From Waiohiki Bridge plans, to Napier’s Discover Pass, to HB’s top gardens, to new HN roundabout, to boating safety, to Hastings City Art Gallery exhibition, here are some announcements of note you might have missed.

Waiohiki Bridge relocation decided

The location for the permanent replacement for the Redclyffe/Waiohiki Bridge has been confirmed following Hastings District and Napier City Council deliberations.

The original bridge, built in 1933 and jointly owned by Hastings and Napier councils, was one of three bridges lost in the Tūtaekurī River during Cyclone Gabrielle. A temporary crossing with a five-year design life was opened in August 2023 to restore access while long-term solutions were investigated.

After extensive technical assessments, community engagement, and collaboration with Napier City Council and Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), the option selected places a new bridge immediately upstream of the existing crossing, skewed slightly from the current alignment. It offers the strongest overall benefits among six options considered through a detailed multi-criteria assessment.

This option was one of two preferred options favoured by the community, and also had the benefits of  being the safest and most economical choice with the least disruption during construction, easy pedestrian access, and a modern, resilient design, that did not require buying any private land.

The estimated construction cost for the new bridge is $60 million, and if construction is completed by 30 June 2029, the project is eligible for an 83 per cent Funding Assistance Rate (FAR) from NZTA, significantly reducing the cost to local ratepayers. The local share costs would be split 50/50 between Hastings and Napier councils.

Construction is planned to begin in late 2026 and be completed by late 2028.

More information about this project can be found at https://www.hastingsdc.govt.nz/cyclone-gabrielle/roading-recovery/permanent-bridge-rebuilds/redclyffewaiohiki/

NCC introduces Discover Pass

With the new Napier Discover Pass, launched this week, passholders can access five of Napier’s top venues, and get a bonus visit of their choosing.

Jane Libby, Napier isite Manager, says the Discover Pass is a great way for locals to treat their visitors, or for visitors to experience a broad range of what Napier has to offer, in one simple package. “With one pass you can get into Ocean Spa, Bay Skate, Faraday Museum, National Aquarium and Par2 MiniGolf, as well as a bonus visit back to your favourite attraction.” 

Pricing:

• Family Pass: $180 (admits 2 adults aged 15+ and 2 children aged 3-14)
• Adult Pass: $65 (admits 1 adult aged 15+)
• Child Pass: $40 (admits 1 child aged 3-14)

All passes are valid from 1 January 2026 through 31 December 2026 and include one bonus admission to any participating venue.

Special features include complimentary roller skate, blade, skateboard, or scooter rental at Bay Skate, making it easy for families to enjoy a fun day out without additional equipment costs.

HB’s top gardens

The NZ Gardens Trust selects what it considers to be NZ’s top gardens, this year awarding 17 gardens with up to five stars, with three in Hawke’s Bay recognised.

HB’s top ranking (4 stars) goes to Wallingford Homestead, established in 1853, “set within a magnificent heritage garden that celebrates timeless beauty, botanical history, and the relaxed abundance of the cottage garden tradition. Rebuilt after a fire in 1895 and lovingly restored in the early 2000s, the estate blends classical grandeur with informal charm, making it one of Central Hawke’s Bay’s most captivating garden destinations.”

Three-star rankings are given to Greenwood Garden and TerrifHicks Garden, both on Greenwood Road in Havelock North.

Details, including visiting arrangements, for each HB garden can be found here. 

New Havelock North roundabout

A new roundabout at one of the district’s highest risk intersections will start being installed from early next year. The intersection, where Te Mata, Waimārama, Te Mata Mangateretere and River Roads meet, has a long history of crashes.

Over the past five years, 10 crashes had been recorded there, including one fatal, one serious injury and three minor injury crashes. A further fatal crash occurred on an approach to the intersection. 

An average of around 6,500 vehicles use this intersection each day, with heavy vehicles making up about 12% of the traffic. The intersection also forms part of the Hawke’s Bay Trails with a shared path on three of the roads, and currently there are no crossing facilities for shared path users.

Four tenders were received through an open market process in line with New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) procurement rules, and following evaluation the contract was awarded to local contractor – Tūpore.

NZTA is contributing 53% of the estimated $2.7 million total project cost, with Council funding the remaining 47%. Construction was expected to begin in mid-January 2026 and continue through to May 2026.

Boating safety

With boating season quickly approaching, and more people heading out to enjoy the region’s waters, staying safe on the water this summer is a no-brainer.

Regional Council Harbourmaster Adrian Wright says that enjoying the water safely and coming home to whānau should always be the focus. “Before you head out, check your gear, know the rules, and make sure your vessel is safe. Remember that life jackets save lives, carry two forms of waterproof communication, and check the weather before you leave and while you’re on the water.” 

The Harbourmaster team will be active across the region on and off the water throughout summer, engaging with boaties, running safety education courses, and providing lifejacket libraries – a free ACC initiative where people can borrow, use, and return lifejackets.

For more information on safer boating, visit Safety on the Water | Hawke’s Bay Regional Council.

Hastings Art Gallery exhibit

Hastings Art Gallery is presenting The tongue to them, an exhibition developed by Artspace Aotearoa that brings together international and national contemporary art for regional audiences.

First shown at Artspace Aotearoa in Tāmaki Makaurau, the exhibition considers how language shapes history, culture, and relationships. It features artworks from Aotearoa New Zealand, Malaysia, and the Philippines, connected through Austronesian languages – a large language family spoken across Southeast Asia and the Pacific, which includes te reo Māori.

The exhibition includes work by Aotearoa artists Darcell Apelu, Heidi Brickell, and the late Buck Nin, alongside Dutch-Filipino artist Martha Atienza and Malaysian artist Yee I-Lann. The artworks span sculpture, installation, video, and textiles, and are grounded in specific cultural, geographic, and community contexts across the Pacific and Southeast Asia.

The exhibition continues until 28 February.