August 2017 Residents’ Association meeting minutes

Tuesday 8 August 2017

Present: Iain MacLean, June Penhey, Paul FitzGerald, Brian Sullivan (RA committee), Dale Williams (PCC), Gay Hay, Gillian Candler (community)
Apologies: Pauline Morse, Jonathan Harker, Kate Dreaver, Rebecca Davis

Approval of previous minutes

See July 2017 minutes. Moved Paul, seconded Brian. Adopted.

Matters arising from previous minutes

  • Community/School hall: Kate has met with Tara Taylor-Jorgensen at the school to discuss the conditions of the hire agreement to ensure they align with legal requirements (i.e. recent changes to Health and Safety in Employment Act). Ann Jebson also met with Christine Burgess to discuss finances.
  • Community garden: we are still to organise a meeting with immediate neighbours of garden to discuss impact on them.
  • Muri Road safety work: work is progressing but slower than PCC had hoped.

Financial

Balance in cheque account $1,263.18.

Cheque written out for $60 to Margaret Blair (approved at previous meeting).

Correspondence

Letter from Porirua City Council (Corporate Planning Advisor) Kelsey Wood thanking us for our submission to PCC’s Annual Plan.

Dogs on beaches

Gay Hay and Gillian Candler spoke to the committee about their concerns about the number of dogs loose along the coastline and beach area, which are a danger to the native animals in the reserves along the coast towards Wairaka Rock. Part of the land is PCC reserve but most of it is Department of Conservation scientific reserve (from just past the Hole in the Rock to Wairaka Rock). Dogs are not allowed to be off the leash in either of these areas.

However, the overwhelming majority of dogs being walked along the coast are off the leash. Dogs have been seen jumping on native bushes and interfering with the traps during the lizard and skink monitoring project over summer. There are also little blue penguins in the area, which dogs could be a danger to. The recent killing of penguins at Whitireia has reinforced how vulnerable they are to dog attack. There have also been several seals on the beach and rocks this winter.

Pukerua Bay beach is one of the areas in Porirua where dogs are allowed to be off the leash for part of the year. There are signs on the beach, but it is not clear what area is considered as ‘beach’ by PCC. Gillian put in a submission to PCC’s Annual Plan this year asking for dogs to be controlled better and for improved signage.

Gay spoke about the Kapiti biodiversity project and the support being put in place for little blue penguins. This includes nesting boxes on the beach at Paekakariki and an information sign about little blue penguins. There is also a Massey University researcher studying little blue penguins on the coast and they have sound devices at Plimmerton to attract the birds. The Plimmerton community has been proactive about keeping dogs away from native animals.

Gay has spoken to the Department of Conservation about installing signs on the coast to remind people to keep their dogs on the leash when walking in through the scientific reserve, and they are happy to support this.

What can PCC do to help with this? Some sort of communication campaign would be needed, once we were clear about where dogs are allowed. RA could be involved in communications in the community.

Action: The committee agreed to support an application for grant funding to install a sign at Pukerua Bay beach similar to the one at Paekakariki, warning of the presence of little blue penguins and asking people to keep their dogs under control. Gay will investigate pricing and possible grants and put in an application under the name the Residents Association. Committee will be informed of progress if this is before our next committee meeting.

Porirua City Council update

Dale reported on the hearings for the Annual Plan, which included many submissions from the strong dog lobby wanting more exercise opportunities for dogs, including a dedicated, fenced dog park.

There are no changes to the proposed Village Planning budget. This will provide to Pukerua Bay:

  • He Ara Pukerua (trails) $14,500 capital funding APPROVED
  • Ara Harakeke shared pathway extension $40,000 capital funding APPROVED
  • Community garden/food forest $7,500 operational funding APPROVED
  • Community hub DECLINED due to funding constraints. Recommended Trust re-apply next year
  • Beach erosion community support DECLINED as not a VP project. PCC is developing plans for dealing with the coastal erosion and the damage to the Pukerua Bay beach will be included in that.

Work will begin soon on Porirua city’s Long Term Plan. These are normally for a 10-year term, but this one will be for 20 years to anticipate the expected development and changes to the city.

The old Post Office site in the city centre will be developed into a mixture of shops (on the ground floor) and accommodation in the floors above. The area behind the of Mobil petrol station is also going to be developed for accommodation.

Village planning update

Muri Road safety work

Work is underway on the road and pedestrian safety improvements agreed to through consultation with Muri Road residents and the Pukerua Bay Residents’ Association.

The bank has now been cut back and the footpath established. While the associated road edge markers have also been installed, these need to be relocated slightly closer to the road edge. Some remedial work is also required to replace a small section of concrete curb along the new footpath and improve stormwater management through installation of a concrete overflow dish channel across the path in that location.

The bases for the two lamp columns have now been established and the lamps will be installed in the coming weeks.

Work is underway to remove flaxes and restore a 1.5 m road verge in the nominated sections of Muri Road. Downer has advised they will be commencing the vegetation cut-backs (to improve light spill, pedestrian access and sight lines) on or around the 8th August.

We anticipate that the project will be completed, with installation of the two new street lights and the slow zone and associated road markings, within the next few weeks.

Community Garden (access)

This project is complete and the water supply has now been connected.

Community Garden (food forest)

The licence for use of the land now needs to be signed by two Councillors, and once completed we will email an electronic copy to you.

It would be appreciated if you could forward the front page of the Residents Association’s insurance documentation to the City Parks Manager and Kiwirail to demonstrate that insurance is now in place for the community garden.

Te Araroa way-finding signage

This project is on hold so the Araroa Trail Trust can consider whether Muri Road is a better main access instead of through the reserve once the pedestrian safety improvements have been completed. The 2016/17 budget for this project has been carried forward to facilitate implementation in the current 2017/18 year.

Ara Harakeke shared pathway extension (from shops to Wairaka Rd footpath)

Designs by the Council and NZTA engineers have been submitted and will be reviewed to find the best long-term solution. In the meantime a temporary steel footpath will be constructed to give better access over the slip. We anticipate that the slip will then be stabilised later this year, and a base created for a new shared pathway. We have recommended that Village Planning funding be allocated to support surfacing of the new pathway in 2017/18 as part of this work.

Village Planning Project Bids for 2017/18

The Council’s City Delivery Committee assessed project proposals and associated funding allocations for 2017/18 on 3 August. These now need to be considered and approved at the Council meeting scheduled for 23 August. Justine McDermott will be in touch again in late August to confirm your approved projects and funding allocations for this year.

Project updates

He ara Pukerua
  • Paul has spoken to Herman Saltzmann who is keen to carve another pou for this end of Te Araroa Trail. We have Jarrah timber that could be used.
  • We need to find an alternative storage place for the timber from the old Airlie Road bridge. Brian to talk to Ted Coats to see what options there are.
  • Group has followed up earlier discussions with Miria Pomare from Ngāti Toa on areas of interest to Ngāti Toa, in particular the lookout above the urupā as a possible site for information about the iwi’s connection with this part of the coast.
Fundraiser calendar

Progress made on design concepts and finding suitable photos. Ashley Blair will post some photos on our Facebook page to start generating interest in the community.

Other business

Civil Defence activation

Received email from Rebecca Jackson from the Wellington Region Emergency Management Office (WREMO) about the proposed activation of the Civil Defence centre at the school on 16 September, to see whether we are still interested in being part of it. We are still interested, but will work with Robyn Moore and Geert van der Vorstenbosch to help them organise it.

NZTA design of crossing by shops

Design has been confirmed and sent to Captial Journeys for pricing and scheduling.

Meeting finished: 9:10pm.
Next meeting: 12 September 2017

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