Variety of topics at Board's 25th anniversary meeting

November 12th, 2014
[by David Armstrong]

The Community Board has agreed to ask Council to flag a plan to expand the parking space at the Recreation Centre, saying the money could better be spent on other more pressing problems.

Fifty thousand dollars has been sitting in the Reserves Financial Contributions (RFC) budget for the Motueka ward allocated to enlarging the car park, with estimates suggesting the cost could go as high as $100,000. This would likely include paved car parking space on Goodman Reserve.

After asking Brent Maru about how often current parking space was inadequate, the board decided that it was full only at certain peak times, and that on-road parking was close enough that users didn't have long walks to the building.

Board members all knew of other ways that that money could be spent. Instead, they recommended that the existing space could benefit from improvements to the layout, and painting parking lines along the west side of the building would ease congestion.

They added that a small amount of that budget should be spent on many more bike stands, including ones with slots wide enough to hold wide-tyred bikes.

Janie Seddon must go
Following comments at the Board's October meeting regarding the state of the Janie Seddon shipwreck, all Board members reported that they had heard no opposition but plenty of support for having the fast-rusting structure removed.

They commented on a recent fly-over video posted on YouTube and Motueka Online (here), which shows just how little there is left of the wreck. What was mainly at issue was who will pay for its removal.

The Board agreed to send a letter to the Department of Conservation setting out the situation - mainly the safety issues and environmental pollution of rusting iron - and asking to consult on its removal.

Port Motueka beautification project
Paul Mosley, secretary of Keep Motueka Beautiful and project leader, gave a presentation with images outlining KMB's plan, with Council, to turn the Port Motueka quayside area and Beach Reserve from being a neglected eyesore into a jewel in Motueka's crown.

Work on the multi-year, multi-staged project began two months ago after more than a year of concept development and planning, and the path from the north-west corner of Beach Reserve across the small wetland and curving to the south-east corner should be finished in a few weeks, including some of the new plantings nearby.

Paul then outlined the next stages, which he said were increasingly complicated given land ownership issues in the area, especially the buildings in place as well as materials dumped or stored on land that should be public, as well as the parking area that is used by freedom campers.

East Quay, from the saltwater baths to approaching the port entrance, would be next. Much of hte scrubby plants and weeds will be replaced with plants better suited to the coastal strip, along with a better walking/wheelchair path.

Finally the port quay area, round George Quay to Talley's fishing platform and currently used as storage space and a muddy vehicle turning bay, will be redesigned and made into an area that locals and tourists will enjoy visiting, a "jewel in the crown" rather than "the disgrace" that Paul said it was at present.

The Board resolved to support in principle KMB's concept proposal and to invite the KMB committee to prepare a costed design that could be considered for incorporation into Council's long term plan.

Public forum
Three speakers at the public forum before the formal Board meeting addressed the Waimea dam issue, the common theme being that general ratepayers outside the area of direct benefit should not be asked to subsidise the commercial users of the water from the Waimea River who will doubtless be the main beneficiaries.

Board chairman Paul Hawkes urged those with an opinion on the funding of the dam to make a written submission to the hearings, as that was the only way to have that opinion considered. Submissions close on Friday.

Another speaker raised the issue of the $125 payment (plus $100 bond for breakages) required by Council to hire the crockery at Memorial Hall. This fee makes it more difficult for organisers of events like the community Christmas dinner and the Motueka Volunteer Awards to raise money.

What seemed to make this morally wrong is that the crockery was paid for by the Community Board, not Council, with discounts sourced my Motueka community people. The speaker suggested that "this double dipping of payments be stopped", and that the bond is sufficient to cover breakages.

Brent Maru asked the Board to consider having a member of the Youth Council invited to attend future Board meetings and able to sit at the table with speaking rights but no voting rights.

Discretionary funds
Four community groups had their requests for money from the Board's Discretionary Fund and Youth Development Fund approved.

Lower Moutere-based Whenua Iti Outdoors will use $500 to help two young people to attend the 6-day "Journey of Discovery course to be held in December. The programme is for local youth, focusing on leadership and teamwork.

Kidpower Teenpower Fullpower Trust was granted $500 to provide a 5-hour comprehensive public Kidpower workshop for up to 20 students in Motueka aged 8 - 12 years. The workshop teaches children the skills needed to be emotionally and physically safe with others and themselves.

Motueka Aero Club received $500 to help pay for running the Alpine Area Rally at Motueka Aerodrome, where public spectators can watch flying and junior members have the opportunity to learn from skilled pilots in a competitive environment.

And Motueka South School got $200 to be used as part of their "Community Conscience" programme to sand, undercoat and paint tiered seating located outside the Recreation Centre as one of the school's voluntary projects.

As a passing thought, it was noted that this meeting was the 25th anniversary of the Community Board, which was created following the formation of the Tasman District Council in November 1989.

Comment by Mark Wentworth:
[Posted 15 November 2014]

I am amused at the article reported in Motueka On Line, around the Community Board not supporting the use of funding already set aside for the Car Park improvements at the Rec Center.

As a business owner of the State Cinema, most weekends over winter and many other occasions when all the facilities are full of sports people, band rooms and cadet room in use, the cinema is disadvantaged especially by older folk not able to get to the cinema as the parking is such a mess. They phone us to say we cannot get in, so as a business we lose out often at weekends.

Improving the line marking is only one issue in regard to the parking issues, more car parking space is needed overall, will it be a death on the road side or within the car park, that will wake the council and community board up around the lack of parking and organized issues around the car park fiasco.

As we pay TDC to operate the cinema here, I was not consulted in any way around the options around car parking ideas, as we are a major contribution to TDC by way of rent, and the only business directly paying to TDC rent for space, I find the whole issue ignorance on many people front.

The expansion of the car parking was all part of the planned original update in 2011/2012, but this never happened, and we agreed at the cinema for all the disruption at the time to the whole redevelopment so long as the car parking was expanded.

Seems to me it will take a death in the area of the Rec Center of the car park to realize cramming so many cars in was a dumb idea and the money already set aside should have been used.

I guess TDC and Community Board don't value people lives in this situation. Like everything else happening right now within council, no long term look at what the community needs, all short term thinking to appease the wingers of the town.

The money is there for that purpose of the carpark upgrade, typical, listening to the minority.

Let's hope the death in the carpark or road side, it not someone I have to pick up, maybe the Community Board or Council can be called to deal with it and then they can ring the families to explain about a young child being run over, why the allocated money was spent on a non specified project, not saving a death.

Comment by Brent Maru, General Manager Facilities, Sport Tasman:
[Posted 16 November 2014]

I felt it appropriate to respond to the comment from State Cinema in regards to the car parking at the Motueka Recreation Centre and clarify some key points:

The assumption that the Community Board is not concerned is far from true and has been an item of discussion on their agenda for a period of time and in fact at the last meeting the Chair also highlighted the need to ensure that vehicle speed along Wharf Road is monitored.
The proposed car parking was on Goodman Park. We believe that open green space should be preserved and did not consider a mix of hundreds of children playing sport mixed well with vehicular traffic on the park. In fact I consider this to more of a danger than a full car park.
As I said to the community board it is positive to see on a Saturday during winter, and now on a Tuesday / Thursday afternoon for junior touch the car park is indeed full and at times cars are parking along Old Wharf Road. This is no different to any other public facility, and indeed much improved over parking at the Nelson State Cinema where one often must park blocks away.
There are always a lot of "nice to haves" but in my opinion and one I stand by is that in today's current environment I could think of several other uses for $50,000.

Finally the cinema is a valued component of the Centre and parking at peak times is a challenge for any venue. I continue to hold the view that the planned re-alignment and creation of car parking on the west-side remains the most appropriate step.

Like everyone the last thing that any of us would want to see is any injury to any person so I hope that State Cinema will work with Sport Tasman and Council to educate all of our visitors on safe driving throughout the car park.

Comment by Shirley Frater:
[Posted 20 November 2014]

Janie Seddon - Motueka foreshore - leave it alone.

Reading the item regarding the Janie Seddon, I ask the Board to reconsider having it removed from the Motueka Foreshore at this stage.

It is an icon for Motueka's history and would be the most photographed local and visitor destination in the region. There are always people during daylight hours capturing mysteries of the past.

It is not as if young children can easily access the wreck. (1) the tide would have to be out, (2) they have to be able to walk out through the sinking mud, (3) they would have to be big enough to get inside plus other reasons. This reduces the possibilities of danger. Children can't be put in cotton wool. If a kid falls off a bike we don't ban bikes.

Please leave the Janie Seddon alone. However on the other hand the old wharf has deteriorated to a dangerous situation with promises to fix its heritage value and safety aspects - nothing happened!!!!!! Other than to put very unsightly orange mesh that anyone can climb over.

Complete one job at a time. The Motueka Historical Society has been seeking repairs over several years but to my knowledge the action is mostly talk on TDC's part. If it's because of lack of money I am sure the community would start fund raising.

Please make this a priority and restore. The locality is a great picnic stop over and fishing place enjoyed by locals and travelers.

Comment by Tony Small:
[Posted 23 November 2014]

Yes I agree, leave the wreck alone.

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