Maitai Lodge Decision to Involve the Community

Thursday 15 July 2010

The Council's Community Services meeting on 15 July 2010 received a petition from the Hope Residents Action group in relation to the current placement of the Maitai Lodge on the Hope reserve. The petition was asking Council to consider revisiting the decision regarding the location of the building.

The Residents Action Group has been expressing their discontent with the relocation of the building and Council has acknowledged, both in writing and at a recent public meeting, that even though the placement of the building met all the legal requirements, the wider ramifications of the decision should have been considered more fully before it was made.

The Community Services Committee, having received the petition and considered a staff report on the matter, have agreed that possible alternative sites need to be identified either on or off the Hope Reserve and have charged the Community Services Chairman, the Richmond ward Councillors and the Mayor to work alongside the Hope Reserve Management Committee to manage this process. The process will list the pros and cons of each site, along with the current site, and will then hold a further meeting at the Hope Hall to explain these before providing the public with a further opportunity to play a role in the decision-making through a formal submission process.

The Committee also agreed to provide replacement trees for those that were removed to make way for the new tennis courts and to also provide a seat on which a plaque can be provided recording the fact that the trees were planted to commemorate the use of the former Ranzau School building by Scouts.

During discussion on this issue it was agreed that Council needs to look beyond the requirements of the law when decisions that may affect neighbours are made and as Councillor Stuart Bryant said "Issues such as this can tarnish the huge amount of good work accomplished by this Council".