Archived – Building Te Uruhi

This project was archived on 21 September 2023.

We're moving into the next phase of Te Uruhi (previously known as the Kāpiti Gateway), as we finalise design and build. Find out more about the project and our next steps.

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.

Next steps

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. Find out more.

On Friday 16 December 2022, 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 more about this in the Media Release – Te Uruhi granted consent. The public notice, hearing and decision documents are available at RM210149 Kāpiti Coast District Council – Te Uruhi. 

Timeline

Concept design

We reviewed the layout of the building pods with our architect and other stakeholders in November 2021. While the overall footprint of the pods remains the same, the modified design sees more space dedicated to the visitor discovery pod, and the size of the biosecurity pod has been reduced.

We've also been working with the Department of Conservation and Kāpiti Island tour operators to refine the layout of the biosecurity building pod. We want to make sure the pod works efficiently while achieving excellent biosecurity outcomes.

The biosecurity pod will initially be set up for the two existing tour operators, and will be able to be modified to include a third operator, should one go into business.

Modified (not final) design showing layout for three tour operators. See a larger image [PNG 348 KB].

Visitor discovery centre

The visitor discovery centre is an important part of the Te Uruhi development. It’ll present engaging and interactive story telling methods to inform locals and visitors about the conservation story and visitor experience of Kāpiti Island, as well as about the origins of our district and its peoples.

Post-visit research of visitors to Kāpiti Island highlighted they would like to see a visitor centre including information about the walking options on the island; the flora and fauna on the island; the conservation story, and about the Kāpiti area and its original people

Early concept images by Art of Fact Ltd show how the visitor discovery centre might be laid out:

Concept images

Following are artist's impressions of the concept design.

This updated visual image (Feb 2022) was developed as part of our application for resource consent for the building. It shows how Te Uruhi will nestle among existing and new trees and planting in 10 years’ time.

Tender documents

Tender documents for the main contractor were released on 1 September 2021, and closed 30 September. The successful contractor, local company Focus Projects Limited, was appointed in late 2021.

The contract model is Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) which involves the main building contractor providing constructability and innovation advice into the detailed design process.  For example, we’re looking for a contractor who will bring expertise and innovation on constructing relocatable buildings. We will then negotiate a price for the physical building works with the preferred contractor.

The appointed contractor will help finalise the detailed design, but the physical works will not begin until all consents are in place. If consents are not granted, the early work will not be wasted; it’ll inform any future development that might take place.

The tender documents stipulate the building must be relocatable to account for any changes in the environment or to respond to future growth. This could involve elements of modular construction, offsite fabrication, or other innovations that allow for the building to be removed, transported and installed at a different location.  A further requirement is that the building must meet a high standard of accessibility for people living with a disability.

Other details of the tender include:

• seeking construction methods that minimise environmental disruption and source materials sustainably and locally
• minimising building waste through reducing, recycling or reusing it
• offering opportunities to Māori, Pasifika and women workers in line with the requirements of Council’s procurement strategy and the COVID-10 Response and Recovery Fund which is contributing $2.23million to the project.

The tender documents can be accessed from the Government Electronic Tenders Service (gets.govt.nz)

Site selection

The site for Te Uruhi is itself significant. This is where iwi originally landed in our region, and it has been used as the launching point for Kāpiti Island for hundreds of years.

The 2019 TRC Feasibility Study considered three locations as potential sites for the development, including the:

• Paraparaumu Beach Boat Club car park area
• roundabout at the junction of Marine Parade, Kāpiti Road and Manly Street
• south side of the Tikotu Stream in Maclean Park.

The process involved working with stakeholders to reach consensus. The south side of the Tikotu Stream was chosen because it best meets the needs of the project, at the least cost, and takes into account the existing buildings and stakeholder feedback. The optimal biosecurity location is as close to the departure point (the beach) as possible, so locations further away from the beach (such as the two lots at Marine Parade purchased by Council in 2019) were not considered.

The safest and most reliable point for launching vessels on the Kāpiti Coast is Paraparaumu Beach, as it is protected by Kāpiti Island from the prevailing winds.

Coastal hazards

​​Te Uruhi is located on the south bank of Tikotu Stream in Maclean Park, Paraparaumu. The land elevation is low in relation to the mean sea level, but is protected by established dunes that have accreted (grown seaward) for at least the last 73 years.

This accretion is due to the mainly southward movement of the large sediment supply from rivers to the north of the district, combined with the wave shadow effect of Kāpiti Island, which results in sediment accumulation around the Paraparaumu area.

Analysis of historical aerial photographs show the most recent time the shoreline was within the Te Uruhi site was in 1956. Since then, the Tikotu Stream has been confined to its current channel along a small timber training wall and the shoreline has accreted.

Jacobs, the consultancy that prepared the Coastal Hazards Assessment report for Council, conclude it's unlikely the sea near Te Uruhi will ever migrate back to its 1948 position, when the area was partly under water.

Jacobs note it is hard to predict how inlets such as the Tikotu Stream will respond to sea-level rise, but based on historical trends they say it's unlikely the Te Uruhi site will be directly impacted by coastal erosion over a 30-to-50-year period.

However, the area could be prone to flooding from rainfall or river and stream sources.

To mitigate this, the proposed Te Uruhi buildings will be built at a minimum height of 3.4 metres above sea level, higher than the recommended building height for this location (which is 3.2 metres). Combined with dune protection and enhancement, this is expected to be enough to protect the building pods from the effects of sea-level rise in the foreseeable future.

In some more severe scenarios (between 0.4 metres and 0.65 metres of relative sea-level rise (RSLR)), coastal inundation would be a hazard at the Te Uruhi site over a 50-to-100-year timeframe. In this situation, the site would also be is also vulnerable to flooding from rainfall or river and stream sources.

The Te Uruhi building pods will be relocatable, and could be moved if required. 

Car parking

Once Te Uruhi is finished, the closest carpark will have fourteen carparks including two accessible parks and one set-down/pick up park. This is seventeen fewer carparks than the existing layout.

We plan to reconfigure the carpark to the south of the Ocean Road intersection. To improve safety, some on-road carparks will be removed. The overall impact is a net loss of four carparks. 

Council will begin a formal review into parking options at Paraparaumu Beach during 2023.