Pepuere (February) 2022 WBRA Newsletter
Kia ora e te whānau,
rain, rain and more rain! So far this month we've had about 160mm rain and there's another 150mm or so forecast for this weekend. It's hot and humid, so all the weeds are growing well. Top temperature so far this year was a baking 29.9C on 04 February 2022.
AGM update (more below): an in-person event will be held at 3pm on Saturday 19 March 2022 at Manakau Hall. Vaccine passes will be checked at the door.
With renovations on the roughly 60 year old toilet block at Waikawa Beach planned for this year, the handy word for this month is: wharepaku: toilet / lavatory.
AGM Update
We are calling for nominations for Chair, Secretary, Treasurer and committee members. The current Chair and Secretary have said they are retiring from those roles. Please put yourself forward for a place on the WBRA Committee.
The postponed 2021 AGM will be held at 3 pm on Saturday 19 March 2022 in Manakau Hall. Vaccine passes and IDs will be checked at the door. Those who can't attend can send a proxy vote via the Chair (John Hewitson).
Make sure you pay your membership fee before 07 March 2022 in order to be able to vote. If you cannot pay online and need to pay by cash contact Fran the Treasurer at treasurer@waikawabeach.org.nz.
Toilet block upgrade
Work on the upgrade of the 60 year old toilet block will begin mid-March 2022. There will be two Portaloos available for public use while work is carried out. Once completed we can look forward to a modern, accessible, well-lit clean facility, with a family room, outdoor showers and a small BBQ with seating under a roof. There will also be a water bowl for dogs.
Roading
- Current roadworks around Kuku and Ōhau have led to frequent delays.
- Road markings and cats eyes have finally been applied to the new seal along Waikawa Beach Road.
- HDC applied metal to the part of the vehicle entrance closest to Manga Pirau Street. The steeper part leading onto the beach is soft and uneven.
- Delays to opening Transmission Gully are ongoing and frustrating everyone.
Poor river quality at the footbridge
Weekly E. Coli sampling at the footbridge continues to bring disappointing results: 3 green, 4 orange and 8 red.
Spinifex planting
Over at least the last few years Horowhenua District Council has arranged for annual plantings of spinifex and pīngao in the area between the river and the north pedestrian track off Reay Mackay Grove. This has been very effective in building up the dunes. Based on the Council’s reply it seems that over the last 8 years HDC has spent at least $100,000 + GST on plants for Waikawa Beach — around $13,000 per year.
In response to a request for costs, Council said:
Horowhenua District Council has paid $336,870.55 excluding GST between 2014 and 10 December 2021 for coastal plants (spinifex/pingao/other) for three of the districts coastal settlements, being Foxton Beach, Waitarere Beach and Waikawa Beach. This is an average of $42,108.82 excluding GST per annum over that period.
Costs have not been captured for plant purchases per individual coastal settlement, and therefore cannot be provided for Waikawa specifically.
For more detail see Spinifex planting costs.
In the night sky this month
The Southern Cross and Pointers are midway up the southeast sky. The Clouds of Magellan, LMC and SMC, two nearby galaxies, are high in the south sky.
With our superbly dark skies at Waikawa Beach we're lucky to be able to easily see the Clouds of Magellan.
Mercury, Venus and Mars are all in the dawn sky. At the end of the month Saturn appears below and right of Mercury. At mid-month Mercury is 140 million km away from us, Venus is 65 million km away, Mars 310 million km and Saturn 1630 million km away.
Take a look at The Evening Sky in February 2022.
Property
For sale: 58 Manga Pirau Street, 75 Strathnaver Drive, 10 Arthur Street, properties on Walkers Lane and Emma Drive (judging by the roadside signs).
Ngā mihi nui, Miraz Jordan, Waikawa News