This has been in the news recently and was the first item on the agenda at the council meeting last Thursday. The report for councillors on it is here.

The land involved is in the Reikorangi Reserve owned by the Department of Conservation. The KCDC has been appointed to control and manage the Reserve which is classified as Local Purpose (community use). This lease comes under Section 59A(1) of the Reserves Act 1977.

The Gold Coast Western Riding Club’s (GCWRC) occupancy of the reserve was
previously in the form of permit concessions issued by DOC, the last of which
expired on 31 December 2014 after a five year term. The concessions, which
covered the entire reserve except for the hall and tennis courts (the former school), was for “horse riding activities, including maintenance of horse riding tracks, and gathering hay for the purpose of feeding horses on the land”.

DOC requested the Council take over the granting of concessions for the reserve and accordingly, the Council’s Environment and Community Development Committee approved a new lease to the club at the 16 June 2016 meeting — but, “there were errors in the report and procedural irregularities in the process that was followed at the time. The process was recommenced with public notification being given of the Council’s proposal to lease the reserve to Gold Coast Western Riding Club Inc. (an incorporated society) for a ten year term with two rights of renewal for further ten year terms.” The submissions had to be in by the end of January 2017.

A total of 12 locals objected to the granting of the lease and as a result it was proposed to reduce the leased area to that of the arena only, about 18% of the total Reserve’s area (pictures above).

Considering the small size of the land area thus involved, you might think there would cease to be controversy over it, but no.

The Reikorangi residents’ appointed advocate, Sue Smith’s husband Mr Mitchell, spoke to the council meeting first up.  His assertions differed from those given by Sara Malone, the representative of the GCWRC which claims to have a membership of 42 of which 31 are either residents or ratepayers of the Kapiti Coast District.  She added that there is a list of more who would like to join the club now.

“It has only a handful of members,” Mr Mitchell said, “and for the 2014 year, the last year in which accounts were filed, membership subscriptions totalled $125.”

The latter is true, however, in the previous year the figure was $405 and that is consistent with the earlier years; presumably thus $10 each.  The GCWRC was de-registered for lack of filing in February 2014, but was re-registered in July that year.  Clearly the club’s secretary isn’t or hasn’t been the most diligent of people. However, there is no evidence in the club’s accounts to support Mr Mitchell’s claim that it has been subleasing the Reserve.

The club has fees to use the arena, “which are very much in line with fees for the use of any other arena in the country; they are not expensive, they are very reasonable.”  It seems these casual fees are $50 a month or $300 a year.

Ms Malone said the club has annual show days and periodic club days, likewise training days.  Although the total days the arena is used by the club wasn’t clear, it appears like it would be in the order of 20-25 a year.  In answer to a question she said the club would have a separate fee for non-riding members, but it wouldn’t be determined by where they lived.

“Subsequent attempts to arrange a meeting between Community and Club
representatives were frustrated” seems to refer to an intended meeting in late July (the exact date wasn’t given) chaired/mediated by Waikanae Ward councillor Michael Scott that didn’t happen. Given Mr Mitchell’s shall we say, intemperate disposition towards Michael Scott (among others), that isn’t surprising.

“If Council approves a lease to GCWRC, staff will attempt to facilitate a future meeting or meetings between Community and Club representatives.”

That will be necessary as the council passed (with one no and one abstention) the motion from the Mayor and seconded by Micheal Scott :

“That the Council grants a lease for five years with no right of renewal, in general accordance with Option 1 in this report, commencing 1 September 2017 to the Gold Coast Western Riding Club for the area of the arena shown [above] at an annual rental set by the Council in the Long Term Plan or Annual Plan.”

This was qualified by a sentence in the report: “The five year lease enables early termination by Council with a three month notice period, in the event of any future community outcomes identifying the arena being required for an alternative purpose.”

The Council will take over maintenance of the Reikorangi Reserve (which has hitherto been the responsibility of GCWRC), excluding the arena, at a cost of $4,000 per annum.

We first remarked on this subdivision in this post from March 2016.

The development company, Kohekohe Developments Ltd, was registered just over a year ago — details. The principal seems to be a Colin Carl Wilson of Whitby, of whom we know nothing. From the map, this development has two main entrances: the top end of Winara Avenue and the north end of Kotare Street.

With 75 lots, this is only a tenth the size of the massive Maypole company development which makes it small scale, although it could potentially add up to 200 people to the existing 2,200 on the east side of the railway line.

The company’s website

This particular view may make you wonder why, but upon viewing the rest of the photos on the RMB site here, it will become apparent.

It’s always pleasing to see house designs, including the use of colour, that are innovative and distinctive, challenging traditional off-the-shelf concepts.

See the earlier post on this subject

Thanks to thecontrail.com for this link These data, of course, clearly contradict the false narrative of rapid, never-ending rising ocean levels that flood continents and drown cities — a key element of the climate change “boogeyman” fiction that’s used to scare gullible youth into making Al Gore rich. (Natural News) As the global warming narrative […]

via Sea levels are FALLING not rising, SERIOUSLY – from NASA’s own data — Rangitikei Enviromental Health Watch

Tax avoidance by big business isn’t necessarily illegal; it often means that unscrupulous lawyers have come up with legal loopholes for immoral types.   We have mentioned one such method in previous posts: registering a business as a charity.   There are several other ways.  The next government needs to deal with all of them!

Originally posted on Rangitikei Enviromental Health Watch: From Bryan Bruce: “Every year the IRD identifies about $1.2 BILLION [fraud]committed by NZ business people . Yes..EVERY year. It discovers around $30 million in welfare fraud (tiny by comparison) Yet , as Dr Marriott discovered – welfare fraudsters are far more likely to be sent to prison…

via Every year the IRD identifies about $1.2 BILLION in fraud committed by NZ business people … and Welfare fraud? … $30 million — Rangitikei Enviromental Health Watch

It has been for a couple of weeks we’re told, but it seems there was no fanfare given to it — a missed opportunity for Michael Scott!

This pic was taken at about 10 am today and there were still several vacant spaces; suggesting it should be adequate for a little while.  The ever-growing population may change that in the medium term.

On 4 June we posted a comment by Cr Cootes of Otaki made on Facebook justifying the increase in KCDC staff by new central government requirements of councils.

Cr Cootes criticised us for doing this, so we invited him to write an article in response.

He didn’t, so Salima Padamsey sent an OIA to the council:

“Does KCDC have the expertise in house to manage these new Central Government requirements?

“In addition, could you please provide the estimated cost of each requirement?”

Tenei ko te urupare a te Tumuaki o te Kaunihera.

A recent artwork acquisition of ours.  The signature looks like D. Vass.

One of the approximately 30 murals in the town, this shows the river port and the railway station/yard perhaps about a century ago. Both have gone and the area on the left is now an open park.

Foxton is the same distance north of Waikanae — 55 km — that Wellington is to the south and provides an example of an old small town which has recently done a few things to boost the visitor experience.

It began life as a river port and flax was the town’s early major product, a lot of which went to Sydney by ship, although the Manawatu River had a dangerous bar at the river mouth, but as the only real harbour between Wanganui and Wellington it was used anyway. The port finally closed in 1942.

Foxton was connected by rail to Palmerston North and Wanganui in 1873, initially with a rather bizarre looking train — a replica of its locomotive is at the north end of Main Street — using equally bizarre wooden rails.  Unsurprisingly, these were replaced with steel rails 3 years later.

The town became the end of a branch line in 1886 when the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company’s directors decided to connect to the government line at Longburn rather than Foxton.  The branch lasted until 1959 when it went the way of most rural branches and closed.

The State Highway 1 bypasses Main Street by two blocks to the east, the reason for which is obvious — the low hill at the south end. On this is the water tower built in 1923 that was the main landmark until 2003 when De Molen replica 17th century Dutch windmill was opened. This has a shop selling (naturally) items from Holland in its ground floor.  The windmill’s sails work occasionally making stone-ground flour, which is sold inside the shop. Visitors can also view the inside mechanical workings of the mill.

About the same time, a series of murals depicting the town’s history were placed in various locations and a $2 booklet available in De Molen provides information about what they show.

Other features of interest are the Trolley Bus Museum including some from Wellington and there is a loop of trolley wires to run them around the block formed with Wharf Street and Harbour Street.  The museum could use a few financial benefactors to improve it, though.

The strangely wide Main Street has some quaint old buildings in it such as the cute Municipal Chambers from 1923 — which contrasts with the recent grandiose HDC building in Levin 20 km to the south.  The corner facade of the former 2-storey Whyte’s Hotel has been incorporated into the New World opened in 2002 and at the corner of Main Street and Avenue Road is the Coronation Hall, now a movie and audio-visual museum. At one stage its name was “The National Museum of Audio-Visual Arts & Sciences”!

A brand name which the town is noted for is Foxton Fizz, opposite the New World in Whyte Street.  We can also remember Foxchocs and Foxton Fries.

A mural showing the river boat Planet from 1878 with flax barges in front of the Trolley Bus museum which has a sign stating “Broadcasting House”.

Specifically, north of the Ryman complex with the old SH1 visible in the medium distance.  Further along (but not visible in this view) are the SPCA premises.

It’s inevitable that this land will be turned into houses at some stage. The old power lines add a bit of atmosphere, but they would get buried in a development.