Footpath Improvement Programme 2021-31

LATEST NEWS - INVITATION FOR TENDERS - PAVEMENT WORKS 

Tenders are invited for two Council contracts as follows:

Contract No.23-006, for asphalt surfacing of the lookout parking area off Scarborough Street, Kaikoura, approximate area 500 square metres.

Contract No.23-007, for preparation and bitumen chip sealing of two sites in Kaikoura with a total area of approximately 1800 square metres.

Tender documents including detailed specifications of the required works can be obtained from the offices of Kaikōura District Council or by emailing maree.way@kaikoura.govt.nz.

The closing date for tenders is Wednesday, March 29, 2023.

Introduction

Footpaths have for many years received low scores in the Kaikōura District Residents Satisfaction Survey. In response footpaths were highlighted as a priority for investment in years 2 to 10 of the Council’s 2021-31 Long term Plan (LTP), and an accelerated footpath improvement programme will begin in April 2023.

Dave Clibbery, Senior Manager Operations said, “Underinvestment from previous years is apparent in the poor condition of our footpaths. Cost saving efforts over many years have resulted in a substantial amount of chip seal or gravel paths, which were less expensive to construct but have shorter lives.”

“These paths have now deteriorated to the point where replacement is required, and we are now attempting to tackle this backlog. This is likely to focus on the progressive replacement of the poorest sections of our paths and also looking at new, well designed concrete footpaths”.

“We see this as a priority to improve the quality of living for our elderly and less mobile residents, and key to this is easy access around the township with fewer uneven surfaces, potholes or other hazards.”

Footpath budget increase 2021-2031

To address the backlog an increase in budget from $60k per annum to $160k per annum was agreed for the last nine years of the 2021 -2031 Long Term Plan (starting in the current financial year).

Whilst this additional investment is significant, it is not sufficient to replace all of the 43 kilometres of footpaths that we have, so the funding needs to be spent wisely and where there is the greatest need. The required replacement and improvements also cannot be achieved all at once - it will take time. 

Footpath Working Group

To ensure that work starts off and continues on the right foot a Footpath Improvement Working Group has been formed by Council. The Working Group will ensure the renewal programme has an independent steer from the community on which sections of footpaths should be prioritised.

The working group is currently considering the sections of the footpath network using a number of factors including current condition, path form and function, pedestrian volumes, safety of vulnerable pedestrians, traffic hazards and feedback from the Residents Satisfaction Survey.

The working group has met to determine the initial sections of footpath to be replaced or improved by June 2023. They will also be working towards a plan for the remaining eight years of funding through to 2031.

Footpaths improvement recommendations for Years 1 & 2 approved

The working group have favoured construction of new concrete footpaths to completely replace some existing footpaths that are in extremely poor condition.  They also favour construction of new footpaths to complete some missing connections between existing paths.  In addition to these new footpaths, they have recommended some limited patch repairs of other existing footpaths where complete replacement of the path does not appear to be necessary.

A list of the locations for new concrete footpaths prioritised by the group for construction between April and December 2023 are outlined below. 

Please note where street numbers have been provided they are to aid identification of the location of the footpath section and are approximate anchor points only.

• Beach Rd – 250m, starting at No.147 (approx.) to Gillings Lane
• Churchill Park – 190m, new footpath starting from Deal Street
• Kiwi Street - 120m, starting at No.2 Kiwi Street to No.9 (approx.)
• Esplanade – 230m, from Margate to Ramsgate
• Beach Rd – 350m, Starting from to No.205 (approx.) to Gillings Lane
• Bayview St – 110m, from No.28 (approx.) to No. 41 (approx.)
• Esplanade – 225m, Brighton to Ramsgate
• Ramp replacement for existing steps between Torquay St & TakahangaTerrace   (provisional only, feasibility requires further investigation)

Current Status

15 March 2023

The invitation to tender for the pavement works has been advertised.  Once the contractor prices have been received, council staff and the group will be in a better position to judge how much of the priority list we can achieve with the available budgets.

The Footpath Improvement Schedule will be shared on Kaikōura District Council’s Facebook, website Kaikoura.govt.nz and Council Newsletter.