Raglan Community Board chair Ross Wallis says the board is working well, but changes within Waikato District Council and competing demands have made it harder to maintain momentum on local projects.
The board is now identifying a more concrete set of priorities it can place on its work programme and consistently pursue through council.
Roading and footpaths among priorities
Rural roading was an early priority for the board.
A new company had taken over the work and faced a substantial amount to address. Storms earlier in the term created further damage, but Ross said progress was now being made.
Footpaths were another focus. Stewart Street was one example. The steep road provides a route towards Norrie Avenue and the school but has no footpath on its steepest section.
Residents taking children to school, including parents pushing prams, had reported having to walk on the road.
Long-term plan still needed for Raglan
Ross said several current proposals highlighted the need for a longer-term spatial plan for Raglan.
Plans for a community swimming pool, discussion of an indoor sports centre, the proposed Surfside Church development and questions about the future of Wainui Reserve all raised broader issues about where community and recreational facilities should be located.
Wainui Reserve had been suggested as a possible location for sports grounds or other facilities.
Ross said these proposals should not be considered separately from the town’s future needs.
“We need to sit down, have a discussion about what do we want our town to look like in 30 years,” he said.
Parking formed part of the same conversation. The Surfside Church proposal included spaces that could be made available to the public outside normal church use, but Ross said the issue was more complex than simply providing additional parking.
A wider plan would need to consider where commercial growth was likely to occur, who currently occupied central parking and how far people could reasonably be expected to walk.
Ross said short political cycles made long-term planning more difficult.
“We need to be looking 30, 50, 100 years [in] advance.”
Church proposal raises lease questions
Surfside Church is investigating the purchase of three properties on Wi Neera Rd and has approached council about a possible reduction in lease costs for adjoining harbour endowment land.
In return, parking associated with the proposed church could be available for wider public use when it was not required for church activities.
Ross said the community board had been asked for its view but first wanted clarity about what council was legally permitted to do.
Income from the former Raglan Harbour Board land is held within an endowment fund and restricted to harbour-related purposes, such as boat ramps, erosion control and planting.
The board had asked council to obtain legal advice on whether a lease reduction could be offered.
If council had the authority to offer a concession, the board would then need to consider whether it was fair to other organisations and leaseholders and reflected community wishes.
The land is also affected by an unresolved Treaty claim.
Ross said he had raised this with church representatives. They advised that they had obtained legal advice, but he believed questions remained.
Community praised for WSL response
Ross also praised the community’s response to the World Surf League Championship Tour event, which was organised within a short timeframe.
He particularly acknowledged the leadership of Poihākena Marae and the hospitality shown to competitors and visitors.
“I think we handled ourselves really well in terms of some pushback and getting questions answered, but also getting on with it and getting the job done.”
Feedback from businesses had been mixed. Hospitality businesses, particularly those offering entertainment, appeared to have performed reasonably well, while others had expected a greater increase in daytime trade.
Ross said the competition window across two weekends gave visitors more opportunities to spend time in town than a shorter event would have.
The Whāingaroa Raglan Destination Management Organisation and other groups were surveying businesses and residents to assess the economic, social and cultural effects.
Ross said disruption appeared to have been lower than anticipated, particularly on the roads, while the shuttle buses had worked well.
Although the event site had a capacity of about 6,500 people, it rarely appeared overcrowded. Some days reached capacity, with entry managed as people left.
“All in all, I think it was an amazing event,” Ross said. “I think it was run really smoothly.”