Waitarere Beach Progressive & Ratepayers Association Inc.

Acicia (Coastal Wattle)
is a category 2 weed and is overtaking the village.
- covering the sand dunes
- strangling the playgrounds
-invading our parks

Members of the Progressive & Ratepayers' Association
will be at the Waitarere Domain on
Saturday 21st February at 9 a.m.
Please come and help us erradicate this invasive weed
and learn how to control it in your own section.

Bring with you gloves, pruners, saws,
loppers, trailers etc.

For any more information please contact Joanne 06 3686825

Dairy Fire
Locals were shocked to wake up on 22nd July, after a particularly stormy night to find that our local 4 Square Dairy had been destroyed by fire during the night. The fire was caused by a fault in the stores electric fuse board. The building was about 45 years old and had been the Queen Bee Dairy & Tea Rooms.

Rebuilding Process: The final architect’s plans went into Council on 13th September. Once approved, work will begin on the concrete slab and walls, which should take about two weeks and then the foundations, will start.

Mini Store at the Beachcomber café: Ice creams, newspapers, fresh bread, milk, butter, cheese and other food items are available at the Café.

High seas
The middle of July saw very high seas which washed debris and large logs up the beach entrance. This resulted in the closure of both beach entrances for several days.

Keep NZ Beautiful
The beach clean-up on Saturday 13th September was well supported by locals and the Wellington Cross Country Vehicle Club. Two trucks loads of rubbish were collected off the beach in one and a half hours! Participants then enjoyed a sausage sizzle. Thank you to all that helped.

Polar Dip
The Surf Club held their annual mid winter polar dip on 9th August, which was a bitterly cold windy afternoon. About 25 very brave entrants including junior through to senior members of the Masters swimming club, took the plunge, supported by a small group pf enthusiastic onlookers. The event finished with a meal at the surf club.

Beach Wardens.
Beach wardens will be on duty again this summer. If you would like to volunteer your services, please call the President

Christmas Carols in the Domain
Keep November 28th free for this event.

Leisure Groups at the Beach
Yoga at the Scout Hall. Tues 10.30am & Thursday 5.30pm
Tai Chi at the Bowling Club Tues 10am
Walking Group Sat 8.30am, Tues 8.30am, Thurs 4.30pm

Coastal Wattle.
The meeting of the Progressive Assn on 18 August heard from Craig Mitchell who is the Group Manager of Environmental Management and responsible for the Regional Plant & Pest Strategy, and Fleur Maseyk, a senior scientist from Horizons Regional Council, re the coastal wattle that is fast taking over our dunes and vacant sections and parks.

The outcome was:-
The Coastal Wattle does not meet the criteriafor species-led funding because:-There is no known effective treatment
For this reason any control would be ongoing and very expensive. Two agents for bio-control are being trialed in Northland – a wasp which comes from South Africa and a weevil.
The bottom line is there is not the money or the tools required to help us, Horizons can only provide us with expertise and advice.

So what can we do:-
A Special sub-committee is being set up to formulate a management plan to deal with this plant, headed by Tony Strawbridge. We need the support of the community, and invite interested parties to join this committee.
Take control yourself and dig out and burn any of this plant found on your property or beach- front dunes.

The Beach Farm Development
This exciting development is well on the way. You will notice that the two-lane road entrance that is now visible from Waitarere Road has been planted with masses of grasses and natives. In fact over 150,000 plants have been put in to-date.
The round-about onto Waitarere Beach Road has been formed, and will house one of the new security cameras. The sub-division will also be surrounded by 120 acres of Reserve. Where trees have been cut down these areas will be replanted with natives. 5 lakes have been formed and the edges will be planted. The sand dune formation has been retained. Of the 74 sections available in stage one, 34 have already sold.

New Names - Council has approved Waitarere Rise Avenue for the main road into the development, as well as Mowhia Grove and Quail Way.

AN OPEN DAY is planned for the end of November, for the public to view this development. There will be lots of activities including Hot Air Balloons and Sausage sizzle etc. Watch out for this Date

Photos and more information

A Working Bee
Has been planned for Saturday 4 October at the Domain to make a start on digging out the wattle and other weeds that are growing in the Domain.

Council will support this effort with funding.

The plan is to start on a small measurable area first, see the results, and then form a Plan of action. If we do nothing our dunes will be taken over by this wattle very quickly.

Neighbourhood Support
Neighbourhood Support has advised that there have been several burglaries at holiday houses recently. Windows have been broken to gain access. In the main only alcohol and food has been taken. They ask that we check neighboring holiday properties, and report any suspicious