Mount Maunganui residents and the wider community will see the Marine Parade coastal pathway begin to take shape in the coming months.

Representatives from local hapū Ngāi Tūkairangi and Ngāti Kuku blessed the worksite and the project on Tuesday morning, paving the way for works on the pathway to start.

A project many years in the making, the pathway is a 3km long extension of the existing boardwalk that currently ends at the cenotaph/Hopukiore (Mount Drury Reserve).

Tauranga City Council commission chair, Anne Tolley says the blessing is a significant occasion.

Ngawiki Dickson Trustee - Ngai Tukairangi Hapū, Commission Chair Anne Tolley, Christine James Ngāti Kuku Representative, Tauranga City Council Kaiārahi Māori Tuana Kuka and Aukaha Kakau-Dickson Ngai Tukairangi Hapū Representative.

'With this blessing and support from local hapū and project partners Ngāi Tūkairangi and Ngāti Kuku, we are now closer to seeing this project finally come to life,” says Anne.

'This work will pave the way for how our community, tamariki and manuhiri (visitors) use this stretch of reserve in the future.”

Tauranga City Council Urban Designer Guy Protheroe, Commissioner Shadrach Rolleston and Commission Chair Anne Tolley on site at yesterday's blessing.

Work on stage one of the coastal pathway is scheduled to start early next year, but initial works will begin next month with the installation of a new playground on Marine Parade, opposite Te Ngaio Reserve.

Tauranga City Council urban designer Guy Protheroe says the design of the pathway allows for a wide range of users to safely experience this beautiful stretch of coastline.

'Designed with everyone in mind, the pathway will accommodate pedestrians, cyclists, users of wheelchairs and mobility devices, skaters and scooter riders. It's a space that will allow everyone to connect with the land and moana (ocean).”

Made from a mix of concrete and timber surfaces, the path will curve along the grass berm throughout the three-kilometre extension. In some locations it will rise onto the higher dunes to provide places to rest and take in the views over the moana and nearby motu (islands).

The project aims to enhance access to the beach while also protecting the adjoining sand dunes and ecology.

Commissioner Stephen Selwood, Rosemary Protheroe and Commission Chair Anne Tolley discuss the future of Marine Parade coastal pathway

'This is an area of cultural significance and the path will be designed to respect the natural environment and reflect elements of the long and rich history of Tauranga Moana,” says Guy.

Pathway works will start at the Oceanbeach Road end of Marine Parade and work back in sections towards the cenotaph.

To view concept designs and find out more about the Marine Parade coastal pathway, visit the council website.