Work is underway to repair significant damage to Puketāpapa’s coastal track, a stunning walkway with lush tree canopy from the edge of Onehunga Foreshore to Lynfield Cove Beach, overlooking the Manukau Harbour.
The 10-kilometre coastal track that borders eight reserves and wraps around Lynfield, Waikōwhai and Hillsborough, suffered extensive damage from 2023’s adverse weather and is being restored in stages.
Following comprehensive assessment and analysis by Auckland Council’s Parks and Community Facilities team, the track network was categorised to prioritise urgent repairs.
First cab off the rank to re-open just in time for this summer is Manukau Coastal Walkway in Hillsborough, which connects Taumanu Reserve to Bamfield Reserve. Work on this boardwalk is expected to start this month and completed in November 2024.
Tree versus boardwalk on Manukau Coastal Track.
Puketāpapa Local Board chair Ella Kumar is pleased to hear work is starting to take place.
“A lot of assessment and prioritisation work has been happening behind the scenes to enable physical work to start,” she says.
“It’s a huge network of bush and tracks that has been thrashed from bad weather events, so there are many pieces to the puzzle that is part of a large ongoing programme.
“We also appreciate the community has been very eager to see this jewel of Puketāpapa be reinstated so we look forward to watching the progress and parts of the track opening up.”
Horizontal tree seen on Manukau Coastal Track.
Slip remediation work at the top of Waikōwhai Road and paths within Waikōwhai Park have been completed and returned to safe and usable standards, with the park reopening on 31 August 2024.
Meanwhile, bush tracks around the park and the remainder of Puketāpapa coastal tracks remains closed until further notice.
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