Better protections are in place at the Petone to Wellington shared path construction site after several little blue penguins were killed.

The Department of Conservation (DoC) has issued a formal warning over one of the deaths when a kororā was crushed due to a rock being moved.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency infrastructure delivery national manager Mark Kinvig said construction was stopped on the 4.5km path immediately after the deaths.

Additional protections were put in place including fencing, larger signs, more training, and increased monitoring.

Construction started on the $311.9 million shared walking and cycling path early this year. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Kinvig said project partners understood the seriousness of DoC’s warning.

“This incident should not have occurred, and we are doing everything we can to ensure there is no repeat.

“Waka Kotahi and our alliance team are committed to delivering the project with the best possible environmental and conservation outcomes, which also means complying with all relevant legislation and the project’s consent conditions.”

Construction started on the $311.9 million shared walking and cycling path and resilience project called Te Ara Tupua early this year.

The penguin deaths occurred over a two-month period and were reported by the project team. None were found to be malicious or intentional in nature.

The DoC investigation concluded several deaths could not have been foreseen or prevented, due to penguins nesting in an area below the water line where nobody believed them to be.

Further around the harbour, where another shared path is being built, a budget blowout has been plugged with Government funding. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Further deaths occurred due to site checks not being carried out properly, but these did not amount to offending under the Wildlife Act.

Meanwhile, further around the harbour, a budget blowout has been plugged for a new shared path and seawalls around Eastbourne’s exposed coastline.

It was revealed earlier this year the cost had skyrocketed from $30m to $79m due to material costs, workforce shortages, and the complexities of working in a coastal marine environment.

Hutt City Council announced this week that $15m of additional government funding has been firmed up to meet the new cost.

Lower Hutt Mayor Campbell Barry said the funding meant the project could now be completed in full.

“Having this commitment of funding from Government is an outstanding result. It will ensure the project, in its entirety, can be completed without an unmanageable financial burden on ratepayers.

“As the Council works hard to strike the right balance, this project allows us to build resilience and an important asset for the community that we wouldn’t have been able to afford otherwise.”

Georgina Campbell is a Wellington-based reporter who has a particular interest in local government, transport, and seismic issues. She joined the Herald in 2019 after working as a broadcast journalist.