Destination beach accessways
Accessways are places where people can view and/or get to the beach.
Seven of our 120 beach accessways have been identified as Destination Beach Accessways and will be upgraded over the coming years to provide high quality, accessible accessways. Improvements could include pathways, plantings, lighting and street furniture, eg seating.
We will create Beach Development Plans for our seven destination beaches. The plans will describe:
- innovative solutions to support people with accessibility needs
- how accessways can be designed so they connect with the landscape
- ways to protect the dune environment and climate change impacts
- opportunities for story telling
- plans to give users a sense of safety
- ways to tie in with other facilities
- ways to encourage more people to visit our beaches.
The first two Beach Development Plans will be finalised by June 2025 for Ōtaki Beach near the pavilion and Maclean Park in Paraparaumu Beach.
Destination Beach Accessways should provide:
- the ability to use all the accessways every day
- greater accessibility for those less mobile, such as ramps with less than 1 in 12 gradients, steps with handrails and stable footing
- a separation of pedestrians, horses and vehicles, eg, around boat launching areas
- ramps/paths/steps that can be reinstated quickly after weather events
- good signage that allows users to locate the accessway that best suits their needs, eg, ramp for kayak, handrails, off-road carparks, and will make reporting damage/service requests more efficient.
We will work with our partners, key stakeholders and the community in the process to identify the best location and style of the proposed beach accessways.
