Community Board want park fence funds reallocated

May 10th, 2012
[by David Armstrong]

The community board wants the $40,000 for building a new Memorial Park boundary fence to be largely reallocated to another local project that would provide more benefits.

The rejection of the need to spend so much money on a fence to replace the current border, which needs only a few minor repairs and improvements, was one of several interesting items to be discussed and decided at Tuesday's community board meeting. (See our other main story here.)

The $40,000 was budgeted for the 2010 - 2011 year following a series of deliberate fires set in the old border hedge, which has now been removed. This was then deferred to the current financial year but has not been acted upon.

Board members felt that the present fence is working well and may only need a ground-level mesh fence to stop balls getting through. They also liked the openness of the park to outside view. They agreed to contact council's Community Services manager to ask for the money to be reallocated.

Janie Seddon:  A resident Walter Hoffman wrote to the community board asking for advice on concerns he held for the Janie Seddon wreck, which he called "our historical eyesore on the Motueka foreshore". He said nobody seemed to care about its state - the people, Talley's or the council.

"Does this pile of rusting steel represent the values of the fishing industry or the pride of the Motueka community or do we not care?" he wrote. "Over the past 40 years I watched her change, fall to bits, disintegrate uncared for. ... do we need this pile [of] rusting steel on our beach. It does not tell a good story. Remove it and if necessary build a fitting memorial for the Janie Seddon."

He asked who is responsible for it, what do ACC and OSH say about "the hazards of people climbing into the wreck or the pieces of steel in the mud on the beach", and where are the warning signs.

Emails tabled at the meeting show that the TDC harbourmaster Steve Hainstock advised that the owner (thought to be the Talley family but since found not to be the case) could easily be required to remove it at the owner's cost. Council staff suggested the board obtain feedback from Motueka people.

Board members agreed that the wreck remains a key and unique part of the Motueka landscape and is much photographed and painted at various tides. They felt that residents wanted it to remain, and that warning signs were not necessary. Cliff Satherley recommended that they should wait until the top part of the ship falls into wreck and then reconsider its fate.

Surplus:  The financial accounts showed that it is likely the community board will end the financial year with a surplus of around $25,000, and include unspent Discretionary Grant funds. This will probably be added to the board's budget to carry out small local projects.

Renaming High Street North:  The vote by the residents of this stretch of road between Staples Street and the river bridge have voted 9 to 4 in favour of renaming it Lyndhurst Drive. This recommendation will be passed on to Tasman District Council for a final decision and action. The name will change from July 1st.

Port Motueka groyne:  Councillor Barry Dowler reported that measurements and modelling is still being carried out prior to removal of the problematic synthetic groyne built to channel the outflow of the Moutere Inlet. He said that the actual removal can be done only between April and September, when the migratory birds on the sandspit are absent.

Accessibility 4 All:  Ergonomist Marion Edwin addressed the board during the public forum, raising awareness of the council's A4A forum which aims to ensure that "universal design" - building and footpath design which ensures people of all levels of ability can access and use them - is applied throughout the district.

She updated the board on current known disability access issues in Motueka. She also said that although she has been attending A4A forum meetings in the past and recently has been the only person from Motueka, she is not a representative of the town or ward. She would welcome approaches from anyone who would like to work with her, and especially someone who would be willing to represent Motueka at the forum.

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