Minutes of 2020 AGM (posted on the website

Chairchat Lockdown means more AGM changes

The latest Covid-19 lockdown means the AGM of the Supporters has to be postponed again. If lockdown status allows it will now be on 15 November.

However, because of the uncertainty surrounding whether the AGM will go ahead even then, it has also been decided to postpone consideration of the proposed constitutional changes until an Extraordinary General Meeting on 15 March (the agenda is on page 5 of the magazine).

We have been consulting with Ian Haynes, our Honorary Solicitor, who has indicated that because of the lockdowns the Charities Commission and Incorporated Societies Registrar have agreed to flexibility around the dates for AGMs.

Notification of the changes has been sent to members but we are including details in the magazine as a reminder. We realise that if you only read the print issue the AGM date will be gone by the time it arrives.

Under our present rules a quorum of 30 members must be physically present, so we hope that is possible. But members unable to be present physically will be able to observe digitally via Zoom

For anyone still confused as to what the rule changes mean, I thought I should repeat the explanation I offered before: •New Rule 4 adds the word ‘families’. There are no other changes. •New Rule 4(a) states that membership rights commence from the date of approval by the Committee, apart from voting rights, which begin two months later. •New Rule 7(c) lets notice of General Meetings be posted or emailed to members. •New Rule 7(d) is to enable SoTM to hold AGMs virtually should it be required, for example if lockdowns should prevent meetings in person. •New Rule 7(f) follows from Anne Rimmer’s motion last year and will allow the AGM to decide whether to keep the status quo of one vote per individual or family membership, or to allow a family to have two votes where there are two or more adults in the family. •New Rule 9(a) (in addition to Rule 7(c)) provides for notices to be posted or emailed to members. Carl Hayson The storm that caused extensive flooding and damage in West Auckland in early Spring also lashed Tiritiri, dropping 102.7mm of rain in a day and leaving a trail of destruction. The combination of high winds and more than 100mm of rain: •Smashed the end of the boat ramp beside the wharf. •Washed out the entrance to the Kawerau Track from Hobbs Beach. •Created a slip in the face of the eastern dam at the Silvester Wetlands. •Washed a lot of gravel from roads and tracks. •Blocked numerous side drains and culverts. •Left a trail of debris and minor washouts.

Needless to say lockdown restrictions have complicated efforts to assess the damage and it has been impossible to organise repairs.

Ranger Emma Dunning, who was on the Island, said the heavy rain was ‘enough to have water in places it hasn’t been for a while. All the dams filled to overflowing, all the valleys had flowing streams and at the nikau grove on the Wattle Track the water was flowing over the boardwalk.’

The wild weather has continued since then with ‘gusty winds from every direction’ and more rain. Rainfall figures for August and September, at 166mm and 131.3mm, were the highest for years. By comparison, last year the two months had 113.70mm and 39.15mm, and in 2019 September had only 99.3mm and August 77.9mm.

Emma said once the lockdown dropped to level 3 ‘we were able to get the engineers out to look at the storm damage. The boat ramp is still useable but will need some remedial work. '‘The dam needs to be drained, as water is still seeping through the dam face, before further investigations and options to repair can be considered. And we are looking at a variety of options for the access to the Kawerau Track. So plenty to keep us busy without the public here.’

SoTM works organiser Ian Higgins said he was very relieved the damage to the ramp ‘will not prevent barges landing when that becomes permissible again. Luckily we always take the barge in on the high tide, which means it sits quite high up on the ramp.’

To add to the problems, he said, the lockdown had already forced the cancellation of a barge trip intended to bring over construction materials; a planned visit by engineers to scope out upgrading work on the Kawerau Track was unable to take place; the usual weekend maintenance work was not possible; and the Labour Working Weekend looked unlikely to be able to take place.

DAMAGE: The end of the Island's boat ramp has been washed away.