March 2021 - Update

Trail News and Maintenance -The large number of Trail users over the New Year period has continued. Planning is underway for the Pauanui Half Marathon in March. We will once again ensure the Trail surface is at its best for this event. The 3 water tanks placed along the Trail are well used by passers-by who are watering the new plantings. The Resene Paints buckets at each tank position are proving ideal for the job. We are investigating the supply of more native trees for our planting program.

Predator Control - The following pests were eradicated over the reporting period: 2 x possum 9 x rats 23 x Good Nature Kills 2 x Stoats A graph showing seasonal pest kill rates is available on our website. Trail Usage Counter 6216 passes for the period 21st January – 3rd March.

Funding -  We received $1810.00 from the general public over this period bringing the total from this source for the year to date to $31,892.00. With the approach of winter orders for firewood have ramped up. Investigations into additional funding streams for the Northern Trail Route construction are ongoing.

Trail Stage 3 Progress - Progress along the Marginal Strip adjacent to the Tairua River is still currently halted at the boundary between TCDC and DoC administered land. Work with our stakeholders to find a way forward is ongoing. In the meantime we are planning the construction of the last section of the Stage 3 route from the bridge at Prescott’s Garage in Hikuai back towards Pauanui. This entails building the Trail in the road reserve on the Northern side of the Hikuai Settlement Road as far as the boundary between 201 and 251 Hikuai Settlement Road. We thank the TCDC’s Transport & Roading Manager for his support and advice during the planning process. Survey work to mark out the road reserve boundary has been completed. Fencing work along the realigned boundary will get underway shortly. Consultation with the 2 adjacent land owners continues. HDT has arranged training for Trail volunteers to help out with traffic control and back-up machinery use as required during the construction process. A Press Release has been completed and will be released in due course.

Trail Stage 4 - The trail Committee is well into the planning work on the route from Hikuai to Tairua. Consultations have begun with Local Bodies and neighbouring property owners. The technical aspects of the challenging section between the Tairua Primary School and Red Bridge Road are being investigated. Tenders are being sought for the required Geotech work and appropriate Boardwalk systems. Contact has been made with NZTA regarding their Safer Cycling program.

Health & Safety - Incidents raised by Trail users have been investigated.