A monthly column that covers key issues and happenings from the monthly Raglan Community Board meetings.
‘Mā te kōtahi ka ahatia, mā te katoa ka taea’
‘What can one do alone? Collaboration of the many ensures success’
Kia ora koutou.
The Raglan Community Board will be hosting our first Level One face-to-face meeting next week on Tuesday, June 23, at the Raglan Town Hall supper room, commencing at 1.30pm with our public forum, followed by our official meeting at 2pm.
Our guest speaker is Dallas Butler, General Manager of Xtreme Zero Waste, he will be updating us on how Summer in Raglan went and also operations during lock down. We look forward to seeing you again, everyone is welcome.
Update on Raglan iSite
Changes are coming to the Raglan iSite with its closure on June 30. Over the last few months the Raglan Community Board has facilitated a number of meetings with community organisations around the future of this space and an information centre for Raglan.
The organisations involved are:
Raglan Museum Committee
Raglan Business Chamber
Raglan Naturally
Raglan Community Board
Ngāti Māhanga – Taruke Thomson
Whaingaroa Raglan Destination Management Organisation (DMO)
Lisa Thomson, Raglan Ward Councillor
Waikato District Council
We all agree there is an opportunity to create a new information centre model for our community – which continues to welcome visitors but which also supports community members and businesses.
A team of people from these organisations has formed to support what could be in place of the current iSite to a more specific Raglan information hub. Over the next couple of months the front desk will be covered by these organisations as we work collaboratively toward a permanent solution for management and funding.
The key now is to support the Museum and to work collaboratively to explore a community-led model and management structure – to make this really our own. We will keep you updated. Watch this space!
Raglan Wharf Project Update
Waikato District Council and our community were successful in securing $2.5M through the Provincial Growth Fund for improvements to the Raglan Wharf. This is an exciting opportunity for us to work together and with Waikato District Council to enhance this space and create something that will be of benefit to all users of the wharf area.
The project consists of six stages, which are:
Structural improvements to future proof the wharf
Safety improvements to protect general public and business
Provide additional berthing for boats using the wharf
Walkway extension on the west side of the wharf and possible improvement on east side.
Strategic plan for the Whaingaroa Harbour infrastructure
Identified solutions to resolve parking and access associated with the wharf and immediate business area
A meeting was held on June 3, with wharf stakeholders:
Raglan Community Board
Ngāti Māhanga/Hourua
Tainui o Tainui
Wharf related Businesses, including retail/food, fishing charters and property owners (Rob Galloway and Marie de Jong, Tony Sly, Rick Youmans, Mark Mathers, Stephen Sandwell, Helen Rowling, Charlie Young, Stuart MacFarlane, Craig Bridgeman, Darron Thornton, Murray Monds, Noel Bamber)
Commercial fishermen (Mark Mathers, Gavin McKenzie)
Raglan Sports Fishing Club (Ken Barry)
Raglan Coastguard (Wally Hawken)
Waikato Regional Council Harbour Master (Toby Kemp)
Raglan Business Chamber (Charlie Young)
From this meeting working groups were formed to be part of one or more of the six working groups.
We are establishing an oversight group which is likely to be made up of RCB Members (Dennis Amoore and Chris Rayner), Waikato District Council staff and local hapū.
Please contact Gabrielle Parson if you would like to be:
involved in one of the working groups – to bring your skills, knowledge or experience to support the project
inform us of a stakeholder that you think should be included/involved
kept updated by email
Gabrielle Parson, Mobile: 021 844 785 Email: gparsonraglancommunityboard@ gmail.com
Raglan Blueprinting
Waikato District Council will be hosting a follow up community Blueprint session here in Raglan on Monday June 29, time and venue to be confirmed.
This is to check back in with our community to see if the Raglan Blueprint is still on track. As we are all aware lots of things have changed, but there are lots of things that are still applicable.
The Waikato District Blueprint includes initiatives, projects and work that will help Council deliver the vision of creating liveable, thriving and connected communities. It was adopted by Waikato District Council in June 2019.
Council wants to keep working with our community to identify which work Council should be leading, what initiatives are better suited for the community to lead and which ones need a mixture of both.
Over the next few weeks the Raglan Community Board and Raglan Naturally will work together to look at how the aspirations and projects in Raglan Naturally 2020, our community plan, will sit alongside and feed into the Raglan Blueprint.
We look forward to seeing you next week and will keep the community updated regularly through the Chronicle.
Raglan Community Board and Raglan Ward Councillor
