Specialist contractors will need to be brought in to build the proposed ramp over the Manuherikia River for the Kāmoanahaehae - Riverside Park project in Alexandra.

The Vincent Community Board will reassess on March 17 whether or not to carry on with the more technical work - which is expected to cost considerably more than originally thought.

Meanwhile, tenders are open for the next stage of constructing a viewing platform and mana whenua design integration, which is on track to be completed by June 30.

Although a ramp was included in the board’s 2018 vision, ground conditions were unknown at the time, and board chair Jayden Cromb said yesterday, the main contractor has stepped aside from further work as it was beyond his scope of expertise.

He said they were initially unsure how much the ramp would cost, “because no-one knew what the bank was like,” and the first step had been to remove all the trees and stabilise the site.

In September 2025, it was then discovered that 9m+ poles would need to be driven into the ground to support the ramp, and the designs had to meet Geotech requirements as well as being flood resistant.

Jayden said heavy rain over summer has also changed the river levels considerably, making the work more challenging onsite.

Heritage work is an important part of the project, as researchers comb through old remnants and rubbish from the two pubs that operated downtown (the Bendigo pub was demolished in 2001 to make way for flood protection banks).

Jayden sits on the working group for the project as an elected member, and acknowledged the frustration caused by the uncertainty moving forward.

“We know we will blow the budget very quickly if we carry on, so it may be that we just tidy it up and have the viewing platform and call it a day,” he said.

That didn’t mean a future board couldn’t go ahead and pick up the final stage of the project at a later stage, he said.

If the board agrees to the future work, then it will need to be budgeted as part of the Long Term Plan.

Dignitaries at the opening of the first stage of the Riverside Park project in downtown Alexandra back in September 2025. Image: supplied

In the 2021/31 Long Term Plan council allocated $650,000 over three years for the construction of the Kāmoanahaehae - Riverside Park, and additional funding of $723,848 was also received from Otago Community Trust ($100,000), Central Lakes Trust ($250,000), Lottery Environmental and Heritage Fund ($48,848), and MBIE TiF funding ($325,000).

“A great deal has changed since the board first backed this project in 2018, and while we’re just as eager as everyone else to see the ramp stage move forward, we also have a responsibility to carefully consider the overall cost and logistics,” Jayden said.

 “We’re incredibly proud of what’s been achieved so far through our partnership with Rory and the trust that’s been built along the way. We’re looking forward to naming a new contractor soon and seeing this stage completed by the end of June.”

Rory McLellan, chair of the Alexandra Riverside Park Trust, is pleased to see the project continuing to move ahead.

“It’s been fantastic to see the plaza and facilities so well used over the past year. Watching locals and visitors enjoy the space reinforces why we began this journey back in 2011,” Mr McLellan said. 

“As we move into the next phase we’re building on that momentum and creating a vibrant riverside hub our community can be proud of. It’s been a long road but seeing the project evolve step by step makes it all worthwhile.”

The project is a collaboration between the Alexandra Riverside Park Trust, Central Otago District Council, mana whenua via their rūnaka-governed firm Aukaha, and the local community.

CODC staff are currently preparing a report with a timeline and proposed costings of the ramp for the March 17 meeting, where a decision will be made on whether to complete the final stage.

Read more: New community space opens - Kāmoanahaehae - Riverside Park