Feedback open on surfacing for first stage of Taruheru River Pathway

By the Explore Gisborne news desk · Published Thursday 12 November 2026

Gisborne District Council wants to know how people would use the first stage of Te Ara o Taruheru, the planned walking and cycling route from Campion Road to the Stanley Road bridge, to help choose its surface.

What

Feedback on the first stage, Campion Road to the Stanley Road bridge

Deadline

8 December (release and project page); the online form closes 11.59pm Monday 30 November

How

Online form on the council's Participate project page

Construction

Planned for the later part of 2027

The council’s release and the Participate project page both give Tuesday 8 December as the closing date. The online feedback form on that same page, though, is set to stay open only until 11.59pm on Monday 30 November, so sending your views before the end of November is the safe option.

There are several ways this section could be built, each at a different cost. What people say about how often they would use the path, and what for, will help councillors settle on a preferred surface within the money available.

Director Liveable Communities Michèle Frey said in the council’s release, “We’re now at the point where we need to understand how people intend to use the pathway, how often they’ll use it, and what type of surface will best meet those needs.”

Why the western end comes first

The project page shows this first phase linking Campion Road, Nelson Park and Lytton Road. The council says starting in the west brings early benefits to nearby neighbourhoods, gives direct access to more schools, and makes use of council land it already has, such as Nelson Park.

Money and timing

• $2.5 million is set aside in the council’s Three Year Plan 2024–2027, and the council and Tapuwae Tairāwhiti Trails Trust are seeking more funding.
• The business case endorsed in March put the benefits at about $13 for every $1 spent. The release gives the figure as $13 and the project page as $13.50.
• The pathway will be built in stages as money allows, with construction planned for the later part of 2027.
• On the council’s early figures, about 1,000 people a day could be using the finished pathway.

Explore Gisborne news desk: news@exploregisborne.co.nz. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we’ll correct it.