<b><strong style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Boat owners are benefitting from a 30 year old gentlemen's agreement that allows then to leave boats on Maori land in Kaora Street, Kawhia</strong></b>
Kāwhia Community Board was told to stop debating the future of Māori land being used for boat parking in Kāwhia this week.
Board deputy chair Hinga Whiu halted the conversation on the future of the Kaora Street boat park after Ōtorohanga District Council business enablement group manager Graham Bunn brought recommendations to Thursday’s board meeting.
Bunn recommended the board support the continuation of a 30-year-old gentlemen’s agreement that saw the community use the boat park in exchange for the council paying rates on the land.
“This is their whenua,” Whiu said. “It’s come from their ancestors. I think you are going to have to stop talking about it. You have got to realise that this is whanau land that we are talking about.”
Bunn’s report recommended not pursuing a formal lease agreement.
“If a formal lease agreement was negotiated, the area would need to be upgraded and the boat parking area potentially increased. Costs to undertake any upgrade is significant and there would be a rates impact for Kāwhia,” he said,
Three quarters of the cost would be funded by district ratepayers with 25 per cent funded by Kāwhia ratepayers.
Board chair Geoff Wood thought it was worth trying to re-open negotiations to lease the land.
“We don’t even know the landowners,” Bunn replied. “It’s not an easy process. We don’t want to have these discussions every three-year term.”
Kāwhia councillor Kit Jeffries thought discussions on upgrading the boat park were pointless without a lease agreement.
“If we can’t get a lease, the whole thing about this boat park is a dead duck,” said board member Richard Harpur.
It was then that Whiu suggested the board halt discussions.
Council regulatory and growth group manager Tony Quickfall then warned the status quo could result in the loss of the land.
“It’s by good will, and a gentleman’s agreement. They could say no more boat parking and put a fence up.”
“The best scenario, from my point of view, is if the landowners set themselves up as a commercial operation and charge everyone,” Harpur said.
Whiu said it was not for the board to make such a suggestion.
The board voted to support the continuation of the historic agreement with the landowners, noting that the council would continue to pay the rates in compensation and recommended the council enter into formal lease agreement discussions with the landowners.
The board also asked the council to investigate the parking situation in Kāwhia, particularly around the wharf and boat ramp area, and prepare a full report on options for enforcement and potential charging.
