Bothamley Park Development Project

This page describes the Bothamely Park Development Project, and explains what's happening in the park.

What's Happening?

Porirua City Council has begun a major parks project to develop Bothamley Park.
It will be an seven year development programme, with a current budget of $800,000. Extra funding is being sought.
The aim of the project is to enhance the park by improving Kenepuru Stream, adding 5kms of new cycle and pathways and preserving and improving the surrounding native bush clad hills to create an ecological "Green Heart of Porirua".
There will be community education, involvement and employment opportunities with this ecological restoration and development project.
It will provide connections that link Ranui, Cannons Creek, Waitangirua, Ascot Park, Whitby (through Ascot Park), Aotea and central Porirua City.
The Aotea sub-division is adding large areas of reserve land to Bothamley Park with developers Carrus Corporation also doing some land development work to enhance it.

Known to older residents simply as the "Old Road", Bothamley Park will soon become Porirua's second largest reserve at more than 107 hectares.
The road through it was once an old farm road and at one stage the top part was earmarked as a potential transport route.
The park has 5kms of existing walk/cycleways, which form the main connections from Champion St to Warspite Avenue. These are a gentle gradient and ideal for cyclists and pedestrians.
Develop 5kms of new pathways and together with the existing walkways will provide a large recreational asset for Porirua they will also provide walking and cycling links to the central city and rail station for residents of Ranui, Cannons Creek, Waitangirua, Ascot Park, Whitby and Aotea.

One of the most important improvements to Bothamley Park will be riverbank stabilisation and planting.
There are 7kms of significant waterways within the park. Kenepuru Stream runs through the park and is fed by the tributaries of Cannons Creek stream, and other streams that originate from the southeast via Waihora Park, Ascot Park and the valley at the eastern end of Aotea Block.

The stream banks on these waterways are being eroded, with the resulting silt going into Kenepuru Stream, and through Porirua Stream into Porirua Harbour.

A programme which involves local people in all elements of park use and development is being set up with the surrounding communities of Ranui, Ascot Park, Waitangirua and Aotea through Residents Associations, local community groups and schools.
A "Friends of Bothamley Park" organisation will eventually be established to co-ordinate and communicate with the various interests and activities in the park.
A report on the Kenepuru Stream is being finalised which will identify opportunities to enhance the stream.
Weed clearance and track upgrading is underway from Warspite (near Ascot Park) down to the intersection near the Cannons Creek entrance. A new 3m wide shingle pathway will be created.
Mana Recovery are working on removing pest weeds and cleaning up the 15 entrances to Bothamley Park.
Plans are being finalised to upgrade all the entrances to the park including new signs, seats, picnic tables and plants.
Community Planting Days will be advertised in June and July 2012 to provide local communities with an opportunity to participate in park developments.

You can view a map of Bothamley Park as pdf, showing existing and proposed pathways (to come).

Go to our Bothamley Pathway Top 12 page for more information.