Continuing Consultations & Community Concerns over “ Māpua Livability”
Māpua & Districts Community Association’s March 2021 meeting again focused on both:
- Being informed : about the wide range of current consultation processes going on – Public Transport Plans; TDC Long Term Plan (LTP) Government’s “3 waters” proposal and reform of the Resource Management Act( RMA)
- Having input into : all of the above
Draft Nelson Tasman Public Transport Plan (2021 – 2029) & Draft Regional Land Transport Plan for Te Tau Ihu 2021-2031:
Drew Bryant (TDC Activity Planning Advisor Transportation & Clare Scott ( TDC Transport Planner)
Spoke to and elaborated on the main points of each of these plans in a power-point presentation – links to both the slides and the speakers’ recorded presentations are on the MDCA Facebook page
TDC Mayor – Tim King
noted that “ lots of consultation processes are going on at present and encouraged all residents to be aware of these and to take the opportunity to comment :
- Regionally
- TDC Long Term Plan (LTP) – noting the “immense range of topics and details”;urging us all to “please consider the range …” and commenting that “it is costly to provide services across a region of such diverse communities “ . There is a one month consultation period for this plan ( MDCA April Meeting will focus on the Plan’s content and the process for submissions)
- Nationally
- “ Three Waters” current proposal
- Resource Management Act( RMA) reform proposing 3 new pieces of legislation with the aim of speeding up the process . Mayor King noted that this would have “ a major impact on local regional development” and the role of local authorities
A link to the recording of his presentation can also be found on the MDCA Facebook page
ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTS
- “Māpua Liveability Working Group ( was “ Intensification in Māpua )
- This working group ( 3 MDCA Exec members ;3 local residents & chaired by Paul McIntosh) held their inaugural meeting and identified their main focus as being – improving relationships with TDC Councillors/staff .Paul noted that the main problems were not with administration but “how the rule fits within the overall strategy/plan
- Common themes were identified with the umbrella theme being “ Liveability” –leading to the re-naming. Key community concerns are currently how to ensure that :
- walk and cycle way links go into the developers’ plans and
- ample opportunity is provided for “lots of input from the community” on any aspects of development :-loss of trees, walk/cycleway links, open spaces etc
Links to the recording and related slides are on the MDCA Facebook page
- Cr Christeen McKenzie -suggested that this “visionary presentation” be repeated at a TDC Strategic Planning Meeting so that there can “be engagement with the senior leadership of TDC “. She will “ let us know”…………
- Cr Anne Turley – responding to the query as to whether group members were able to meet with developers ,suggested that they check with TDC Customer Services as to who most appropriate to follow this up with
- noted that the “TDC Committees were now charged to gather information from a range of sources “
- Cr David Oglivy – stressed the importance of ensuring that input into working group presentations matched the long term plans enabling connectivity between the Māpua Working Group and the rest of TDC
- Marion Satherley ( MDCA Chair)
- noted a planned meeting of all District Community Association Chair-people April 9th which would include input on conflict management
- identified concerns at “the disconnect between the information provided at TDC meetings and the resulting plans provided to the community which didn’t include the vision…”
She asked Councillors to clarify :
- whether there are any more deferred residential zones and
- what triggers the lifting of a zone
Christeen undertook to report back on these queries at the April Meeting
- Roads & Cycle-Ways
Wayne Chisnall has :
- followed up the issues /problems related to cyclists accessing the cycleway from the roundabout at Higgs Road with Jamie McPherson ( TDC) who has indicated that shared pathway signage is planned for Māpua Drive/Higgs Road –
- undertaken to raise with Jamie the community’s concern that the re-developed pathway between the Māpua School street frontage and the new raised traffic islands could be seen as part of the road as it is now wide enough for cars to travel on
COMMUNITY WELLBEING
- Māpua Willing Wheels –(MWW) noted with delight and relief that we have received confirmation of ongoing funding from the Rata Foundation and the Lotteries Commission for the co-ordination and administration of this project for the rest of 2021.. Local businesses /organizations encouraged to offer sponsorship to support the scheme’s administrative costs – any amount will be appreciated
- Motueka Coastal Corridor Community Bus Route (Motueka through Tasman/Māpua to Richmond) Rachel Mason has begun her (currently ) 6 month contract for establishing this new extended service which will pass through Tasman and Māpua
- Community Hub– see separate newsletter article elsewhere in this issue with details of projects and progress. The data collection project is now being collated ready for release with significant interest shown in accessing the future resource. A fruitful meeting was held with the Māpua Library Committee Members to discuss how the two facilities can co-operate especially in terms of information and resource sharing. The committee members expressed support for suggestions of both an online community directory and also the potential establishment of a Community and Whānau Group in this district for sharing information and identifying potential shared concerns/projects
FUTURE HOT TOPICS:
April – Long Term Plan – outline and input
2021 months – a list of possible Hot topics for the rest of 2021 is posted on MDCA’s Facebook Page – if you have any other suggestions of topics please send them to info@ourmapua.org as soon as possible so they can be considered for the calendar.
Submitted by: Elena Meredith