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VKK NEWSLETTER

No.14 June 2008

Vision for Kerikeri and Environs Inc.

AGM

Our Annual General Meeting was held on 27 May at the Centre. Rod Brown reported on the year, his key points being the necessity for the Structure Plan process to continue, and be funded. VKK submissions on the FNDC Annual Plan which included a CBD bypass, a

Howard Smith reported that our finances are in good shape at the moment, mainly because there were no major issues over the last year that needed professional advice and assistance.

General business included a discussion about the proposed kerbside recycling trial. There still seems to be a real need for centrally located recycling or resource recovery depots in Kerikeri and Waipapa.

The new committee appointed is listed later in this newsletter.

AGM Speaker

Raewyn Peart spoke to the meeting about The Future of Our Coasts.

Raewyn illustrated the stages of development on the coastline from the 1940’s onward, for instance:

· The expansion of old coastal towns (e.g. Tairua) with holiday houses

· The subdivision of coastal beachfront farmland for holiday houses (e.g. Matapouri)

· The “designed” coastal settlement (e.g. Pauanui)

· Development on the coastal edge ( Omaha , Matarangi, Ngunguru?) vulnerable to climate change erosion.

· The advent of highrise developments (Mt Maunganui and Orewa) and their impact on the visual environment.

· The canal and marina developments (Pauanui, Gulf Harbour , Whitianga and Marsden Cove) all with increasing privatisation of the water edge

· Rural/ residential farm parks (Mataka Station)

· The expansion up onto hillsides and ridges (Tutukaka, Langs Beach ), with consequent degradation of the landscape. She considers that Mr Hook’s Crystal Waters development at Cable Bay is one of the worst examples she has seen.

Problems raised include

· limited public access to beaches by apparent privatisation of esplanade reserves, private roads, gated developments.

· Climate change protection like ugly seawalls, dune destruction

· Degraded water quality, usually by sewage spills, effluent etc.

Despite current revision of the NZ Coastal Policy many of the objectives are still confusing.

EDS

Raewyn is a senior policy analyst for the Environmental Defence Society. This is a not-for-profit, largely voluntary organisation comprised of resource management professionals who work together for sound environmental outcomes within NZ. For details and membership enquiries see their website: www.eds.org.nz

Buzzword

After Raewyn’s talk there is no other choice than:

Life’s a Beach

But what kind of beaches are we getting? Wild and unspoilt? Resort developments? Close to nature?

Are our choices being compromised?

FNDC Media Release

A recent media release reports that the Council has unanimously voted to have the Far North District declared as a separate unitary authority. This means that it would combine the functions of both Council and the Northland Regional Council in one organisation for the area. At the moment many projects with environmental implications like sewerage schemes require separate applications to the Regional Council, adding another layer of bureaucracy, and perhaps a more independent view as well.

Apparently Gisborne District has been operating as a unitary authority for many years.

What do you think? let us know.

Is the Bay Worth Saving?

Public meeting at the Copthorne Resort at 10am Saturday 14^th June to discuss the future of the Bay of Islands .

Profile:

Trixie Newton : committee member

Trixie’s background and talents are quite intimidating, and include excellence in various sports, horsemanship, diving, flying (first female pilot in north) and sailing. - Not to mention working in TV in NZ and England as a production assistant and vision mixer.

Trixie arrived in Kerikeri in 1974, started a small travel agency, a bookshop, and by 1976 Trixies Newton World Travel had been born! As well as this she has fitted in radio reporting, president of the Chamber of Commerce, taught High School Sailing, president of Business and Professional Womens Club, a director of Northern Airports Corporation, Rotary, became a JP, a marriage celebrant, racing, cruising and restoring vintage yachts!

Trixie has also been president of the Combined Probus Club, and Kerikeri Business Association. She now describes herself as semi-retired after handing over the day to day part of the travel business so she can sail, travel etc.

We are fortunate to have her as a committee