Our Mercury Bay Community Board met today.

Click here to watch the unedited recording of the meeting. It is also available on our website at tcdc.govt.nz/meetings.

Below is a summary of what was discussed. You can view the full agenda here.

2.1 Mercury Bay Community Board Correspondence

The Mercury Bay Community Board received correspondence from

• Water Restriction Concerns - Whitianga Garden Club
• Letter of Support for Funding Applications - Creative Mercury Bay

2.2 Mercury Bay Community Board 2019/2020 Work Programme Update

You can view the full programme here.

Some notes to highlight:

• The Board questioned progress on the Taputapuatea footbridge - still under construction in Whitianga. Staff indicted a Maori values assessment to meet the requirements of the consenting process is still being sought.
• The Board raised concerns about the erosion at White Street and around the WaterWays Harbour. Meetings have been held with residents through the Shoreline Management Plan process, and now needs to be added to a work programme for consideration.

2.3 Parking Control Bylaw Amendment and Hot Water Beach Parking Machine and Robinson Road Boat Trailer parking permit area

You can read the full report here.

The Board is recommending Council approve an out-of-budget cycle request to purchase and install additional parking payment machines at Hot Water Beach main car park at a maximum cost of $10,000. This is to be funded from revenue generated from the additional car parks. The report was passed with an amendment to the prohibited boat trailer parking area

2.4 Matarangi Community Trust - Appointments Panel

The Matarangi Community Trust is an independent charitable trust whose objectives include the following aims:

• Establish, support and maintain open space reserves, facilities and other amenities for community and public use at or near Matarangi for the promotion of health and other purposes beneficial to the community.
• Support public welfare, health and safety, and emergency management for Matarangi residents and visitors and Matarangi entities.
• Support and advance education of children of Matarangi.

The Board appointed Ross Healy to be a member of the Matarangi Community Trust Appointments Panel. Mr Healy is a property developer and joint owner of Phillimore Properties with his brother Ken and Terry Gould. He is a director of Matarangi Land Holdings Ltd and as a low handicap golfer, has declared his commitment to keeping an 18-hole golf course on the open space at Matarangi.

You can read the full report here.

2.5 Draft Mercury Bay Ward Community Plans

You can view the full report here.

Community Plans help articulate what communities value and provide Council with a more informed basis for decision making around funding and prioritisation of Council services and activities.

The Board approved the final draft Mercury Bay North, South and Central Community Plans, for the purpose of final feedback from the wider community including those parties that participated in the previous focus groups and consultation.

3.1 Mercury Bay Commercial Operators Licenses on or over public places and Council Reserves – 1 July 2020 – 30 June 2022

You can read the full report here.

The Mercury Bay Community Board recommends to Council

• That existing concessions on existing reserves be issued to operate commercial activities on or over reserves in the Mercury Bay ward for a term of one year from 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021. All other applications to be referred to an upcoming workshop to be considered further before a final resolution to be passed at the next meeting.
• That staff engage with Dive Zone operators to ensure compliance of the terms of its license.
• Refer the Boom Charters Ltd application for Hahei Beach front reserve to the upcoming workshop for further consideration, with a final decision to be passed at the next meeting.

3.2 Thames-Coromandel District Council Sport and Active Recreation Plan

You can read the full plan here.

The Board received the 'Thames-Coromandel District Council Sport and Active Recreation Plan' report and recommended Council adopt it.

4.1 Draft Thames-Coromandel District Council Open Space and Community Facilities Strategy

You can read the full report here.

5.1 Shoreline Management Plan project update

You can read the full report here.

Board members Bill Mclean and Jeremy Lomas have been nominated as representatives for the Mercury Bay Coastal Panel tcdc.govt.nz/coastal.

5.2 Joan Gaskell Drive Speed Limit Review

You can read the full report here.

Members of the public have spoken to the Board requesting the Board look at reducing the current speed limit on Joan Gaskell Drive in Whitianga from 70km/h to 50km/h. The Board noted that when Joan Gaskell Drive was built there was farm land on both sides, but now over 50 percent of the southern side is housing and school zones and there is a number of commercial businesses on the other side.

The Board have requested a police report while recommending that Council approve an immediate temporary and urgent permanent speed limit reduction to 50kmph for the full length of Joan Gaskell Drive, separate to the regional speed management approach for 2020/2021.

6.1 Proposed Road Names - Hot Developments Limited - 790 Hot Water Beach Road, Hahei

You can view the plan here.

The Board recommends Council approve the road name ‘Te Puia Place’ which means hot spring in Maori, for a road in Stage 3 of the Hot Developments Limited subdivision (SUB/20130026), located at 790 Hot Water Beach Road.This name has been endorsed by local iwi Ngati Hei.

7.1 Whangapoua Voluntary Fire Force - Variation of Lease

Since 2017, when Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) took over the management and building maintenance of all fire brigades and forces, it has been working towards raising funds for further maintenance on the fire station.

Works include:

• The removal and relocation of the fire exit stairs on the upper story of the building to meet fire code
• Establishing a new storage area underneath the new stairs.

The Board recommends Council approve the following variations of the lease with the Whangapoua Voluntary Fire Force:

• Surrender of lease over that part lot 2 DP 375855
• Increases the leased area over Lot 1 DP 375855 by approximately 9m2 to accommodate the addition of the new fire exit stairs and boat storage area under these stairs.

The Board recommends that the Chief Executive be delegated to finalise all necessary arrangement with the Whangapoua Volunteer Fire Force.

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