WAIKOUAITI COAST COMMUNITY BOARD
Changes on the way for a large local employer, the provision of bus services and funding for community projects were covered during a busy meeting for the Waikouaiti Coast Community Board.
The meeting, held last Wednesday at the East Otago Events Centre in Waikouaiti, began with a report on local policing matters by Constable Toby White.
Most related to driver behaviour in the district.
Mainland Poultry
As the public forum began, Mainland Poultry general manager operations Judith Mair and head of supply chains Mike Christie gave the community board a preview of changes on the way at the company — a significant local employer.
Ms Mair explained that Mainland Poultry was preparing to separate its Waikouaiti-based egg farm from its central grading and packing hub, which would be relocated to Dunedin.
Plans were well under way for the move, with the grading and packing hub expected to be up and running at a Dunedin industrial site by around Easter 2027.
The operation in Matanaka Dr, Waikouaiti, would be scaled back to focus on farming and feed manufacturing, Ms Mair said.
This would result in reduced numbers of employees on-site in Waikouaiti, with staff given the option to work at the new Dunedin site instead.
There would also be some new roles at the farm and other roles available on free range farms in East Otago.
"A large number of our staff live in Dunedin and come out to Waikouaiti by bus, so the option of working in town may work well for them," she said.
In response to questions from board members, Ms Mair said a new state-of-the-art AI grading system would be installed in Auckland and the existing grader would be relocated to Dunedin.
Part of the reason for separating the egg farm from the grading and packaging plant related to improving biosecurity and reducing the risk of negative impacts from bird flu on production.
"Around the world, companies in the poultry industry have decoupled packing and grading from farms ..." Ms Mair said.
Funding applications
The board heard a presentation from Waikouaiti Coast Heritage Centre committee member Denise Hutchison in relation to plans for a new education programme aimed at local children, entitled "Unlock the Local Past, Inspire the Future".
Ms Hutchison was requesting $1500 towards the cost of equipment for the programme, including a laptop, a whiteboard, and consumables.
Waitati Playground Committee representative Laura Deaker returned to the board, with support from Cr Mandy Mayhem as a community member, to follow-up a funding application for the purchase of playground equipment for pre-schoolers for Blueskin Bay Library garden area.
After discussion, both applications were set aside later in the meeting, for consideration when more detailed applications were received.
Bus Services
Otago Regional Council public transport team leader Julian Phillips attended the meeting with an update on bus services between Dunedin and Waikouaiti/Palmerston.
Mr Phillips told the board the ORC had tendered some large contracts, covering around 60% of the routes in Dunedin, and would significantly increase the number of electric vehicles.
"The comfort and capacity of the new buses is greater, and there are seatbelts," he said.
There would be two electric buses on the route between Dunedin and Palmerston, which would be substantially larger, with room for 89 passengers per trip.
General business
In his chair’s report, board chairman Alasdair Morrison shared information about the upcoming Blueskin Show, tree removal and replacement at the southern entrance to Waikouaiti and an invitation for the board to visit the water treatment plant.
Mr Morrison also spoke about of the concerns of himself and fellow community board chairs in the area about the allocation of $10,000 to each board’s discretionary fund by Dunedin City Council.
Board chairs were to meet to discuss lobbying the council for more money and planned to highlight how effective community grants could be.
