4 days ago
Future Plan In Place For Waikawa Bay Foreshore Reserve
Press Release – Marlborough District Council
Councils Manager Parks and Open Spaces Jane Tito said it was the first time the 1.2-hectare reserve, popular for picnicking, swimming and boat launching, had a formal management plan in place. Council is required to do this under the Reserves Act.
The much-loved Waikawa Bay Foreshore Reserve on the eastern side of Waikawa Bay near Picton has a new management plan.
Council's Manager Parks and Open Spaces Jane Tito said it was the first time the 1.2-hectare reserve, popular for picnicking, swimming and boat launching, had a formal management plan in place. Council is required to do this under the Reserves Act.
'This new plan acknowledges the relationships already in place and ensures Council, Te Ātiawa and the community are well placed to work together to ensure the respective and shared values and uses of the area are managed in a balanced way,' Ms Tito said.
'Waikawa Bay Foreshore Reserve is of great historic and cultural significance to Te Ātiawa and is enjoyed by the wider Waikawa Bay community for a broad range of recreational purposes. It is much-loved by all who visit and use it.'
'Because it is small, close to the water and very popular, the reserve does come under pressure at times. Council has a responsibility to ensure the protection of its open space and environmental values as well as to acknowledge its significance to Te Ātiawa, local residents and the wider community,' she said.
The current uses of the reserve, which will not change under the new management plan, include the boat launching ramp with associated boat trailer parking, a children's playground, BBQ facilities, picnic areas and green space, dinghies and a base for the Waikawa Waka Ama Whānau.
The plan provides clarity on the use of donations collected from the boat ramp and provides the opportunity for an organisation to manage the boat ramp via a formal lease arrangement. It also identifies the requirement for a review of the boat launching ramp and trailer parking within the next five years to look at any changes to use and demand.
'Most submitters also supported the need for dedicated dinghy storage areas in the reserve and staff will take a closer look at this,' Ms Tito said.
Near the southern end of the reserve is an area of land vested in the Te Ātiawa o Te Waka-ā-Māui Trust as a recreation reserve through Treaty settlement legislation, where the Arapawa Māori Rowing Club building is located.
'Council will continue an open dialogue with Te Ātiawa and the Arapawa Māori Rowing Club on options for the future of the rowing club building.'
In response to community feedback, a development plan will be prepared with Te Ātiawa and the wider community to provide certainty over the location, nature and function of valued features and activities within the reserve.
The process towards a management plan started in 2020 with pre-consultation with iwi and key stakeholders following which Council invited suggestions from the community on what could be included in the management plan. Fifty-four submissions were received.
'From that we arrived at a draft reserve management plan that responded well to a range of issues raised in that initial engagement phase,' Ms Tito said.
Council adopted the Draft Waikawa Bay Foreshore Reserve Management Plan for consultation in December last year. Twenty-three submissions were received with 13 people speaking to their submission before a hearing panel on 30 June.
