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Chair’s Report April 2024
The Eastbourne Community Board’s next public meeting is at 7.15pm on 16 April. The meeting agenda is posted on the Hutt City Council website and on eastbourne.nz about a week before each meeting.
Residents are always welcome at Board meetings. They generally last around two hours, but you are free to come and go at any time, depending on what is of interest to you on the agenda. We enjoy informative presentations from the Greater Wellington Regional Council, including from the local Ranger, Council officers and others. Anyone may speak (for up to three minutes) at the start of the meeting under public comment on any community topic.
Community Resilience Expo
The first Eastbourne Community Resilience Expo, held on 24 March, attracted many exhibitors, including Fire & Emergency NZ, Wellington Water, Hutt City Council, and the Wellington Regional Emergency Management Office. Residents supported the event, and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Thank you to those who came along.
The ECB supported the Expo, but it was Bruce Spedding’s idea, passion and drive that made it happen.
Bird protection and consultation on dog exercise areas in Eastbourne
The Community Board submitted on the proposed restrictions to dog access in relation to the four bird protection areas, which are consent conditions for the Tupua Horo Nuku resilience and shared path project. Some Eastbourne residents support the restrictions, including banning dogs from Rona Bay Beach at all times; others who exercise their dogs there and at HW Shortt Park, Whiorau Reserve and Sorrento Bay objected to the proposed restrictions. Like residents, ECB members are divided on restricted dog access. However, the Board agrees the planning process and communication in relation to the bird protection areas has been poor, and that is what our written and oral submission was about.
The hearing sub-committee will advise its decision on 7 May.
Tupua Horo Nuku resilience and shared path project
We are nearly halfway through the construction phase of this project. It will be a wonderful asset for Eastbourne when it’s complete, but we acknowledge the challenges during this phase and the patience of residents who experience delays and inconvenience.
- The Community Board met with the design team and the Lowry Bay and Point Howard Resident Associations to discuss aspects of the proposed design details. Discussions are ongoing, especially in relation to parking, beach access and safety around bus stops.
- We continue to liaise with the project team, Council, and residents about the proposed changes resulting from Bishops Park's bird protection area, including the proposed 1.2m fence.
- We have queried the closing of the northbound York Bay bus stop for eight months because this will have significant implications for York Bay bus users, including safety for school students.
Long Term Plan (LTP)
Hutt City Council is seeking feedback on its Long Term Plan. This is an opportunity to let the Council know what’s important to Eastbourne over the next ten years.
The ECB will make a submission, and we urge residents and resident associations to do so, too.
The four main areas for consultation are water services, food and green organics, rates relief for low-income households, and the way ahead for Petone. Feedback closes on 3 May. Read more here.
Swimming pool summer season
The Eastbourne swimming pool has a shorter season than the other summer pools in the region. One of the reasons for this is the difficulty finding trained lifeguards in late March when students return to university. The shorter season impacts all pool users and means the 11-week Learn to Swim programme can’t be completed in Term 1. The Community Board is working with pool users and Council to look at options to extend the season. One option suggested by Council is for qualified residents to volunteer as lifeguards. Council is offering training. Email belinda.moss@huttcity.govt.nz if you are interested in becoming a volunteer lifeguard.
Other
1. Pencarrow Road closure: Many, including ECB members, were surprised when Pencarrow Road was closed over the summer due to the fire risk. We have asked for more information about the process and whether it’s likely to be a regular occurrence. (An anomaly means that Pencarrow Road south of Burdan’s gate falls into the Wainuiomata region, not Eastbourne—we raised this as an issue during the recent representation review.)
2. Days Bay raft: The ECB asked if Council could fund the swimming raft in Days Bay because it funds the Petone Beach raft. Council has declined this request leaving residents to fund the raft which is popular with visitors from throughout the region. The Days Bay Residents Association received Community Engagement funding from the ECB for the raft late last year.
3. Traffic management: We asked for information about the traffic management around the Tupua Horo Nuku works following reports of vehicles meeting traffic in the single-lane areas. We received a response but have asked for further information following ongoing issues with the traffic lights and phasing.
4. Recycling bins at the library: The recycling bins at the Eastbourne Library (now called the Community Hub) for UHT tetra pak packaging and batteries are proving popular. More than 60kg of batteries have been saved from landfill so far. Thanks to Bruce Spedding for managing this initiative.
Communication
One of the Board’s roles is communicating relevant matters, proposals, consultations, and issues with residents. We do this through our Facebook page (775 followers), the eastbourne.nz website, our email list (220+ subscribers), our regular column in the Eastbourne Herald, and the digital display board at the library.
Residents can also contact Board members directly:
Belinda Moss
7 April 2024
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