Williamson Park and Tairua Wharf upgrades

There is just one week left to let us know what you think of our proposals to upgrade Whangamata's Williamson Park and Tairua's wharf and boat ramp. The consultations on both projects close 6 November.

Williamson Park Redevelopment

The proposal for Whangamata's much-loved seaside reserve is to replace many of the old pines that have reached the end of their lifespan.

At the same time, native coastal trees can be planted throughout the park, a boardwalk built along the dunes in front of the Surf Club area, realigning the road to create more open space, redesigning the car parking for ease and safety and improving access to the beach.

The redevelopment will not only cater for users of the park all year but also create more room for Williamson Park to more effectively host big events such as the Beach Hop and Brits at the Beach.

There has already been consultation with key users of the park, including the Surf Lifesaving Club, Blackies Cafe, Whangamata Summer Festival, Beach Hop and Brits at the Beach, as well as with nearby residents. Their input has provided valuable suggestions which have been included in the concept plan.

Our Council has approved the use of $586,878 from Whangamata's Neighbourhood Reserves Fund for this project. This means that the money for this project has already been raised and the ratepayers of Whangamata will not have to pay anything further toward the project.

For more information on the plan and to have your say, go to our Whangamata office on Port Road or see the project page on our web site www.tcdc.govt.nz/williamson

The final day for submissions is Friday, 6 November.

Tairua wharf and boat ramp upgrade

The wharf at Tairua's Mary Beach is old and within 3-6 years will need significant maintenance to ensure the structure meets health and safety requirements.

A working group formed of Tairua-Pauanui Community Board member Donna Brooke, Council staff including an engineer, and key wharf and boat ramp users looked at various options and came up with a plan that we would like your feedback on.

We want to rebuild the wharf in the same location, in wood, and make it wider (4 metres) so that vehicles can drive on to load and unload boats. Improved facilities for fishing and pedestrian access to the ferry are included.

A new wharf pontoon will provide additional loading space for the ferry and mitigate potential tidal effects as well as provide more manoeuvring room for boats between the existing wharf pontoon and the boat ramp.

The existing boat ramp will be improved by extending and widening it to improve launching at low tide.

Two additional 30-metre floating pontoons are also proposed at the boat ramp to increase the number of boats that can be launched and to improve safety given the tidal flows of the harbour.

The proposal also includes consideration of adequate trailer boat parking for the busy summer period.

As with most other wharf and boating infrastructure across the Coromandel, once the rebuild is completed it is intended that recreational boat launching fees will be introduced in Tairua to cover on-going maintenance costs. Further detail on this will be available next year.

Our Council approved a budget of $1.2m (funded from Tairua depreciation reserves and a $120,000 loan) for the project.

You can view the plan and have your say at Tairua Library or on our website atwww.tcdc.govt.nz/tairuawharf The last day for submissions is 6 November.

© Scoop Media