Kaukapakapa News
Kaukapakapa's 150th Anniversary Celebrations
Links to the event's programme and pictures may be found on our History page.
Cakes for Christchurch: to the Women of Kaukapakapa
Monday, April 04, 2011
I wonder if you could pass on my thanks to the women of Kaukapakapa who baked fruit cakes for the people of Christchurch.
I went into an Earthquake Community Centre in Redcliffs where I was offered a large portion of fruit cake. I was told it was baked by the women of Kaukapakapa. It was delicious and my partner and I were so grateful for the support shown by those who made this effort.
We live in Sumner and our house has been badly damaged in the quake. Our property is on a cliff and parts of the cliff have collapsed so for now (and probably for many, many months - if not a year) our future is very uncertain. We have now moved into a rented property and are getting on with making the most of our new reality. In many respects we are very lucky. I can assure you also, that we are very grateful.
The support of people like those in Kaukapakapa has greatly moved us.
Thank you.
Ali.
Kaukapakapa School's new website is here!
AUCKLAND COUNCIL RODNEY LOCAL BOARD (Posted 21 March 2011.)
Kaukapakapa Residents may like to know that they have access to the Rodney Local Board via their monthly business meetings. These meetings provide an opportunity to state your issue or ideas directly and are recorded and followed up. Depending on the issues, discussion or project presented, the board then places them into the issues register or identifies them for further planning, consideration, etc.
To make use of this forum an appointment time needs to be made through the secretary, Raewyn Morrison - 09 301 0101 or email raewyn.morrison@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz
Update to Kaukapakapa Structure Plan (Posted 21 March 2011.)
As most residents will have heard, the Structure Plan was adopted by the former Rodney District Council back in September 2010. Since that time we have gone through amalgamation into the new Auckland Council. In late January several attempts were made to track down the personnel whose responsibility it is to progress the plan. We have now achieved this and we have been advised that the Kaukapakapa Plan is on the list to proceed to the next stage. Currently the Annual Plan is out for submissions which close on the 31st March.
KARRA will be making a submission to ensure funding is allocated to complete the process through to incorporation into the District Plan. We urge all residents to put in a submission urging the council to complete the plan.
On the 23rd March submissions are being called for the new Auckland Spatial Plan. Once again please send in a submission supporting the inclusion of our Structure Plan into the new District Plan.
We will update this information as and when it comes in.
Latest Power Station News
Opponents of the power station have every right to say "I told you so"! On 20 November 2009 the National Business Review reported that "Economic viability and an unsecured gas supply may stall Genesis Energy's plans". Genesis Energy's spokesman admitted to NBR that gas supply could be an issue for the proposed power station at Kaukapakapa and that "The board obviously wouldn't start work without securing a gas supply agreement, but it also depends on capital expenditure, forecasts, electricity prices and other commercial considerations." Since being granted resource consent earlier this year, Genesis Energy has also confirmed that the company plans to exit gas exploration activities, including two prospects the company told the RDC/ARC hearing Commissioners were likely to be sources of gas for the Kaukapakapa plant.
The Electricity Commission's annual assessment of how secure New Zealand's electricity supply will be in future years has just been released for consultation. Confidential information provided by Genesis Energy and other generators was used to prepare a list of all new power stations that the generators expect to build before 2020. While Genesis Energy may have "got its zone" at Kaukapakapa, the gas-fired power station they've proposed for the site doesn't even appear on the ten year list.
Genesis Energy have confirmed to Parliament that capital expenditure on the Rodney Power Station project is already in the tens of millions of dollars. Strange then that a power station which is supposedly vital for security of electricity supply to Auckland and Northland now appears to have been put on the back-burner indefinitely.
Proposed changes to General Rural Zone rules in Kaukapakapa
The Rodney District Council has formally notified a variation to the District Plan. The proposed West Coast Rural Policy Area affects a large swathe of General Rural zoned land in South Head, most of Kaukapakapa on the harbour side of SH16, and right up to Glorit, Port Albert and Tapora. The variation is already in effect and puts new controls in place for buildings (scale, design, location), new buildings and external alterations to existing buildings. More stringent activity thresholds will apply to earthworks, tree and bush removal and wetland/watercourse modification. Submissions closed on 23 October 2009.
A summary of the submissions is now available for public inspection on RDC's website here.
The hearing on Variation 132 began on Wednesday 10 March. Dr Neville Miller (Chairman) presented a submission on behalf of KARRA.