Kenepuru & Central Sounds Residents Association

15/05/2026

The way in which roads in Marlborough are managed and maintained is changing from 1 July.

Marlborough Roads is moving to a new Integrated Delivery Model (IDM) with HEB and Fulton Hogan, aligning with how road maintenance is delivered across New Zealand's state highway network. The change gives Marlborough Roads more direct control over contract management, day-to-day oversight, and the quality of work on the ground — rather than operating under the single fixed-price Network Outcomes Contract (NOC) as it has since 2013.

One of the most significant changes is the introduction of three dedicated Marlborough Sounds Roading Maintenance Contracts — covering Kenepuru, French Pass/Pelorus, and Port Underwood. Crews will be on the ground every two weeks, keeping on top of maintenance in these areas. It's something Sounds communities have long been asking for, and it's great to see it becoming a reality.

The Sounds contracts have been competitively tendered and will be delivered by Mike Edridge Contracting Limited (French Pass/Pelorus), Taylors Contracting Limited (Kenepuru), and RM Fissenden Contracting Limited (Port Underwood)— all selected for their experience and expertise.

Subject to Council approval, all the new agreements will be in place by 1 July 2026.

Read more via the link in the comments.

23/04/2026

Our AGM will be held this year at 2pm on ANZAC Day. Like in previous years we will be in the conference room at the Portage Hotel.
See you there.

23/04/2026

ANZAC Day services:
Portage:
Anzac Day Commemoration at Torea monument
11am Saturday 25th April.

Homewood:
ANZAC DAY SERVICE, HOMEWOOD HALL.
12 NOON.
Bring a plate for shared lunch afterwards. 🥀🇳🇿

15/04/2026

Lawrence Road Work Closure

From Tuesday 28 April until Friday 29 May, as part of the Marlborough Roads Recovery Project,

Lawrence Road will be closed to non-residents on the following days and times:

Monday to Thursday from 8am to 12pm and 12.30pm to 5pm
Friday from 8am to 12pm and 12.30pm to 3.30pm

Please note during these dates there will also be closures in place to all traffic on Kenepuru Road.Should resident access be required during the closure times, please contact Phil Leslie the Site Supervisor.Emergency services will always be accommodated.
Please contact the Site Supervisor - Phil Leslie (027 372 9864) or Zone Manager Bruno Carvalho (027 235 9649) if you have any questions about these works.

13/04/2026

In case you have property with water access only:
MDC is rolling out "Water addressing". This is a scheme similar to the RAPID numbering used on roads. It is designed to help services including emergency responses to more quickly be able to locate you. Have a read about it on our website https:// kcsra.org.nz - go to Documents and look under 'Other Documents'. More details and the application can be found on the Marlborough District Website.

27/02/2026

Good afternoon
Nicola Russell from Marine Farming Association has shared their link (see below) to the safety video on fishing around mussel farms (this was an action point from our previous Sounds Advisory Group meeting).

MFA will have a safety/fishing display at the Havelock Mussel & Seafood Festival on 14 March (MDC harbours team and Fisheries NZ will also be there).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmAPTVXd11M

Best regards,
Nicky Bright
Secretary
Kenepuru & Central Sounds Residents Assn.

Marine farms are a common feature along our coastline, and there are some important things to remember when boating in these shared waters.Some farm types ar...

20/02/2026

Kenepuru Road Closure Relocation - from 4 March to 24 April 2026

From Wednesday 4 March, both the start and end of the construction closure on Kenepuru Road will move further along the road, towards Portage. The new closure will be from the Mahau Road intersection to Portage Bay (property 2770) for approximately 14km. This change is due to the planned completion of works at Ohingaroa Bay and crews moving to a new site near Portage Bay. The closure continues to incorporate multiple repairs to be undertaken concurrently as part of the Marlborough Roads Recovery programme.

The closure will continue to be in place on Monday to Friday as below:
• Monday to Thursday from 9.30am to 12pm, 12.30pm to 3pm and 3.05pm to 5pm
• Friday from 9.30am to 12pm and 12.30pm to 3pm.

During the midday and 3pm opening crews will ensure traffic does not get stuck between closure points.

06/02/2026

RE: Waitaria Bay Jetty.

As reported the project is complete.
When following up with Council why there was no shed as promised we were advised that it was now in progress to be done.

Thanks all.

Have a lovely Waitangi weekend.

Kind Regards,
Kevin
Coordinator
Kenepuru & Central Sounds Residents Association.

26/09/2025

Hello Everyone,
Please note the following works undertaken at the Portage Bay Jetty / Pontoon:

I am writing to inform of our upcoming planned work to clear the material buildup under the Portage floating pontoon.
The high-level plan as follows:
Monday 6th October – at high tide lock pontoon in place.
Tuesday 7th October – From barge, excavate build up from under pontoon so it floats at low tide again.
Wednesday 8th October – Release pontoon back to normal operation.
The dates above have been chosen as the tides are favourable, and we want to get in and out before the busy summer period to minimise disruption to users.
The above is subject to change should anything unforeseen arise and will be communicated accordingly.

Send a message to learn more

14/09/2025

Hello everyone,

With the 'Meet the Candidates' event just around the corner, we are sending a final reminder to help with the preparations.

This is a fantastic opportunity to hear from the candidates for our local council elections and to ask them the questions that matter to you. It's also a perfect chance to explore the new facilities at the Portage Hub while enjoying a coffee.

To assist with our planning, we would greatly appreciate it if you could RSVP if you plan on attending.

Event Details:

When: This Saturday, 20 September at 11:00 AM
Where: Portage Hub

We are excited to see you there!

Kind regards,

Kenepuru & Central Sounds Residents Association