Archived – Background

This project was archived on 21 September 2023.

Improving the departure point to Kāpiti Island, and providing an iconic visitor experience has been a discussion point for our community for many years.

It was consulted on during the 2017 Maclean Park Te Uruhi Development Plan, and funding was signalled in the Council’s 2018–38 Long-term Plan, and set aside in both 2019/20 and 2020/21 Annual Plans.

Councillors voted on 25 February 2021 to proceed with Te Uruhi (previously known as the Kāpiti Gateway), which will be built in Maclean Park, Paraparaumu Beach. Council also voted to accept the name for the centre, Te Uruhi, which was graciously gifted (koha) by Kāpiti iwi, Te Āti Awa ki Whakarongotai and Ngāti Toa Rangatira.

2 March 2023 – Today councillors agreed not to proceed with the Te Uruhi facility project in its current form due to significant cost escalations in the construction sector and extra contingency required, as well as in projected operating costs.

Why build Te Uruhi

Currently there is no focal point on the Paraparaumu beachfront for visitors; nothing telling the Kāpiti Island conservation story, celebrating our rich cultural history, or connecting the mainland to the island.

There is a recognised need to tell the Kāpiti Island story, as well as those of the many other attractions and activities in our district, and to protect the island from current and future biosecurity threats (such as Kauri dieback, myrtle rust and Argentinian ants) through improved biosecurity measures.

Visits to Kāpiti Island are well below capacity, at around 15,000 visitors/year. There is significant opportunity to grow this without impacting the unique environment or operating 365 days a year.

Developing Te Uruhi will achieve these goals, create jobs and provide a much-needed boost to our tourism economy post COVID-19. It will enhance the Tikotu Stream mouth, and provide accessible access to and from the beach. It will provide a focal point for visitors, and add to the Paraparaumu Beach offering for young and old, for local residents and visitors alike.

History of developing Te Uruhi

A discussion about a ‘gateway’ to Kāpiti Island has been taking place in Kāpiti for 30 years.

Year	Activities
1990s	A feasibility study carried out in 1992 concluded that a visitor centre was a viable proposition.
2013	In 2013, a feasibility study by Tourism Research Consultants Limited (TRC) – a tourism, recreation and conservation planning consultancy – recommended a facility was developed at Paraparaumu Beach and included an interactive visitor centre.
2017	A ‘Gateway/ Visitor Attraction Centre’ was identified as a priority project in the 2017 Maclean Park Management Plan. Development of the plan was carried out in partnership with iwi and included three rounds of public consultation. The centre would be designed to enhance the park experience, improve the expression of mana whenua and conservation stories, and improve the visitor experience for Kāpiti Island.
2018	The project was included in the Kāpiti Coast Toitū Kāpiti 2018–38 Long-term Plan as a project to be investigated within three years.
2020	TRC was contracted to update their 2013 feasibility study. The process involved working with stakeholders to reach consensus. It concluded a visitor and community facility with interpretive experiences highlighting cultural and historical stories and education on the natural values of the coast and Kāpiti Island would provide Kāpiti district with a positive platform for growth and benefits for visitors, local businesses and the local community. Because the project was already included in the Long-term Plan and had been subject to community consultation, it was a good candidate for the Government’s Provincial Growth Fund. Council’s application for support from the fund (now known as the COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund) was successful. Draft business case developed.
2021	Business case updated and reviewed by PwC. Councillors agreed to proceed with the project based on evidence as well as testimonies from business leaders, mana whenua and the community.

COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund application

The Government’s COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund (CRRF) presented us with an opportunity to secure up to 50 per cent of the project costs associated with building a Gateway Centre.

The CRRF process required us to move at pace, and we were able to do this because of the work already done, including extensive consultation through the Maclean Park Management [PDF 2.4 MB] (PDF, 2.39MB) planning process in 2016/17 (which included three rounds of public consultation) and the Gateway Feasibility Study [PDF 1.58 MB] (PDF, 1.58) in 2019/20 (with key stakeholders). Council submitted its application [PDF 1.5 MB] (PDF, 1.5MB) in June 2020.

To be considered for the CRRF, our application had to demonstrate that this project will:

create jobs (both in the construction phase, and long term)
be viable over the long term
be able to start within 12 months of funding being confirmed.

We also needed to demonstrate that a resource consent application had been lodged.

On 5 August 2020 we were advised that the Government has committed 50 per cent of the estimated $4.46 million project cost from its COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund. The funding committed can't be applied to any other projects.

Resource consent

As part of Council's COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund (CRRF) application for funding for the project, we had to demonstrate that a resource consent application had been lodged.

Due to time constraints, it was not possible to seek Council's agreement to the Gateway building CRRF application before the resource consent application was submitted. The consent application for land use has been lodged with the Council’s resource consents team and it is working its way through the process. The resource consents team will advise if it needs to be publicly notified. The resource consent for the stream re-naturalisation and the replacement bridge has been approved by the Greater Wellington Regional Council.

A preliminary concept design was submitted for resource consent that is at the upper bounds of what we believe would be built on the site. There will be further engagement with iwi, key stakeholders and community representatives to flesh out the design and ensure it meets the community’s needs (including the internal layout). Changes or amendments can be made easily to the resource consent, providing they do not increase the building footprint.

The Council spent around $250,000 to prepare the Gateway project for applying for CRRF funding. This figure includes the costs associated with technical assessments required to support the resource consent application, future stages of the build and project costs.

Technical assessments include:

topographical survey
ecological assessment
visual effects assessment
structural engineering
geotechnical assessment
traffic impact assessment
cultural impact (mana whenua) assessments
planning and resource consent preparation.

On 16 December 2022 Kāpiti Coast District Council received the decision from the independent hearing panel that they have granted a resource consent to build and operate the Te Uruhi biosecurity and visitor centre. You can read the media release at Te Uruhi granted resource consent, and see the public notice, hearing material and decision for the resource consent at RM201149 Kāpiti Coast District Council – Te Uruhi.

Design competition

We invited five architects to submit concepts for the building. Four accepted the invitation – two from Kāpiti and two from Wellington. We limited the invitations to five, as Council paid for the competition entries, to help encourage local participation. Engaging in tender processes can be very costly for small architects, and we did not want the cost of participating to be a barrier to entry.

The concept selection panel consisted of the project Governance Group, and two independent architects. They also received advice from specialists on resource consenting, integration with Maclean Park, and biosecurity.

The architects invited to participate had to be local, have proven experience in visitor centre design and/or experience with the site, and proven experience in coastal sites. Criteria for the building design included:

taking into account the coastal environment
including eco-building principles
ensuring the building is relocatable
meeting the needs of visitors, including those visiting the region, park and Kāpiti Island
ensuring that it worked operationally for the tour operators
providing a biosecurity facility in keeping with the status of the island
having the ability to grow in the future, to allow for other tenants
enhancing the ecological values of the site
meeting the requirements of the Maclean Park Management Plan (PDF, 2.39MB)
reflecting the cultural significance of the site, and telling our history.

See the Gateway design requirements (PDF, 818KB) document for more information.

At the end of the design competition process, the selection panel chose the design that best met all the criteria of the design requirements (PDF, 818KB).

Community engagement and consultation

Improving the Kāpiti Island departure point and providing an iconic visitor experience has been a discussion point for our community for many years; the concept of a Gateway was first raised in Kāpiti at least 28 years ago, and has been revisited many times.

Council undertook significant consultation in 2016/17 as part of the Maclean Park Te Uruhi Refresh, which included providing for a Kāpiti Island visitor centre at the park. This consultation was wide-ranging, including three rounds of public consultation, and as a result the draft plan was changed to allow more space for the development. Through this process the site on the south side of the Tikotu stream was also identified as the possible location.

In addition, mana whenua, Department of Conservation, the Kāpiti Boating Club, Underwater Club Kapiti, Coastguard Kapiti, Kāpiti Island concessionaires, the Paraparaumu Beach business community and other key stakeholders were invited to contribute to the TRC Feasibility Study (PDF, 1.58MB) on the Kāpiti Gateway in 2019. The design requirements were drawn from both these sources.

Kāpiti Coast District Council led the development of the Indicative Business Case (PDF, 3.42MB), resource consent and COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund (CRRF) application, with support from partners and stakeholders.

An independent Governance Group has been established to make recommendations to help inform the project, and a separate Project Advisory Group was also established, to ensure the voice of the community is reflected in this project. This advisory group includes the Kāpiti Boating Club, Underwater Club Kapiti, Coastguard Kapiti, Kāpiti Island Nature Tours, Kāpiti Island Eco, Kāpiti Boating Club, Dive Kāpiti, the Paraparaumu Beach Business Association, Wellington NZ, Kāpiti Economic Development Agency (KEDA), the Chamber of Commerce, and The Guardians of the Marine Reserve.

The Gateway project (now known as Te Uruhi) was signalled in our Long term plan 2018–38, and funding was included in our Annual Plan to progress this project.

Support from iwi

The site is a site of significance to Te Āti Awa ki Whakarongotai, and is recognised in Greater Wellington Regional Council's Proposed Natural Resources Plan. Ngāti Toa Rangatira and Te Āti Awa ki Whakarongotai are represented on the project Governance Group.

Ngāti Toa Rangatira and Te Āti Awa ki Whakarongotai have combined to signal their support for the development by gifting (koha) the name Te Uruhi. Te Uruhi is the name mana whenua gave to the proposed site and surrounding area. They see Te Uruhi as a place to:

recognise the significance to iwi in the spirit of partnership between iwi and the Council as Treaty partners
strengthen the links between Kāpiti Island and the mainland
help people understand the national significance of Kāpiti Island and its importance to them
strengthen biosecurity measures available to protect this taonga for future generations
be a cornerstone for increasing the visibility of the area’s significant history
share and educate through storytelling and reflection
improve the environment both directly and indirectly by improving the condition of the mouth of the Tikotu Stream
enhance the mana of Kāpiti Island, as well as Council’s partnership with iwi and the entire community they serve.

Council has received letters of support for the Gateway project from Ngāti Toa Rangatira and Te Āti Awa ki Whakarongotai.

Media releases

Updated 27 June 2024