Cathedral Coast Walkway
Walkway in Coromandel provides economic lift for regional community
Coromandel’s stunning Cathedral Cove attracts more than 200,000 visitors a year and Hotwater Beach a staggering 250,000 over just a few summer months. Thames Coromandel District Council (TCDC), in partnership with DOC and Ngāti Hei, want to make the most of these and the district’s other natural attractions to drive its economy forward. The Cathedral Coast Walkway (CCW) is the first in a series of walkways that will connect around and across the peninsula, hooking onto the successful Hauraki Rail Trail to draw visitors to the region right across the calendar not just the summer months.
Together these walkways form a pillar of economic opportunity and another strand for a thriving community to grow.
TCDC engaged Giblin Group in 2014 to support the CCW; developing a revenue generation strategy and pulling together an application to the Lottery Grants Board Significant Projects Fund (SPF) and Trust Waikato. The project has been granted $1M from the SPF – enough to allow TCDC to start construction immediately and in September 2015 Trust Waikato awarded a $330,000 grant.
Mayor Glenn Leach was thrilled with the decision. “This is a visionary project developed in a collaborative partnership with local iwi, Ngāti Hei, and DOC. This is such good news for the Coromandel, it supports our tourism industry, it ties in with appreciation of our biodiversity, it will showcase our cultural heritage with iwi and will have health benefits. This funding is a great kick-start,” Mayor Leach says.
“As our thinking evolved, Giblin Group showed a steady commitment to deepen their understanding of our needs. We always looked forward to our coaching sessions which were stimulating and inspiring. Jess and Jenni became valued colleagues that supported and provoked thinking with rigour and generosity. They’re now not only valuable advocates for BATS but part of our whānau.”
“Jenni did a fantastic job in helping us to secure critical partnerships and funding support for our internationally significant Len Lye Centre project – what’s more we really enjoyed working with her.”
“Giblin Group’s knowledge of government practices and procedures on a national and local level is invaluable, and I often find that they are well connected with staff and officials on all levels of Government. Giblin Group scopes their assignments well, provides accurate cost estimates for their services, delivers within the agreed timeframes and always deliver excellent quality work – no project manager can really ask for more!”
“The work that the Giblin Group completed, in collaboration with our staff, was instrumental in the success the project has had in securing significant funding to this key City initiative. In particular we have found the experience of the Giblin Group to been invaluable in seeking funding from a variety of sources in an increasingly challenging environment.”