Home > Archives > 19th October 2020 Issue > Public meeting ushers in new Mangawhai representative group
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MANGAWHAI'S NO.1 NEWSPAPER
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Public meeting ushers in new Mangawhai representative group
New community watchdogs, Mangawhai Matters Inc (MMI), attracted a full house to the group’s official launch recently, with a 60-strong crowd filling the Domain Hall, curious and willing to hear the organisation’s ideas and plans. Held on October 3, MMI chair Doug Lloyd welcomed residents and attendees before giving a background of how the society came to be and outlining MMI’s purpose including their intentions with the controversial Mangawhai Central (MC) development. “We’re not against Mangawhai Central, we’re actually for it, but a prosperous, profitable one and we want it the way we want it… we’ve got a great team of people who’ve spent hundreds of hours on submissions,” he says. “Our other focuses are representation in council as we are not well represented at this side of the district, as well as looking at how rates are measured.” Lloyd also introduced MMI’s committee; treasurer Carol Lloyd, secretary Rachael Williams and members, Phil Dermott, Ian Marden and Joel Cayden, a former Auckland councillor and senior New Zealand Planning Institute policy adviser who spoke in detail on MC.
Lot sizes too small Developer, Viranda Partners, appear to be maximising the yield from the land with a ‘Silverdale, Milldale approach’ says Cayden, by increasing the number of houses, and the difference between the original 2007 design ‘Estuary Estates’ and MC is like ‘chalk and cheese’. “Accepted by KDC, Estuary Estates was an estuary-side environment, more of a commercial centre with a supermarket and 500 houses spread up over the hillside in a careful way,” he says. “MC is more like Millwater or Flat Bush… Viranda have done a lot of work figuring what they want out of the land, and the yield is now between a thousand to 1500 houses with reduced commercial land… that’s the kind of development intensity which is now proposed, and that’s a concern.” Particular issues include the proposed 350sqm lots which are too small to have individual water tanks, leaving households to rely on bore water, and wastewater. “While the wastewater plant itself can possibly cope with more connections, the paddocks where treated wastewater is distributed will not be sufficient to deal with the increase.”
Plan change decision coming Cayford also clarified the council process regarding MC’s plan change, PPC78, which the company applied for last December, saying that although the current earthworks and roundabout construction are consented activities, the extra residential increase is not yet ‘a done deal’. “Viranda purchased the whole Estuary Estate option… they privately own the 140 hectares and are entitled to apply for a plan change,” he says. “Kaipara council are required to notify the public about it but have not adopted it. On October 30 we will find out what Kaipara council planners’ assessment of the MC plan change application is, they’ll put up a report and make a recommendation to the commissioners whether to grant or reject the plan change, or to grant it subject to change.” Two hundred submissions have been submitted to KDC regarding a number of issues with the intense development including effects on wastewater, water, the boat ramp, estuary, parking and green space, which are unresolved, Cayford says, and not part of the PPC78 application ‘because Viranda are only seeking the yield of the land’. “We need to do what we can to get a better outcome for the environment and the community, an estuary village which complements the area, not suck the energy out like a cuckoo in the nest,” he says. “The character and spirit of Mangawhai needs to be protected above all, we can’t allow a Silverdale or Millwater to come in and damage that for the future. We have engaged three top experts in law, planning and urban design, we have a strong case, but we need the community’s support too.” Having an influence Although born out of shared concerns over MC expressed in a meeting attended by 60 residents in May, MMI’s purpose is not only to protect Mangawhai’s unique environment and coastal character but also, with the closure of the Mangawhai Residents and Ratepayers Association, to provide a forum for other community matters to be ‘identified, discussed, and dealt with’, including rates and council representation. Kaipara District Council’s (KDC) ‘incredibly complex rating system’ was addressed by former journalist Peter Nicholas, who says ‘the base of all rating is rooted in the long term plan’. “In the next four months we’ll be able to have an opportunity to have a say in the plan review and therefore rates. What we’re trying to do is get with the people in the council offices who make the decisions to try and have some influence… so a much better system can eventuate.” he says. ”What we’re trying to target is the general rate which varies according to the district and title of property… and is too high for Mangawhai.” Local historian Helen Corinne spoke about the imbalance of councillor representation for Mangawhai, listing a number of causes including KDCs ‘extreme deviations’ on the districts population for allocating councillors, and the last two census’ based on estimated data. “Both data sets very much underrepresented our population; in the last review there was a thousand people short for Mangawhai and they over-estimated who was in Dargaville,” she says. “This committee will need to make it very clear that you’re unhappy with the arrangements as they stand, the estimated census data resulted in a poor counting of Mangawhai and deviations have not been used to our benefit.” Working with council and developers A number of people from the floor thanked the committee for creating the new community group as well as asking an array of questions with most concerning MC. Ian Marden, who jokingly says he got ‘roped into the group’ after being ‘gobsmacked’ by the developments progress and started asking questions, says MMI are planning to work with Viranda and council on the proposal ‘to see if it can be done a lot better’. “This is going to happen anyway, people are coming here so let’s not get stuck into the developer or council,” he says. “We’ve got great people, volunteers who’ve done enormous amounts of work, we’ve funded it to date and got some outside consultants but we need numbers for support, not just financially. The issues are not on the table until we put them on the table… sign up so we’ve got a voice.” Following on from the community meeting, Mangawhai Matters members met with Mangawhai Central on October 14, which was ‘a positive initial meeting’ chair Doug Lloyd says. “We put out feelers that we wanted to meet with them and they responded. They seem to be open to discuss matters of interest and concern,” he says. “Another meeting between experts from both parties has also be arranged… so we’ll see how we go.”
The public meeting officially introduced Mangawhai matters Inc. to locals, outlining their philosophy and ideas on important community issues, particularly the environment. Committee members included, from left, Joel Cayden (seated), Ian Marden, chair Doug Lloyd, guest speaker Kaiwaka-Mangawhai Ward Councillor Jonathan Larsen. At desk is secretary Rachael Williams and treasurer Carol Lloyd. Absent, Phil Dermott. Larsen, who was applauded at the meeting for his ongoing work in the community, says he believes councils should be run for the benefit of the ratepayers and residents – ‘our shareholders’.
“What we’re trying to do is get with the people in the council offices who make the decisions to try and have some influence.” -- Peter Nicholas
“Ratepayer groups are important for representing local issues and helping to hold Council to account,” he says. “I look forward to working with the new Mangawhai Matters group as part of my role of serving the people of Mangawhai.” -- Jonathan Larsen, Kaiwaka-Mangawhai Ward Councillor |
JULIA WADE
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