A Testing Time for All
Well, we got through it and demonstrated once again what a cohesive and supportive group our Kuaotunu Community is.
From the very moment we all heard NZTA was having to close our bridge, conversations began and help was offered from all and sundry. Your Committee was blown away by all the positive input, great ideas and keen desire to make sure no one was inconvenienced. Our heartfelt thanks to all concerned, too numerous to single out.
My personal apologies for having to miss the TCDC hosted celebration in the Hall but I will be back in time for our Public Meeting on Sunday 27th which has a full and potentially lively agenda!
Brent Page
Chair, KRRA
Thanks from our Mayor for the Kuaotunu River Bridge Works
Our Mayor Sandra Goudie will be hosting an event at the Kuaotunu Hall on Tuesday 22nd October, between 4-6pm, to thank the NZ Transport Agency, its contractors and the residents affected by the 5-week closure of the bridge, following the 9 September 2019 weather event.
“The closure had a big impact on the Kuaotunu community and we thank residents and motorists for their patience while repairs were made," Mayor Sandra says. All are welcome, and there will be light refreshments served.
Civil Defence Questionnaire
As per our last newsletter, Civil Defence/ TCDC are supporting Kuaotunu to develop our own ‘Emergency Response Plan’.
As we have seen all too clearly in recent weeks, significant events can leave us cut off from transport and communication, and we need to be prepared to be responsible for ourselves until any "outside" help becomes available or accessible – which may be quite some time!
To help with this, the first thing we need is information about who is in our village, and so a Civil Defence Questionnaire has been developed which will be circulated in a variety of ways over the next couple of weeks.
In addition to standard information such as the number of people at your address, the form enables you to tell us (if you wish to – this is not compulsory) if you or someone at your address experiences significant medical conditions such as anaphylaxis or diabetes etc. This information can help our local emergency services to help you when you need it most.
Participation is optional, however the more information we have, the more effective our community response to any emergency event can be.
You are able to complete this questionnaire a number of ways:
- Online (click the button below)
OR
- Paper version - forms available:at the Labour Weekend KRRA Public Meeting (see below);
- delivered to your mailbox after Labour Weekend (for permanent residents); or
- at the Kuaotunu Store.
For those completing a paper version, please place your completed form in the Civil Defence Dropbox at the Kuaotunu Store.
If you have any questions you are welcome to contact the local questionnaire co-ordinator, Carolyn Gibbs, on 021 2163 255.
Complete the Civil Defence Questionnaire Online
Draft Community Plan ready for your Review
As promised the committee of the Residents & Ratepayers Association has finished its refresh of the 2009 Community Plan, and would like to hear your thoughts about this. Note that the refreshed version is still a draft - we will not finalise it until the community has had a chance to comment.
You can read the original 2009 plan here, and the refreshed version here.
We will be looking for your feedback on the refreshed version of the plan at the upcoming public meeting on Labour Sunday (see below), but if you are unable to attend that meeting feel free to email us directly with your thoughts.
Public Meeting
3pm Sunday, 27 October (Labour Weekend)
Kuaotunu Hall
Topics for discussion will include the recent weather events and community response, the refreshed Community Plan, priorities for the Council's Long Term Plan, and more.
All welcome!
The Kindy Kids Go Bush
The bridge closure has had little impact on the Kindergarten as the children are enjoying the walk in the mornings and afternoons, watching the diggers and contractors at work. And the parents are getting fitter... 
This term we began a bush Kindy once a week for the older children where we visit the local forest for the day. The children look forward to this day, being deeply engaged with and learning from their local environment.
However we have to employ an extra person for these trips, which the Ministry of Education doesn't fund.
As we are a non-profit kindergarten, run by a Charitable Trust, we are looking for sponsors to continue with the bush Kindy day on a regular basis. The cost is $90 per week, and each term has 10 weeks.
Please email us or ring 866 0094 if you would be willing to help.
We have also started to plan for our Pumpkin Festival in 2020 and the seeds are selling out fast, so be in quick. If you would like to be part of our planning team or just want to contribute any ideas, please be in touch.
Update on the Proposed Mercury Bay Spat Farm
As mentioned in the June newsletter, your Residents & Ratepayers Committee submitted against the application (currently with Waikato Regional Council) to gain resource consent to establish 30 hectares of mussel spat farm off the Whauwhau.
A group of concerned Mercury Bay residents have since formed a charitable trust, the Save Mercury Bay Trust, to try to provide focus and organisation for all those who have made a submission in opposition to the proposed spat farm off the Whauwhau. The Trustees are Helen Vivian, Fraser Lampen and Nicki Wilson.
The Trust has approached resource planning consultants, marine ecologists, a lawyer and advocacy expert, a landscape specialist, experts on marine mammals and sea birds, biosecurity experts and a hydrodynamics engineer, and are seeking opinions and assistance from them.
However, it has been suggested that rather than relying on comprehensive (and expensive) reports from experts, as the applicants have, that the Trust adopts a more grassroots approach which can be very effective. This allows the voices of the community to be heard – supported by expert knowledge on targeted points.
An independent commissioner will hear submissions for and against the application from the 9th to the 13th of December. KRRA would like to know whether you would like us to work with the new Trust in preparing a presentation to the hearing.
We will seek your views on this at the upcoming public meeting (see below). In the meantime you might want to read the overview of the submissions that have been made, or read the overview of the proposal and the frequently asked questions that have been prepared by the Trust. You may also like to contact the Trust directly.
This newsletter is brought to you by the Kuaotunu Residents and Ratepayers Association Inc (KRRA). KRRA thanks the following people for their contributions to this edition: the Kindergarten Team; the Save Mercury Bay Trust; the Kuaotunu Response Team, and TCDC.
We’d love your feedback on this issue - please email your thoughts and suggestions to info@kuaotunu.nz.
Like to contribute an article to this newsletter? We welcome contributions about events, happenings, projects etc that are relevant to the Kuaotunu community (maximum of 250 words, please). Please note that the Newsletter Editor has the final say regarding content and may edit content if required.
To find out more about the Kuaotunu Residents and Ratepayers Association, such as the date of the next meeting, how to join, agendas and minutes of previous meetings, etc, please click here. You are welcome to attend any committee meetings, these are usually held on the third Thursday of the month.