This summary of the Oct 23 Raglan Community Board agenda prepared by John Lawson, Secretary of Whāingaroa Environmental Defence Inc., 51 Cliff St, Raglan 07 825 7866 email johnragla@gmail.com
The next Raglan Community Board meeting is Wed 23rd October in the Raglan Town Hall Supper Room. The public forum will be near the start of the formal meeting, giving an opportunity to discuss issues. You might prefer to email/phone the Board.
Wednesday’s agenda includes –
- Adaptive management “to set up a community panel and collaborate with mana whenua while following the Dynamic Adaptive Pathways Planning approach in relation to the potential risks posed by coastal inundation, flooding, and land slips.”
- Next meetings 1.30pm on 12 Feb, 26 Mar, 7 May, 18 Jun, 30 Jul and 10 Sep, all in the Supper Room.
- Manu Bay Breakwater report to go to 12 Nov Infrastructure Committee.
- Wharf “Open Spaces to confirm zoning for permitted and prohibited fishing then design and order a sign.” Concrete finished on boat ramp.
- Wi Neera Walkway Southern end “design is in development”.
- Civil Defence is on the agenda, but with no update.
- Coastal Reserve Stakeholder Meeting is on the agenda, but with no update.
- Soundsplash – “All management plans have been received by WDC and feedback has been provided to event organisers, very little change requested – they are good plans and mostly the same as last year. Special license has been lodged and public notification is happening until 24/10/2024. Fees & Charges changes have been added to the Long Term Plan for consultation early next calendar year.”
- CCTV – “Councillor/Chair CCTV workshop scheduled for 9 October”. To be in CBD (4), Te Uku and Manu Bay.
- Greenslade Rd Reserve playground – “We are having an internal workshop to support the design with nature play ideas. The workshop is extended over WDC, Sports Waikato, and other external consultants to enhance the design which is at its conceptual stage at the moment.”
- Community Board Plans – “Chairperson to follow up with the Community-Led Development Advisor.”
- Camp ground – stormwater “de-watering and the laying of pipe . . . is currently in progress.”
- Board Members’ Reports Verbal.
- Discretionary fund has $12,196.04, the Sailing Club want $1,000 for a tractor, the Arts Council want $2171.61 for RAW, Whāingaroa Dance Collective want $1,200 for Wharf Whispers sunset performances on 1 and 2 Mar and Raglan Naturally want $1,000 for a busking day.
These council items are not on RCB’s agenda –
Aerodrome workshop 9/10
Closure of airfield to be in Long Term Plan. Continue to manage reserve as an aerodrome until at least 30 June 2025. annual income $4,400 pa, Grounds maintenance / aviation advisor $15,500 avg per annum.
Water Governance Board 22/10 and Zoom update on Raglan sewage 10/10
New sewage plant to be finished in December and tested and running by mid 2025. A public update meeting in Nov. The next Zoom is 6.30pm on Thu 12 Dec. New security fence around the sewage works will be built in 3 stages from Oct 24: lower pond, upper pond and the new solar farm area. Technical assessment being done of land contact discharge on the coastal side of the Wainui reserve, through a planted area.
Stormwater swale/rain garden maintenance not fully completed. 23 Enviropods in catchpits in Raglan, some need replacing. A Catchment Management Plan for Raglan to be done in 2024/25 to identify barriers to fish.
“Climate Action Plan – reduce emissions by 50% by 2030 . . running our diesel vehicles costs nearly twice the cost of running our EVs, running our hybrid vehicles cost 1.02 times more than the cost of running our EVs, and PHEVs cost 1.19 times the cost of running our EVs. In addition, natural gas prices through Council’s supplier are rising 80% next month. Phasing out gas will be therefore be a key priority and saving. . . Wainui Reserve currently generates roughly $11k p.a. Alternative uses such as a native plant nursery or market garden could potentially generate 4x this, and create local employment and collaboration. . . Re-zone reserve activity management options for transition of land use by January 2025. Support open spaces team to transition land use over time. Benefits from alternative/mixed use land: Enabling more diverse use of public reserves, Native regeneration has carbon sequestration benefits, Potential cost savings from native plants grown onsite. Growing community engagement and employment. Expected emissions reduction: 19 TCO2e for every reduction of 10 cattle.”
Watercare extended their contract to 30 June 2028 giving WDC more time to negotiate with neighbouring councils.
LTP 18/9
Bridge traffic lights – engagement with the community during the pre-engagement phase. Noting that there is no subsidy for this project
Alcohol Control Bylaw workshop 15/10
Proportion of WDC alcohol related incidentsRaglan (26.6%) and Huntly (26%), total 722 1/9/2019-31/12/2023, increase in Dec-Jan in Raglan, 10 complaints of drinking in public places/safety, 6 about freedom campers, changes proposed by NZ Police and staff extend alcohol ban area from Wharf to Wainui Rd bridge and period 23 Dec-10 Feb.
Other relevant issues –
WDC’s arborist has looked at the pohutukawa opposite the Scout hut on Cliff St and says, “vehicles have damaged the root system of that tree and are not helping the others, I am going to arrange to have some mulch spread over the area. I will see what I can do to get the area cordoned off to stop vehicles driving on the exposed roots.”
Fast Track legislation includes Trans-Tasman Resources, which had an exploration permit for ironsand off Raglan.
MBIE’s map shows a 11 Dec 2023 application for a 248ha minerals exploration permit beside Ruapuke beach to look for aluminium, antimony, bismuth, chromium, cobalt, copper, gold, ilmenite, iron, ironsand, lead, lithium, magnesium, magnetite, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, platinum group metals, rare earth elements, rutile, silver, sodium, strontium, tantalum, tin, titanium, tungsten, vanadium, yttrium, zinc and zirconium.
The 2023 census shows –
| Raglan | 2013 | % of total | 2018 | % of total | change | 2023 | % of total | change |
| Totals [Google doc] | 2,757 | 100 | 3,279 | 100 | 18.93% | 3,717 | 100 | 13.36% |
| Māori | 705 | 25.6 | 867 | 26.4 | 22.98% | 903 | 24.3 | 4.15% |
| Pacific | 36 | 1.3 | 42 | 1.3 | 16.67% | 42 | 1.1 | 0% |
| Asian | 57 | 2.1 | 69 | 2.1 | 21.05% | 105 | 2.8 | 52.17% |
| female | 1,434 | 52.0 | 1,698 | 51.8 | 18.41% | 1,917 | 51.6 | 12.9% |
| male | 1,326 | 48.1 | 1,626 | 49.6 | 22.62% | 1,785 | 48.0 | 9.78% |
| other gender | – | – | 15 | 0.4 | – | |||
| 65+ | 444 | 16.1 | 510 | 15.6 | 14.86% | 657 | 17.7 | 28.82% |
| Occupied private dwellings | 1,170 | 70.9 | 1,293 | 73.1 | 10.5% | 1,395 | 72.5 | 7.9% |
| Unoccupied private dwellings | 480 | 29.1 | 477 | 26.9 | -0.6% | 528 | 27.5 | 10.7% |
| Dwelling owned or partly owned | 468 | 696 | 810 | |||||
| Kāinga Ora/Housing | 6 | 12 | 12 | |||||
| Dwelling held in a family trust | 129 | 159 | 171 | |||||
| rented occupied private dwellings | 417 | 387 | 363 | |||||
| Dwelling not owned & not held in a family trust | 450 | 420 | 387 | |||||
| No motor vehicle | 81 | 63 | 42 | |||||
| No telecommunications | 21 | 12 | 12 | |||||
| Te Uku | ||||||||
| totals | 1,458 | 52.9 | 1,722 | 52.5 | 18.11% | 1,881 | 50.6 | 9.23% |
| Māori | 189 | 6.9 | 285 | 8.7 | 50.79% | 366 | 9.8 | 28.42% |
| 65+ | 117 | 4.2 | 186 | 5.7 | 58.97% | 240 | 6.5 | 29.03% |
| Occupied private dwellings | 534 | 89.4 | 576 | 86.1 | 7.9% | 651 | 90.4 | 13% |
| Unoccupied private dwellings | 63 | 10.6 | 93 | 13.9 | 47.6% | 69 | 9.6 | -25.8% |
| Whale Bay | ||||||||
| totals | 768 | 27.9 | 972 | 29.6 | 26.56% | 1,020 | 27.4 | 4.94% |
| Māori | 148 | 5.4 | 213 | 6.5 | 43.92% | 261 | 7.0 | 22.54% |
| 65+ | 66 | 2.4 | 99 | 3.0 | 50% | 141 | 3.8 | 42.42% |
| Occupied private dwellings | 291 | 78.2 | 327 | 81.3 | 12.4% | 369 | 82.6 | 12.8% |
| Unoccupied private dwellings | 81 | 21.8 | 75 | 18.7 | -7.4% | 78 | 17.4 | 4% |
People mostly working from home Waikato region 2013 11.7%, 2018 15.1%, 2023 18.5%
Other issues missing from the RCB agenda – bus publicity, water tower mural, development next to 4 Square, stormwater (2024 annual meeting not held), freedom camping, footpath obstruction by cafes, Wainui Reserve 30-50 year plan, old Harbour Care site, Manu Bay planting, Raglan Naturally, structure plan, overflow car parking, waste collection, Papahua erosion, fluoride, off-shore windfarm, Community Energy Whāingaroa, roading, Blueprints, organic waste, rubbish on SH23, Area School road safety, 3 Bow St, Greenslade Rd SH23 junction, Connectivity Strategy, Surf2surf walkway, speeding on Main Rd, WEL EV Charger, Harbour Strategy, Animal Control late responses, cycle counts, Bayview Rd safety, Canada geese, Cliff St, Park Dr/Long St crossing, town square, Town Hall Committee, WRAP, Calvert Rd parking, volunteer worker safety, Puriri Park.
Should WED be taking up these or other issues?