Invasion of the orange cones

WORDS/PHOTOS/JULIA WADE

From Kaiwaka to Mangawhai, it seems east Kaipara has become invaded over recent weeks with orange cones, diggers, trucks, large holes and an army of multi-skilled personnel decked out in hi-vis and busily working on a variety of Kaipara District Council projects. Their aim? To transform roads, parks and paths to better link communities and make travel more accessible and enjoyable.

1 The Little Town of Lights is receiving a makeover with the establishment of new pavements surrounding Four Square Kaiwaka and past the War Memorial Hall, with both sides leading up Mangawhai-Kaiwaka Road and connecting to Kaiwaka School.

2 After community feedback, the Wood Street ‘shared zone’ is being reduced and reconstructed to make the space level with the footpath to accommodate the reinstated angled parking.

3, 4 & 5 From June 28, Molesworth Drive was reduced to just one lane as arborists skilfully downed a number of the iconic Norfolk pines which have lined the road for decades, in preparation for the Shared Path project.

6: Mangawhai Activity Zone’s (MAZ) car park is a lot smoother now potholes have been rolled away and the area renewed along with a new concrete entranceway. Pathways linking MAZ to the museum are also under construction.

7: Contractors around Mangawhai Village getting deep into the work of the Shared Path project which is managed by construction company United Civil.

8: Due to a number of street parking rendered out-of-order during the footpath reconstruction, Foodstuffs’ parcel of land on the corner of Moir and Molesworth is being put to good use as a temporary car park for locals and visitors.

9: Mangawhai Beach School principal Aaron Kemp and a United Civil contractor took it upon themselves to help see students safely across Moir Street in the Village after school, after seeing how difficult it was for some children to navigate the pavements around the Village.