Agenda

Previous Minutes

Draft Minutes MDCA AGM 11 Aug 2025

Correspondence

Reports

“Our Māpua; our Ethos…what do our younger residents really want here? “

 A panel from the Māpua School  Whānau of :

• 2 Year 8 students – Polly Hyde & Bethany Tate ( who included comments from Year 5-8 students)
• a teacher – Bridget Chalmers and
• 3 parents – Taryn & Shaun McFadden

addressed this kaupapa at the  monthly meeting – informing , entertaining and challenging those attending ( see photo)

The theme of what we want from future development and growth was continued with a presentation on “Future growth in the community” by Jan Heijs – an engineer/ infrastructure planner /consultant for local and regional councils

 Recordings of both full presentations & the following open forum are accessible on MDCA’s Facebook Page which also includes links to Jan’s  supporting power-point slides .

1. Māpua School Panel members commented on :

What’s good about living here?

• A safe welcoming community  where you meet neighbours and know everyone; everything is close and there is “ freedom to be children”
• Lots on offer and to do for children and families – the Māpua Youth club
• Wharf Jumping –a strong culture and “the place to be” in the warmer weather

What would we like to see more of / developed?

• A playground and activities with “ older kids’ things” eg confidence course; maze; big swings ; school pool becoming a community pool
• skate park updated to include different areas/activities for novices/ learners and experienced riders
• More interactive activities for children at the wharf –“more could happen down there” including family festivals such as “New Year’s Eve..”; children’s art around the area
• More preschool activities on at the Hall and safer fencing around the playground ( note that MDCA agreed later in the meeting to support the school in any application for such fencing)
• A big asphalt area for young children learning to ride bikes [ noted that Four Square was considering supporting such a project after feedback from the police]
• A safe off-lead area for dogs and their owners
• More events for children and more markets/ food-trucks with affordable kai
• Keeping college students years 9 &10 age –group involved in local community once attending schools “outside the village” so they keep the connections

How to keep in touch ?

• Everyone present noted their appreciation of this opportunity to hear from and work with our younger residents and their families/ educators
• It was noted that the most appropriate media for this age is Instagram ; the school agreed would transmit confirmed

2.  Jan Heijs

• noted that “a lot of future growth” is planned with 100s of houses and new residents
• feared that council “not looking after local community housing needs” and that the current focus on “big houses on big lots” was not reflective of our community and character”
• concerned that with “business as usual”; if residents want to downsize they have to leave the community and that lots of families cannot afford housing in Māpua”

 

Suggesting that TDC

• has a choice on where / how to grow and could have a maximum rather than minimum size
• encourages community involvement in future development strategy
• reviews its development strategy to also support small affordable social housing ; rent-to-own houses

The presentation closed with a series of photographs of examples of social housing/smaller affordable communities; shared parking and green spaces

Jan was thanked for his humanity and courage to present alternative viewpoints

 

ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTS

“Māpua Liveability Working Group  “ – . Paul McIntosh

• expressed agreement that there should be a choice of land/living styles in the district
• aims to seek common themes and purposes as “ we want to come to TDC with suggestions and solutions “

• plan to share views with other community organizations so can ensure that “ we are all pulling in the same direction”

Reserve  re-classification 

Marion ( as Chair) thanked the councillors for the re-classification of Dominion Flats and Aranui Park as reserves

Cr MacKenzie noted the importance of providing “good background information” and that this was       “ a good lesson on how to produce good submissions- quality not quantity”

COMMUNITY WELLBEING

1. Māpua Willing Wheels –(MWW) – increased numbers of passengers over last month – working on establishing route for planned Motueka Community Bus including stops in Māpua
2. Community Hub– local community directory now  entered on the MDCA Website page with instructions for access on the Facebook page and a request for all organizations to visit and  either check  the accuracy of their entry or make contact to be included ( see separate article in this edition)

SOCIAL COMMUNICATION

• MDCA Facebook engagements – 250 on “Good Sorts” nomination for Kai Collective ; 78 on “Deferred Residential Zone” presentation by TDC at May 21 MDCA meeting
• Coastal News nominated as community “Good Sorts” for this month

FUTURE HOT TOPICS:

For the July 21  meeting – Forum on Alcohol and Drugs ( from medical/police perspectives)

 

Submitted by:  Elena Meredith

 

“We want communities [to be ] involved and informed” [Ward Cr Christeen MacKenzie at MDCA May meeting]

This headline quote is a succinct summary of both MDCA’s primary kaupapa and the focus of May’s monthly meeting . The theme of future development plans was continued with the particular focus being on Residential Zoning. Once again this “hot topic” attracted over 80 residents and the discussion was led by TDC staff members Barry Johnson (Planning) & Dwayne Fletcher (Engineering)

A recording of this full presentation & the following open forum is accessible on MDCA’s Facebook Page which includes a link to the supporting power-point slides .

Issues raised for discussion and response by those attending included:
Zoning land
• is “a front-load process with collaborative community consultation …to minimize the legal  process” and takes 6-9months
• “When classification of land changes to residential ,rates rise…the purpose of rezoning  land is eventually getting it to be developed[providing housing”]
• Deferred zones –deferral lifted when services are available Rate changes recognize the potential of the land’s capital value- the “uplift occurs when buildings and development happens”
• Local community associations are contacted & informed “but there is no scope for change”
• “not much scope for rezoning in Māpua – the potential for increased density “ needs detailed scrutiny”
• Key messages for future development is “out and up” (60%) which is a change from past patterns of “big –lots and big houses “- “you can apply for resource consent for anything-
• Consider “who does rezoning benefit- developers or the existing community ?”
• Confirmed that FDS (Future Development Strategy) definition of intensification “would not include rezoning any ‘green field’ developments….could include high density if rules change…”
• “village area not included for intensification…will reconsider this in July – can submit suggesting for example “granny flats”….small/tiny houses”
Water & waste-water
• Storm water plan is in place but not formally adopted –from August 1st the moratorium re servicing further development will be removed –
• Agreed on need to consult landowners as potential stakeholders
• Not planning on increasing road capacity “ this is NZTA/ Waka Kotahi responsibility”
• “more interested in exploring safety rather than capacity”
Marion ( Chairperson) reminded meeting that “all processes are public…TDC consults with & informs Community Associations – MDCA’s “ Māpua Liveability Sub-Committee” focuses on these issues so all present encouraged to join the Association and strengthen its voice

ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTS
Dominion Flats
Public planting held -29/30 May with 2,000 plants bedded in . For more information contact Helen Bibby. Cr MacKenzie noted, from a recent walk-through, “it’s amazing what volunteers have achieved”

“Māpua Liveability Working Group “ – . Paul McIntosh
• noted that “all topics presented at this meeting are concerns for this sub-committee”
• Theme is “keeping live consultation with TDC about what we want to happen.. past simply making submissions”
• Focus not “anti-development” ; more on “making it more sustainable” and “resident friendly”
• Important to ensure that new acts replacing the RMA enable this focus- “create more access ways rather than roads”….been asked to identify “active transport options” that will work best including linking up green-space areas
• Anna McKenzie noted that a “Landscape & Coastal Environments “Category planned – meeting 3 June at Bowling Club 10am-3pm to discuss what this practically means – MDCA encouraged to “be proactive in preparing for this; ”do a mini presentation next meeting

Roads & Cycle-Ways
• Response from NZTA to concerns raised re potential issues for vehicles turning from Coastal High-way across traffic into Māpua Drive –acknowledging the increased congestion and indicating that area identified as requiring safety work .
• Planned for 2024 and will undertake extensive community consultation

COMMUNITY WELLBEING
1. Māpua Willing Wheels –(MWW) – working on formalizing operational documents such as a Risk Management and Business . Exploring access to funding for a dedicated vehicle for the planned Motueka Community Coastal Bus service
2. Community Hub- Information from local community survey now collated and is in the process of being formatted as a local community directory and entered on the MDCA Website page with instructions for access on the Facebook page

SOCIAL COMMUNICATION
• MDCA Facebook engagements – 400+ on Ngaio Reserve development & 100+ on Long Term Plan
• Kai with Love Collective nominated as community “Good Sorts” for this month

FUTURE HOT TOPICS:

For the June meeting – “Living in Māpua as a young person /with young people”
1. How do they see Māpua ?
2. What would they like to see happen ?
Presented by a panel including people with young families and students

Submitted by: Elena Meredith