Recent changes to the Raglan Community Board area boundary has seen the Te Uku and Te Mata communities included as part of the Raglan Community Board.
The first of two rural board meetings will be held at Te Uku Hall, tomorrow on Wednesday, May 3, with the public forum starting at 1.30pm.
Preliminary Work For Long Term Plan Kicks Off in May
Every three years the council consults with communities to decide where rates are spent and develop the district’s strategic vision for the next 10 years in a Long Term Plan; a key planning document where key infrastructure projects are outlined, community outcomes decided and budgets allocated.
(Listen to the full interview below:)
“This is where things like the one-lane bridge and youth hub would be included if these are priorities identified by the community,” said Raglan Community Board Chair Dennis Amoore. He said that some discussion had been done on community expectations from Council. The next few months we need to gather community aspirations as to what they want and plan is to have a consultation document out in January 24 with final plan adopted by Council in June 2024.
Raglan has a number of priorities that have been identified through processes like the community-led Raglan Naturally Community Plan but recent changes could mean that aspirational outcomes for the community need to be revisited and clarified.
With multiple planning and consultation processes involved in developing the LTP, Dennis expects there will be plenty of opportunities for community members to submit their feedback.
Raglan Rugby Sports Club Flooding
Residents took to social media recently to express frustration about flooding around the Raglan Rugby Sports Club area. Originally a wetland, a gate controls the flow of seawater in and out of the wetland area.
Dennis says that sometimes the gate height is not set correctly for the low and high tide marks which also vary during the month and which can cause excessive sea water to enter the wetland, causing flooding. He says that he will need to check which organisation (WDC or WRC) is responsible for managing the gate and get it adjusted to the correct heights.
Raglan Wharf Project
Upgrades to the Raglan Wharf continue with the pontoon now in place while finishing touches are made on the gangway and eastern walkway.
“There is no access to the pontoon yet while they finish the gangway,” said Dennis, noting that lighting needs to be added and that the eastern walkway needs concreting.
With limited parking available, boat trailers are often parked further down Wallis St, leaving boats idle in the harbour for some time. The pontoon is expected to make it easier for boaties to launch and reload their boats by providing an easy mooring spot while trailers are parked or retrieved.
Over on the western walkway, work is still in the detail design phase, but expects plan to be available any day for release to the public.
Dennis says that the RCB have submitted a recommendation to council’s Traffic Bylaw that boat ramp fees be considered for boaties launching from Raglan. He says RCB has recommended there be a discounted fee for Waikato District Council Ratepayers and Raglan Sports Fishing Club members and that the fees would go towards boat ramp maintenance. The amount recommended for the fee is approximately $100 to reflect similar fees in other districts.
Wi Neera Walkway - Structural repairs and additional lighting work is planned for the Wi Neera Walkway that joins the end of Bow St through to the back of the Fire Station on Wainui Rd. While further upgrades, like a railing, had been suggested there is currently not enough money in the budget for a full upgrade of the area.
EV Chargers - WEL Networks are proposing to bring more paid EV chargers to the community and will make a presentation to the Raglan Community Board.
Trails Strategy - WDC staff will be making a presentation to the RCB about the Trails Strategy which is coming up for review. The strategy sets out the vision for the walkways, cycleways and trails that we have in our community.
Discretionary Fund - If you have a community project in mind, don’t forget you can apply to the RCB Discretionary Fund to launch the idea. You can apply by contacting the Raglan Community Board or chat to board member Ross Wallis who is overseeing the application process.
The next Raglan Community Board Meeting will be held at the Te Uku Hall on Wednesday, May 3, with the public forum kicking off at 1.30pm.