MINUTES OF THE PUHOI FORUM COMMUNITY MEETING
HELD AT PUHOI SPORTS CLUB ON 28 FEBRUARY 2017 commencing at 7.30pm
PRESENT: Paul Manton (Chair), Dustyn O’Leary (Co-Chair), Tessa Berger (Rodney Local Board), Jenny Schollum (Treasurer), Judith Williams, Sandra Beagley, Sorrel O’Leary, Paul Fearon, Bitten Fearon, Gavin Donaldson, Christine Mundell, Derek Broadmore, Mike Swain, Jenny Neel, Val Smith, Sheryll Titford, Brian Titford, Terri Ryder, Marg Nelson, Kristin Gillies, Heston Prospere-Smith, Wendy Hayton (Secretary, Minutes)
APOLOGIES: Beth Houlbrooke (Rodney Local Board), Pat and Graham Backley, Gillian Seymour, Peter Cooley, Russell Green.
1. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING 31 JANUARY 2017
The minutes of the meeting held on 31 January 2017 had been previously circulated. These were accepted as being a true and accurate record.
Motion 1
THAT the minutes of the meeting held on 31 January 2017 be confirmed as a true and accurate record.
Moved: Dustyn O’Leary
Seconded: Chris Mundell
Carried
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TREASURER’S REPORT for January 2017– previously circulated
Motion 2
That approval be given to pay the Sports Club for venue hire for 8 meetings July 2016 to March 2017, (less December) before the end of March so that it will come into this financial years accounts. $15 per meeting = $120. AND THAT the secretarial payment for $30 was approved. The Treasurer’s report for January 2017 was accepted.
Moved: Paul Manton
Seconded: Jenny Schollum
Carried
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PIONIEER RIVER PARK
River Walkway
Paul Manton gave an update on the walkway. Kevin Jones will be putting the culverts in in March. The Arborist from Council should also be coming to take care of the macrocarpa trees in the next month. Paul and a number of others will be starting the fencing, hopefully by the end of March.
Gavin Donaldson updated the meeting on the River Park trees. He spoke to the Council arborist before Xmas and showed him the site. He followed this up mid February and the met with the Treescape contractor on site. The works order is now in place. They can’t give a date as yet. However, Gavin needs Kevin’s contact details to let him know when they do commence the work for access purposes.
Action: Paul/Gavin
Planting of River bank
The plants already planted need to be investigated to see how they have survived. Dustyn, Sorrel and others are to have a look and report back. Dustyn is happy to take responsibility for further planting at the appropriate time.
Action: Sorrel O’Leary
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CIVIL DEFENCE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD SUPPORT
Motion 3
Judith moved that the permanent agenda item ‘Civil Defence’ agreed at the last meeting, be added to include ‘Neighbourhood Support’. It was agreed that Civil Defence and Neighbourhood Support should act as a Forum Working Group, along with the other groups.
Judith is taking care of the Neighbourhood Support part, while Heston is to focus on Civil Defence.
Neighbourhood Support – for burglaries etc and also natural event risks, such as bush fire, flooding etc. Judith is hoping to set up a phone tree.
Judith read a report to the meeting outlining information about Neighbourhood Support. She will be sending this report round to all members by email.
She proposed informal Neighbourhood Support groups under a ‘street co-ordinator’ and listed all the roads involved.
The meeting was informed that anyone can sign up for emails from the Red Cross and Auckland Council to get severe weather and other Civil Defence warnings and information. Some information would be better put up on Mike Swain’s website, Puhoi Facebook page etc.
These media would not be appropriate for urgent warnings. Decisions need to be made as to which information source is the most suitable for the different types of information.
Russell Green had passed on to Judith an old copy of a Civil Defence plan called ‘A Civil Defence Emergency Plan for Puhoi and Upper Waiwera (Draft not signed off). It is professional, detailed and very comprehensive. It seems to have been dropped, however. Council funding for Civil Defence has been substantially reduced.
Judith is to report back on progress with Neighbourhood Support to the next meeting.
Civil Defence
Heston clarified that Civil Defence as such no longer exists. It is now Crisis Response Groups (CRG). Heston is getting plans regarding the flooding etc sent to him from Auckland Council. A CRG workshop is to be given for training and information on Friday 24 March in the former CD Headquarters in Auckland. Heston is to send through more email information, and it would be helpful if there could be attendees from the Forum. Further help for Heston would be useful – requests to be sent through Mike’s website. It was agreed a working group is to be formed.
Action: Heston Prospere-Smith
Heston informed the meeting that basically, Puhoi has to work out its own, independent Civil Defence plan for flooding and other natural emergencies.
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GENERAL BUSINESS
Submission to Council re Saleyards’ Road development
This submission is not being progressed by the Council. The meeting thanked Derek Broadmore and his team for all their efforts.
Puhoi Memorial Park Reserve Management Plan
Tessa Berger stated that the plans are reviewed by the Council from time to time. However, Council has not had the resources to review the Puhoi Memorial Park plan since it was established. A new review team has been put together from 1 July 2017. She stated that as part of this review, if the community wants to change the current management plan, a proposal needs to be put forward to the Review Committee and they will build into their review. Small changes requested by the community that are currently envisaged by the plan can be done quite quickly, but other than this e.g. a café or business or community building has a long and involved process for approval. Currently it is designated as an open space area for recreation. The review process is a fully notified public process. The more the community wishes to move away from the current plan, the longer it will take. Tessa to forward information to Dustyn for circulation to members.
Existing leases on the land have their own parameters. They don’t all align with the Reserve Management plan at this point as they came under the old RDC. All this is under review under the auspices of the new Council who intend to align the old RDC regulations with the new ones.
Horse riding and future bridle ways
Paul Manton reported that horse riding community is growing in the Puhoi area. New tracks being made or repaired are being made for cycles, walkers, horses and dogs. There should be an awareness that any new track should be multi-use, and plan to provide room for horse.
Working Groups Update
Traffic Safety Group
There was a Greenway stand with a full map of tracks and trails at the Puhoi market. The Traffic Safety Group has provided feedback to Greenway on what they have proposed. A trail was indicated further down the valley which the Traffic Safety Group didn’t think would be practical. They showed the proposed future walkway to SH1 from the village on wrong side of the river. The map will be adjusted accordingly. The Traffic Safety Group raised the fact that the proposed future Puhoi to Pakiri walkway would need a car park.
Dustyn and Sorrel have done some work on Gillian’s walkway. It is intended to put in poles to mark where it begins and ends in order to open it, and after that to put in the work needed to clear it. There may be some Council funding available for this.
Not much progress has been made with the application for approval to AT regarding the timber bollards alongside the village main road to prevent parking there at busy times.
A concern was raised about adequate lighting is available to stop people falling on these.
Tessa Berger queried whether there be a more aesthetically pleasing way of creating a barrier other than timber bollards? She could talk with some people she is currently working with about this. It was agreed that Tessa could look into this and provide feedback. It might be funded.
Dustyn responded that a lot of research has been done on these bollards on this which is rustic and low cost. There is a plan for the whole centre of Puhoi to beautify it. Dustyn is to liaise with Tessa.
If the AT permissions are granted and funding is sought it was suggested that any funding
application includes more parking space up Krippner Road.
Motion 3
That once AT approval for the timber bollards is granted, that the Forum approves an application for funding for the project goes ahead, to avoid further delays.
Moved: Dustyn O’Leary
Seconded: Paul Manton
Carried
School Bus stop/congestion alternatives
Terri Ryder has spoken to a number of people involved, and one school bus route could be extended up to Remiger Road (as was previously the case). This would take a lot of congestion away from the village, and the bus would turn around in a more convenient place. This at the moment is only the Orewa children. There are 18 children (at least) involved. Terri reported that the proposal just needs to be put in writing and submitted.
Russell Green had circulated a different proposal to deal with this issue to be discussed at this Forum meeting, as an alternative to what had already been put forward. Paul Fearon had drawn up a personal response to this proposal (not discussed) and asked the secretary to pass this on to Russell. It was agreed Russell’s plan could be most useful.
It was reported that the introduction of a lower speed limit on SH1 at the Puhoi junction has been delayed for greater consultation and could be some time away from any kind of implementation.
Puhoi Heritage Little Village – Marg Nelson
Marg Nelson read a report on this topic. She stated that this is her own project, not Larry Mitchell’s. Idea for a model village were first put forward 54 years ago. Marg did not initially want to start with the Blacksmith’s shop, rather buildings on the wharf, but is happy to support this now. Marg referred to the possibility of putting up a Blacksmith’s shop (which can be taken away) by 29 June on the Council land. No application has been made to Council for grants. Marg has sought information from Council regarding what consents are needed. The Puhoi Historical Society is not a part of the Little Village project. She referred to the many settlers and descendants who built up Puhoi and who have come since.
Paul Manton thanked Marg for the clarification. Marg confirmed that the Puhoi Little Village team is still holding a public meeting on 12th March in the community hall for all to become better informed. Paul clarified that the Forum is happy for community members to speak to the Forum about their projects, but the Little Village is not a Forum project.
New Museum premises
Gavin Donaldson raised the issue as to whether or not there might be an opportunity for the Puhoi Historical Society to use the old Schollum house which will be removed as part of the Northern Expressway project. Paul Manton commented that it has been considered by a number of interested groups. Any interested party has to prove that they have the funding and a place to put it. PHS has looked at this but agreed that it is an old building and would be costly to renovate to the right standard for a museum.
Gavin raised the fact that the Forum had already put forward to Transit NZ a wish list of items from the community should tenderers for the Northern Expressway wish to facilitate community funding. Paul responded that NZTA choses where the money goes, and it may only possibly amount to in the region of $25k. Paul reinforced his genuine support for the Museum’s need to move to a new building and stated that the Forum is behind this.
Village Market – 9th birthday
Judith Williams reported that the previous Sunday’s market was a good day. From its proceeds
the Market gave $100 to the PHS’ children’s dance group, a further gift of money to the Ahuroa
School for fruit trees and additional money was donated to the Fire Station.
Meeting closed at 9.30pm
NEXT MEETING
The next meeting will be held on Tuesday 28th March at 7.30pm at the Puhoi Sports Club.
