Thanks are due to a number of people as this is the last meeting of this triennium. On behalf of the Board I wish to thank Mrs Jean McBirney for her secretarial support of the Board for the past three years, and the three years before that. Jean, you have given us sterling service.
Mr Warwick Read has been our Senior Manager for the latter part of this year and has been of great assistance to us.
Also, since I am not standing for re-election I would like to take the opportunity to personally thank Mrs Louella Jensen and Mr William Scollay for your work of the last six years, Councillor Peter Daniel for your work of the past three years and Mr Roger Booth for the past year.
I report on the following matters, several of which will need to be picked up by the new Board elected in October.
Amendment to the 250 bus route.
I can report no further progress on this as the Regional Council say that it can now only be reviewed just before the new train timetables are to come into effect at the beginning of next year. I suggest that the newly elected board should involve me in advocating for adjustments to the route as I have been continuously engaged in the matter for the past 18 months or so and have the knowledge of that experience. It will need urgent attention between now and the end of this year.
Toilets at the northern entrance to Queen Elizabeth Park.
Board members will recall that we had a letter from the Raumati South Residents’ Association urging the Board to support their own comments on the need for the toilets at the northern entrance. Subsequently I received a letter from two pupils at Raumati South School along the same lines. I wrote to Mr Benham, the CE at Wellington Regional Council. stating that we agreed with the request and forwarded the pupils’ letter at the same time. This is another matter for the continued attention of the Board.
Water meetings
Two meetings at the memorial halls in Raumati South and Paraparaumu were held to inform residents of the Council’s decision and plans on water supply. The public attendance was slight; there was one member of the public at Raumati South and four at the Paraparaumu meeting. I think all that reflects is a wide acceptance of the wisdom of the decision that has been made and a respect for the process that preceded it.
Expressway
In a personal capacity I attended the recent meeting at El Rancho about the Expressway. It was attended by between 400 or so members of the public. It was addressed by three officials from NZTA and also by James Lundy. There remains considerable opposition to the construction of the expressway in the public at large.
The manner in which the Council engages with the Alliance to construct the Expressway has developed considerably with the set of principles all but completed.
There will be a need for the Board to monitor and advocate for the provision of interchanges and general access to the expressway in the design phase which is about to occur.
Raumati South School
I attended a whole school assembly where the school was given a bronze award by the EnviroSchools organization. They had earnt the award not only for the planting that has occurred at the school over the past several years, and recently supported by the Board with a donation of $500, but also with devoted efforts to recycle rubbish, create worm farms and be more tidy. It was a very heart-warming event. I was mightily impressed by the conduct of the pupils from the most junior to the most senior during the presentation.
Parking at Marine Parade
Board members will have received a letter from Mr Moller about the parking on Marine Parade. I entirely agree with Mr Moller’s observations about the need for the parking to be dealt with in a way that supports the retailers in the area. There is ample recreational parking along the Paraparaumu Beach front. It is hard to see how or why better information is going to be collected in the summer period. The issue is a matter of the moment because the parking is not supporting the retailers and is for most of the year irrelevant for recreational parkers. Recreational parkers have many options along Marine Parade and ‘inland’ areas towards the beach. The small number of parks identified by Mr Moller would still serve the community. Mr Moller’s complaint is simple. It is not recreational or retail parkers who are occupying the parking spaces. I shall return to this matter in General Business.
Matai Road Industrial Area
Finally it looks like a simple fence which can support shrubbery that will enhance the area will be installed. It is ironic that is what Mr Scollay and myself suggested as a solution five or so years ago.
Address to Council of Elders
I was invited to speak to the Council of Elders in August. They are concerned as to how they might engage with the Community Board about issues. That will be in the hands of the Board elected in October. Mrs Celia Harlen asked if the Board minutes could be forwarded to the Council of Elders earlier than there normal publication. When it was observed that this could only occur when they are confirmed at the next meeting and at that point they would be on the Council website, it was realized that there was no need for their own set of minutes. However, I said that I could forward the Chairperson’s report as soon as it was presented to the Board meeting.
John Haxton
Chairman
Paraparaumu/Raumati Community Board