Pohara to Takaka cycle and walkway
The Route 6 preferred option for the Pohara to Takaka Cycle and Walkway features this 240 metre-long bridge spanning Motupipi Estuary.
This month Collingwood hosted the community board meeting, which is traditionally a lively affair when held at that end of the Bay.
Around the table on Tuesday 13 September at the Fire Brigade’s social room were Carolyn McLellan (chair), board members Karen Brookes and Mik Symmons, Cr Martine Bouillir, TDC’s public services manager Lloyd Kennedy and TDC youth representive Jaymalla Morgan-Lakeman from Rototai.
Alan Vaughan opened the public forum with a warning about corporate fishing interests subverting the amateur-only finfish management areas as recommended by the Challenger fishery advisory group on which Alan served. He painted a picture of behind-the-scenes parliamentary lobby groups and excess bureaucracy serving to bury the due process.
Liza Eastman advised that the petition seeking views on the IMG had now been taken in, with 28 pages of signatures concerned about the project, and three pages happy with it. The validity of the preliminary results was rejected earlier in the month at the public forum of the property-owning trust. Said Liza: “I don’t want to lose any friends on this, but there are some very strong feelings out there. A lot of people feel disenfranchised because there’s been a lack of transparency about the process.”
Heritage advocate Penny Griffith then sought community board support for Tasman Bays Heritage Trust’s quest to find the ideal storage building for the Nelson Provincial Museum’s collections and research work.
Sara Chapman presented a copy of the new draft Civil Defence plan for the area, which had been condensed to just 18 pages, and which is now open to public comment.
Murmurings of support from all around came when Peter Foster got up to say how “staggered” he was to read about a TDC in-committee decision to replace the departing CEO with a “permanent CEO”, especially with “amalgamation just around the corner”.
The meeting’s energy rose when Victoria Davis delivered an emotional appeal for retention of existing X-ray facilities and criticised the Integrated Health Project as a misguided, expensive exercise, challenging the board to state what was good about the plan. At this point Carolyn McLellan reminded board members at these meetings to formulate any reply, although in this instance one didn’t look to be forthcoming.
Council by-election candidate Sue Brown enquired where the “small wharves report” was. “We haven’t seen it from the consultant,” said Lloyd Kennedy. Council moves slowly, the chair reminded everyone.
BJ White enquired about his neighbourly access and runoff problem in Swiftsure Street, above Collingwood. “I see from your report that you’ve had discussions with landowners,” said BJ, “but I’m a landowner concerned and I haven’t had any discussions.” The board noted that even TDC had recently lost its access to Swiftsure Street because of the actions of another landowner, and was now seeking legal advice about the access and stormwater matter that has continued for at least two years.
Mik Symmonds, wearing his hat as a school trustee, updated everyone on the GBHS teaching block closed by earthquake risk assessment and invited ideas from the community.
Guy Burns of the government’s Going Digital strategy used an old television to give an enlightening presentation on what would be required of Golden Bay television owners regarding digital reception, planned for implementation here in April 2013.
Two gifts of appreciation were made, one to Noel and Cath Riley for their years of council-related work, and the other to Collingwood Volunteer Fire Brigade for their 100-year contribution to the area.
Peter Orange and Robbie Robilliard then presented, on behalf of the Golden Bay Cycle and Walkway Committee, the feasibility report of a Pohara-to-Takaka Cycle and Walkway as an alternative to biking Abel Tasman Drive, which many eastern Golden Bay residents now see as suicide by cycle. Six options were presented, with their “Route Six” being the favoured option. This includes a 240m-long bridge (costing up to $400,000) that would cross Rototai Estuary and provide the shortest route.
With the public gallery now largely spent and disbanding, the board then proceeded to ratify all correspondence, which included sending out a myriad of thank you letters to Outstanding Service Award winners, SPCA and Keep Golden Bay Beautiful committee members for their efforts. They also voted to thank TDC for “significant achievement with ongoing evolution of delegations”.
The board will also write to Mr Addo Mulders in Nelson, reassuring him that there were no plans from Golden Bay to move the Abel Tasman statue from his current position at Tahunanui.
Also discussed were issues of the draft Abel Tasman Foreshore Plan, bridging access to the Heaphy Track, cattle crossings, Marine Management Plan, Golden Bay Garden Competition and motocross events. Commented Karen Brookes: “These community board meetings are an opportunity for the views of the community to be expressed. It’s a real mixed bag but it all gets listened to and a lot gets taken on board. It’s essential we retain these boards as the community forum for concerns.”
Gerard Hindmarsh
