The Pukerua Bay Residents’ Association is after your ideas for how Muri Reserve can be developed so more of us can use this wonderful space in the heart of Pukerua Bay.

You can complete a survey online.

Muri Reserve is a peaceful spot about two hectares in area, which sits between Muri Road, Sea Vista Drive and the old Muri railway station.

It is in two distinct zones. To the west is a large, flat, grassed, “amenity” zone that is surrounded with planting and has views of the hills and sea. The eastern side is an undeveloped, sloping, “natural” zone that includes a wetland, which feeds into Haunui Stream.

The PCC web site has information about the reserve and the restrictions on its use. These two zones are managed differently by PCC and it has different objectives for them. It wants to encourage casual recreation and natural play opportunities in the amenity zone, raise awareness of heritage values, and protect ecological values in the natural zone.

Muri Reserve is part of a popular walking circuit around Pukerua Bay, but access from Sea Vista Drive is down a steep slope. Access directly off Muri Road is very difficult as the ground is very steep in one area. There is good access onto the two zones from the Muri Station platform.

The community identified Muri Reserve in the 2011 Pukerua Bay Village Plan as an area that could be used more for recreation. Suggestions from the community for the reserve included:

• Further planting with native plants
• Continued use of the amenity zone as a dog exercise area (dogs can be exercised there at any time)
• Recreational activities, such as sport areas, picnic area, barbecue, playground, BMX track for young children
• A board-walk across the wetland to connect the two halves of the natural zone
• Community garden/heritage orchard
• Memorial garden
• Event venue (e.g. cushion concerts)

Community garden/food forest

There is strong support for a community garden or orchard on Muri Reserve. There is a keen group of local people wanting to develop one on the flat area at the eastern side of the reserve, behind the houses at the end of Muri Road. Access to this would be via the old railway station platform.

The group is currently studying whether the site is suitable for a “food forest”. See more information on Pukerua Bay Community Garden here.

Survey

We’ve created an online survey regarding Muri Reserve you can use to give us your suggestions.

Please give us your suggestions by the end of October.

We’ll let you know what ideas people had and what the next steps will be after that.

Thank you for your suggestions.

For more information, contact Iain MacLean at iain@maclean.name, 239 9237 or 027 420 3056.