Keith Goodall, Bruce Pilkington, Craig Lidgard and Garrick Simpson of Kuaotunu FENZ about to put their new acquisition through its paces
Kuaotunu FENZ Welcomes New Appliance
Our wonderful local rural fire force was delighted to receive its first ever brand new appliance recently.
According to Garrick Simpson, Chief Fire Officer, in the past Kuaotunu FENZ has always been allocated old fire appliances that are due for retirement, which means that they quickly become difficult and costly to maintain and service. "Getting a brand new appliance is amazing and is a reflection on the awesome crew we have here and the great work that they do".
A formal welcoming ceremony was held on Sunday the 22nd of November which was well attended by the community.
Joe Davis of Ngati Hei blessed the new fire engine and Garrick Simpson thanked Paul Shaw of FENZ who was instrumental in Kuaotunu FENZ being allocated this brand new machine.
Congratulations to the whole FENZ crew on this awesome addition to the fleet.
Lauren Agopian, Lily Nielsen and Fiona Simpson
Proposed Voluntary Ban on Scallop Gathering this Summer
It will come as no surprise to those of you who dive for scallops that the combination of increased recreational gathering and commercial dredging has seriously depleted the scallop beds on the east coast of the Coromandel. The scallop beds are deemed to be close to collapse.
The Opito Bay Ratepayers Association (OBRA) is spearheading an initiative to work with Ngati Hei to place a rahui on the scallop beds from Whangapoua to Matapaua Bay until the beds recover. The objective is to have a sustainable scallop fishery for all to enjoy.
In order to support the need for the rahui, OBRA has engaged LegaSea to manage a scientific survey of the Opito Bay scallop beds. In addition they have gained the support of their ratepayers for a voluntary ban on scallop gathering in Opito Bay this summer. They have asked KRRA (Kuaotunu Residents and Ratepayers Association) if our community would be prepared to similarly support a voluntary ban on harvesting scallops in the waters off Kuaotunu.
Please feel free to let us know your thoughts - and note that this is one of the topics that we are planning to discuss at next month's public meeting (see below).
Public Meeting 24 January
KRRA (the Kuaotunu Residents and Ratepayers Association) is planning to hold a public meeting at the Kuaotunu Hall at 3pm on Sunday the 24th of January.
It will have been over a year since we all had the opportunity to get together and air our views about what's happening in our community, so we do hope you can join us to hear from the KRRA committee and raise any issues or concerns that you have.
There are some fairly weighty matters on the agenda (which will be published in early January) so mark this date in your diary now!
New Era for the Rings Beach Wetland Group
The Rings Beach Wetland Group is thrilled to announce that the group has joined the digital age with the launch of a new website, www.ringsbeachwetlandgroup.org...:
This is a fantastic resource that will take you on a journey of the history of the walking track in the Matarangi Bluff Scenic Reserve, from its inception and creation right through to all of the hard work that is done by our fantastic volunteers on a daily basis to help keep this wonderful reserve a conservation success story.
If you would like to receive occasional news from the Rings Beach Wetland Group please sign up to our newsletter, and/or follow our new Facebook page.
Dune Care Working Bee this Wednesday
It is great to see the results of this year’s planting at the end of Black Jack reserve. Thanks to the TCDC staff who prepared the area and the 32 volunteers who braved the weather to do the planting.
Now that the planting season is over, the Kuaotunu Dune Care group is planning on meeting once a month, on a Wednesday morning, for working bees.
The first working bee will be on Wednesday December 9th at 8:30am - weeding the next area of dunes to prepare them for planting next year. Many hands make light work, so it would be great if you can join us at the reserve area on SH25 (just before the bridge) which has a circular gravel drive and bollards.
See you there!
Sharing your Kuaotunu Summer with a Dog?
Getting out and about with your favourite furry friend is a wonderful way to spend summer.
However our native birds are also out and about during summer, and dogs and birds can be a potentially fatal combination - and not usually for the dogs.
The Kuaotunu Bird Rescue Trust has some fantastic advice on how you can desensitise your dog to birds.
The Project Kiwi Trust also encourages you to have your dog attend a Kiwi Avoidance training session annually - email Sheila Westley at avertmydog@projectkiwi.org.nz to make a booking:
Upcoming Events at the Kuaotunu Hall
Friday 11th to Sunday 13th December, 10am - 4pm
Events in January:
Sunday 24th January, 3pm
Public Meeting (hosted by the Kuaotunu Residents and Ratepayers Association)
Monday 25th January, 2-5pm
Shoreline Management Project Community Open Day (hosted by Thames Coromandel Council)
Saturday 30th January to Monday 1st February, 10am to 4pm (2pm on Monday)
10 Artists Exhibition
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: Garrick Simpson (Kuaotunu FENZ); Amy Lendrum (Rings Beach Wetland Group); Sheila Westley and the Project Kiwi Trust; Annemieke Kregting (Kuaotunu Bird Rescue Trust); Carrie Parker (Kuaotunu Dune Care); and the Opito Bay Ratepayers Association.
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 every 6 weeks on a Thursday.