A busy public forum, community concerns, and funding requests for local projects kept West Harbour Community Board members on their toes at last week’s meeting.
Public forum
At its public forum, the board had a visit from Port Chalmers School PTA chairwoman Colette Parai and several pupils keen to speak in support of the school’s funding application for $1000 towards a set of new football [soccer] goals for its sports ground.
Ms Parai told the board the new goals were urgently needed, as the children playing the very popular sport had been stuck playing with old, broken goals, which recently had to be removed for safety reasons.
Children of all ages at the school enjoyed playing football and community members also made use of the football/soccer pitch at weekends, she said.
Ms Parai said the school had found a local engineering firm to manufacture the goals.
The new goal posts were part of a wider project for Port Chalmers School this year to refresh its grounds by updating playing court facilities, digging a new long jump, and upgrading the football goals, she said.
Later in the meeting, the West Harbour Community Board agreed to grant the school $1000 towards the project, subject to two quotes being provided, and confirmation the funds could be used by the end of the financial year in June.
The board also heard a presentation by T.S. Neptune sea cadets unit committee secretary Jonny Goldsmith in support of the organisation’s application for $911.80 towards buoys, mooring equipment, and a safety radio, to support its sailing programme.
‘‘The buoys will allow us to set out a [sailing] course on the harbour for cadet training,’’ Mr Goldsmith said.
T.S. Neptune also needed a marine radio, as one of its two safety boats did not have one, he said.
Later in the meeting, the board considered the request and agreed to support T.S. Neptune with a grant of $911.80.
In addition to the two funding application presentations, the West Harbour Community Board’s public forum was also attended by Port Chalmers resident Stuart Neill, returning to follow-up on a presentation he made to the board in February.
Reminding the board of the issues he had experienced with Dunedin City Council contractors patching up the road outside his property and causing damage to the footpath, which he said was still unresolved, Mr Neill also spoke about his recent correspondence with NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi about potential flooding on SH88.
Board projects
Following the public forum, the board’s attention turned to its own projects, including an application for funding from board member Duncan Eddy requesting $153 towards printing of booklets featuring historical local stories, to be offered free of charge to the public.
Mr Eddy’s booklet The Stories Behind The Streetnames in Historic Port Chalmers had proved a success, and his follow-up booklet is titled Main Street Historic Buildings of Port Chalmers.
The board discussed the application, with Mr Eddy stepping out, and agreed to provide the funds of $153 - subject to two quotes, as per the funding rules.
Dunedin City Council representative Cr Mandy Mayhem then led a discussion of the first phase of a board project towards enhancing the main street of Port Chalmers.
The proposed three-part proposal will include historic information panels (phase one), relocating brass plaques commemorating war service to Chalmers Pl, in association with the Dunedin RSA (phase two), and a main street mural (phase three).
Cr Mayhem shared with the board the proposal to create historic information panels relating to the band rotunda, the wharfies, the floating wharf, boat hulks in Carey’s Bay and Deborah Bay, information about the late local artist Ralph Hotere, and panels exploring some of the history of local Maori.
The board was keen on the idea, and voted to devote its remaining project funds towards it - a total of $500.
General business
Moving on to general business, the West Harbour Community Board discussed and noted the governance support officer’s report, then shared updates on board members’ areas of responsibility.
In her board chairperson’s report, Ange McErlane told board members an update on the historic Simm’s building would be coming soon from the council.
In her councillor’s report, Cr Mayhem reminded board members local body elections would be coming up in October, and wished good luck to board members planning to stand again.
BRENDA.HARWOOD @thestar.co.nz
