The concept plan proposes to transform the current Ōmokoroa Domain, pictured, with a 8m-wide double boat ramp, a 4m-wide single ramp, the jetty separated from the boat ramps and an extended pontoon.
Have your say on Ōmokoroa’s marine facilities
Western Bay of Plenty residents have until June 22 to have their say on the next stage of the Ōmokoroa Domain Concept Plan.
The plan is all about improving the marine and boating facilities (think wider boat ramps, safer jetties, and space for everyone to access the water) according to the Western Bay of Plenty District, which first adopted the Ōmokoroa Domain Concept Plan in 2018 and had been rolling it out in stages as funding had become available.
“The playground was completed in 2021, while the path connecting to Gerald Crapp Reserve has been fully designed and is scheduled for construction in 2027/2028.
Design work for the carparking and stormwater upgrades is also complete, with construction planned in future stages, ” the council said in a statement.
However, the council’s reserves and facilities assets manager Janine Field said like many long-term infrastructure projects, timelines have been slightly impacted by competing priorities, budget constraints and the need
to coordinate with other projects. “As a result, it’s been a while since we last asked the community their thoughts, and we want to make sure the plan still reflects what the community wants and needs.”
What’s proposed
The plan includes a new 8m-wide double boat ramp and a 4m-wide single ramp to meet growing demand; separating the jetty away from the boat ramps for safer access; an extended pontoon so more boats can moor temporarily; dinghy racks and a small vessel ramp for kayaks, paddleboards and dinghies; a bus stop zone near the jetty to support ferry and public transport connections.
Upgrades to the ferry boat ramp will also be considered as part of the wider plan.
The total budget for this stage of the concept plan, from planning through to construction, is $8.2 million. Funding will come from a combination of council budgets, including the coastal renewals budget, which covers existing boating facilities, plus additional funding allocated in the 2024-2034 Long Term Plan for upgrades to marine and boating infrastructure.
“It’s been a while since we last checked in with the community about this space, so we ’ re keen to hear from the people who use the boat ramps, ferry and jetties,” Field said.
“Before we dive into the detailed design, we want to make sure we ’ ve still got it right.”
Field said council wanted people to know the plan isn’t just about adding more concrete or bigger ramps to the domain.
“It’s about making the space safer, more welcoming and better suited to how people use it.”
Ōmokoroa Domain is a well-used destination for people from across the WBOP district, Field said, so anyone who has launched a boat, caught the ferry, paddled out on a kayak, or fished off the jetty at Ōmokoroa Domain is welcome to submit their views on the plan “It’s your space, so let’s shape it together for you, your whānau and future generations.”
To view the plan in detail and share your thoughts on the future of the facilities at Ōmokoroa Domain, visit: yourplace. westernbay.govt nz/Omokoroa-domain Feedback closes 5pm on Sunday, June 22, 2025
Photo / Alisha Evans
Ruru box and mahi
More than 40 Katikati primary students will be keeping an eye on a ruru nesting box in their school’s Te Awaawa gully come spring after it was installed this week in what was a collaborative community effort
The Year 5-6 students are becoming kaitiaki (guardians) of their school gully by participating in a nature-based programme called Treasuring Our Place / Taonga o te Taiao
The programme, administered by Western Bay Museum which gathers funding for it, employs environmental educator Tammy Bruce to go into the school regularly to teach senior students the importance of environmental protection and ‘bugs, bush and birds’ Bruce said the programme ’ s theme for 2025 is healthy forests, and stream studies “We did a bioblitz [survey] earlier this year, where students looked at how many types of native trees, weeds, insects, birds, pest animals so they’ve got a good idea of what’s in here We hope to do that yearly to see the progress In between they’re doing bits of weeding and getting rid of pest plants by collecting seeds and tubers, to prevent them from spreading ”
Hands-on understanding
Western Bay Museum manager Paula Gaelic said TOP has been running with
the school for six years, and includes in-class and outdoors learning
“The bush gully at the back of the school [is ideal] because it’s on school property – and the kids have worked really hard in this space over the last couple of years Honestly, [a few years ago] you couldn’t see down there, there was heaps of rubbish and it wasn ’ t attractive or inviting Now, with ongoing weed control, it’s looks amazing and the kids get a much better understanding of pest weeds when they get hands-on in the gully”
Gaelic said some children don’t always excel in the classroom “but put them in the environment and new leaders emerge or they get empowered by being able to do something and be really good at it” “We hope that in time, the kids are able to come and go down here because it’s really good for people’s wellbeing and mental health Sometimes if it’s getting a bit too heavy in the classroom, they can just have a little bit of quiet time out in the environment, so we ’ ve got big plans for the future ”
Renaturing partner
A collaborative partner is Renaturing Katikati, the urban arm of project Parore, which empowers volunteers to restore native habitat and wildlife in the township by removing invasive weeds and predators Coordinator Sharon Strong said her group supports TOPS at the school by attending student lessons
to help with weed and pest removal
“Yesterday Tammy Bruce taught the students in class how to identify four main pest plants – Woolly nightshade, Privet, Mignonette and Queen of the Night (Night Jasmine) – today [June 10] they’re putting their learning into action, weeding out these pest plants in the gully”
Bruce said it’s hugely important for youngsters to know how forests work, and how to regenerate areas like the school’s precious gully “Just the learning they get here to understand what is a weed, what is a plant, how they grow, and what happens to our native plants if we don’t do anything about pests; is so important
“After yesterday, today they’re pulling out their target weeds and all those connections are happening. They know to collect the berries and tubers and it’s putting all their learning into action ”
Becoming kaitiaki
Katikati Primary School’s TOP lead teacher Kristy Graveson said for her students, the outdoor experience of hands-on learning shows them how they can make a difference
“We can learn about this in class, but then out here being able to see the impact that these weeds do have, how we can clear it, how we can help, and every little bit is making a difference is huge they are focusing on our local area, the connection, and ultimately they’re becoming kaitiaki, being guardians of this gully, and learning how they can then go out and help others ”
After the mucking in, the students got to witness another development in their Te Awaawa gully
Paula Gaelic’s husband Merv built nine native ruru (Morepork) nesting boxes and donated four to Renaturing Katikati to install within the township
The first was recently placed in Middlebrook Drive – the second was installed Tuesday at the school gully by Renaturing Katikati volunteers Dave Smith and Barry Pethybridge as students watched on Gaelic said the boxes – designed specifically for ruru – was her husband’s “labour of love for the environment” – and she’s pleased to see one in the school gully “It’s really great because the students know all about the ruru; now they’re going to be able to watch the nesting box that come springtime ” Strong hopes ruru may start using the boxes in spring – which is nesting time “We can ’ t guarantee, but hopefully ” And while the boxes don’t offer full protection to ruru nesting, Strong said that introducing some predator control by trapping for rats, stoats and possums in the area will help reduce the risk of the bird getting preyed on
“This is what we ’ re initiating at Middlebrook Tammy Bruce has done some pest animal monitoring with the students and wants to introduce traps as well All these actions are working towards helping the native plants and birds thrive in our town ”
Year 6 student Emmy-Lou van Heuckelum, 10, with Renaturing Katikati co-ordinator Sharon Strong, Treasuring Our Place environmental educator Tammy Bruce, Western Bay Museum manager Paula Gaelic and Year 5 student Myansh Patel, 9, and the ruru box. Photo / Brydie Thompson
Katikati Primary School students with their teachers, TOP environmental educator Tammy Bruce, Renaturing Katikati’s Sharon Strong, Western Bay Museum’s Paula Gaelic and volunteers Dave Smith and Barry Pethybridge with the ruru box at Te Awaawa gully. Photo / Supplied.
Merle Cave
Celebrating cultures drives Stags’ latest win
With King’s Birthday weekend giving the Katikati Stags a week off, the boys had put in the hard yards at training last week – and it showed on Saturday when they played Judea
Fired up and hungry for action, the Stags took on Judea in perfect rugby weather: sunny skies, warm air, and a slight breeze
The week’s theme was Culture and Saturday was something truly special The boys turned up proudly representing their diverse backgrounds – with some players having strong links to Fijian, South African, Samoan, English, Scottish, Tongan, Māori cultures and more making for a true celebration of the people that make up the mighty Stags brotherhood
Kick-off was 2 45pm, and from the first whistle, Katikati came out flying After building some slick phases, the ball was driven over the line for the first try of the match – and cleanly converted.
The early pressure didn’t stop there, with another try soon following Judea weren ’ t about to roll over, though They dug deep, tightened up on defence, and challenged hard at the breakdowns, holding the Stags out for a decent spell
But the boys in black and white weren ’ t done – a smooth backline move broke the game open again, and Katikati crossed the line once more
Both sides showed awesome structure and sharp set pieces, giving the crowd
a solid game to watch After half-time, Judea came out swinging, bringing fresh energy and getting over the line twice with some gritty rugby
But the Stags weren ’ t fazed Their forward pack began to dominate in the scrums and lineouts, and the team pieced together some beautiful phases that led to a couple more tries The scoreboard ticked over to a convincing 41-12 win for the Stags, keeping them firmly on top of the table
The atmosphere after the match was unreal
Both teams and their loyal supporters came together to share in a delicious umu feast, celebrating the game and the
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community spirit that makes rugby so much more than just a sport
A massive thank you to all our supporters, families, and generous sponsors – your backing means everything to the team
This Saturday, Katikati Stags take on Eastern Districts Rugby Club at Paengaroa
Kick-off is 1pm we’d love to see a strong crowd there to support us Bring the noise
Bring the pride Bring the mana Up the Stags!
Located close to the township of Waihi, Waihi Lifecare Village is one of the region’s most idyllic yet affordable lifecare villages
Our co ages are set in a peaceful, rural se ng with extensive lawn and garden areas which celebrate the heritage of the site.
The village offers a range of one and two bedroom co ages as well as a 65 bed care facility providing resthome and hospital level care for con nuity of care
We have co ages available soon so please contact us for more informa on or to book a viewing.
We look forward to hearing from you
Caring for the community since 1902
Quinton Landman, Katikati Stags coach
Above: Vee Bula supports fellow Stag Baylei Peckham with the ball, while being tackled by a Judea player
Left: Stags William Varley, Sulivenusi Lobobo,Sairusi Qaranivalu, Vee Bula and Joe Nagau enjoy celebrating their cultures before the game. Photos / Lauren Macfarlane
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