In the latter part of 2022, BlueFloat Energy revealed its plans to develop a substantial offshore wind farm along the Raglan coast. During the most recent community board meeting, a representative from the energy consortium presented their project plans. RCB Chair Dennis Amoore emphasised that although the project is still in its early stages, there is an opportunity for the community to reap benefits from the development of the wind farm.
Representatives have said that Phase 1 of the project is expected to create about 810 megawatts of generating capacity using up to 54 turbines fixed directly to the sea floor – 22 kilometres off the Raglan coast. The initial phase could potentially create around 300 jobs in construction, and 100 plus during operations and maintenance.
“There's a whole lot of services required for the vessels that are going to be working out there, vessels that are going out every single day. So there is an opportunity for regular businesses and the regular community to benefit from what they're doing out there that we need to start thinking about now,” said Dennis who also mentions he expects most of the heavy operations will be based out of Taranaki.
(listen to the full interview below:)
Regarding concerns about fishing around the turbine bases, Dennis said Bluefloat anticipates that restrictions on recreational fishing boats should be minimal with a 50m exclusion zone around the base of the turbines once erected but may be up to 300 m during construction. It’s also important to note that the project hasn't even reached the feasibility study stage, investment decisions are not expected to be made until 2030. There's also a possibility that they might conduct the feasibility study and decide to change their plans depending on the result.
Rates increase and council investment
A community member voiced concerns about council rate increases at the RCB open forum. Dennis explained that these rate hikes result from various factors. While the general rate contribution and annual general charge have increased by an average of 7% overall, rates also include components like water supply charges and stormwater charges have increased by greater amounts.
Dennis noted that by sharing the cost of wastewater upgrades across the entire community, including ongoing developments, the increase is kept moderate. However, he emphasised that housing developments including infill housing in Raglan has added pressure to existing infrastructure, further driving up upgrade costs. Subdivisions, while paying a development contribution, do not consistently contribute to the comprehensive improvement of the overall network - an important consideration when introducing a significant number of houses to a community.
Property valuations can also impact individual rates based on changes in property value. Dennis is concerned that ongoing rate hikes may strain the Whāingaroa community. Raglan has traditionally been a retirement town with an ageing population and while many own homes, their incomes may not suffice for continued increases in annual rate payments. He suggests that the Waikato District Council should seek increased funding from the central government to ease future rate increases. Dennis also reminds everyone that the council offers options if you are struggling to pay your rates and to get in touch with the council to chat.
Soundsplash 2024
Soundsplash organisers are currently working through their land-use consent application ahead of their 2024 event and expect to have this submitted to the council in coming months. With a decreased capacity of 8000 (down from 10,000) the annual festival is set to return on 19-21 January 2024 with site construction kicking off at Wainui Reserve on January 8th 2024.
Organisers have made a number of changes for next year’s event, including introducing a bus service from Auckland and Hamilton that will travel direct to site and staggered entry times for attendees at the airfield. The Soundsplash management team are also expected to submit plans around health and safety and transport to council by the end of September to address issues from this year’s event at which time Council will sign off on the festival proceeding.
Funding requests have been submitted to WDC for CCTV and ANPR camera installations within the Waikato region but there have been delays related to establishing and overseeing the monitoring infrastructure needed to support this camera network. Ongoing discussions are taking place among the Waikato District Council, Hamilton City Council, and the Waikato Regional Council to determine the allocation of responsibilities for various areas.
Civil Defence Planning is ongoing with a draft plan to be presented to interested community members in the next couple of months.
The Waikato Regional Council is working on pricing and routes for the Raglan internal bus service and Dennis hopes to have an update from them soon.
The development of the Greenslade Rd playground is advancing, with the completion of an ecological study and preliminary concept plans. Additionally, the Wallis St playground, which has recently undergone several upgrades, is now open to the public once again.
Council staff are currently looking at Wi Neera Walkway to find an economically viable solution to minimise costs of the upgrade.
Work has started on the western walkway of Raglan Wharf and Dennis has noted that due to the closure of the road on the left side of the silos, there may be some traffic inconveniences until the crane work is finished.
Council staff are patiently awaiting the consultants' report for the Manu Bay Break Wall. Unfortunately, the extra workload following Cyclone Gabrielle has caused delays with the consultants but the RCB hopes to obtain a timeline for the studies completion soon.
The Raglan Rugby Sports Club pavilion is receiving a fresh lick of paint as part of a small maintenance upgrade.
Concerns regarding erosion at Papahua will be discussed during an upcoming meeting with discussion on the impact the new bridge has had and options to stop erosion continuing.
The submission period for the Freedom Camping Bylaw review has ended and the hearings for these submissions are scheduled to commence on Tuesday 12 September.
Don’t forget that the Raglan Surf Life Saving Club is holding its 50 year reunion on 22 October. The RCB approved funds to cover the cost of printing a special book written by Elizabeth Amoore that covers the history of the club. Visit the website for more details: https://www.raglansurflifesaving.org.nz/about-us/50-years/
The next Raglan Community Board meeting will be held on Wednesday 18 October at the Town Hall Supper Room from 1.30pm.