. The location, between Tokomaru Dr & Chambers Walk carpark, had been a safety risk for motorists, walkers & cyclists. The shared walking & cycling link now provides a safe off-road alternative. The project started in February 2021 & was opened on 21 May 2022 by Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst & Minister for Economic & Regional Development, Stuart Nash.
This project exemplifies asset management & road safety excellence by directly addressing key issues on risk, levels of service & demand. It does this by translating organisational objectives & strategies set in the LTP, AMP & Te Mata Corridor Management Plan into technical solutions & activities. It reduces safety risks by separating vulnerable road users. It improves the LoS & meets the need of growing demand by providing a safe, alternative option for active travel modes. Getting Around’ is a key LTP priority for HDC – it is important to connect people & places by providing a safe, effective road network that allows people to travel where they need to go, however they choose. This project also assists with:
- Infrastructure which contributes to public health & safety, connects & activates communities & helps protect the natural environment.
- Local services which help meet the needs of young & old, visitors & locals.
- Prevent harm & help create a safe & healthy environment for people.
It also benefits other LTP priorities – enhancing biodiversity, sustainable infrastructure, nurturing iconic landscapes, managing healthy waterways & enhancing community safety.
Asset Management Principles
This project addresses AM principles & practices by actioning key issues on risk, levels of service & demand. It does this by translating organisational objectives & strategies set in the LTP, AMP & the Te Mata CMP into technical solutions & activities.
Risk
Road Safety – the project was implemented to directly mitigate the known risk of road safety. The lack of separation between cyclists, road walkers & motorists combined with growing visitation demands created a growing safety risk for all users. The construction of the new combined path which moves pedestrians & cyclists off the road means that there are no clashes between the mismatched mode types or cars versus people. As its number one aim, this has been successful.
The boardwalks construction also resulted in other secondary risks being identified & actioned.
Environmental Risk – mitigated by:
- encouraging alternative modes of transport with less environmental impact such as walking & cycling
- enhancing & protecting the natural environment, encouraging sustainable development & reducing carbon emissions.
Tree Risk – the Reserve which the boardwalk runs through was populated by a high number of very old & tall trees. The trees posed a very high risk to people & property if they were to fall (the likelihood increasing as they age). Over 30 of these were safely felled as part of the project greatly reducing the risk of damage, injury or even death.
Stormwater Quality – asset upgrades, mainly involving flumes on the end of culverts, were installed to minimise erosion & combined with the new plantings in the reserve help improve the quality of stormwater discharges & the potential degradation of the district’s waterways.
Levels of Service
The existing infrastructure did not provide an acceptable LoS wanted by the community, particularly for pedestrians & cyclists. The new boardwalk has succeeded in increasing the LoS provided to all road users along the route to an acceptable level.
Demand
The two main demand issues this project resolves are:
- Increasing corridor demands are leading to conflicts & reduced user experiences, with the numbers of pedestrian, cyclists & vehicles using Tauroa Rd growing.
- Ability of the existing road corridor to support the existing & future access demands & accommodate the competing user demands.
The access to Te Mata Park at the end of Tauroa Rd is the main driver for these increases & this boardwalk aims to cater for this & any future demand increases.
Link to LTP & AMP
The AM story has been told to the wider community through the LTP consultation & engagement process – directly informed by the AMP. IIMM & ISO 55000 played a key role in the structure, principles & practices that are the backbone of these two strategic documents. The four key fundamentals of AM that this project demonstrates are:
Value – Assets exist to provide value to the organisation & its stakeholders
It was the local community who were calling for something to be done at this location, they were the initial driving force behind this project.
The new boardwalk is now seen as a tourist destination, with people visiting the boardwalk itself & then accessing Te Mata Park. A real drawcard for Havelock North.
Alignment – AM translates the organisational objectives & strategies into technical & financial decisions, plans & activities
This project directly links back to the organisational objectives of the Council & directly influences AM objectives. Namely, local infrastructure which contributes to public health & safety, supports growth, connects & activates communities & helps to protect the natural environment. Achieved through transport improvements that support an accessible range of safe transport options, safe walking & cycling facilities & infrastructure supporting economic growth.
Leadership – leadership & workplace culture are determinants of realisation of value
This project was focussed on bringing Councillors & Council Management along the journey. From its initial proposal by the community to its grand opening, the project team recognised the need for leadership & commitment from all managerial levels in order to successfully deliver this project for the community.
Assurance – AM gives assurance that assets will fulfil their required purpose
Performance – the organisational objectives set out in the AMP have determined the performance & monitoring requirements for this brand new asset. This will ensure that its purpose is realised & that meaningful goals & targets are set & met related to its use.
