About the Māpua Community Boat Ramp

Māpua means “abundance”, which is epitomised by the community’s vibrant waterfront. Access to the stunning Tasman Bay and Waimea Estuary is a vital part of community life for this coastal village. As part of plans to expand the Māpua Waterfront Park, a new, quality boat ramp is going to be built to service the community’s needs, allowing easy and safe access from boat to shore.

The Māpua Community Boat Ramp is not only for boaters, but will also be used by numerous other community stakeholders. This includes emergency services such as the coast guard, surf lifesaving, harbour master and police; and water-based recreational groups such as the Tamaha Sea Scouts, Waka Ama NZ and NZSUP; and community members engaging in water sports of all kinds.

The Māpua community previously had a small boat ramp, however this is no longer available. As a result, Grossi Point is currently being used by boatees to launch and retrieve vessels. This is unsafe at times and results in the designated swimming and picnic area becoming a carpark for boats and trailers. This site is important to local Iwi and should be respected as such and used in its intended way.

You can view a historic concept document here.

A Community Trust has been established to manage the project. The Trustees aim to ensure that environmental, traffic management, noise and parking concerns will be mitigated during Stage 1 Resource Consent. Consultation is taking place with iwi, community groups and interested parties.

Partial funding of $700,000 from the Tasman District Council will facilitate the commencement of the Māpua Community Boat Ramp project, with the remaining funds needing to be fundraised within the community. The total project cost is estimated at $1.3 million, which will allow for a two-lane access ramp and a turnaround area.