Auckland Footpaths Crumble, Endangering Residents

Community Demands Urgent Repairs for Hazardous Walkways

Residents of Titirangi are expressing growing frustration over the dangerous state of local footpaths, with some experiencing severe injuries. Years of neglect have left wooden and concrete walkways riddled with hazards.

Years of Deterioration Ignored

Zoe Hawkins, a long-time resident, has been petitioning Auckland Transport (AT) for years regarding the perilous condition of footpaths on Wood Bay Road, Otitori Bay Road, Tanekaha Road, and Kohu Road. She recounted a personal experience of tripping over exposed wired mesh, resulting in a knee injury. Her concerns are shared by many neighbours who have also suffered accidents on the deteriorating pathways.

“We need urgent maintenance on our wooden footpaths,” **Hawkins** stated. “I’m not talking cosmetic – I’m talking gaping holes, nails, and rusty bolts.”

The footpaths, a mix of wooden boardwalks and concrete sections, have reportedly been in decline for an extended period. Cracked, uneven concrete and slippery, rotting wooden boards with loose netting present significant risks. Hawkins highlighted the particular danger to vulnerable groups like the elderly, disabled individuals, and parents with young children.

“People are resorting to walking on the road, to avoid having to walk on these footpaths, and some who just choose not to walk at all because it’s so unsafe.”

Teenager Suffers Broken Ankle

The perilous conditions were starkly illustrated by Annika Hogguer Mearns, a teenager who broke her ankle last year while walking her dog on Wood Bay Road. The 17-year-old slipped on a wet, wooden footpath where the gripping mesh was coming loose. The incident required surgery to insert three metal rods, leaving her immobile for over a month and reliant on crutches for an additional two months.

“I slipped on the wooden footpath, and the mesh gripping was coming off. It had been raining that day, it was slippery … was just quite a bad combination,” **Hogguer Mearns** explained, expressing her frustration that such hazards are commonplace in Titirangi.

Auckland Transport’s Response

An Auckland Transport spokesperson confirmed receipt of photographic evidence from a concerned resident but noted that specific locations were not initially provided.

“We are currently working through this to find the locations, make assessments, and then plan our next steps to fix the issues,” the spokesperson stated. They added that AT relies on public support for specific reports of problems and encourages residents to call their call centre at 09 355 353 or use their web service to report issues with precise locations.

This reporting mechanism, AT stated, ensures urgent issues are made safe by contractors, while other repairs are assessed and incorporated into their priority-based forward works program.

The situation in Titirangi highlights a broader infrastructure challenge. According to a recent report by the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia, many local councils in New Zealand face significant backlogs in essential infrastructure maintenance, with estimates suggesting billions of dollars are needed to address aging roading and walkway networks across the country. (Source: IPWEA NZ State of Our Assets Report 2023)