The Oakura PostSeptember 2020 Meet The Brigade Hello from The Editor TOP Notices This is the first 20 page issue of The Ōākura Post and brought about because of the number of stories, articles and information that has come across the Website TOP desk. I always knew we had a lot going on in our community and this Know of people outside of the village validated it. I will always welcome your ideas and contributions because this is a that would like to be kept updated? Share the website and at the combined community effort that strengthens our connections. bottom of the page they can click I hope you enjoy this issue. Tracey on a button to subscribe. Got a burning question? Morning Talk Coffee Send it in and we will Group on Thursday endeavour to find the answer. 17 September is pleased to have Jen Harries as Got a story idea? our guest. Jen will share Make contact with us by ‘World Car Free Day - phone or email the editor. Go by bus for free’ concept with us. Let’s Go and . Kaitake Community Board Next Issue Withers Coachlines have ell, it certainly looks like the wet viewed every ten years. The proposed District Deadline for content come together to offer this weather is going to be around by Doug Hislop Plan intends to make it easier to know where Monday 21st September. opportunity. for some time yet. We get one you can build, where you can do business and For more details on the gloriousW day and then back it comes. I the Council’s parks team, we are managing to the important features in our district that we Views expressed in The Ōākura Post are not weekly Morning Talk get keep our beach in a very natural state. need to look after for future generations. necessarily those of the The Ōākura Post guess we are all looking forward to get- together see the back page ting out and tending to lawns, gardens Your community board has been burning the We have also been reflecting on the way free- TOP Activities list. and all the other outside jobs that have midnight oil since our last report. We have dom camping takes place in our district. The been hanging over us for far too long. completed the update of the Kaitake Com- Council is currently reviewing its freedom The Ōākura Post munity Plan - a thirty-year vision. It will provide camping bylaw and we are constructing a sub- The succession of storms coupled with high the latest information to Council on communi- mission to present to that process. The Ōākura Post is a free monthly tides and northerly swell directions has caused ty issues and aspirations in and around Ōma- The updated Kaitake Community Plan states publication, delivered each month 8 1 7 5 a fair bit of erosion along the village foreshore. ta, Ōākura, and Okato. Every three years the in the Environment section: ‘Remove freedom to all homes in Ōākura. However, it is nowhere near as bad as it was Council adopts a new ten year Long-Term Plan. camping opportunities away from all coastal back in 2008 when we were desperate to hang Tracey Lusk 4 1 5 3 reserves to alleviate mana whenua concerns, Editor & Advertising: onto the Tasman Parade road reserve that It sets out a detailed budget for the next three avoid pollution issues and other biodiversity 06 752 7875 / 027 636 8060 looked likely to be gobbled up. With no other years, and then a strategic outline for the follow- impacts.’ This was added after much com- [email protected] 5 6 8 2 entry or exit for residents further along on Jans ing seven years. It provides an integrated, long- munity consultation, including local hāpu and [email protected] Terrace and the adjoining streets, that would term focus for decisions and activities for the TOP Taranaki Iwi input, and also based on the rec- be a real worry. whole Council. This important document pro- Charlie Robertson 2 9 7 Design/Layout: vides a basis for NPDC’s accountability to the ommendation of the research project ‘An in- Luckily the ongoing re-establishment of the district. It describes what the Council does, and vestigation into freedom camping in Taranaki, Story Writer: Suki Bishop Sudoku dunes has provided an excellent soft armour- 4 3 what it is trying to achieve. The Kaitake Commu- New Zealand’ - Mary Hutchins 2016. ing solution on the beachfront. While we do Proof Reader: Elayne Kessler nity Plan will provide hard data to that process. Well, that’s it for this issue of TOP. The next Fill in the blank have erosion effects from time to time the meeting of the Kaitake Community Board will squares so that 2 5 6 dunes keep them away from Tasman Parade The board has also made further submissions be held at the NPOB Surf Club at 5pm on every row, column and the campground. to the Council’s proposed District Plan. The www.theoakurapost.co.nz District Plan includes objectives, policies and Monday 21 September. and 3 x 3 square 7 4 8 9 The sand coming along from the west replen- rules that manage the adverse effects of activ- Ka kite anō au i a kotou. ishes and re-establishes the dunes. We have Founded in Ōākura, New Zealand contains all the ities on the environment with a focus on land been fortunate to have so many volunteers, (752 7324 or [email protected]) 1st June 2020 numbers from 4 3 5 8 use and subdivision activities. especially the school kids, helping with spin- on behalf of Paul Coxhead, Paul Veric, Issue: No. 04 1 to 9. ifex and pingao planting over the past twelve The current plan became operative on 15 Au- Graham Chard and Amanda Clinton-Gohdes, Solution on page 15 1 7 9 2 years or so. With the consistent support from gust 2005 and its provisions are meant to be re- who is the Councillor Rep. on the KCB 2 The Ōākura Post - September 2020 The Ōākura Post - September 2020 3 hen I opened the Sunday Star Times one morning Jonathan Young at the beginning of 2019, MP for New Plymouth. WI did not know that I would be ‘meet- National Party Spokesperson: Energy & Resources ing’ someone who would become a National Party Spokesperson: Arts, Culture & Heritage big part of my life. It was the picture that drew me in, a topless young bald The re-emergence of Covid-19 last month came as a shock to many but woman showing the stark reality of again showed the importance of taking basic precautions and working breast cancer treatment - her mas- together to get through what’s been a difficult year. tectomy scar exposed for the world Around the electorate, I’m hearing a mixture of views on what people to see. Not quite what you expect in think the next twelve months holds for us. mainstream media. In Venture Taranaki’s June 2020 Business Survey, 52 percent of At that point I was in the midst of my own responders saw Taranaki either staying the same or improving. In the cancer experience. During an amazing two context of the Covid-19 impact on business, that is far higher than the months in Tonga in late 2018 (I was running rest of New Zealand, where 38.5 percent of people thought things would away from adult responsibilities and having a stay the same or improve. The resilience of Taranaki is an important wee mid life crisis - a story for another day) an component of our success. unexpected (and quite large) resident made itself known in my left breast. The doctor’s of- The Big C Word Let’s continue to work on that positive outlook even though this is a particularly uncertain time. fice was my first stop when I got home and weekly podcast - I record from my kitchen in Santa Claus brought me a cancer diagnosis for by Belinda Tran-Lawrence Ōākura and Helen from the studio of an Auck- I think we are very fortunate to have a region which produces what Christmas that year. Not quite what I asked for land community radio station. The funny thing people will always need - essentially food and fuel, with excellent support and it soon became obvious that all plans to is we have never actually met in person! We Helen King is a former Stuff journalist who lives services for those two pillars of our regional economy. Added to that, we continue my mid life crisis through travelling to talk about the things we wanted to hear when in Auckland and is passionate about telling the have hard-working can-do people who are used to persevering. more far flung places would have to be put on we were in the depths of cancer treatment, stories that are important. She is also a woman There is no doubt that Taranaki is fundamentally a very community hold for the foreseeable. and the things we think other people should who loves running with an idea and making it know and be talking about. Often we go off orientated region with people who have contributed to make this place I was in the midst of chemo treatment, the happen, I soon discovered. Over lockdown she on tangents but they’re interesting tangents! “like no other.” most un fun thing I have ever experienced, mentioned that she wanted to produce a video Positive thinking can change the way we behave.