This summary of the Raglan Community Board agenda was prepared by John Lawson, Secretary of the Whaingaroa Environmental Defence Incorporated, 51 Cliff St, Raglan 07 825 7866 email johnragla@gmail.com
The next Board meeting is Tuesday 13 August at 1.30pm in the Town Hall Supper Room. For the first time the public forum will be part of the formal meeting, giving the usual opportunity to discuss issues, but hopefully with a greater chance that they’ll be heeded. You can also contact the Community Board members who are:- Alan Vink, Bob MacLeod, Gabrielle Parson, Lisa Thomson, PJ, Rangi Kereopa, Tony Oosten.
Nominations for the next council and community board close this Friday, 16 Aug. So far only one of the existing board members has been nominated and there’ll be no vote for mayor, unless someone else is nominated by then. The Candidate Information Booklet sets out the jobs and the pay, ranging from $148,500 for the mayor to $4,317 for board members. Get your nomination form completed by Friday!
The agenda includes –
- Pump track asphalt slumping and being cracked by kikuyu grass. Concrete edging works start on 12 August for up to 5 weeks. [When opened in 2017 it was described as ‘long lasting‘. Page 179 of Infrastructure 27/3/18 agenda showed “pump track, seal, landscaping, amenities” at $125,000.]
- Gilmour St residents to be consulted in August. [should WED or RCB organise a meeting to discuss the issues?]
- Sewage – proposals in short list for November resource consent include land disposal – “update can be provided to the Community Board in September. A key stakeholder meeting is likely in September [Mon 2/9 6.30pm Supper Room to announce chosen scheme]. A public drop-in session will be held in mid-September”. Agenda no longer shows spills.
- Toilet replacements – community painting of Joyce Petchell and Cliff St toilets to be organised [do you want a mural, what designs, who to volunteer to paint them?]. Ngarunui Beach – Lobell Construction (Te Rapa) to begin replacing 2 toilets with 4 “and increasing capacity and improvements to the Main Car Park Toilets” [no detail] soon after building consent (applied for 31/7), but still hope to complete in October.
- Coastal Reserves 5 June minutes – Soundsplash review, “Harbour Care to be invited” to discuss Wainui Reserve planting, freedom camping, Aerodrome Bridge to footbridge walk/cycleway [next meeting 5.30pm Supper Rm Mon 12]
- Year to Date Service Request Report to 30 June – Parks & Reserves remains lowest with 50% of calls dealt with on time. Overall 82.87%, down from 84.58% success rate to December, but up from 80.61% to March.
- Raglan Naturally report was too late to be included, but there may be a verbal report.
- Discretionary fund has $17,110.68. Deadline for next fund applications 4 October.
- Food Waste collection – RCB workshop recommended $4,000 donation to Xtreme.
- Christmas in the Park wants $4,000.
- Waikato Junior Boardriders wants $1,109 for its 7 – 11 October Championships at Manu Bay.
The Community Board agenda makes no mention of WDC’s pre-election report showing budgets for the sewage upgrade at $15.6m, replacement of handrails around the wharf and its dolphin at $267,000 and skate parks at Raglan and Tuakau at $400,000. Is Council keeping up with its aspiration – “it has become obvious that Raglan requires a different level of engagement on projects such as this. Staff are now aware of this and will alter the level of communication with the community on any work moving forward”?
Have you emailed your submission to the Maui Dolphin Threat Management Plan, (due by 10 am on Mon 19th) asking for bans on net fishing, oil exploration, drilling and seabed mining, out to 100m depth contour, within the dolphin habitat?
What else should WED be taking up of these or other issues missing from the agenda, such as walk/cycleways (see my 19/7 email), footbridge beside Wainui Rd, Manu Bay breakwater, James St and Museum bus stops and shelters, a Coastal Hazard report, i-SITE tender, Wharf boardwalk, Hills Rd water tower, cutting trees on reserves, glyphosate, volunteer worker safety, parking infringement money, harbour lease, coastguard lease, Puriri Park, weedbusters?Hope to see you on Tuesday and also next Sunday 18th at the 9.45am Poihakena Marae Climate Emergency meeting.
Thanks
John.