Keep Motueka Beautiful
About us
Keep Motueka Beautiful is a part of the national body, Keep New Zealand Beautiful. The local councils of towns and cities become financial members of KNZB and committees are formed by local communities.
Environmental beautification and litter reduction are two of the main focuses nationally. One of Keep Motueka Beautiful's special interests is the construction of walkways to give access to beauty spots.
The Committee was formed in 1988 and since then it has created many kilometres of walkways, as well as undertaking beautifying work and litter collection in the town.
The work is done by committee members, other volunteers, Corrections PD workers and paid contractors, with funding from TDC and other grants, donations and local fundraising.
Overview of KMB's work
Inlet Walkway Loop
Over a period of 12 years Keep Motueka Beautiful has developed a walkway all the way around the estuary inlet between Wharf Road and Old Wharf Road.
The project commenced in 2000 with the development of the Estuary Walkway from Old Wharf Road to York Park.
In 2001 KMB started to cut a way into gorse-covered wasteland that was an old sawmill site and dump, opposite the Recreation Centre on Old Wharf Road.
The dump site was eventually turned into the Inlet Gardens and in 2006 the walkway was pushed through to Courtney Street East.
The section from Courtney Street to Old Wharf Road was equally challenging as the track builders had to fight their way through an industrial wasteland. However, it was opened in 2009. Then came the walkway along the causeway, opened in Feb 2012, and finally the boardwalk and link to York Park, which completed the loop in late 2012.
Since then KMB has completed native plantings along the causeway and the shore at Link Park to create a more pleasant and natural environment. Over a thousand shrubs and grasses have been planted. In addition the Committee commissioned and installed signs with maps of the walkway for four main access points.
Inlet Gardens (Adopt a Plot)
In 2004 work started on planting thousands of trees on the old sawmill site at the NW corner of the inlet. In 2008 the area was divided into 34 plots and the public were asked to adopt plots to plant and maintain. Each plot has been taken up by individuals, families or groups - a great result.
At right is an aerial view of the Inlet Reserve, taken in December 2010, looking south showing the paths linking the 34 adopted plots. The access path starts from Old Wharf Road by the skatepark (bottom left).
The further south in the area, the more recently developed are the plots - the earliest ones are now well developed with high trees. An ornamental bridge was built by High School students to cross a narrow wetland strip to an island.
Seats and picnic tables have been installed around the Gardens, which are a very popular walking area. The new cycleway now goes through the middle of the Inlet Gardens.
In recent years the wetland area between the plots and the outer causeway has been restored by planting thousands of native plants there. Culverts have been rebuilt to improve tidal flow into and out of the ponds, which were previously stagnant.
Goodman Ponds
With support from the Nelson Tasman Soroptimist Trust, KMB created a new entrance and all weather footpath into this park in 2015, which has resulted in more people using the park.
Litter clean-up
For many years KMB managed the Litter Cart, which clears the CBD of litter on a regular basis. In 2013 this role was taken over by the Community Board, with financial support from local businesses. However, KMB Committee members and supporters still clean up rubbish along High Street, either side of the CBD.
Town centre beautification
An ongoing activity has been the garden plots and planter boxes around central Motueka that Committee members tend. These include the Museum, Memorial Hall, Library and TDC Service Centre planter boxes as well as those along Sarah Lane, and outside Liquorland and Elevation businesses.
In addition the Committee has contributed financially to the hanging baskets installed by Our Town Motueka and murals instigated by Vision Motueka.
Beach Reserve and Harbour Quays Development
This is a major new project which started in 2014 and is expected to take three years. The objectives of the Project are to restore and enhance the amenity values of the Motueka Beach Reserve and the former quays of Motueka Harbour, enabling much improved public use for outdoor recreation.
An area of public reserve, which currently consists of uncared-for wasteland, sited at a prime location at the entrance to Motueka Harbour, will be transformed into a park for recreational use.
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Port Motueka - ripe for development
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Planting at Beach Reserve
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Photos of some projects
Click here to view some photos of the work KMB has done.
Latest News Update
Keep Motueka Beautiful publishes an occasional news update of recent activities, project progress, and upcoming events and working bees.
View the October 2016 news update here
And each year we provide a report to our parent body, Keep New Zealand Beautiful, listing our activities for the past year. View the 2015/16 report here
KMB Supporters
If you are interested in the work of KMB, become a KMB Supporter - it's free! We will email you occasional news updates and notification of working bees and other events.
To join, email the Secretary:
Contact details:
Keep Motueka Beautiful
c/o PO Box 123, Motueka
Email: Secretary:
The Committee welcomes new members and/or people who wish to join in working bees. It meets on the third Monday of each month from January until November at the TDC Service Centre Rooms at Hickmott Place at 7.15 pm. We also welcome suggestions for new projects.
News items about Keep Motueka Beautiful
