The yacht club lease renewal hearing

John WellsGisborne Yacht Club committee member

Opinion

The Herald article “Why do we keep having to come back” requires a response. 

The Gisborne Yacht Club Inc is applying for renewal of a lease from Gisborne District Council which has been in place to occupy foreshore land for about half a century. The club was advised that council was intending to renew the lease but that the application had to be advertised publicly.

Two submissions were received, both opposing renewal of the lease. The club was then advised that an “informal” hearing would be held which club members were welcome to attend but that they would have no right of reply. At no time was the club advised that it had to make a separate submission to the hearing in order to have speaking rights. As a result, the club’s application with back-up information was not heard at the hearing, causing some bewilderment to both the objection submitters and GYC supporters.

The Gisborne Yacht club began in 1946 after World War 2, operating from the “island” slipway, now disused, opposite Berth 8 at the port. In the 1950s a clubhouse was built where the port cool-store now exists by Berth 8 and a slipway into the harbour channel was used at that location. In the 1970s, when the outer harbour development got under way, the clubhouse was dismantled and moved along Kaiti Beach to its present position.

The club acknowledges the historical land issues Ngāti Oneone has with council and the Government, past, present and future. However, to continue to exist, the Gisborne Yacht Club Inc. has to obtain a lease from the current legislated owner of the foreshore, Gisborne District Council  — these are two separate issues. The portion of foreshore occupied by the club is a length of just 85m of the approximately 2000m-long Kaiti Beach.

At the hearing and in the Herald article, several erroneous statements were made to which the club had no right of reply:

It was incorrectly claimed that Māori are not given access to learn-to-sail courses and that the club facilities are exclusive. There is not and never has been any restriction on who can ask to do a learn-to-sail course. The club is keen to get as many sailors out enjoying our moana as possible and has offered courses and facilitated membership to organisations and schools with strong Māori presence — Tairāwhiti Waka Hourua being one of those. Boat-building classes and sailing tuition have been provided to Gisborne Intermediate and Ilminster and those tamariki have been taken to sailing regattas at Wairoa, Mahia and Ohope. More recently, club boats and tuition have been offered to Tolaga Bay Area School for learning to sail on the Uawa River estuary.

The club premises are regularly hired out for business courses and family events and many hirers are Māori. The decks and grounds leased by the club are also often used by whānau groups. The club maintains these areas and the concrete and brick “public” beach access was actually paid for and built by yacht club members.

Gisborne Yacht Club rescue craft have Māori names and the learn-to-sail boats are numbered in te reo. In addition to contributing to education in seamanship, respect and aroha of the moana, GYC members and rescue craft have rescued tamariki from the channel in front of the club, rescued small fishing boats in trouble on the bay, and have participated in marine search and rescue operations.

Grass-roots yachting in provincial New Zealand is not a rich man’s sport. It is focused on teaching young people a love for and safety on the sea, in small boats just 3 or 4 metres long and costing no more than a mid-range mountain bike. Come and try it.