Winter warmer a winner

Council blocks flats

A plan to build 14 pensioner flats in Tākaka is effectively dead in the water.

Tasman District Council (TDC) indicated in an email from resource consents manager Katrina Lee, dated 7 July, that a resource consent application from Golden Bay/Mohua Affordable Housing Project (GBMAHP) was likely to be declined.

The rationale provided by TDC is that flood mitigation measures proposed by GBMAHP are insufficient but also implied that policy emphasis had hardened from “mitigating” to “avoiding” risk.

The unexpected news is a major blow to GBMAHP which has already spent $50,000 on fees and charges and was in line for a $3m Government grant to help finance the development. All that has now been lost, along with the prospect of homes specially designed for seniors and people with disabilities, says GBMAHP executive officer Chris Bennett. “It’s particularly disappointing since we had expressions of interest in the pensioner flats from 27 individuals. What is the plan to cater for these people now? None unfortunately. We’ve missed the boat for the grant.”

Last Sunday, the Golden Bay Mountain Bike Club (GBMBC) gathered at the Rameka track carpark to undertake their third Winter Warmer fundraising event.

Taking off at 10am, the five-hour relay led uphill for two kilometres, and two kilometres downhill. Participants rode as many laps as they could, marking each on the scoreboard upon their return. Most riders aimed to better their previous year’s score.

“It’s a self-competition, and gives the winner bragging rights,” said club secretary Jenny Thompson. “It’s fun, it’s a social thing… people can come up for a few hours or the whole day.”

Families came along to ride or relax in the sun and support the riders. Many children proved to be keen mountain bikers.

Local business support was evident. An NBS gazebo provided shelter for Bruce Chick, who was busy cooking his renowned burgers. Alongside, the ITM barbeque was in action sizzling sausages. The Mussel Inn provided non-alcoholic beverages for thirsty riders, and Paul Bowden was kept busy in his coffee cart. DJ Kaylee B from Nelson provided music, adding to the festive feel.

TG Contractors had graded two truckloads of gravel they donated for the carpark.

“It used to be rough – now this is such a hub. It’s become a hive of activity,” said club president Karl Thompson.

He credits biking enthusiast Rob Dawson with “chipping away” to re-open the historical Rameka Track. But it was Bruce Chick who started the club back in 2008, inspired by mountain biking and keen on engaging youth in the sport.

“Bruce is a very active member,” said Karl. “He is project manager of the Pikikirunga Track.”

Last year’s fundraising participants had to be sponsored per lap, which resulted in raising $10,000 for the Pikikirunga Trail on Tākaka Hill.

This year, the set fee of $30 per entrant plus funds raised will go back to the club for running costs and trail maintenance.

Bruce produced some figures. “In the last five years, the GBMBC has spent over $123,000 on track building and trail maintenance in our district; over $15,000 on club and community events; and over $3,000 on youth sponsorship and support. These dollar values do not reflect the huge amount of volunteer hours poured into these events.”

Furthermore, the 2018 Berl report on the economic benefit of mountain biking states:

“As a result of the mountain bike trails in the Nelson-Tasman region… it will generate for the Nelson-Tasman economy a total of $15.5 million in GDP… the total annual economic impact in ten years’ time will be $39.5 million in GDP…”

All that voluntary input from club members working with Project Rameka Inc and with the Department of Conservation (DOC) at Canaan Downs clearly pays off. They do it for fitness, the satisfaction of achieving goals, socialization, for youth, and the future.

Club members Steve Cottle, Daphne Dijk, Chris Overmeer, Karl, and other volunteers also take youth out riding after school.

“Youth riding starts up again in term four and runs through to term one,” said Steve.

As social media creator for the club, Steve advises people to make contact via www. goldenbaymtb.club or Facebook.

GBMAHP’s 109-page resource consent application, submitted in April, details how flood risk was assessed using detailed modelling to ensure the design of mitigation measures was compliant with the RMA, the Tasman Resource Management Plan, Nelson Tasman Land Development Manual (NTLDM) and the Nelson Tasman Inundation Practice Note.

Accordingly, the resource consent application proposed: “The dwellings will have a floor level of at least 10m [above chart datum] to cater for the 1% AEP [a one in 100-year] flood. This will give a minimum freeboard of 0.62m, in excess of the 0.5m required in the NTLDM.”

Katrina Lee’s response, however, made it clear that TDC rejected the proposed measures. “Simply putting dwellings on piles is not considered to sufficiently mitigate flood hazard risk… We also think that the use of flood prone land and dwellings that will have impeded access during flood events for pensioner housing is not appropriate.”

Chris clearly does not agree with that assessment. “We of course have a different view to TDC insofar as our engineers and planners consider that all the risks from flooding could be mitigated – otherwise we wouldn’t be doing this. However, TDC has their statutory responsibility and...

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Council Blocks Flats

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...don’t agree and, in the end, it’s their call.”

He is disappointed that council failed to signal a hardening of approach when they asked GBMAHP for additional information in February, something Chris interpreted as a “yellow light to proceed” with the application. “We wouldn’t have spent some $50,000 of time and consulting fees in the intervening period so this has set us back quite a bit.”

What next?

All future options, such as requesting a formal decision from TDC, or an independent commissioner hearing, would incur involve significant additional costs.

Chris says the priority now needs to switch away from the Reilly Street development. “This has been our focus and we've significantly depleted our finances so need to get some more funding to continue building houses. We have a consent for a 3 bedroom family home just past the hospital and we will do that when we can find some people to invest funds in the project.”