Walkers and cyclists who use Whakatāne’s Warren Cole Walkway will need to make a brief detour from their usual route while a major stormwater upgrading project is completed at the McAlister pump station over the next six months.

The work will require the closure of the walkway section between the riverbank playground (adjacent to the miniature train facility) and the Whakatāne Yacht Club, from Monday, 30 May onwards. A diversion will be in place, via a temporary path to be formed across the grass area by the McAlister toilet block, linking with the path and footbridge just to the east of the skate park. That will lead walkway users to the Kakahoroa Drive footpath and back to the walkway just to the west of the yacht club.

The upgrade will see a large box culvert constructed through the stopbank just to the east of the pump station, as well as structural improvements to the station and the installation of three high-efficiency semi-submersible pumps. The new pumps will increase the station’s pumping capacity by approximately 60 percent, to six cubic metres per second. Together with other works undertaken in the Apanui catchment, the upgrade will significantly reduce the likelihood of flooding during extreme rainfall events.

The Whakatāne District Council apologises for any inconvenience experienced while this important infrastructure project is carried out.