Minutes of Eastbourne Community Board

2 3 April 2018

Eastbourne Community Board

Minutes of a meeting held in the East Harbour Women's Club, 145 Muritai Road, Eastbourne on

Tuesday 3 April 2018 commencing at 7.15pm

PRESENT:	Mr R Ashe	Mr M Gibbons (Chair)
	Ms L Knight	Cr T Lewis
	Cr M Lulich	Ms A Sutherland

APOLOGIES: An apology was received from Ms V Horrocks.

IN ATTENDANCE: Mr B Kibblewhite, General Manager, Corporate Services

Mr D Simmons, Traffic Asset Manager (part meeting)

Ms J Randall, Committee Advisor

PUBLIC BUSINESS

1. APOLOGIES

Members noted the apology from Ms V Horrocks.

2. PUBLIC COMMENT

Comments are recorded under the item to which they relate.

3. Presentation

Presentation by Local Councillor from Greater Wellington Regional Council (18/363)

Ms Lamason clarified that the Ecology and Landscapes consultation, which included Significant Natural Areas (SNAs), was a Hutt City Council initiative rather than an initiative of Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC).

The Chair advised a local group of residents had been formed and they had resolved to continue communication with Council regarding SNAs. The General Manager Corporate Services, explained that the Ecology and Landscapes consultation had been enacted in response to rules established by GWRC and Central Government.

Ms Lamason advised that Whaitua Committees were to be established by August to help with decisions on local land and water management. Applications for membership of the Committees would be publicised via social media and the GWRC web page.

Ms Lamason advised that the Airport Flyer (the Flyer) Hutt Valley service was an exempt service in terms of the NZ Bus contract with GWRC. It required no subsidy and had not been assessed as integral to the network of services because it duplicated other bus or train services. Ms Lamason listed a number of other bus services in this category including most school buses. She was clear that NZ Bus was within its rights to terminate services that were not profitable.

In response to questions from members, Ms Lamason advised that statistics on bus patronage were only kept for transport services that received subsidies. She said subsidising the Flyer service would require expenditure to be re-prioritised and added that any decision to prioritise public good over profit would require an increase in rates. Ms Lamason believed there would be sufficient room for passengers on trains if the Flyer service was to be discontinued but acknowledged train patronage was increasing.

Ms Lamason advised the GWRC Long Term Plan was open for consultation. She encouraged submissions from the community.

In response to questions from members, Ms Lamason invited the Chair to contact her to request information on proposed changes to the Eastbourne Bays’ bus shelters. She suggested a GWRC representative might be able to attend a Board meeting to further update members on plans for the bus shelters.

4. CONFLICT OF INTEREST DECLARATIONS

There were no conflict of interest declarations.

5. Minutes

Resolved: (Mr Gibbons/Ms Knight) Minute No. ECB 18206

“That the minutes of the meeting of the Eastbourne Community Board held on Tuesday, 13 February 2018, be confirmed as a true and correct record.”

6. Report referred for board input before being considered by subCommittee of Council

	Kaitawa Road - Proposed No Stopping At All Times Restrictions (18/408) Report No. ECB2018/2/77 by the Senior Traffic Engineer
	Speaking under public comment Ms S Connell, a York Bay resident, expressed concern about road safety in Kaitawa Road. She lived near the junction of Kaitawa and Waitohu Roads and was aware of dangerous driving situations caused by the narrowness of the road. She advised the T bar junction of Kaitawa and Waitohu Roads was blind and unsafe and advocated for no parking spaces to improve visibility and allow vehicles to stay on the correct side of the road as they turned. In response to questions from members, Ms Connell advised she had surveyed residents in the immediate area and they agreed with the proposed safety improvements. She did not believe speeds would increase as a consequence of the changes, because parked cars on the street would help to control speed. Speaking under public comment Ms F Rashbrooke, a long time York Bay resident, supported the extension of no parking lines on Kaitawa Road. She said this would help mitigate traffic problems in the road. She noted there was sufficient parking for cars on other sections of Kaitawa and Waitohu Roads. Speaking under public comment, Ms Connell presented letters from three residents of Kaitawa and Waitohu Roads. The letters expressed support for extending the no parking lines on Kaitawa Road. The residents suggested the no parking lines be extended to a distance that made it safe for vehicles to pass parked cars and still be on the correct side of the road before the junction with Waitohu Road. They noted that increasing levels of brisk moving traffic on the road had exacerbated the problem. One resident expressed concern that parking may become more of an issue on Waitohu Road as a result of the changes, and asked Council to reassess parking throughout York Bay. The Traffic Asset Manager elaborated on the report. He said the proposed changes were in an area that was very narrow for cars to pass and close to a tight corner. He advised the proposed changes would improve safety in an area of road that had steep topography and limited visibility. He estimated the changes would improve sight distance by up to 33 metres. In response to a question from a member, the Traffic Asset Manager advised that only two or three parking spaces would be removed as a result of the changes and he considered that safety issues were a higher priority than parking.
	Resolved: (Mr Gibbons/Ms Sutherland) Minute No. ECB 18207 “That the recommendation contained in the report be endorsed.”
7.	Election of the Deputy Chair (17/1872) Memorandum dated 21 March 2018 by the Committee Advisor
	Resolved: (Mr Gibbons/Ms Sutherland) Minute No. ECB 18208 “That the Board: (i) notes that the selection of a Deputy Chair in the 2016-2019 triennium be on a rotational basis; and (ii) agrees that Mr R Ashe be elected to the position of Deputy Chair from 4 April 2018 until after the Eastbourne Community Board’s first meeting in 2019.”

Chair's Report (18/362)

Report No. ECB2018/2/38 by the Chair

The Chair commended Ms Horrocks’ letter to Council highlighting issues with consultation on SNAs. Cr Lewis said the letter underlined the important work of the Board in connecting community and Council.

Mr Ashe noted some of the actions logged for the Walkaround were not supported by the Board. He advised that he would contact Ms Horrocks for clarification. The General Manager Corporate Services explained that any member of the public was able to log a RAP (Report a Problem) with Council.

Resolved: (Mr Gibbons/Cr Lewis) Minute No. ECB 18209

“That the Board:

(i) notes the report; and

(ii) urges Council to ensure the informal consultation period on Significant Natural Areas is extended until all individual property owners who wish to consult with officers have been able to do so.”

Committee Advisor's Report (18/364)

Report No. ECB2018/2/13 by the Committee Advisor

Mr Ashe thanked officers for information they had provided on road closures and road maintenance around the bays. He noted Council had spent relatively little on cleaning up storm damage in recent years and indications were that storms had not been increasing. He envisaged this might change with the progression of climate change.

Ms Sutherland noted there were funds available for Board training and suggested members look at opportunities for training before the end of the financial year.

Resolved: (Mr Gibbons/Cr Lulich) Minute No. ECB 18210

“That the Board receives and notes the report.”

10. Information Items

a)	Wellington Water Ltd - Community Water Stations Update (18/374) Report No. ECB2018/2/39 by Wellington Water Limited.
	Members noted the report.
b)	Central Districts Pest Control Ltd - Update on the TBfree New Zealand Programme (18/396) Report No. ECB2018/2/40 by the Committee Advisor
	Members noted the report.

Ecology and Landscapes Consultation Update (18/407)

Memorandum dated 19 March 2018 by the Environmental Policy Analyst

Members noted the report.

Mr Ashe provided background to the consultation. He said the New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement required all identified landscapes to be protected and retained. He highlighted that even scrub covered areas framing harbours might be classified as needing protection. He added that SNA classifications might increase land values by attracting residents because of the bush clad landscape.

In response to a question from a member, the General Manager Corporate Services, advised that every site identified as a SNA would be visited if requested by residents.

11. Reports from representatives on local organisations

Eastbourne and Bays Community Trust (18/350)

Mr Gibbons said that 13 of the 16 Heritage Trail signs had been completed and the sign on Eastbourne Wharf would be installed once the wharf had been upgraded. He had received favourable feedback from the local community about the Trail.

Mr Gibbons requested that approximately $600.00 be allocated to sponsoring both the HW Shortt display on the Heritage Trail and a sign at the Days Bay Ferry Terminal to direct passengers to the trail.

Resolved: (Mr Gibbons/Cr Lulich) Minute No. ECB 182111

“That the Board approves expenditure from its miscellaneous administration budget for the Heritage Trail for:

(a) a display sign at HW Shortt Park; and

(b) a sign at the Days Bay Ferry Terminal;

totalling approximately $600.00.”

b)	Vibrant Village (18/351)
	Mr Gibbons advised there was nothing to report.
c)	Okiwi Trust (18/359)
	Ms Sutherland advised there was nothing to report.
d)	Educating Residents Around Trapping (ERAT) Steering Group (18/352)
	Ms Sutherland advised there was now a second run of monitor lines. She added that a heat map had been released to monitor the traps. She noted trap line operators were having difficulty selling their traps.
e)	Days Bay Wharf Steering Group (18/353)
	Mr Ashe advised there had been no meeting.
f)	Community Response Group (18/354)
	Ms Knight advised they had attended the Battle of the Bays event and had trialled emergency response activities. They intended doing the same at Muritai School to coincide with the Wahine memorial event.
g)	Keep Hutt City Beautiful (18/355) Report No. ECB2018/2/41 by the Chair
	Cr Lewis advised that Council’s free text or phone tag line service for graffiti removal was very effective and graffiti would be painted over within 24 hours of notification.
h)	Plastic Free Eastbourne (18/356)
	Mr Ashe advised the Plastic Free Eastbourne bag launch event had been postponed to Saturday 7 April. He said that 500 bags had been completed, not the 300 reported in the previous minutes. He added that higher priced supporters bags could also be purchased to maintain the initiative. Mr Ashe would let members know more details about the launch.
i)	Eastbourne Youth Workers' Trust (18/357)
	Ms Knight advised there was nothing to report.
j)	Eastbourne Childcare Community Group (18/358)
	Ms Knight advised the current Chair of the Group was relocating and a new Chair would be required.

12. QUESTIONS

There were no questions.

There being no further business the Chair declared the meeting closed at 8.11 pm.

Mr M Gibbons

CHAIR

CONFIRMED as a true and correct record

Dated this 12th day of June 2018