RiverLink: connecting Te Awa Kairangi Hutt River to the city
Public response to the $450 million RiverLink project in Lower Hutt has been heartening for the partners and consultant team leader, Isthmus, says feedback from open days has been overwhelmingly positive.
The project’s a partnership between Greater Wellington Regional Council, Hutt City Council and Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency working together with Taranaki Whānui ki te Upoko o te Ika and Ngāti Toa Rangatira as mana whenua.
A sketch showing the pedestrian bridge.
RiverLink is about revitalising Te Awa Kairangi Hutt River and connecting it to the city, making the river a focus rather than turning its back on it. The project site extends from State Highway 2 in the northwest across the river to the connection with Lower Hutt city centre, and between Kennedy Good Bridge to the north east and Ewen Bridge to the south west.
“The scope and extent of the project is massive. Four kilometres of river corridor will be fully reconstructed, complete with new bridges. The project objectives are increased flood resilience, improved highway safety and urban regeneration - these are fundamentally important things for the health of the community. In general the public are saying ‘get on with it, and while you are at it, can you fix some other stuff?’”
Final design drawings will now be made before resource applications go in.
Ralph Johns of Isthmus says, “because it’s a large, complex project with interconnected objectives, it’s got something for everybody.
All the outcomes together add up to be a good thing for the city, the people and the environment. Whereas maybe if you took one part of it and tried to gain consent for that by itself the big picture would be missing, and public support might not be as strong.”
The open days were well attended.
About 200 people attended the open day last month. Their feedback - which includes comments around speedy delivery, good pedestrian and cycling accessibility, planting native trees along the river rather than exotic willows, traffic safety and car parking - is being used to help finalise the preliminary design and application for resource consent.
Isthmus is in the unusual position of lead consultant on a major infrastructure project. The planners and engineers from GHD, T+T and Holmes Consulting are working very collaboratively within a design-led ethos.
“Design thinking is different from engineering thinking or planning thinking in that we have been able to capture a long-term vision that integrates the different functional elements within a design framework. The project vision is all about land, people and culture,” says Johns.
“The RiverLink masterplan integrates the engineering and while also strengthening the ecology, urbanism and cultural history to envisage a vibrant future for Te Awa Kairangi. It’s what we’re wired to do as landscape architects and urban designers.”
The open days gave locals an opportunity to get a clearer picture of what’s planned, and to communicate what they want.
The main project themes are:
Environment - RiverLink’s flood protection work, deliver by Greater Wellington Regional Council, is expected to safeguard residents from large floods that could affect up to 3000 homes, five schools and 600 businesses, with the potential to cause around $1.1 billion worth of damage across the community.
Transport - In January 2020, the Government announced the NZ Upgrade Programme - a major infrastructure funding package. This includes funding for transport improvements at Melling, which will be deliver by the Transport Agency, as part of RiverLink. Construction is expected to being late next year, and be completed in 2026. The transport improvements include a new Mellling interchange, relocating the Melling train station, and better walking and cycling links.
Urban Development - Beyond flood protection and transport upgrades, one of the goals of the project is to spur urban growth. Hutt City Council has unveiled a Central City Transformation Plan to enable this growth. A new riverbank promenade, and a pedestrian and cycling bridge crossing the river near the relocated Melling station, are key parts of RiverLink.
The project partners are working closely with mana whenua to enhance the mana and mouri of Te Awa Kairangi / Hutt River. This means putting the river first and keeping a balance between the health of the river and its use by the community— minimising harmful impacts.
Mana whenua have a strong interest in making sure this project respects the river, strengthens relationships with the environment and improves the ecology and water quality in the area.