Minutes of Waihī Beach Community Board Meeting

Waihī Beach Community Board Meeting Minutes

9 October 2023

MINUTES OF Western Bay of Plenty District Council
Waihī Beach Community Board Meeting No. WBC23-6
HELD IN THE Waihī Beach Community Centre, 106 Beach Road, Waihī Beach
ON Monday, 9 October 2023 AT 6.30pm

1 Present

Chairperson R Goudie, Member H Guptill, Member D Simpson and Cr A Henry.

2 In Attendance

A Henderson (General Manager Corporate Services), A Hall (Transportation Area Engineer), P Watson (Reserves and Facilities Manager), P Osborne (Senior Governance Advisor) and R Leahy (Governance Advisor).

Others in attendance

26 Members of the Public, including:

Mayor James Denyer

Cr R Joyce

3 Apologies

Apology

Resolution WBC23-6.1

Moved: Chairperson R Goudie

Seconded: Member D Simpson

That the apology for absence from Cr A Sole be accepted.

Carried

4 Consideration of Late Items

Nil

5 Declarations of Interest

Nil

6 Public Excluded Items

Nil

7 Public Forum

7.1 Jo Hall - Stormwater drain 25 Wilson Road

Ms Hall was in attendance to raise concern regarding stormwater issues on Wilson Road.

Ms Hall advised the Board that she had contacted Council 12 months ago regarding the drain outside 25 Wilson Road, which was blocked. She was advised that the project was on the schedule of stormwater works. She requested an update on when these works would start and if regular maintenance could be undertaken on the drain.

7.2 Keith Hay - Civil Defence

Mr Hay was in attendance to speak to the Board regarding civil defence in Waihī Beach. He noted the below points:

· There was concern that Waihī Beach had no location that could safely house the population in the event of a tsunami.

· The new tsunami warning maps issued by the Civil Defence Emergency Management Group did not show which roads to drive in the event of a tsunami. Mr Hay requested that the maps be replaced with the previous versions.

· Mr Hay was advised that the purpose of the maps was to show the general direction that people should take rather than specific roads.

7.3 Mike Hickey - Various Items

Mike Hickey was in attendance to speak to the Board regarding the below issues:

· A police presence in Waihī Beach was necessary over the summer period.

· There had been 158 dog attacks in the Bay of Plenty area up from 120 the previous year.

· Mr Hickey requested that the road markings in Waihī Beach be repainted prior to Christmas.

Motion

Resolution WBC23-6.2

Moved: Chairperson R Goudie

Seconded: Member D Simpson

That in accordance with Standing Order 9.4, the order of business be changed with the presentations heard in the following order: Waihī Beach Lifeguard Services, Pio Shores Sports and Recreation Association, Waihī Beach Coastguard, Pippa Coombes – Waihī Beach Skatepark Update, Te Whānau ā Tauwhao ki Otawhiwhi and Waihī Beach Road Safety Improvements.

Carried

8 Presentations

8.1 Presentation - Waihī Beach Lifeguard Services

Donna Pfefferle from Waihī Beach Lifeguard Services and Mick Kearney from Surf Life Saving New Zealand were in attendance to speak about the proposed Lifeguard Building at Bowentown Seaforth South Reserve and water safety signs. They noted the following points:

· Waihī Beach had three flagged patrols and one roaming patrol during summer. There were issues with getting the appropriate gear to Bowentown and on the water in a timely manner.

· The purpose of the proposed Lifeguard building in Bowentown was to operate as a mini hub from the main end facility.

· There was currently no first aid room or triage room in Bowentown. An additional facility was necessary to build capacity to deal with incidents outside the flagged areas.

· Lifeguard Services was looking at standardising signs at beaches to make it easier for swimmers to identify risks.

· There was a need for more floatation devices on coastal areas to prevent fatalities.

· A recent coronial report had gone to councils across New Zealand recommending that local risk assessments in coastal areas should be undertaken to identify areas where signage and floatation devices be installed.

· The Reserves and Facilities Manager noted that Council had responded to an application and an ‘in principle’ decision had been made. Submissions for and against the proposal and been received and a decision would be made at a Council meeting in November 2023.

8.2 Presentation - Pio Shores Sports and Recreation Association

Peter Roy, supported by additional members of the Pio Shores Sports and Recreation Association, was in attendance to speak to the proposed Lifeguard Building at Bowentown Seaforth South Reserve. They noted the below points:

· Residents from Pio Shores were concerned about the proposal to lease the Bowentown South End Reserve for the purpose of a Lifeguard Building.

· The Bowentown South End Reserve was important to the Pio Shores residents as many had small sections and used the Reserve as open space.

· The Reserve formed part of Bowentown’s stormwater management system and was ‘soggy’ most of the year. The location of the proposed Building was an area that flooded.

· The reserve was primarily used by families particularly during the summer period.

· The proposed carpark and Lifeguard Building was too close to the cricket pitch and would take away the open space of the reserve.

· Most of the year the building would be used as a storage facility as Lifeguard Services only operated in Bowentown during the summer months. Waihī Beach Lifeguard Services should look at alternative options for a building.

· Coastguard was in the vicinity of the area which meant there would be a duplication of services.

8.3 Presentation - Waihī Beach Coastguard

Sam Dunlop was in attendance on behalf of Waihī Beach Coastguard to speak to the proposed Lifeguard Building at Bowentown Seaforth South Reserve. He noted the below points:

· Coastguard supported Waihī Beach Lifeguard Service’s goal to expand their facility and service.

· The two organisations worked in conjunction with each other, however, they had separate responsibilities.

· Coastguard did not want to see Lifeguard Services duplicate what their own service already provided.

· There were currently not enough carparks for all the services when responding to an incident.

· Coastguard had their own aspiration to expand the footprint of their existing facility, which meant that Lifeguard Services could not build their facility next door.

8.4 Presentation - Te Whānau ā tauwhao ki otawhiwhi

Reon Tuarau was in attendance to provide the Board with an update on behalf of Te whānau ā tauwhao ki Otawhiwhi. The below points were noted:

· The marae was now connected to the main sewage system, enabling the marae to house large groups during tangihanga and other events.

· The driveway had been sealed and road signs installed to help identify where the marae and kohanga was located.

· Otawhiwhi Marae had received funding to conduct cultural research on Great White Sharks. Recommendations for tikanga around Great White Sharks would be put forward for consideration.

· The track to Shelley Bay had been upgraded following the destruction after weather events earlier this year.

8.5 Presentation - Pippa Coombes - Waihī Beach Skatepark Update

Pippa Coombes and members of the Skatepark Committee were in attendance to provide an update on the Waihī Beach Skatepark project. They also sought support from the Board for this project.

· The Skatepark Committee was looking for support from the Board and Community for an upgrade of the skatepark in Waihī Beach.

· Skateparks were among the most frequently used recreational facilities.

· The group requested a letter of support from the Waihī Beach Community Board.

· Due to the small footprint of the existing skatepark, it was currently too dangerous for scooters, BMX and skateboard riders to all ride at the same time.

· The footprint for the new skatepark would be roughly double the existing footprint, depending on how much funding was acquired.

· A letter of support from Council had been produced to support the group’s funding applications.

Resolution WBC23-6.3

Moved: Cr A Henry

Seconded: Member D Simpson

That the Waihī Beach Community Board write a letter of support for a new skatepark at Waihī Beach.

Carried

8.6 Presentation - Waihī Beach School Road Safety Improvements

Representatives from Waihī Beach School were unable to attend the meeting.

9 Minutes for Confirmation

9.1 Minutes of the Waihī Beach Community Board Meeting held on 14 August 2023

Resolution WBC23-6.4

Moved: Member H Guptill

Seconded: Member D Simpson

1. That the Minutes of the Waihī Beach Community Board Meeting held on 14 August 2023 as circulated with the agenda be confirmed as a true and correct record.

2. That the Chairperson’s electronic signature be inserted into the confirmed minutes.

Carried

10 Reports

10.1 Waihī Beach Community Board Workshop Notes - 11 September 2023

The Waihī Beach Community Board workshop notes were received, with no further discussion.

10.2 Waihī Beach Community Board Chairpersons Report - October 2023

The Board considered a report from the Chairperson. The report was taken as read with further discussion on the topics listed below.

Resolution WBC23-6.5

Moved: Chairperson R Goudie

Seconded: Member H Guptill

That the Chairpersons report dated 9 October 2023 titled ‘Waihī Beach Community Board Chairpersons Report – October 2023’ be received.

Carried

10.2.1 Waihī Beach Entranceway Project

The Board noted the below points in relation to this project:

· The Entranceway Sign Project was being progressed. The Community Board were in the process of seeking permission from landowners to put the entranceway signs on their land.

· The Board was advised that changes to the design and materials used may be necessary to meet road safety requirements.

Resolution WBC23-6.6

Moved: Member D Simpson

Seconded: Cr A Henry

That the Waihī Beach Community Board approve the Entranceway Project design in principle, noting that changes may be required to address safety restrictions and material once locations are confirmed.

Carried

10.2.2 Seaforth Road Rehabilitation

It was noted that Seaforth Road from Pio Shores Roundabout to Anzac Bay was in a bad condition and needed to be rehabilitated.

10.3 Waihī Beach Community Board Councillor’s Report – October 2023

The Board considered a report from Councillor Sole. The report was taken as read with no further discussion.

Resolution WBC23-6.7

Moved: Cr A Henry

Seconded: Member H Guptill

That the Councillor’s report dated 9 October 2023 titled ‘Waihī Beach Community Board Councillor’s Report – August 2023’ be received.

Carried

10.4 Projects and Monitoting Committee Updates - Proposal to Lease Bowentown Seaforth Road South Reserve

The Board considered a report from the Senior Governance Advisor. The report was taken as read. The Chairperson advised that the Waihī Beach Community Board had put in a submission supporting an emergency hub in the south end of Waihī Beach, noting that the position of the facility was a complex discussion.

10.5 Infrastructure Group Report - Waihī Beach Community Board - October 2023

The Board considered a report from the Executive Assistance, Infrastructure Group. The report was taken as read with further discussion on items as listed.

Resolution WBC23-6.8

Moved: Chairperson R Goudie

Seconded: Member D Simpson

That the Executive Assistant Infrastructure Group’s report, dated 9 October 2023 titled ‘Infrastructure Group Report - Waihī Beach Community Board - October 2023’ be received.

Carried

10.5.1 Beach road safety enhancement project

The Board had a discussion regarding the Beach Road Safety Enhancement Project, noting the below points:

· The Roading Engineer had engaged with Beca for a quote, highlighting that majority of the cost for this initial design stage would go towards a typographical survey.

· The Community Board was not obliged to use Beca for the design.

· The Transportation Area Engineer would seek alternative quotes on behalf of the Community Board.

Resolution WBC23-6.10

Moved: Chairperson R Goudie

Seconded: Member D Simpson

That the Waihī Beach Community Board request for one to two additional quotes to be sought for the Beach Road Safety Enhancement Project.

Carried

Resolution WBC23-6.11

Moved: Member H Guptill

Seconded: Cr A Henry

That the Waihī Beach Community Board note that a preferred location for the requested pedestrian refuge on Beach Road (between Browns Drive and Waihī Beach School) will be recommended by the external consultant for Councils consideration.

Carried

10.5.2 Wilson Road Carpark Extension

The Board had a discussion regarding one of their priority projects, being ‘Wilson Road Carpark Extension’. The below points were made:

· The cost to extend and seal the Wilson Road carpark exceeded the Board’s Roading budget.

· There was the option to do a staged project for the carpark, with a gravel extension being the priority.

· Stormwater upgrades to 25 Wilson Road could happen in conjunction with extending the carpark.

Resolution WBC23-6.12

Moved: Member H Guptill

Seconded: Member D Simpson

That the Waihī Beach Community Bard approve funding of up to $45,000 from the Waihī Beach Roading Account, toward Stage 1 of the Wilson Road Carpark Extension project, noting that this project will happen in parallel with the stormwater upgrade.

Carried

10.5.3 Waihī Beach Library Designs

The Board requested the alternative library designs be presented at their next workshop.

10.5.4 pio shores pump station

· The Board requested an update on when the Department of Conversation would relocate the Shore skinks found near the Pio Shores Pump Station.

· The Board requested a walk around tour of the Pio Shores pump station upgrade once the works were completed.

10.5.5 Pensioner Housing

· There were still three affected pensioners that were unable to be accommodated.

· The Board requested an update on alternative housing options for the pensioners that could not be accommodated.

10.5.6 Mara Kai (Food Garden)

The Reserves and Facilities Manager provided the Board with an update relating to the Mara Kai (Food Garden).

The Board was advised that the Beach Road Recreation Reserve had been considered as a location for pensioner housing. However, it would need to go through a process to revoke the Reserve classification.

The Reserves and Facilities Manager was seeking direction on whether this process would be undertaken before progressing with the Mara Kai Food Garden.

10.5.7 EDINBURGH STREET AND WILSON ROAD CARPARKS

The Board requested Edinburgh Street and Wilson Road carparking be discussed at their next workshop.

10.6 Waihī Beach Community Board Operational Report - October 2023

The Board considered a report from the Governance Advisor. The report was taken as read.

Resolution WBC23-6.13

Moved: Chairperson R Goudie

Seconded: Cr A Henry

That the Governance Advisor’s report dated 9 October 2023 titled ‘Waihī Beach Community Board Operational Report – October’, be received.

Carried

The Meeting closed at 8.56pm.

Confirmed as a true and correct record at the Waihī Beach Community Board meeting held on 4 December 2023.

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Chairperson R Goudie

CHAIRPERSON