Riverhead residents are hard at work creating a safe path for pedestrians and cyclists wanting to travel along Alexandra Street to Great North Road.
Using a $20,000 community grant from Rodney Local Board, the group is transforming the unused space into a new walkway. Officially a paper road – a road set aside to provide public access but not developed – the space has become overgrown and inaccessible.
The group formed in March, inspired by a community placemaking workshop facilitated by design expert Milenko Matanovic, and supported by the local board and the Riverhead Residents’ and Ratepayers’ Association.
The work includes removing rubbish and all weeds, before constructing a simple all-weather path, planting a community orchard, feature trees and grass, and installing bollards to prevent vehicle access.
Over 40 people helped out at a recent working bee and cut down weed trees, pulled up weeds and cleared a trailer-load of rubbish. The next steps are to clear rubbish and spray the site to prevent noxious weeds from growing.
