What began as a school leadership project quickly moved beyond the classroom when 12-year-old Mieya Smith learned that the fight for a safe footpath in her community wouldn’t be so straightforward.
The Ngātea Primary School student said a decades-old safety dilemma affecting families in Kaiaua and her hometown of Whakatīwai was the desperate need for a safe footpath connecting the coastal villages. So, she decided to take action.
“The school project was all about giving back to the community, so I went out and talked to the villages,” Mieya told The Profile. “I surveyed local residents, walking door-to-door and sharing an online form, and discovered that the majority of people ranked the footpath as their top priority for what change they wanted to see in the community.
“From there I knew I needed to get more awareness from beyond the towns, so with the help of my mum I emailed [Hauraki District Mayor] Toby Adams and council’s Long Term Planning committee.”
Mieya presented her findings to the mayor and councillors – a “big step” that at first yielded positive results.
However, she has since learned that Central Government funding cuts to safety works have halted the footpath’s construction.
“When [Mayor] Toby emailed me back and said that the funding was cut for their safety works, I was really disappointed.”
Mieya said she was also told by Coromandel MP Scott Simpson that the decision would be left for the district council to make.
So, enough was enough.
On July 20, Mieya and a group of supporters stood at the edge of Whakatīwai holding posters to raise awareness. She said she wanted to show the council how important a footpath was to the community.
“This isn’t just about convenience, it’s about making sure kids can walk to school or between the two villages without fear,” she said. “Tourists get nice cycle trails and walkways, but what about the residents who live here year-round?
“Kids, parents, and even grandparents told me how scary it is to walk or bike along the road, especially with no safe space for pedestrians or pushchairs. Some suggested a flashing “slow down” sign near the school too, but the footpath was the biggest need.
“It’s a matter of safety for everyone.”
Mieya said their voices were heard on the roadside, but this wasn’t the end of the fight. She’s calling on Hauraki District Council to find a way to fund the footpath project, even if it means reprioritising other spending.
“Safety shouldn’t have to wait,” she said, “and I think if a 12-year-old is putting in all this effort for this footpath, so should they.”
Mayor Toby Adams said there’d been “a lot of talk” for a number of years about a footpath connecting Kaiaua with Whakatīwai. The project was set to happen under the previous government, with a programme that funded 61 per cent of the district’s safety improvements on or near its roads.
However, with the change in government, Mayor Adams said, the funding was “squashed”.
“So now we’re going through our programme to see what [roading improvements] are the key ones and to see if we can fund those – and that means council will have to fund it 100 per cent.
“In a nutshell, we’ve got to try and please as many as we can with the least amount of dollars – and that’s a real balancing act.”
Mayor Adams said in a few months, a roading report will be presented to councillors, and the Kaiaua-Whakatīwai footpath will be among the items up for discussion.
“[Mieya] hasn’t given up, which is fantastic,” he said. “It shows great courage and strength from a young individual to keep at that, and she’s passionate about it, and I’m confident at some point we’ll be able to get it across the line.”
BY KELLEY TANTAU
