Nine New Beaches to Open in Auckland By Next Summer

Nine new man-made beaches will be open for business by next summer, giving the public unconditional access to the Manukau Harbour. The seaside leisure area is being created as part of the $28 million Onehunga Foreshore Restoration Project.

Commissioned in April 2011 and scheduled for completion this year, the 6.8 hectare seaside park will offer something for all beach enthusiasts, including: three sandy beaches for swimming, gravel and shell beaches, and heavily-planted rocky beaches - providing a new habitat for birdlife. The park will also include a boat ramp, park facilities (toilets, a carpark and furniture), and a pedestrian and cycle bridge over the airport bound State Highway 20.

The aim for the project is to restore the community's connection to the harbour. Onehunga's original beachfront esplanade was removed when the south-western motorway was built across Onehunga Bay in the 1970s.

The project is also thought to be the world's largest foreshore reclamation project for recreational purposes. Around 11,000 cubic metres of sand is being trucked in from Ports of Auckland for the 1km long coastline. Have a look at a time-lapse of the project below.

Photo credit: Dan Sloane and The Onehunga Enhancement Society.