Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Patuone Reserve Walkway

This afternoon Trish and I presented at the Devonport and Takapuna Local Board Forum on behalf of BEAC ( Bayswater Environment Action Coalition) & Forest & Bird with the local residents of Byron Street.




This was to raise some concerns surrounding the upgrading and enlargement of the walkway to become a shared walkway with cyclists. The solution proposed by Auckland Council and to be part funded by the Local Board was to construct a boardwalk/bridge across part of this Upper Shoal estuary to cut a corner at the point shown in the photograph below..


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Our No1 concern is that the scale of this 2.5 path could easily become  a transport link from Takapuna to the Harbour Bridge through this now quiet and valuable wildlife rich reserve..

There seemed to be no understanding that this area is designated as an SSWI ( Site of Significant Wildlife Interest)  with Ecological overlays on the Unitary plan.