Exciting improvements planned for Mangawhai Heads Reserve

Beachgoers heading for the surf beach at Mangawhai Heads this summer are in for a magical surprise thanks to a major re-development due to start next month.

Attractive new user-friendly facilities replace the old tired ones. There will be new sand ladders for beach access, new picnic tables and seats, a helicopter pad ready for landscaping and new plantings in the autumn planting season. Parking will be expanded and include a new configuration including parking for camper vans.

“We will at long last have facilities to match this outstanding landscape,” says Kaipara District Council’s Southern Community Spaces portfolio holder, Councillor Julia Sutherland. “The community has been asking for this for a long time and I’m very pleased that the project is about to get underway.”

Work is expected to start mid September and to facilitate this Mangawhai Heads Reserve will be closed to all but pedestrian traffic from then until 15 December, although access will be available for emergency vehicles and surf lifesavers.

Allowing pedestrian access only will put considerable pressure on this area and Kaipara District Council is considering ways to ease this, including the possibility of a weekend shuttle service to the Surf Beach from around the Mangawhai area.

“I know this restriction will create inconvenience in the short term, but it will be worth it - I am sure that the long term benefits will far outweigh this temporary nuisance” Cr Sutherland says.

She says splitting the project into two parts is not a viable option as it would increase the time and amount of disruption involved as well as substantially increasing costs.

Facilities at the popular beach have been growing increasingly inadequate as more and more people discover it and for some time residents have been asking for improvements in the Mangawhai Heads Reserve. After considerable liaison plus community and iwi input, Kaipara District Council has approved an exciting redevelopment plan which is being funded from the Council’s Reserves Contribution Fund, built up from levies on development projects.

The new eye-catching toilet block, which will be built closer to the surf club, will incorporate a contemporary design featuring strong lines and vibrant colours reflecting pohutukawa.

New signage will reflect Mangawhai’s coastal character and become the basis for future signage throughout the reserves in the coastal area. Similarly, picnic tables and bench seats are also being designed to reflect the local character.

It is hoped to have the re-development finished when the reserve re-opens on 15 December 2008 but if weather or other factors delay work on the project it will not re-start until 1 March 2009 to ensure that summer enjoyment of the beach is not affected.

Council will keep residents in the area informed of progress, and will also provide regular updates on its website www.kaipara.govt.nz.