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More than 80 people packed the Matakana Hall on August 2 for Vision Matakana 2018, a community meeting aimed at uniting residents and interest groups to identify and work together on a range of issues affecting the area.
Representatives from more than 15 residential areas in and around Matakana took part, together with local business operators and a variety of special interest groups and organisations.
The meeting was organised by the Matakana Community Group (MCG), whose chairman, Simon Barclay, said that after a decade in existence, MCG had achieved most of its early objectives and was at a crossroads, as was the Matakana area itself.
“The population and road traffic in Matakana has increased massively over the last decade. Combined with the developments already planned, future development and tourism, this will strain our existing infrastructure even more in the next few years,” he said. “There never has been a more important time for us to all join together so that we can influence Auckland Council and others before these developments dictate our future to us.
“We all lose influence when several small groups or individuals approach Council separately about the same issue. There is strength in numbers.”
The meeting started with a brainstorming session, with people identifying particular issues that concerned them, as well as bigger projects or problems facing the wider Matakana area. These were then listed on wall charts under six headings related to the relevant local government sector or organisation responsible – Roads, Traffic & Road Safety; Construction Infrastructure & Development; Drainage, Rivers & Streams; Environmental Issues; Green Spaces, Walkways & Cycle Paths; and Other Ideas.
More than 30 separate potential projects were listed and attendees were able to rank them in importance. Suggestions ranged from long-time concerns, such as the need for speed controls on Matakana Valley Road and a safe pedestrian crossing near the school, to a floating pontoon for visiting boats at the wharf, more activities for teenagers and a comprehensive survey of the Matakana River. Dr Barclay said the turnout and level of interaction had exceeded expectations.
“We expected about 40 people and 85 came. They took part in generating some excellent suggestions for future Matakana and connections between people and groups were also established.”
All the suggestions will be collated, prioritised and distributed to everyone on the community database via email, the community newsletter and the MCG Facebook page and website. Projects that already have someone willing to lead or champion them will go ahead automatically, and volunteers will be sought for popular but leader-less issues.
Info: Matakana Community Group on Facebook
