Rotokauri Greenway and minor arterial transport corridor
Recently, the Rotokauri Greenway and minor arterial transport corridor project was granted resource consents under the EPA fast-track process. This is an exciting milestone for this ambitious and complex project. Reset provided specialist urban design and landscape architectural services for this new public recreation and destination area for Rotokauri.
Hamilton’s population is expected to increase to 310,000 people, with around 60,000 new homes needed over the next 50 years. The Rotokauri development area will be a key part of Hamilton's future urban growth strategy. It has a planned capacity of approximately 7,000 homes and will provide for an eventual population of between 16,000 and 20,000 people. The area of approximately 788 hectares will be dedicated primarily to residential use but will ultimately also provide 280ha of industrial land, employment areas, and a neighbourhood centre that will act as the principal community focal point based around a vibrant town centre.
The Rotokauri Greenway will be the main public recreation and destination area for Rotokauri. It will be a celebrated blue and green landscape corridor connecting Lake Waiwhakareke to Lake Rotokauri, providing a natural recreation space, improved habitats for flora and fauna and stormwater management. This project will provide the necessary infrastructure of stormwater management and discharge along with critical roading connectivity, wastewater, power, fibre and active transport modes to enable the residential development of Rotokauri, a ‘live’ zoned residential growth cell.
The project features:
- Over 500,000 new plants along the length of the corridor
- Over 5km of new walking and cycling pathways
- A resilient and performative landscape corridor connecting lake to lake
- A layering of interconnected systems and processes of stormwater + ecology + culture + connectivity + amenity + planting
- An experiential landscape of boardwalks, bridges, lookouts, seating, informal play, and path network.
- A considered, cost-effective design that considers whole-of-life maintenance.
- A landscape of variety (nodes, planting, views, ecologies, ebb and flow of water) and continuity (pathway, materials, furniture).
- Stormwater treatment train approach including a 4.7km stormwater conveyance swale, 12 artificial wetlands, rain gardens and flood storage areas
- Increased biodiversity and habitat creation (birds, bats, lizards, native fish)
- Connection to Waiwhakareke Natural Heritage Park
- Opportunity to restore and regenerate the land and reflect the culture unique to the history of this area and Hamilton Kirikiriroa.
- Healing, enhancing and celebrating the whenua, the wai and the tangata.
- Play-along-the-way & nature play elements
- Educational opportunities (flora & fauna)
- Large open spaces for community social gatherings and activities
