News
Tunatuna the Murihiku portable pump track has been successfully opened at McGregor Park in Nightcaps today.
It’s the second temporary home for the 57m moveable pump track after it was officially launched in Bluff in July.
After the original opening had to be rescheduled by one week due to wet weather across Southland, about 110 members of the Nightcaps community, including 50 young people, took part in the opening, which included entertainment, free bike checks, prizes and hangi by Te Oruanui Marae.
The purpose of the track is to bring communities together through active recreation, and to activate under-utilised green spaces, creating a temporary community hub in areas where such facilities may currently be in short supply.
It is also serving as a template for communities to evaluate the potential impact of a pump track in their community, and whether the creation of a permanent asset is something the community would wish to pursue.
Bluff was a huge success, with a significant increase in confidence, particularly in rangatahi and tamariki, so that they are more likely to use bikes, scooters, or skateboards.
Southland District Council mayor Robb Scott gave a warm welcome on a cool day and said “Tunatuna is a fantastic thing to have here in Nightcaps especially over the school holidays, thanks to really good project collaboration. It’s bringing smiles to kids, and to the bigger kids too.”
SDC open spaces lead Angie Hopkinson said “We are stoked to see Tunatuna make its way to Nightcaps after a huge multi-organisation effort! Bringing alternative play and recreation opportunities for our whanau in the district who may not traditionally get them, is what it’s all about.”
Active Southland’s western regional active coordinator Jenna Shepherd said how exciting this is from a local perspective, to have Tunatuna at McGregor Park. She hopes it gets plenty of use and is looking forward to tracking the usage of Tunatuna while it is in Nightcaps, thanks to the track’s built in e-counter. “We also want to thank all of the local people who have helped us including Nightcaps Contracting, Te Oruanui Marae and the local Four Square.”
Tunatuna will spend about six weeks in Nightcaps before moving to its next temporary home in Invercargill.
The portable pump track is owned and maintained by Cycling Southland, with support from the Southland Mountain Bike Club, the Southland BMX Club, and the Southland Triathlon and Multisport Club.
A range of community organisations and funders are involved, including the Community Trust South, ILT Foundation, Waka Kotahi, Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa (administered by Active Southland), Invercargill City Council, Southland District Council and Gore District Council.
Active Southland’s Healthy Families Invercargill team, through their Active Transport Innovator, are coordinating the project.