Pāpāmoa residents are expressing concern as a new 3km shared pathway, made of asphalt, nears completion.

This ambitious project, aimed at improving connectivity and recreational activities for Pāpāmoa, has sparked a heated debate within the community, due mostly to the temperatures asphalt can reach during summer.

While some applaud the initiative for the quickly growing community which is the largest suburb in Tauranga, others are raising questions about the construction materials used, its environmental impact and the aesthetic aspects affecting the coastal neighbourhood.

Pāpāmoa Beach Road property owner Simon Wilson says he assumed from the imagery that Tauranga City Council used on their pre-construction information, that the new Pāpāmoa shared pathway would be made from a mixture of concrete or shell chips, “and maybe wooden boardwalk like the Mount”.

“Now I see it’s asphalt, which is going to be thermonuclear in the heat of summer. Why would you have a walkway for people, children and pets to the beach, made of asphalt?  

“A more environmentally impacted product would have been nicer as they [council] advertised in the photos. If you zoom in on the first guy with a blue shirt [in the Tauranga City Council image] he’s barefoot.”

The surface pictured on the Tauranga City Council website Pāpāmoa Shared Pathway page. Image: Tauranga City Council.

Simon posted his comment in the Pāpāmoa Link Facebook group, with others quick to chime in.

One commented that you “can’t walk bare foot or walk pets on that during January or February that’s for sure” while others said “asphalt gets so hot in summer it sticks to your shoes” and “is certainly going to be too hot for dogs to walk on in summer”.

Others said they thought the path will provide improved access for prams, wheelchair uses and mobility scooters and questioned why people were walking their dogs in the heat of the day over summer, rather than in early morning or later in the evening.

“The Mount Maunganui concrete and boardwalks is a first-class option. We have a second-class option using asphalt here in Pāpāmoa,” says Simon.

“It’s a toxic oil-based product and not very attractive. We live on Pāpāmoa Beach Road. When we walk across the concrete footpath on our side it’s fine then we have to hop across the hot road.”

A barefoot walker avoiding the asphalt in September. Photo: Supplied.

While some are encouraging people to “try and see the positives’ such as how dogs can walk on the grass and people can wear footwear, others comment that they feel like the “poor cousin” of Mount Maunganui.

Simon says the beach access opposite has asphalt although other beach accesses have had concrete placed.

“I feel like it’s a very ad hoc build. A contractor working on the shared pathway confirmed they are laying concrete at the beach accesses to mitigate the heat of walking on asphalt.

The Pāpāmoa Shared Pathway is a 3km shared path from Pāpāmoa Domain to the coastal reserve area opposite Parton Road.

“The original plan for the Pāpāmoa Shared Pathway was rather modest with a gravel surface proposed,” says Tauranga City Council spaces and places manager Alison Law.

“Many residents expressed the need for a sealed path to broaden its accessibility for our community including children with scooters, people using wheelchairs and people with roller blades.

“Understandably, a sealed path comes with higher costs and as with all our projects, we considered durability, longevity and sustainability.”

The nearly constructed 3.5m wide Pāpāmoa Shared Pathway, made of asphalt, that runs for three kilometres along Pāpāmoa Beach Road. Photo: John Borren.

Alison says after careful review, they selected asphalt “given it has low carbon emissions and is a smoother surface for people on wheels”.

“Asphalt is a commonly used material for sealed footpaths. It is highly durable and there are no health risks to the public, or to the environment, due to the material used.”

On the Tauranga City Council website, council staff wrote “The shared pathway will be constructed out of asphalt and will have a generous width of 3.5m” on their project update  although it is the last section on the page under a dropdown heading “What will the path be like?” and possibly missed by residents reading the update.

A Council update published on May 23, 2023 to the Tauranga City Council website also says “Following feedback received during public consultation, the pathway will be made of asphalt, and pedestrian crossing points will be added on Pāpāmoa Beach Road, near Douglas Place, Alexander Place and Grant Place to support safer walking and cycling.”

The Pāpāmoa Shared Pathway banner used on the Tauranga City Council website. Image: Tauranga City Council.

Alison says other materials such as concrete and boardwalk have been used in rest areas and access ways.

“The pathway is 3.5m wide and has been thoughtfully designed to safely give everyone – residents, whānau and visitors alike – ample room to walk, bike, scooter and exercise.

“There will be six seating areas for users to stop and relax, with two of the rest areas offering ocean views.”

Construction of the pathway is expected to be complete at the end of September – excluding a small section at Alexander Place, and pedestrian crossing points.

Pūrākau (stories) and local history from mana whenua will be shared on new signage being installed along the pathway at a later date.

“At the end of the day the Pāpāmoa Shared Pathway is a good initiative, just disappointingly executed by the council, using asphalt, and not concrete and boardwalk like they have at the Mount,” says Simon.