Mar 22: Raglan Community Board meeting

The next Board meeting is Wed 22 March at 1.30pm in the Town Hall Supper Room. The public forum will be near the start of the formal meeting, giving the usual opportunity to discuss issues. You might prefer to email/phone the Community Board members:- Chris Rayner, Dennis Amoore, Kiri Binnersley, Lisa Thomson, Ross Wallis, Satnam Bains and Tony Oosten.

This summary of the agenda prepared by John Lawson secretary of Whāingaroa Environmental Defence Incorporated, 51 Cliff St, Raglan 07 825 7866 email johnragla@gmail.com

Wednesday’s agenda, at 28 pages, is one of the shortest and once again lacks some information, but it includes –

1. Consultations open for another week to 27 March –
   1. Traffic bylaw “this is an opportunity to include Boat ramp fees which have been discussed in the past. . . We also need to consider if we make a submission on Lime scooters”. The bylaw includes parking limits and one way – “Raglan Cliff Road [sic] in a westerly direction from 120m west of Bow Street to Puriri Street” [up to now the Cliff St one-way has been advisory, but will become law if this is passed by WDC. There’s no exemption for cyclists, though Cliff St one way has only 1 recorded crash, compared to a dozen on Wallis St, including one cyclist]
   2. Public Places bylaw 

5.2 A person must not use a public place to consume, inject or inhale or distribute or offer for sale any mind-altering substance (excluding alcohol). [no definition is given of ‘mind-altering substance’, which includes coffee and tea in some definitions!]

5.3 Where any fence, wall, retaining wall or land adjacent to a public place is in a conditioner [sic] state of disrepair which, in the opinion of an Authorised Officer, could cause damage or injury to persons passing, the Authorised Officer may give notice requiring the owner or occupier to repair or remove the fence, wall or retaining wall, or make the land adjacent to the public place safe.

11.1 No person shall ride or use any skateboard, roller skates, inline skates or wheeled recreational device [not defined – any vehicle not being used for work?!] on any road or footpath, on any footbridge, or in any public place within the prohibited areas specified in Schedule 1 [includes grass berms, CBD and footbridge] Schedule 1 The following portions of roads are hereby constituted restricted and no person may ride or use any Skateboard, Scooter or Roller Blades

Urban Areas Means any part of the Waikato District with a speed limit of 70Km/h. [most of Raglan has a 40 limit, so is it not an urban area?!]

8.1 No person shall ride, drive, lead, or take any horse across or along any footpath or berm within Waikato District urban areas

2. Xtreme Zero Waste, Roading, Raglan Naturally Verbal reports. “Roading Manager, Grant Tregidga, will be in attendance”.
3. Civil Defence “Mr Amoore, Mr Wallis and Cr Thomson will meet and discuss targets for Civil Defence in the first week of February . . . MARCH 2023: No update.”
4. Wi Neera Walkway “aim to lodge for consent as soon as possible, review the scope and project costs. Once consent is granted a suitably experienced contractor will be engaged to complete the works.”  Consultation no longer mentioned
5. Meetings listed, but with no detail Kaitoke walkway (with Glyn Morgan new Open Spaces Team leader), jetty seat project.
6. Wharf pohutukawas have been cut, boulders from Te Mata Quarry, “barge launched, the crane will walk itself onto the barge on the rising tide on Tuesday 7 March ready to begin works the following week. High level design [not in agenda] has been received for the Western Walkway (SP3) that fits within the Better Off Funding budget for the basis of the external PCG meeting on Tuesday 8 March.”
7. Watercare – 9 March video monthly updates on sewage resource consent to resume.
8. Manu Bay Breakwater – still aiming for meeting 27-31 Mar.
9. Manu Bay planting “Citycare are currently working on planting plans for Raglan road reserves, reserves, parks, grass verges etc. Once the plans are complete, they will be sent to the RCB for information.”
10. Water Tower Planting Plan Proposal includes 143 Libertia peregrinans (Mikoikoi), 115 Rudbeckia Goldstrum, 91 Apodasmia similis (oioi) and 87 Chionochloa flavicans (Miniature toetoe).
11. Soundsplash – “update to the RCB via email after their meeting with the consent holders. However, this will not take place prior to the RCB 22 March 2023 meeting”.
12. CCTV waiting DIA funding confirmation.
13. Playground – Greenslade Rd Reserve – “Environmental consultants are being engaged to . . . identify the extent of the wetland and provide options for the playground location, and the consenting requirements.”
14. Reports – Raglan Naturally, Māori Councillor, Board Members Verbal
15. Rugby Club Lights “The lights . . . need to be upgraded with a census [sic] so the lights automatically turn off during day light hours. Staff are currently awaiting costs for the upgrade.”
16. Discretionary fund has $12,874.

These council items are not on RCB’s agenda –

Performance & Strategy 13 Feb

Council has resolved to look to advance the return of the Raglan Airfield to the rightful owners.

Sustainability committee 22 Feb

Raglan assets contribution to global warming. Of the location specific items, the camp ground (7%) and cattle on Wainui Reserve (37%) make up 44% of the total CO₂ equivalent emissions.

p59 Blueprint progress –

By Area	Not Started	%	In Progress	%	Ongoing	%	Completed	%	Deferred	%	Total
Raglan	12	57%	6	29%	3	14%	0	0%	0	0%	21
WDC	130	46%	102	36%	19	7%	27	10%	3	1%	281

9.1.5.137 RA4.4 Support the development of a community hub for locals, youth skills, cultural, health and wellbeing and environmental exchange (OMG Tech). Consider the Wi Neera Street óld surgery building

9.1.5.138 RA4.5 Investigate the development of a recreation centre [and pool] and bringing sports together. Budget allocated to refurbish Raglan Rugby Club Rooms next FY. Local developer has also indicated that they may develop a community pool which will be held in private ownership.

9.1.5.143 RA6.5 Identify if, how much, and where, possible additional employment land for office development is needed . . . work that needs to be undertaken. 

9.1.5.141 RA6.3 Consider how to support the community in creating additional and sustaining existing local jobs in tourism. Consider a bed tax to compensate for increased waste and to support housing affordability initiatives. 

9.1.5.133 RA3.1 Support a strong Maaori culture, including education on the Treaty of Waitangi, respecting tangata whenua, and creating Te Reo signage 

9.1.5.131 RA2.1 Support Raglan Naturally in their prioritised local initiatives such as local food production, energy self sufficiency, alternatives to weed spraying, GE free approach

9.1.5.145 RA7.1 Extend walking and cycling network, including to Whale Bay – WHALE BAY IS UNLIKELY TO PROCEED DUE TO HAPU LAND CLAIM

9.1.5.146 RA7.2 Improve traffic safety around the school.

WDC 13 Mar

100% externally subsidised by MBIE as per the Tourism Infrastructure Funding Agreement . . . final two sections of the Raglan Town 2 Surf Shared [walk/cycleway] Project, be awarded to the Waikato District Alliance . . . $965,000 Section 6 Rockit Kitchen to Poihākena Marae . . . Construction Section 8 West of Karakare Ave to Raglan West Shops [what about Aerodrome Bridge, Karakare Ave to Marae  and Wainui Rd to beach? No proposal to consult, only “Information will be posted on social media to advise community of progress of the project.”]

Issues missing from the RCB agenda are Waikowhai walkway, Rangitahi swimming pool, Papahua fence, 5G telecom tower, Harbour Strategy, soccer field flooding, Coastal Reserves meeting, bus survey, Animal Control late responses, World Rally Championship, unsealed roading, parking, cycle counts, Bayview & Greenslade Rd safety, Canada Geese, Papahua estuary planting, Cliff St, Park Dr/Long St crossing, town square, Town Hall Committee, coastal erosion, Climate Response Plan, Energy Project, WRAP, Town Hall Warrant of Fitness, Calvert Rd parking, Te Uku & Te Mata Recycling, Hills Rd water tower, volunteer worker safety, Puriri Park, Eco Village. Should WED be taking up these or other issues?