Wainui Has Woken Up
Gisborne Herald — Thursday, 5 June 2008

Okitu resident Gray Clapham told district councillors during submissions on the annual plan yesterday, that proposed reticulation and the uncertainty of costs to homeowners had woken up the seaside suburb.

That was reflected in the 400 submissions received from Wainui residents, he said.

"We are serious about Wainui's future."

There had been meetings, working parties and attempts at "consultation" for many years but Mr Clapham said he had not taken any notice of it.

He had not woken up until six months ago when "I pulled my head out of the sand".

Wainui was awake and ready to contribute and take part in real and democratic consultation.

Submitter Gary Stevenson said council's proposal had "sort of been dumped on us in December".

The report pitched the idea of what the council was going to do (with reticulation) and asked residents how they were going to pay $26,000, plus or minus 30 percent, plus GST.

"The cost has got our attention," he said.

Wainui residents felt defensive and as if they were reacting to the council.

They were being overloaded unfairly with a new "mail-out" arriving only last week.

Residents were "livid'', he said.

Criticism of the quality or nature of consultation was a constant theme, with some submitters describing it as appalling or undemocratic.

Councillor Bill Burdett said there appeared to be an inference that council staff were not doing their job, which he did not believe.

Councillor Allan Hall said the public wanted to take part in the decision-making process.

Councillor Craig Bauld said the public did not want to be involved in the process at an early stage. This week's submissions hearing was another stage of the consultation process, he said.

Councillor Pat Seymour said there had been numerous processes as the council tried to engage the public.

The "mail-out" sent to residents last week was a report, not a decision of the council.

Many officers and councillors had visited residents in the past four months, she said.

Council chief executive Lindsay McKenzie said the council's action was conducive to best practice and the Local Government Act.

Another oft-repeated theme was that reticulation had been driven by developers who would subdivide and destroy the special nature of Wainui.

"We don't want another Papamoa", was how several submitters described their fears.

"I am not aware of any pressure from developers," said councillor Gary Hope.

Such conspiracy theories or concerns were not warranted, he said.

Other residents criticised the uncertainty in council reports from costing estimates that had ranged from an original $4000 to $28,000, or possible environmental concerns that used expressions such as "may", "suggest", or "likely to".

Mayor Meng Foon said accurate costings were not possible until any proposal went to tender.

Other submitters said reticulation was a costly exercise, which was not wanted because rain water was fine to drink, and because residents were responsible with their waste.

Reticulation costs would lead to residents selling their homes and the area becoming suitable for wealthy developers only.

"Don't see us as a cash cow," said one resident.

Several submitters said reticulation at Wainui should be put on hold until the issue of Gisborne's wastewater plant was resolved, while others said a decision to reticulate could result in legal action.

Wainui and Okitu residents are scheduled to complete their evidence on Friday, with other submitters finishing on Monday afternoon before council officers report.

Communication co-ordinator Mike Coyle said 420 submissions out of the total 470 were about the Wainui Beach reticulation proposal.

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