Community and Council come together on Waihī Beach stormwater issues
The first meeting of the newly formed Waihī Beach Community Liaison Group gave Council and the community a chance to discuss their common concerns and work towards a plan for the future.
Let’s acknowledge the past, focus on the future and get on with it, were the main themes from the first meeting of Waihī Beach’s new stormwater-focused community liaison group.
The community liaison group formed following the 29 May floods, in an advisory role to Western Bay of Plenty District Council. At their first meeting on Friday 21 July the group gathered to discuss the stormwater issues across Waihī Beach and how best to get moving on over $19 million in stormwater upgrades planned to take place over the next few years.
The group includes representatives from Te Whānau a Tauwhao (hāpu of Ōtawhiwhi Marae), the Storm Water Action Team (SWAT), Waihī Beach Community Board Members and Katikati-Waihī Beach Ward Councillors Allan Sole, Anne Henry, Rodney Joyce and Mayor James Denyer.
Council’s Waihī Beach stormwater project lead James Abraham says that it’s great to have an open dialogue with community leaders on stormwater after the devastating floods earlier this year.
“We really appreciate and value the community’s insights because they add an on-the-ground perspective of our systems and services and help us to create more fit for purpose solutions.
“Working together, we’ve already identified some quick fixes to infrastructure that we can get started on immediately. We’re keen to make progress and show the community that we’ve heard them.
“We’re committed to maintaining a trusting and open working relationship with the Waihī Beach community through the liaison group. We all recognise that stormwater and flooding issues will never completely go away in Waihī Beach – but there are things we can do to help, and when we work together, we’re all better off.”
Sue Hope and Paul Weaver attended the first meeting with five other members of SWAT. SWAT is a group of concerned Waihī Beach residents that re-formed after the recent floods.
“We feel encouraged by the commitment of the liaison group in seeking long term and sustainable solutions to many of the stormwater issues facing Waihī Beach. The information supplied to SWAT, by the community, formed the basis of our presentation and we encourage the community to get in touch if they have any further information or questions they would like the liaison group to raise with Council,” says Sue.
At their first gathering Council engineers provided the community liaison group with a proposed list of stormwater projects for reprioritisation to get improvements happening as quickly as possible.
The Waihī Beach Storm Water Action Team (SWAT) provided input into this process and supplied an in-depth assessment of each catchment from their lived experience and observations, highlighting their concerns and supplying valuable information. These projects were added to the wider list of stormwater projects to address.
The draft reprioritised project list will now go to Council’s Projects and Monitoring Committee meeting on Tuesday 8 August for their approval. The meeting will be livestreamed on Council’s YouTube, and the agenda will be available on our website from Friday 4 August.
Community members who want to raise an issue with the community liaison group can do so via
- the Waihī Beach Community Board facebook
- email a Community Board member
- email SWAT at waihibeachswat@gmail.com
The Waihī Beach Stormwater Community Liaison Group Members include
- Te Whānau a Tauwhao representative Reon Tuanau
- Storm Water Action Team representative Sue Hope
- Waihī Beach Community Board chair and members Ross Goudie, Alan Kurtovich, Dani Simpson, Heather Marie Guptill
- Katikati-Waihī Beach Ward Councillors Allan Sole, Anne Henry and Rodney Joyce
- Western Bay Mayor James Denyer
