One of the Ōtaki Lakes which were the subject of a Greater Wellington Regional Council long-term plan submission.
One of the Ōtaki Lakes which were the subject of a Greater Wellington Regional Council long-term plan submission.
Kāpiti residents have had their say on the issues that matter to them - with topics such as the Ōtaki Lakes, the district’s freshwater waterbodies, equestrian grazing and others coming up.
These issues popped up as part of Greater Wellington Regional Council’s draft long-term plan for 2024-2034, where the council asked the community for their opinions, receiving 740 submissions from 567 unique submitters.
The council had two key topics it wanted opinions on: whether Greater Wellington should have more control over the region’s public transport assets; and whether the public agrees with the proposal for Greater Wellington to acquire additional shares of CentrePort (a significant Wellington port and logistics business) and become 100 per cent shareholder.
Submitters could provide views on other information included in the consultation document, including bulk water supply, RiverLink, increasing pest management, restoration in regional parks, managing water demand and supply, Sky Stadium earthquake strengthening, increasing funding to deliver critical flood protection work, public transport fares, more bus services and working to get buses moving faster, Lower North Island Rail Integrated Mobility (LNIRIM), Greater Wellington’s response to the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport 2024-34, and the Energy Transformation Initiative.
There was also the chance to submit on matters that were not a part of the consultation document and, while most of the issues that came up were from other parts of the region, a small number of submitters raised Kāpiti issues.
Charitable trust Ōtaki Waka Hoe had concerns regarding the Ōtaki Lakes, a manmade lake within the Winstone Aggregates quarry area.
The group said it had been accessing the lake for more than 10 years, and it had been adopted by other waka ama clubs for training.
“Our trust’s vision for the use of this space continues to grow in response to the pressures faced by all communities as we rebuild socially and economically post-Covid, with projected population growth estimated to be at its greatest in Ōtaki and Waikanae over the next 30 years,” the trust’s submission said.
Those factors shifted the trust’s focus from sporting to wellness, and it wanted to strengthen its social, physical, and spiritual connection to wai (water), whenua (land) and each other.
The submission highlighted the four main barriers it faced to achieving this and solutions the council could adopt to help.
The first issue was that despite an increased demand to access the lakes, they remain a landlocked asset with no adequate parking facilities.
The submission suggested three solutions – public access and parking via a paper road at the end of Te Roto Rd, public access and parking at a designated restricted entry point on the south side of the lake via the haul road on the regional council’s land, or land transfer a section of the Te Roto Rd paper road with sufficient space for restricted lake access and parking.
All these options restrict access to regular lake users but still allow cyclists and walkers to have access via the shared pathway.
The second issue was that the shared pathway and the growing number of visitors would have a negative environmental impact. The trust was spending thousands of dollars each year to provide a Portaloo, and had noticed an increase in dog waste bags being left behind by dog walkers.
The trust’s proposed solution was for the regional council to provide public toilets, and rubbish bins for dog walkers and other visitors at the Te Roto Rd entry point.
The trust’s third issue was that it wanted a joint management plan between the regional council, Kāpiti Coast District Council and Mana Whenua.
Finally, the trust would like the lakes to become a venue for Hoe Tonga and the secondary school’s Waka Ama Regatta competition.
Waikanae River is one of Kāpiti's freshwater water bodies. Photo / David Haxton
They said they wanted to see changes to the Whaitua Kāpiti plan, a regional council plan that focuses on freshwater water bodies in Kāpiti.
“Our waterways and mahinga kai are seriously degraded in many places within the Kāpiti Coast,” the group said.
They wanted changes implemented to the Natural Resources Plan and Regional Policy Statement to realise better freshwater and environmental outcomes.
Kāpiti Coast District Council submitted on a range of issues, including the proposed rates increase (an average of 12.3 per cent or $200) which it said was not affordable for Kāpiti residents.
“This is an average, meaning there will be ratepayers receiving rate increases greater than $200. Kāpiti has a higher proportion of older residents (32.6 per cent), some asset-rich with higher value properties, but cash-poor, with fixed incomes.”
The district council asked that the regional council “rigorously” assess any necessary rate increases and provide a meaningful and equitable benefit to ratepayers, residents and the region’s communities.
The district council’s Ōtaki councillor, Shelly Warwick, made a submission on behalf of the Kāpiti Equestrian Advocacy Group.
The Kāpiti Equestrian Advocacy Group want horse grazing brought back to Queen Elizabeth Park. Photo / David Haxton
The submission highlighted several issues affecting the equestrian community.
Warwick said the group would like horse riding tracks from Waikanae and into Reikorangi, along with seeing the council reserve horse camping as part of a horse tourism strategy in Reikorangi, which would be good for economic development for both the regional and district councils.
Horse grazing opportunities were removed from Queen Elizabeth Park at the end of 2022 as part of the regional council’s restoration project, and the Kāpiti Equestrian Advocacy Group would like that reinstated to support the growth of horse riding in the district.
Other Kāpiti issues were raised, including the need for support and engagement around flood protection works within the Peka Peka community and transport for older people.
Final changes to the long-term plan will be confirmed at a council meeting on June 11 and the plan will be formally adopted on June 27. The long-term plan will be published in July.
