Tupua Horo Nuku: Ngau Matau, Sorrento Bay and Whiorau (Lowry) Bay Designs
Consultation has concluded and we will now review your feedback.
Tupua Horo Nuku Eastern Bays shared path is a 4.4 kilometre walking and cycling path to be built along Marine Drive between Ngau Matau (Point Howard) and Eastbourne. The name Tupua Horo Nuku evokes the narrative of the Tupua, Ngake, one of the two creators of the Harbour in traditional Māori narrative. The name was gifted to the project by Te Atiawa Taranaki Whānui, as part of the partnership between iwi and Hutt City Council.
Construction of the project started in August 2022, with work recently completed in Mā-Koromiko (Windy Point), progressing in Sunshine Bay, and designs already completed for York Bay, Mahina Bay and Whiorau Reserve. Now we are continuing with bay-specific urban design plans (BSUDPs) for construction in Ngau Matau, Sorrento Bay and Whiorau (Lowry) Bay.
View and download the draft design plans:
- Ngau Matau and Sorrento Bay - Bay-specific urban design plan
- Ngau Matau and Sorrento Bay - General arrangement plan
- Whiorau (Lowry) Bay - Bay-specific urban design plan
- Whiorau (Lowry) Bay - General arrangement plan
As this is the final stage of design before construction, many decisions have been made which have been consulted on during earlier phases of the project, you can see the timeline on this page for more details on that. This consultation gives you the opportunity to look at detailed design features like the locations of bus stops, beach access points, seating areas, and planting.
The consultation closes 5pm 15 December 2023.
Following this stage, feedback on the plans will be incorporated where possible. If a further round of consultation is required, these will be submitted to the Eastbourne Community Board, East Harbour Environmental Association, and relevant Residents Associations for feedback, in line with the conditions of consent for the project.
For more information on the project visit the project page on the Hutt City Council website.
Sign up for regular email updates.
If you have any questions for the project team you can contact them at 0800 135 255.
Consultation has concluded and we will now review your feedback.
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Specific design features for Ngau Matau, Sorrento Bay and Whiorau (Lowry) Bay
Share Specific design features for Ngau Matau, Sorrento Bay and Whiorau (Lowry) Bay on Facebook Share Specific design features for Ngau Matau, Sorrento Bay and Whiorau (Lowry) Bay on Twitter Share Specific design features for Ngau Matau, Sorrento Bay and Whiorau (Lowry) Bay on Linkedin Email Specific design features for Ngau Matau, Sorrento Bay and Whiorau (Lowry) Bay linkBeach access points
Two types of coastal access stairs have been developed for the design of Tupua Horo Nuku (‘mini steps’ and ‘standard steps’), and some bays will feature ramps to access beach areas. Ngau Matau, Sorrento Bay and Whiorau (Lowry) Bay feature a combination of ‘mini steps’ and ramps. Mini steps have been selected as we are retaining and upgrading the ramps which currently exist within these bays. The landings, which are a key feature of the standard steps, will be incorporated as part of the ramps.
Bus stops
An important consideration has been the design of the bus stops within the Eastern Bays. They have been designed so that the shared path passes behind the bus shelter, meaning people moving along the shared path, and people getting on and off buses are safely separated. We have selected their locations based on an assessment that balances safety features and encroachment into the marine environment.
Planting and seating areas
The designs for Ngau Matau, Sorrento Bay and Whiorau (Lowry) Bay include a number of planting and seating areas, incorporated within existing headlands, or within the new shared path near bus stops and beach access points.
Parking
It is proposed to remove four carparks from Ngau Matau to allow for the path to pass through and to provide a rest area. Some informal parking beside the bus stop at Ngau Matau are being turned into eight parallel parks. Please refer to the draft design plan for specific locations. There will be a buffer between the line marking of the car park and the edge of the shared path, which will provide space to minimise any risk to cyclists and pedestrians from doors swinging open.
There are no proposed changes to parking in Whiorau (Lowry) Bay.
If you have thoughts on any or all of these features, you can let us know your feedback here.
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Design work completed
Share Design work completed on Facebook Share Design work completed on Twitter Share Design work completed on Linkedin Email Design work completed linkSeawall design
During previous project stages, the coastal edge design was developed using a curved, stepped, concrete seawall. The curved faces will help deflect waves away from the road in order to protect it and have been chosen to be similar to the newer seawall in York Bay.
During the current phase, this design has been refined for all bays. We have considered the height of the seawall to determine where there is a risk of people being injured in a fall, and the requirements of the New Zealand Building Code to provide protection from falling.
As a result, we have designed the shared path to have balustrades in some places. The balustrade design has been chosen to have as little visual impact as possible.
Indicative cross-section of seawall with balustrade
Visualisation of balustrade (birds-eye view) To reduce the amount of balustrade used in the design, we have also developed a wider ‘step’ design in some places, meaning that if a person were to fall, the height of the fall will be reduced. This has a larger ‘footprint’ on the coastal edge, and the total footprint of the project is limited as this has an impact on the environment.
Indicative cross-section of seawall with wider step
Visualisation of shared path without balustrade (majority of shared path) We’ve balanced the use of these features to reduce the amount of balustrade as far as possible, as we know people would like to keep, as much as possible, the open views and access to the coastline that the Bays are known for.Cultural expression in design
The shared path will feature cultural design elements that reflect the narrative of Tupua Horo Nuku, the name gifted to the shared path by Te Ati Awa Taranaki Whānui, as part of the project’s partnership with iwi mana whenua.
The path patterns reflect this narrative:
Te Āti Awa tupua rau, he auripo i te manga iti, he auripo i te manga nui raanei, he kaitiaki ki te whenua.
Te Āti Awa of many phenomena - where there is a ripple in a small tributary or great river, there is a guardian and protector on the land.
The design will also include Mouri Markers. Each marker represents an area of significance to Mana Whenua. It will highlight the Māori and English names of the bays and allow for our cultural narratives of those bays to be told.
Indicative Mouri Marker 
Visualisation showing cultural design imprinted on path Environmental protection
The shared path includes a number of key environmental features, many of which we are committed to under the resource consent for the project, which was granted in 2020. These aim to support the area’s native species and respond to the environmental effects of constructing the new shared path and seawalls.
The seawalls will feature enhancements to better support marine life, such as textured patterns which plants and other marine organisms can affix to. We will also create artificial concrete rock pools which support marine life.
A number of bird protection areas will be established as part of the project, including in Sorrento Bay which will have a protection area for Tōrea Pango (Variable Oystercatchers). This is part of the consent conditions for the project, so it must be implemented.
Tōrea Pango bird protection area in Sorrento BayThe bird protection area provides a place for Tōrea Pango to safely nest. This will mean the removal of fishing access at the southern end of Sorrento Bay, and a timber screening fence along the seaward side of the path to prevent dogs wandering into the nesting habitat. The fence will be approximately 85m long and vary between 1.2-1.8m in height.
Interpretation panels installed at either end of the screening fence provide information on the lifecycle and habitat requirements of Tōrea Pango, the threats that they face and information on how shared path users can minimise their impact on the birds nesting in Ngau Matau and Sorrento Bay.
Concept plans for the bird protection areas have been developed by the project team working closely with the Little Penguin Interest Group, made up of local organisations and individuals who have been involved in conservation efforts.
Further bird protection areas in Whiorau Reserve, CL Bishop Park and HW Shortt Park are under development as part of the consent conditions.
Beach nourishment is also being proposed at selected areas in the bays to mitigate the loss of beach amenity.
