New Westport trails to start

• Published date: 10 August 2022

This is part of MBIE's $300,000 Tourism Infrastructure Funding (TIF) which the Buller District Council secured last year at no cost to ratepayers

The new south trail will create a high-quality alternative to the existing Millennium Track from the Kawatiri Coastal Trail (KCT) car park into Westport's town precinct via the new Toki Bridge. This will deliver a safe, enjoyable and easy to follow route for pedestrians and cyclists along The Esplanade and the Buller River, to complete the link to Carters Beach, Tauranga Bay and beyond.

Future integration with flood protection infrastructure, including stopbanks and floodwalls has been considered in the alignment and trail construction, as well as potential implications of increased traffic movements along The Esplanade.

Council group manager infrastructure services Mike Duff says: "The south trail is a key connection for both pedestrians and cyclists to experience a better end-to-end journey. The new route will have immediate safety and way finding improvements, whilst mindful of future developments along the riverbank." Also included in the $300,000 TIF project is the north connector...