Māpua Boat Ramp Dream in Sight

Māpua community’s dream of having a replacement boat ramp is finally on its way to being realised after more than a decade of being in the works.

A major step completed this month was that the Māpua Boat Ramp Community Trust filed the Resource Consent Application with the Tasman District Council (TDC).

The Trust secured $700,000 in funding from the TDC in 2021 towards the project, and needs to raise the remaining funds for the $2.9 million project from the community and businesses.

Since the original boat ramp proposal, a new community facility has been added to provide a base for community groups to operate from, such as the Tamaha Sea Scouts and other sporting and cultural groups. The 800m² building will comprise four bays that are capable of being multi-functional for the community. With Māpua very much in need of facilities to encourage youth activities this will be a great asset to Māpua. Located on land at the Waterfront Park it will facilitate greater use of this area. A floating pontoon was originally proposed, but has been removed from the Resource Consent application. Pictures depicting the pontoon are yet to be updated.

The Trust has engaged local engineering firm Davis Ogilvie to coordinate the technical studies required for the project. This includes addressing potential concerns around the project site being a remediated area, which will be accounted for in the project design.

A thorough community consultation was carried out by the Trust involving door-to-door surveys, public meetings and consultations with Iwi and business groups. The consultation revealed very strong support from the majority of stakeholders, which has encouraged the Trust to move forward with the project as soon as the consent process is completed and approved.

The aim is for the boat ramp and community facility to be completed in 2024.

Project co-ordinator Trevor Marshall of the Trust says the Trust members have put thousands of hours into realising this dream. They are passionate about what it will provide to the local community, including boating access to the sea, and opportunities for maritime activities for youth and community groups.

Now the community is being encouraged to get behind the project with donations. All donations are tax deductible, and will help realise this community dream.