New skatepark opening soon

Wheels will be rolling at our brand new, state of the art skatepark in Avalon from midday on Tuesday 17 December.

We’ve built the new skatepark to replace the one at Melling, which we need to demolish to make way for the new Melling interchange. It’s been a smooth build, with even the weather cooperating to get everything done on time for an airwalking, alley-ooping summer.

We’ve had a lot of help with design input from a Skatepark Advisory Group made up of experts from the local skate industry and hobbyists as well as the internationally renowned skatepark designers Convic.

The new space is brimming with features requested by the community, including a mini bowl, five quarter pipes, mixed rails, curbs and pole jams, and a five-sided funbox with a ledge. There are also weather shelters and park furniture, a water fountain and designs by mana whenua. Security cameras are also in place for everyone’s safety. 

Before the fun starts, the skatepark will be blessed by mana whenua at a dawn ceremony,  acknowledging the land on which it sits and welcoming everyone who uses the park for years to come. From midday onwards on Tuesday 17 December, the safety fencing will come down and wheels can roll.

The skatepark was funded by NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi as part of the Melling Transport Improvements, a project of Te Wai Takamori o Te Awa Kairangi.

Check out this short timelapse of the build in progress on our Facebook page.

A weather shelter at the new skatepark.

Honouring the history of Motutawa Pā

Avalon Park, now a vibrant recreational area, was once the site of Motutawa Pā.

Established between 1839 and 1846 by Ngāti Tama and Ngāti Rangatahi, the pā (settlement) was created prior to the arrival of Europeans. Members of Ngāti Tama, a tribe from Taranaki, had returned to Wellington from Wharekauri (Chatham Island) while Ngāti Rangatahi, a hapū (subtribe) originally from upper Whanganui River, had migrated south with Ngāti Toa. Both groups sought to establish new homes and alliances in the Hutt Valley.

The location of Motutawa Pā, on the bank of Te Awa Kairangi / Hutt River, provided access to a dense forest to hunt and gather kai (food) and materials to build waka (canoes), pā palisades and other structures. The river was also a major highway for waka to reach Upper Hutt before the 1855 earthquake uplifted the land. 

As European settlers arrived in Hutt Valley, the pressure on areas occupied by Māori increased. Land disputes led to Ngāti Tama and Ngāti Rangatahi being forced out by the government and the pā was eventually demolished.

Today, the site of Avalon Park, including the new skatepark, holds deep historical and cultural significance for mana whenua. It represents not just a location, but a reflection on the past and honours the legacy of those who were here before. The new skatepark will have features, such as pou (wooden posts) to provide recognition of the pā site and the enduring presence of mana whenua in the Hutt Valley. We’ll share more about these and other artworks soon.

Flood protection steps up

This month Greater Wellington is progressing the next phase of its critical work to protect the Lower Hutt community from flooding.

Willows relocated from along the riverbank are being laid horizontally into the beach to create soft edge protections that's friendly to river life.

In the New Year, a big engineering job will get under way in the Melling to Kennedy Good Bridge reach of Te Awa Kairangi / Hutt River, near the new Mills Street stopbank. It includes digging to lower the river berm in places and building rocklines to combat the scouring effects of the river in flood. This is especially important in areas close to roads, substations or other important structures, such as the new stopbank. 

To get ready, the team has started relocating willows from along the riverbank north of the Melling Link Bridge. They’re being cut down and moved from the rockline location to create an area of soft riverbank edge on the beach just south of the Kennedy Good Bridge. The soft edging protects against erosion and slows down the velocity of the water, while also creating a natural habitat for river life.

The willows are laid down horizontally in bundles, so they are partially in the water and partially buried into the river berm. Beneath them, large concrete blocks are set under the beach and the willows are tethered to these with thick manila rope.

We’re also installing the first posts for debris fences, which will catch debris during floods, slowing down the floodwater over the berm and helping water return to the river.

In the future we’ll plant willow poles here, which will grow up and create natural shelter for other plants. Slowing the water velocities will also help provide a better environment for native plants. The aim is to slowly transition from willows to natives here.
Before we started, we had our ecologists carry out a bird survey, which showed some areas to avoid including a pīwakawaka / fantail nest, which we'll stay away from until the chicks have flown. 
As this will be a working site, the area will remain fenced and there will be traffic management on Harcourt Werry Drive whenever our tree felling comes within two tree lengths of the road. 

For everyone's safety, the paths will remain closed while this and other work is completed.

Thank you for your patience as we take another exciting step toward our goals of delivering excellent flood protection to the community and caring for
Te Awa Kairangi/Hutt River.

Learn more on our Mills Street stopbank page.

Some travellers are being moved to safety before the willows are set in place. Our Greater Wellington ecologists are careful to protect taonga species in and around the river.

Mills Street stopbank walkover

Thanks to everyone who came to the walkover of the Mills Street stopbank on Saturday. We hope you enjoyed the view and got the chance for a chat with our engineers.

More information

Email us: info@teawakairangi.co.nz