Raumati Community Board seeks change to Kāpiti Coast District Council’s long-term plan

Raumati Community Board chairman Bede Laracy with Paekākāriki-Raumati ward councillor Sophie Handford in Raumati Village. Photo / Grace Odlum

A community vision to improve Raumati includes revitalising the former Raumati Pool Building as a multi-use activity centre.

It was one of the ideas raised by the Raumati Community Board in its submission to the Kāpiti Coast District Council’s long-term plan which received more than 300 submissions.

Board chairman Bede Laracy said the board would like more development in Raumati, including revitalising the old Raumati Pool Building, upgrading Raumati Village, restoring Wharemauku Stream and building a stage in Marine Gardens.

The ideas are also part of the community-led project Our Vision for Raumati which Laracy has been working on with Paekākāriki-Raumati ward councillor Sophie Handford for more than a year.

The Raumati Pool Building has been the topic of much discussion in the community since its closure about 10 years ago.

Handford said there had been several ideas regarding what to do with the building, but the standout was to turn it into an activity centre with multiple activities such as 10-pin bowling, rock climbing, archery, axe throwing, virtual golf and more.

“It also feels like out of all the ideas this is the one that will put the building to use the quickest. Like some of the other ideas, marine discovery centre and waka ama facility, those things will take longer, Handford said.

Laracy said that was “probably the number one idea, but we’re not ruling out other ideas and it’s not our place to do that”.

There were no plans set in stone, but nothing would be done with the building until after earthquake strengthening had taken place, he said.

The board wanted the Wharemauku Stream to be restored so it was healthy and thriving.

“Really what I was trying to do was highlight that stream and the value of it in the community,” Laracy said.

He said he would like to see the stream clear of all noxious weeds and carp, which were both very damaging.

Planting trees alongside the stream was another way the stream could be restored and Laracy said some could even be fruit trees.

The Raumati Community Board wants Raumati Village to be upgraded.

Safety was another issue at the Wharemauku Stream and Laracy, along with the Kāpiti Coast Youth Council who also submitted about the stream, would like lights placed alongside the pathway next to the stream.

“We would have a conversation with the community about how we want to use the stream and what it should look and feel like.”

Laracy said he and Handford wanted to develop a long-term plan for Raumati Village, which the board wants to be upgraded, with engagement with the community about what upgrades were needed.

One idea that Laracy liked was to replace some of the car parks outside the cafes on Margaret Rd with more outdoor seating which could be removed during the colder months and turned back into parking.

Some community members would like Margaret Rd made a one-way street, another idea the board was considering.

“We can work with the villagers and the community to make things happen.”

Laracy and Handford have already made some changes to the village as part of their Our Vision for Raumati project.

One of those changes was closing Margaret Rd once a year to run a street festival.

“We can do that successfully so why not other things as well?” Laracy said.

In the board’s submission to the long-term plan, it asked for a stage to be built in Marine Gardens.

“It would really make a difference for a lot of people,” Laracy said.

Handford said it did not have to be expensive - “something like that, it feels like, could happen within existing budgets, it could even be just a raised platform with some pillars and a roof on top”.

She said it could be used for a wide variety of things, such as hosting poetry readings, music events and more.

An idea Handford had was to put a locked shed next to the stage with instruments and other equipment in it so people could access it when they wanted to host an event.

As part of the vision project, there was lots of work happening in Raumati South, Laracy said.

There was a survey for Raumati South residents to find out what they wanted, and work was now being done on the seawall and the Raumati South Memorial Hall.

Transport and entertainment were things that discussions with Raumati South residents showed were priorities.

Laracy said the vision project had inspired other parts of the district to create their own visions, which he thought had been heavily influenced by the work he and Handford had been doing.