March 2017 Volume: 15 Issue: 01 Omokoroa Community Board Report by Murray Grainger Chairman Money - Spending - Rates has the delegated authority to make decisions on expenditure. One Always an issue to get communities excited and is the Reserve account, where unspent funds from previous years are engaged. As new Community Board members we had to held. (Not to be confused with Reserves, as in parks.) review the annual budget and make a recommendation The other is the “Roading Account” which is not actually for the on what the Board considered its operational budget existing roads and streets in the sense of fixing potholes and resealing should be for the upcoming financial year at our very etc; this is all handled as part of the contract WBPDC has with first meeting. Having officially been Members for a whole 19 days at WestLink. Likewise, major works such as those between the railway that stage, there was not a lot of background that we could draw on to and SH2 are not funded from this account; they are Long Term Plan make any decisions so were guided by previous years. matters with their own funding budgets. The budget that the Community Board controls is quite modest. There The “Roading Account” is to be spent in Omokoroa on projects is $5,000 for grants to community organisations and projects, $5,000 like (but not limited to) drainage improvements, new kerbing, new for contingencies and $2,000 for mileage allowance. This year we footpaths, cycleways, new traffic and pedestrian improvements, street have approved a grant of up to $1,800 for the ANZAC celebrations, lighting improvements, road signage, intersection improvements, including costs associated with the Unexpected Heroes exhibition. traffic calming thresholds and street tree planting. That is why both The other Community Boards’ discretionary budgets are: Waihi Beach, the previous and current Community Boards have allocated funds $19,500; Katikati, $30700; Te Puke, $25,300 and Maketu, $35,000. from this account for the cycleways in Omokoroa. (Not the Wairoa There are two other budget categories where the Community Board Bridge project as implied in newspaper reports.) Community Board Meeting 7pm, Tuesday 9th May, 2017 (Yes, the date is correct!) at the Omokoroa Community Church Hall, Hamurana Rd. Omokoroa Omelette 1 March 2017 Letters to the Editor... Rats on Omokoroa Rd. I don’t know if anyone else has noticed the huge increase in the number of rats now running around Omokoroa in the past few weeks (especially around the Margaret Drive/ Omokoroa Rd. intersection). This appears to have happened since orchards have been removed to make way for housing and it can only get worse as more and more properties are sold and redeveloped, causing the rats to go further afield to find new residents. They run around like there’s an open day, chasing, playing, frolicking and generally having a ball. The bait stations don’t seem to be killing them off because they are choosing not to eat the baits and why would they when they have an abundance of fresh summer fruits to feed on in the orchards still remaining. Even the cat isn’t interested in them anymore. Shirley G., Omokoroa Rats in Omokoroa With regard to the recent rat problem that has occurred and radiated out from 258 Omokoroa Road… This is a plea to any resident who has contact with any local property developer who is leaving local bought land to ‘let lie’ until development; that has any form of fruiting vegetation on it and who is not clearing it away… this is creating a good rat nesting area and also giving the rats a plentiful food supply, thus creating a RAPID rise in rat numbers which are bait resistant. Could you please pass on this information or make contact your self - explaining the situation they are creating and firmly outline the Health and Safety issues, including the risk of disease, especially for the young and elderly in our community, as well as water and electrical damage to property (not just theirs, but all surrounding properties too). Stating the only way to help to prevent this is by removing all the food sources and mowing and cleaning the area regularly. One property owner has already been contacted but as it doesn’t impact on them directly so they are just refusing to listen, only being interested in the end monetary result. Jose - Pest Free See the Pest Free article on Page 28 Toy Library Recently I had the need to obtain toys from the Toy Library for a visiting grandchild and I was able to choose a great selection all in very good condition, which provided my grandson with lots of entertainment. Grateful thanks to the Library committee for providing this excellent service, one I can highly recommend to all residents who have children visiting. Jose Law. Letter to the Mayor Attn: Mr Gary Webber Mayor, WBOPDC Dear Sir, We write to you so as to voice both our irritation & significant concern at the proposal to cut down the singular very large avocado tree that is on Council land at the very end of the driveway running east from the end of Western Avenue, Omokoroa. All other trees on Council land in this area have largely been destroyed, with a woefully few 15 young trees planted as replacements, not necessarily watered through this summer by Council dare I say. The tree in question sits over a council driveway that runs to 59f Western Avenue & is opposite a fig tree & a feijoa tree. Over the last 1½ plus years the area referred to as the ‘paper Hamurana Road extension’, to the west of Omokoroa Country Estate & through to Western Avenue, has undergone a massive transformation & changed from a quite country area to a scene that at times has resembled a battle-field during the first world war. This tree is iconic in that it is certainly one of, if not the largest avocado trees in Omokoroa & along with the 2 other lesser trees mentioned above; it/(they) remains the one singular substantial tree area left standing, where in this area two or more years ago there must have been well over a hundred trees of various types. Now, thanks to yet another tiny housing (15 more buildings) subdivision taking place nearby, at the cost of the destruction of yet more trees, this huge avocado tree we understand may well be felled. What even more beggars’ belief is that Council, having spent over $100,000.00 of ratepayers money on felling trees & providing an about 1km long concrete walkway & cycleway, which is less than a year old, are now going to allow part of it to be torn up & reconfigured so as to permit vehicles to drive into this pitifully small underway subdivision. The Council policy in this area seems to be ‘if it is a tree, fell it’ & carry out what appears to be a scorched earth policy. The scale of destruction of natural bird-life habitat west of the Omokoroa Country Estate has to be seen to be believed & the most prevalent noise in this considerable area, to down past Prole road is that of the sound of chainsaws & wood chippers, day in & day out. Clearly no thought whatsoever appears to have been given to the consideration of the ambience of the area by Council & the only objective apparent to such as ourselves & other local residents, i.e. members of the public, by both Council & land developers, seems to be that of making as much money as possible in the shortest time possible. My wife & I (amongst others) would ask for your intervention. There has to be a simple way of retaining this tree, whilst allowing vehicle access into this (yet another) housing subdivision. Yours sincerely, Terry Castle & Jeane Mackay Omokoroa Omelette 2 March 2017 Omokoroa Omelette 3 March 2017 Omokoroa Friendship Club - “Chit Chat” Hi to our community, I do hope you had a good break. Yes, we are This will be the last letter I write, re: the Friendship Club, as I have back to our Friendship Club. Started off the year well with a bang; asked the committee in writing to accept my resignation; I have we went to Athenree for a picnic. It was great to get out into the been the president from 2009 to 2017. sunshine. We had hamburger buns and cakes etc. A great time was Barbara Walls has been my eyes for the last 3 years and they will had by all. never get any better. I have resigned as of from the A.G.M. in April This month we are going to Earth Gardens or Waikino Train and 2017. I have asked two of our new ladies to come onto the commit- lunch at the railway station at Waikino (maybe a look around my tee and they have accepted as well as the committee. I am leaving old Tavern there). It would sure bring back a lot of memories for the committee in very capable hands. Going along really well and me. Come and join us, no need to be lonely. We do need some more all are a very happy group. I wish them well and hope they have younger 60, 70,80’s. We meet every Friday 10-12:30 with morning many more joyful and happy times as I had. tea and lunch $3. God bless and stay happy… from Vera Martin (President). Omokoroa Environmental Managers Inc. Big Western Bay Beach Clean Ups Sustainable Backyards playground on the beach front, yielded The Omokoroa Environmental Group were recently the most along with the ‘Gravel Pit’ (a invited to take part in the Big Beach Clean Up.