Hōngongoi (July) 2019 Newsletter
WAIKAWA BEACH RATEPAYERS ASSOCIATION
Hōngongoi (July) 2019 Newsletter
Kia ora e te whānau. Well, it's that time of year when we have calm, warm, summery days, cold wintry days, strong winds, pouring rain, drizzle, grey, frosts and whatever else you can think of. The usual paddocks have been flooded lately and there's been a lot of water around the river mouth, but no roads under water as yet.
This month we have a drone photo, property news, seals, toilet fixes, bikes and speed bumps and a reminder about whitebaiting coming up. Oh, and we STILL need a new Secretary. Could it be you? See details at: will-you-be-our-wbra-secretary and step up to volunteer.
Note: we've switched our newsletter host from Mailchimp to Buttondown. That seems to have gone smoothly, but our apologies if you're receiving this newsletter but thought you had unsubscribed. Please scroll to the end for the links to change your subscription.
In this newsletter …
- Hank Edwards Toilets fix
- The cost of the groyne removal
- Seals on the beach: take care!
- Whitebaiting
- Bikes and the Strathnaver speed bumps
- Getting back with the times
- Subscriptions and contact info
- We want to update our membership database
- Property news
- For Sale
- More building
- Subdivision on Reay Mackay Grove
- Next Committee meeting
- Do you know: River erosion led to the formation of the WBRA
Hank Edwards Toilets fix
Contractors dug up the dispersal field for the toilets at Hank Edwards Reserve, clearing out the clogged material and replacing the dispersal pipes. That was probably the first such maintenance in about 50 years. While there are now some stones on the grass, the toilets should now work properly without overflowing all the time. We asked about the cost of the work done. The Council replied that they don't yet have the final invoice, but all up it was about $15,000 worth of work.
The cost of the groyne removal
We queried the cost of the removal of the high-angle groyne. The final cost was $4,625 plus GST.
Seals on the beach: take care!
The first seal pup of the season was spotted on the beach on 19 July 2019. It made its way down from the dunes to the sea. Remember they can look just like a bit of driftwood on the beach. The law tells us to stay at least 20 metres away. Keep dogs on a leash if you're near a seal. Drivers beware! See First seal pup of 2019.
Whitebaiting
The whitebait season is open between 15 August and 30 November each year. It'll be interesting to see what difference, if any, the works on the river have made.
Bikes and the Strathnaver speed bumps
Some cyclists are sick of the speedbumps on Strathnaver Drive. In summer especially it's a very popular ride for families. Miraz would like your support in asking the Council to do something about the speedbumps. Read more and add your supporting comments at ⚠ Cyclists - fed up with speed bumps?
Getting back with the times
We're starting to take photos of the old Minutes of the Association and add them to the website with a brief text summary of key points. Find them under Minutes on the website. The WBRA was formed in 1974, with an annual subscription of $5.
Subscriptions and contact info
If you haven't paid your $25 sub yet, it's well past time. Pay to account 03 0667 0268929 000 AND email wbra.committee@gmail.com with your name, beach address, postal address, email address and date of payment so we can make sure our records are completely up to date. Thanks to everyone who has already paid their sub. Your support is really important to us. Please ask your friends, neighbours and newcomers to join too so we can better represent them. See waikawabeach.nz/subs for other ways to pay.
We want to update our membership database
It's time to clean up and overhaul our membership database. We aim to get everyone to update their membership details when the 2020 subs come due. We'll let you know closer to the time what we'd like you to do. The Committee is also looking at ways to improve the subscriptions process so you get a confirmation of your payment, and our records are perhaps automatically updated. Again, more details will be available once we've sorted something out.
Property news
For Sale
Sections for sale: 38 Uxbridge Terrace, 24 Uxbridge Terrace, 50 Strathnaver Drive, approx 169 Strathnaver Drive. Houses for sale: 111 Strathnaver Drive, 9 Kristin Place, 44 Sarah Street. Asking prices seem quite high and the properties aren't selling quickly.
More building
Even more sections are being prepared for building in Strathnaver: at least one on Strathnaver Drive and one on Reay Mackay Grove.
Subdivision on Reay Mackay Grove
The Horowhenua District Council has strict rules about and minimum requirements for subdivisions, however the owners of 3 sections on Reay Mackay Grove have been granted consent to divide 3 sections totalling a little over 50,000 square metres into 6. Lot sizes range from 7,600 square metres to almost 9,500. Massive earthworks are now underway.
Next Committee meeting
The next Committee meeting will be held on the morning of Sunday 27 October 2019.
Do you know: River erosion led to the formation of the WBRA
In 1974 27 Ratepayers, some of whom were accompanied by their wives or friends
met on 31 August and decided to form the Waikawa Beach Ratepayers Association. Their aims at the time were:
- To preserve the environmental assets of the area
- To develop the recreational facilities
- To protect the interests of Ratepayers.
River erosion was a key driving force behind this, along with fire prevention, rubbish collection, reducing traffic speeds through the village and getting a public telephone installed. Read the Minutes at: The formation of the WBRA in 1974.
See our latest drone shot of the river mouth. It was taken on 20 July 2019.
Ngā mihi nui,
Miraz Jordan