Kaikōura subdivision, pathway developments get underway

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from The Press

By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter

Locals can finally see progress on some of Kaikōura’s much anticipated projects.

Work is under way on Kaikōura’s western developments project, which includes the new Vicarage Views sub-division and the Kaikōura Link Pathway along the Esplanade.

Kaikōura District Council chief executive Will Doughty said there was plenty of excitement in the town, as locals can finally see work happening on site after months of planning.

"We’ve got the resource consent and now the earthworks are under way for the infrastructure to support the development.

"We are still working really well with the developer and we are getting those important linkages in place between the town centre and Vicarage Views."

Stage one of the link pathway has also started, linking the town centre, along the Esplanade to Torquay St.

The project will eventually link the town centre with the Point Kean seal colony and will be built in two stages.

The council has received $1.9 million from the Tourism Infrastructure Fund to assist with the link pathway project.

Work to upgrade the footpaths into a shared pathway along Ludstone Road to the Mt Fyffe Rd intersection in the western development was completed before winter.

Doughty said work resumed last month to continue building the cycle way to the Red Swamp Road intersection and to start the drainage works.

The work is being funded from a $7.8m grant from Kainga Ora’s Infrastructure Acceleration Fund, which was announced in July 2022.

The funding supports new roading, footpaths and cycle ways to connect the Vicarage Views and Ocean Ridge subdivisions with the town centre.

The council has been working with developer Garry Robertson on the proposed 83 home Vicarage Views subdivision on the former North Canterbury Transport Infrastructure Recovery Alliance (NCTIR) village site, near Ludstone Rd.

The resource consent was granted earlier this year, while a plan change would be needed to subdivide large sections at Ocean Ridge.

The Vicarage Views development will provide up to 20 elderly housing units and also include affordable homes that will qualify for the Government’s first home grant.

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