The Warkworth Cement Works Walkway is proving how successful community-led projects can be when supported by local board and Auckland Council funding.
The project is led by the Warkworth Lions Club, and supported by Forest and Bird, the Warkworth Liaison Group, local volunteers and Rodney Local Board.
In 2012 the Warkworth Lions Club presented plans for the walkway to the local board, which approved the plans and provided funding for a boardwalk over a swampy section of the track.
Volunteers helped with weeding and planting, and plants were supplied free of charge by Auckland Council, which will also assist with weed control as the vegetation along the walkway matures.
Last year, Rodney Local Board approved a grant to fund an extension of the walkway. Volunteers drew up the plans and carried out the earthworks, while fence posts and rails were installed by volunteers and students from Springboard Community Works, a provider of mentoring services for at-risk youth. Further works for the walkway are being planned.
Rodney Local Board thanks the Warkworth Lions for leading the project, all the volunteers who have helped make the walkway a success, and Timberworld and Hynds Pipes for supplying materials at reduced cost.
