Present: Iain MacLean, June Penhey, Kate Dreaver, Brian Sullivan, Jonathan Harker, Paul FitzGerald, Pauline Morse, Dale Williams (PCC).
Community: Peter Roach, Ashley Price, Guy Marriage, Nikky Winchester (Community Hub Group).
Apologies: Rebecca Davis, Jenny Brash (GWRC).
Approval of previous minutes
Amend financial balance to $2787.18 (not .80 cents).
Motion: adopt the minutes from the previous meeting, so amended. Moved Paul, seconded Kate. Carried.
Matters arising from previous minutes
Ara Harakeke footpath: Kate tabled a timetable of chasing mobility and accessibility issues with NZTA and PCC. A report for Transit New Zealand from a meeting in 2005 to determine pedestrian access across SH1 in Pukerua Bay, and a report from Peter Bailey, GM of asset management and operations at PCC, in January 2010 from an extra-ordinary meeting to seek approval for funds to progress the Pukerua Bay Neighbourhood Accessibility Plan (NAP).
To answer the query about our priorities from last month’s meeting, our priorities have been in the last two village plans, where the top two issues are:
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mobility around the village, and
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protecting the beach and marine environment.
Dale has indicated the work is to be scheduled in the new financial year after June 2017.
Muri Road safety work: safety plans were circulated to Muri Road residents last week.
Hall committee: Iain has drafted a letter to the school board around the hall management.
Financial Report
Balance: $2,878.18
Correspondence
Received PCC village planning May 2017 update from Claire Giblin, see below.
Received invitation to submit next financial year’s project requests and template forms to fill out.
Tamsin sent the coastal erosion report after the meeting last month.
Received a report from Friends of Mana Island about this summer’s lizard monitoring work.
Received the March and April update from Predator Free Pukerua Bay.
Nick Vincent has resigned from the committee due to work commitments. We would like to thank Nick for his work in the Pukerua Bay community and especially around the excellent progress we have seen on pest trapping.
Received a request via Facebook from a resident interested in the coastal erosion and her family’s involvement and contribution of the beach picnic tables, which was discussed at the meeting last month.
PCC update
Dale Williams had a meeting last month with beach residents around the coast erosion and storage of the seats and picnic tables, and work has been planned as a result of the meeting. Following is the monthly VP update from PCC.
Heritage Trail
The sub-group is working with graphic designer Jane Comben from Pogo Design on branding for the trail for once the name has been finalised and agreed by all parties. The stainless steel sign frame (which will sit inside the timber one) has been manufactured by Kenepuru Engineers and will be installed when the temporary signs have been finalised. The four decorative metal skinks have been cut and will be installed at the same time as the temporary signs.
The station opening and uncovering of the new temporary Heritage sign is scheduled for Saturday 27 May.
Muri Road safety work
“Walkalongs” are scheduled for Thursday 11 May at 4.30pm and Saturday 13 May at 10am to give residents a good feel for the options proposed to improve pedestrian safety. We will meet at the intersection of Muri Road and Sea Vista Drive.
Community Garden (access)
This is now complete apart from some minor finishing works. All that remains is to connect the water pipe supplying water to the garden to the City water main. This will be done shortly by Wellington Water.
Community Garden (food forest)
The work to improve the site has started. Access has now been created and the Parks team has flailed the long grass down to make initial cultivation easier. We look forward to receiving your signed copies of the licence for the use of the land.
Te Araroa way-finding signage
Te Araroa Trail Trust is asking for this project to be put on hold to allow time to consider whether Muri Road is a better main access instead of through the reserve.
As a result, we have requested the $5,000 budget be transferred to the next financial year on the understanding that the project will have started before the end of June. This will allow you and the Trust time to consider this following the pedestrian improvements in Muri Road.
Ara Harakeke Extension (from shops to Wairaka Rd footpath)
The project is on hold while we resolve how to address the slip affecting the SH1 footpath. NZTA in partnership with the Council is proposing to construct a retaining wall alongside the footpath, which would also require widening and resurfacing of the path (and might also affect the existing barrier). Work is expected to begin next financial year starting July 2017.
Village Planning Project Bids for 2017/18
We have invited the villages to submit their priority project lists for the 2017/18 financial year for consideration and approval by the Council’s newly-formed City Delivery Committee by Friday 26th May.
Te Araroa Track
Presented by Ashley Price. After discussion on Facebook, reports are that residents are being asked by walkers for water, use of toilet facilities, and are sometimes illegally parking across driveways. The track reports 50-60,000 people have walked it since it opened. We need to press for improved facilities (parking, water fountains, toilets) that can meet the increased pedestrian traffic. Paul suggests GWRC come up with a train discount for walkers to encourage use of the train and to walk from Pukerua Bay station, which may help to take pressure off parking requirements.
The RA thanks Ashley and others on the Facebook group for bringing these issues to our attention.
Action: RA contact Jenny Brash at GWRC about train ticket and parking solutions.
Review of Pukerua Bay village plan
Presented by Kate Dreaver. A focus workshop was held at the School Hall on Sunday 30 April. A small but lively group of several residents was in attendance, and plenty of ideas were recorded. It became apparent that, in addition to the four major themes we’ve been working from, a fifth one emerged, tentatively entitled “future focus” to encompass changes now upon us. These changes include the impacts of the Te Araroa walkway, Transmission Gully, the Plimmerton Farm subdivision, and climate change. We need to think more strategically about how we are going to be resilient to natural disasters, maintain our connection to the environment and our distinctive identity (a semi-rural village rather than a suburb) while also taking on new opportunities.
Guy Marriage, architecture lecturer at Victoria University: experience from urban planning projects in Porirua and Upper Hutt has shown interesting results, and are a great opportunity to throw students at problem-solving. Results can be mixed but usually include some good, innovative, fresh ideas. A suburb can shrink, stay static, or grow, and growth can be beneficial or detrimental to residents. It is possible to steer the growth in our favour by planning appropriately. Dale: Porirua is becoming increasingly attractive to commercial and industrial development due to the construction of Transmission Gully.
Village Planning project bids for 2017-18
RA will support bids for the following five projects: Ara harakeke footpath, community garden, heritage trails, beach erosion, and the community hub café group. The café group would like to cooperate with the RA especially around community resilience and creativity, as in the current village plan.
These bids need to be in by 26 May, we will email the PCC supplied application template to the various project leads.
Safety improvements on SH1
NZTA will proceed with work on the safety barrier by Beach Road, and the speed indicators. The pedestrian refuge by the shops will be postponed until next financial year (after June) since concerns were raised about access to the car park and the turn bay into Teihana Road. Iain and NZTA folks will be meeting tomorrow to discuss and press for the importance of the pedestrian refuge, given how close we’ve got to having it implemented, after being on and off the books for nearly two decades.
Submission to the PCC Annual Plan
We will be supporting our submission on Tuesday 16 May, and need to press for the beach erosion and the SH1 footpath repairs.
Project updates
Heritage trails: Brian has booked a guest speaker (the Porirua Mayor) for the train station opening on 27 May at 10 am in the west car park. Ashley Blair will be the MC on the day, and hopefully someone from Ngāti Toa will participate too.
Community garden: access is now built, and the site has been mown and mulched. We hope to have the first working bee this Saturday, 13 May. Announcement of same will be made in the next day or two.
Other business
Logo: Pauline has furnished Anne with the new skink design for our new logo.
Community Hub group: presented by Nikky. Currently finalising paperwork to become a charitable trust (Ahu Charitable Trust ki Pukerua Bay). The first fund-raising event will be on 21 May, a showing of the Pecking Order film at the Pauatahanui Lighthouse Cinema. There is also a grant application to PCC for Matariki on Saturday 24 June, running the secret valley walk with related activities at the school hall before and after. Any support, funds, helpers and volunteers will be greatly appreciated. Calendars, if they were organised in time, could be made available at the Matariki event.
Plimmerton farm: the consents will be considerable, silt runoff and traffic planning will be large concerns, including the traffic changes that will result from opening Transmission Gully, plus extensive planning around residential and commercial zones.
Meeting finished: 9.18 pm.
Next meeting: Tuesday 13 June 2017.