Rakino Hall Future Options.

Kevin Wragge has kindly alerted me to this excerpt from the Waiheke Local Board minutes from a couple of years ago. If you have any interest in the future of our Hall/art space/library, it’s a worthwhile read. Feedback is encouraged and welcomed, as this becomes an increasingly pressing issue.

Waiheke Local Board 13 December 2018

Rakino Hall future options

File No.: CP2018/22342

Te take mō te pūrongo / Purpose of the report

1. To recommend to the Waiheke Local Board a preferred option to address Rakino Hall’s future.

Whakarāpopototanga matua / Executive summary

2. The question of how best to maintain the ageing Rakino Hall, its future and management model has been considered on and off for over a decade without resolution.

3. As the hall is located right on the edge of the Rakino wharf reclamation, it is subject to direct wave action from time to time and a recent engineering assessment costs options to address this as ranging from $290,000 to over $1m.

4. Although Rakino Hall provides an important community and visitor function, it serves a very small community and the expenditure of this quantum of public funds needs careful consideration.

5. This report notes that council’s renewals budget can be used to fund the $290,000 “lift and shift” option although this may have an impact on other priority renewals work. It recommends this option be included in the 2019/20 renewals work programme for consideration and subject to it being consulted on and supported.

6. The report also discusses options for the future management of the hall and recommends that the lift and shift option be subject to agreement being reached on future management. It recommends the preferred option as being transfer of the hall to the Rakino Ratepayers Association, or secondly a community lease if the association agrees.

Te tūtohunga / Recommendation That the Waiheke Local Board: a) agree to allocate $290,000 in renewals funding to lift and shift Rakino Hall as per Option 1 in the Tonkin and Taylor Rakino Hall coastal hazard issues and options assessment final report dated November 2018, subject to the following: i) the proposal being considered alongside other renewals priorities in the 2019/20 work programme ii) the proposal being consulted on through the 2019/20 Waiheke Local Board Agreement process and sufficient support being received for this proposal iii) on project completion Rakino Hall is either transferred to the Rakino Ratepayers Association at no cost or managed in a manner agreed between the local board and the association iv) associated land lease and reserve classification processes which include iwi consultation, being completed.

Horopaki / Context

Hall ownership and land status

7. The Rakino Hall is an Auckland Council community facility managed by council’s Community Facilities department. It was moved to Rakino Island in the early 1960s from Motuihe Island where it had been a World War Two Navy barracks.

8. The hall partly sits on a reclamation at the southern end of the island as shown in the below photo. The reclamation’s southern edge is both a seawall and foundation for the hall. The reclamation and associated structures also form the island’s public wharf which is managed and maintained by Auckland Transport.

9. Rakino Hall consists of a main community room (single storey building in the photo), a kitchen and library which occupy the bottom part of the building to the left, and an upstairs art gallery and separate toilets to the rear.

10. The hall straddles two land parcels. The hall itself sits on the eastern parcel which is crown owned, classified as a local purpose (community buildings) reserve, and vested in the Auckland Council. The two storey part of the building sits on the western parcel which is held in fee simple by the Auckland Council as an unclassified esplanade reserve.

11. Under the Reserves Act 1977, buildings are not permitted to occupy esplanade reserves so the area occupied by these facilities has now been surveyed to enable the whole footprint to be classified as local purpose (community buildings) reserve.

Hall use

12. The island has a permanent population of around twenty and up to 250-300 at peak periods during the summer holidays.

13. As Rakino Hall isn’t on council’s on line booking system, no formal council held record of use is available. The Rakino Ratepayers Association and the Rakino Hall Committee chair have provided information showing that annually, over 20,000 people use the hall for one purpose or another or arrive by boat and interact with the hall’s facilities. This usage report is included at Attachment A.

14. Other advice on the hall’s purpose provided previously by the association can be summarised as follows:

i. the hall is the only public facility on the island

ii. it is the natural hub for all movements to and from the island and provides shelter for those waiting for boats or ferry services

iii. it enjoys regular use by the community and in the last couple of years there have been many large events enjoyed by large numbers of locals and visitors based in and around the Hall

iv. as well a hall, it functions as the island’s library and arts centre, an evacuation and civil defence assembly centre and first aid post. It also has an emergency phone, post boxes and storage for fire and pest control equipment

Hall management and maintenance

15. Auckland Council and/or the local community have managed and maintained the hall in a variety of ways over the years depending on council systems and processes at the time, practicalities and the Rakino community’s interest and ability to do more or less.

16. For a period of time prior to 2015 council sub-contracted a resident builder to do necessary work. For a couple of years after that the Rakino Ratepayers Association was officially contracted as hall caretaker and managed hall use, bookings and general care. In the past the association has undertaken various internal repair works including the replacement of damaged flooring in the main hall area and refurbishment of the art gallery at its cost.

17. The hall is currently maintained by council’s Community Facilities department in a reactive manner in response to requests and issues. The association has suggested that the building has deteriorated due to the lack of a regular maintenance programme.

18. Council sends contractors over as needed. The association notes that this arrangement is costly as often contractors need to come and assess what needs to be done, and come back again to do the work. Under the above past arrangement with a local builder, the initial assessment was done locally.

19. In January 2018 a major storm over Christmas which coincided with a king tide resulted in damage to the parts of the hall. Locals undertook a range of repairs over the holiday period including removing the deck and replacing floor joists/ties, piles and weatherboards at their own cost.

Hall coastal protection

20. As Rakino Hall is located right on the southern edge of the reclamation as shown in the above photo, it is constantly subject to coastal processes. At times these can be quite severe as shown in the below photo. There have been a variety of reports written and options identified to address these issues over the years.

21. A 2012 report prepared for Auckland Transport proposed a replacement seawall in front of the existing concrete wall which was described as nearing the end of its life. It noted that only a remnant of a historic grouted rock wall intended to dissipate wave action remained (see top hall photo). This proposal never proceeded.

22. In October 2014 the Waiheke Local Board received a report recommending that the hall be re-sited to prevent the threat of damage from severe storms and high tides. The board allocated $66,000 from its 2014/15 renewal budget for this purpose. Subsequent investigation identified that actual costs would be significantly greater and the proposal never proceeded.

23. More recently Auckland Transport investigated what might be needed to protect the southern side of the reclamation and had a preliminary design for a new seawall costed at around $88,000. This wasn’t taken further as a resource consent was needed which was seen as outside Auckland Transport’s responsibilities.

24. Council staff supporting the Waiheke Local Board’s interest in finding a way forward have recently looked into resource consent requirements for coastal protection works within the coastal marine area. This showed that such works would be expensive, potentially not get approval anyway and that regardless, they risked doing no more than just lessening the impact of storm events.

25. In August 2017, council staff and Waiheke Local Board members met on site with a sub-committee of the Rakino Ratepayers Association formed specifically to discuss a way forward for the hall. The council team included two asset assessors with a specific role to investigate the hall and associated seawall condition and report back.

26. Notes taken by the sub-committee record that council staff advised that the condition assessment could be carried out within a month and this would form the basis of a service solution which could take a further 4-5 weeks. The sub-committee asked that these results be provided in time for the Rakino Ratepayers Association’s Labour Weekend 2018 50 year celebrations.

27. Two separate asset assessments were prepared for the hall and associated coastal assets. The hall assessment noted that while there were some repairs required, overall the building was in reasonable condition and should be fit for purpose for many years if properly maintained.

28. The hall assessment noted that the building is poorly located and suffers from sea action particularly during south-westerly storms. It recommended investigating a number of options including additional sea wall protection, relocation and raising the building on site, demolishing the existing building and constructing a new purpose built facility off-site.

29. The coastal assets assessment included the seawall, wharf and breakwater as well as the hall deck, overhanging roof and foundations. It concluded that a buffer zone of rocks/boulders in front of the wharf and beneath the location of the deck and rebuilding the remnants of the existing breakwater would be the most effective way to dissipate the wave energy from reaching the building directly. It recommended removal of the deck which had been damaged and is in poor condition.

30. Both reports recognised that various consents and more technical investigations would be needed to advance these options. In further discussions with council’s coastal management services staff, it became clear that obtaining consents in this coastal environment would be difficult and it was agreed that a more formal and comprehensive report on options was needed. At its 26 July 2018 meeting the Waiheke Local Board allocated $20,000 for this purpose.

31. Tonkin and Taylor were engaged to prepare this report which discusses the scale and type of coastal hazards faced by the hall and possible measures to address them. A copy of the full report which is a desk top report (no-one went on site) is included at Attachment B. Its executive summary (paraphrased) states that:

· Rakino Hall is already subject to coastal inundation and erosion due to its location and these hazards are likely to increase with increasing sea level rise

· The following six options were investigated at a high level to address these issues, including construction costs, effective design life (particularly in relation to sea level rise), planning issues and constructability.

i. Relocation on existing reclamation (lift hall 1m, shift back 5m, build a 1m wall on the reclamation edge)

ii. Relocation to alternative site

iii. Vertical seawall with a crest of 4.0m (and associated reclamation)

iv. Rock armour revetment with a crest of 4.0m (and associated reclamation)

v. Raising reclamation levels

vi. Demolition and new structure at alternative location

· These options provide a solution for a certain time period and then additional actions may be required depending on the rate of climate change

· Raising the seawall (either via a vertical seawall or rock armour revetment) or moving the Community Hall back on the reclamation) would be effective for a period of 30-50 years, depending on the rate of sea level rise. Other options would be effective for significantly longer periods of time.

· Collaborative engagement with the community and additional planning investigations is recommended.

32. Each option is considered in detail in Section 4.2 of the report and summarised in section 4.2.6. (see Table 4.7 included here).

Table 4-7 Summary of options with rough order costs and main planning, consenting and constructability issues

Option	Construction rough order costs (rounded)	Effective design life	Planning issues	Constructability
Option 1: Relocation on existing reclamation (Site shift)	$ 290,000	30 to 50 years (2050-2070)	Consent required, but generally consistent with zoning provisions.	Medium
Option 2: Relocation to alternative site	$ 423,000	100+ years	Need to confirm ability to construct on proposed location, extent of tree pruning, support of local community	Medium
Option 3: Vertical seawall	$ 529,000	30 to 50 years (2050-2070)	Potentially challenging planning direction which may not support reclamation	High (intertidal and restricted access to CMA)
Option 4: Rock armour revetment	$ 255,000	30 to 50 years (2050-2070)	Potentially challenging planning direction which may not support reclamation	High (intertidal and restricted access to CMA)
Option 5: Raising reclamation levels	$ 938,000	100 years	Impact on other amenities particularly the wharf	High (complex staging to retain wharf operations and parking)

33. The Waiheke Local Board has considered this report and next steps at recent workshops and suggested that in view of its budget constraints, the age and life of the facility and the importance of wisely spending ratepayers funds if it was to support any option it would most likely be Option 1. The board also agreed to provide the report to the Rakino Ratepayers Association to be considered at its 2018 Labour Weekend AGM and the association has responded that its preference is for Option 1.

34. The local board also asked staff to investigate alternative scenarios such as granting the association adequate funds to develop a facility elsewhere. This is discussed further below.

Tātaritanga me ngā tohutohu / Analysis and advice

35. Despite a number of investigations over the years into how best to protect and manage the hall, there has been no follow through and these issues remain unresolved. The purpose of this report is to seek decisions that will conclude these matters.

36. While the most pressing issue is protecting the hall from coastal impacts, it is considered that agreeing how the hall should be managed and by whom should also be concluded at the same time.

37. Rakino Ratepayers Association representatives are expected to attend the board’s 13 December business meeting and speak at public forum in response to this report’s recommendations.

Addressing coastal process issues

38. Staff consider that the following options are available to the Waiheke Local Board:

· Do nothing

· Pursue any of the Tonkin and Taylor report options

· Investigate other options

39. Staff consider that the “do nothing” option, is really the status quo and is not an option if issues and history outlined above are to be resolved. Doing nothing would involve normal maintenance of the hall in its current location. Eventually coastal processes are likely to significantly damage the hall resulting in either expensive repairs or the need to demolish all or parts of the building. This could occur at any time.

40. Staff have confirmed that renewals budget is available from 2019/20 to progress Tonkin and Taylor’s Option 1 ($290,000) without compromising delivery of other renewals priorities. As this is a rough order cost estimate only based on a desktop exercise, a more detailed cost investigation would be needed. The cost does however contain a 30 per cent contingencies allowance and the Rakino Ratepayers Association has advised that it could undertake some works itself, such as site preparation and re-establishment which are costed at $40,000.

41. Option 1 appears to be the only one of Tonkin and Taylor’s options that would attract renewals funding. The Waiheke Local Board has no other budgets which are either sufficient or can meet the criteria to progress any of Tonkin and Taylor’s other options.

42. The diagram explaining Option 1 from Page 12 of the Tonkin and Taylor report is shown here. As noted earlier, this option involves lifting the hall 1m on the existing hardstand, moving it back 5m and building a 1m seawall on the hardstand edge.

43. Other options could include demolishing and not replacing the Rakino Hall. This will clearly be opposed by the Rakino Ratepayers Association. Demolition will itself come at a cost and given the wider uses of the hall such as a waiting area for travellers, and storage for emergency equipment etc, some form of shelter would need to be retained or constructed.

44. A further option suggested by the local board is to provide a grant to the association to construct a facility elsewhere owned and managed by itself. Staff advice is that this would need to be funded by the local board and it does not appear there are either funds available, or a suitable mechanism to achieve this.

45. Based on the above this report recommends that the Waiheke Local Board allocates $290,000 from its renewals budget to pursue Tonkin and Taylor Option 1. Given this cost relative to the small size of the Rakino community and other funding priorities, it is further recommended that the local board consult on this option as part of its coming 2019/20 Waiheke Local Board Agreement consultation process.

46. It also recommends that progressing Option 1 be subject to a decision on the hall’s future management being made and this is discussed further below.

Addressing future hall management

47. The question of which party or method should be used to maintain and manage Rakino Hall has never been comprehensively considered or answered. As noted above, Rakino Hall has been managed and maintained in different ways over the years. Formal responsibility for its maintenance and management sits with Auckland Council.

48. It is recommended that a preferred hall management option should be discussed and agreed with the Rakino Ratepayers Association before a final decision to support Option 1 is made. This is because the proposed hall renovation investment is considerable and it makes sense that a hall management solution covers both structural and management matters.

49. Staff consider that the following options are available to the Waiheke Local Board:

· The council continues to maintain and manage the hall

· As above but with agreed roles being undertaken by the community

· The hall is leased to the Rakino Ratepayers Association and it assumes associated responsibilities

· The hall is transferred to the Rakino Ratepayers Association at no cost and the association is granted a lease over the land.

50. While the council managing and maintaining the hall is the default position, this is not necessarily the best option for the future and hasn’t resulted in the best outcomes in the past. It costs more for the council to manage and maintain the hall remotely from the city due to distance and the absence of island based contractors.

51. Ongoing changes in council processes, systems and structures are considered to have contributed to hall management and structural matters remaining unresolved. They have also contributed to dissatisfaction being expressed by the Rakino community and locals getting on and doing things when they had to be done and the council wasn’t responsive. This has included significant maintenance and renovation works at times at no cost to the council, for example removing the deck and repairing foundations damaged in the most recent storm.

52. This is the option of the council continuing to manage and maintain the hall with certain aspects being led by the community, albeit with costs paid by council as needed. Having locally based contractual arrangements as has happened at times in the past would fit into this scenario.

53. A formal lease over the footprint of the building to the association is another option. This would enable the community to manage the hall as it saw fit within the terms of the lease and free it from the issues it has experienced with council management. Although actual costs would fall to the community, in large part this appears to be what has happened to a greater or lesser extent over time anyway.

54. Formal transfer of the hall to the community is the end of this spectrum with the community taking control of the hall’s future use and purpose, but still within the restrictions of the land’s reserve status. While the council’s resources wouldn’t be automatically available, the community could still apply for grants and assistance as many community groups which own halls do already.

55. As noted above, any management outcome needs beyond the status quo needs to be discussed and agreed with the Rakino community. These options have been discussed in detail with the chair of the Rakino Hall sub-committee, including hall transfer to the association. Concerns were expressed about both transfer and lease options. These included it being the council’s obligation to manage and maintain the hall, costs, differing views within the association and anxiety that this could create internal problems, and the benefit of council managing the administrative burden given the finite resources of the community. In the past at least there has been some appetite expressed for transfer provided structural issues were addressed at the same time.

56. This report recommends that the Waiheke Local Board seek local ownership or management of the hall for the reasons outlined above. This seems like a practical solution for a hall which has been lifted and shifted, which will be safe and secure for a further 30-50 years and which is hard for the council to manage well given its remoteness.

Ngā whakaaweawe ā-rohe me ngā tirohanga a te poari ā-rohe /
Local impacts and local board views

57. The Waiheke Local Board is the decision-maker over matters covered in this report.

Tauākī whakaaweawe Māori / Māori impact statement

58. No iwi consultation has been undertaken in the preparation of this report. Iwi will be consulted as part of the proposed 2019/20 Waiheke Local Board Agreement consultation, if the local board agrees to pursue Option 1. Resource consent and land classification processes would include iwi consultation.

Ngā ritenga ā-pūtea / Financial implications

59. If the Waiheke Local Board supports proposed Option 1, it would be funded from its renewals budget.

60. There are a number of pressures on the Waiheke Local Board’s budget for next year which might impact on the ability to advance the Rakino Hall project. These include a desire to fast track the skate park, and unresolved budget pressures on Onetangi Beach access points and the golf club access road.

61. Trade-offs, along with project timing, scope and cost reviews will be needed. Rakino Hall can be considered alongside these other priorities as part of the 2019/20 work programme agreement process.

62. If Rakino Hall is no longer formally managed or maintained by Auckland Council, this will reduce ratepayer costs. If the Rakino Ratepayers Association was the owner or manager, it would be able to apply to the Waiheke Local Board for grants to support its activities.

Ngā raru tūpono / Risks

63. The biggest risk is considered to be that no clear decisions are made on the hall’s future. Given the structural risks identified in the Tonkin and Taylor report, staff recommend that a clear direction is identified and agreed by the local board.

64. A further risk is that using $290,000 in renewals funding for Rakino Hall might compromise the ability of other high priority projects to proceed or be completed.

65. There is also a risk that discussions around what to do create relationship issues both between the parties and internally with the Rakino community.

Ngā koringa ā-muri / Next steps

66. Next steps will depend on the local board’s decisions on this matter.

67. If the board supports using renewals funding to lift and shift the hall, the renewals team will investigate and progress the steps needed for that. If this isn’t supported and there is no change to the hall management approach, the hall will need to be appropriately maintained by the council. If storm events result in further damage, decisions will need to be made on its future in response to these impacts.

68. If the board supports any change to management arrangements, those will determine next steps we agreement, leases, roles etc.

Ngā tāpirihanga / Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a⇩	Rakino Wharf Building & Hall Facility Usage Data	29
b⇩	Tonkin and Taylor Rakino Hall Coastal Hazard Issues and Options Assessment	31

Ngā kaihaina / Signatories

Author	John Nash – Programme Manager,Waiheke & Gulf Islands
Authoriser	Helgard Wagener – Relshp Mgr – Great Barrier and Waiheke

Waiheke Local Board 13 December 2018

The attachment below is the Tonkin and Taylor report prepared for council.

https://infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/Open/2018/12/WHK_20181213_AGN_7844_AT_files/WHK_20181213_AGN_7844_AT_Attachment_64017_2.PDF

What an ill wind blows to Rakino

Motutapu Island lies to the south West of Rakino and is part of the Hauraki Gulf Maritime Park

Waikalabubu Bay is more or less straight across from Home Bay.

The slopes of the foreshore have been fenced for stock management and nature has been left to do what it does best…unhindered.

Back on Rakino, there’s been an influx of noxious weeds in recent times and in particular moth plant.

Much effort by Auckland City and a small dedicated local team have been working hard to eradicate and control moth plant in particular.

The cost to the Auckland City Rate payer must be significant to pursue this ecologically important task.

There has been discussion as to why this once seldom observed weed has impacted Rakino so dramatically in recent times

It’s everywhere.

We may have the answer.

Beyond a sign at Waikalabubu Bay urging everyone to

“Help Keep our Hauraki Gulf Island Pest free”

Is the most significant area of flowering moth plant one might imagine could exist.

The infestation is predictably spreading either side of Waikalabubu Bay at alarming rates.

When recognized, the green of the moth plant is discernible from Rakino.

Obviously, the parachute like seeds are impacting Rakino and could well explain the expediential increase in the number of the plants in recent times.

Perhaps pressure from Rakino residents against the various custodians of Motutapu to take their responsibilities with some seriousness, rather than just erecting a sign, may result in some positive action to rectify…..before the seeds implode…..soon.

Big Island Weekend in Review!

The weekend got off to a cracking start with the exhibition opening Upstairs at the Rakino Community Art Gallery on the Friday night. Liquid refreshments were generously provided by Harriet and the Malings, and a good time was had by all attendees. It was encouraging to see the level of support for Rakino and Rakino associated artists. Holly and I were so surprised by all the people that snuck out of the woodwork and showed us the wonderful art they make ON THE DAY OF THE EXHIBITION, so we decided to make it a regular event throughout the year, with shows of Rakino artists work on big island weekends. Please let us know if you want to be included at Easter! It takes a fair bit of toil to hang works to their best advantage, so the earlier, the better. We’ll be harrassing you for work regardless…

**Group shot with Terry and Scarlett’s paintings in the background.**

**Clinton and David framing Carolyn’s painting beautifully.**

**Ling’s much sought after phone box painting red-stickered.**

**Glamorous Mclafferty’s, and Holly’s paintings**.

**Elisabeth, suitably astonished by a fabulous piece of art.**

Saturday morning started off in drizzle, but thankfully brightened up. I didn’t have time to get down to the Rakino Nursery open morning and sausage sizzle, as I was running around like Billie the Dog with two tails, but John assured me it went very well, with lots of trees pre-purchased for the winter planting season. The nursery was looking pretty sharp as the previous weekend there had been volunteer tidy-up, many thanks to all who attended.

Images courtesy of Stacey Thomas.

To my regret I also missed Rewa Grimsdale’s flax weaving workshop, owing to the continuing two tails issue, but reports of it glowed, the photos are wonderful, and I understand that there will be an ongoing weaving group on island, as the participants are keen to expand on the skills they learned. Maybe I can join in with this??

Photos courtesy of Rewa Grimsdale.

Similarly, Mia Straka’s talisman project was also very successful. I saw a number of women wearing their talismans on the beach on Sunday…

Saturday night, and the event I’d been quietly working on for several months was about to eventuate. The fabulous Mr. Anthonie Tonnon and his wife Karlya were finally on island and Anthonie was about to perform his Rail Land show. I was a bundle of frayed nerves, but my anxiety was unfounded. He was wonderful, and so was the audience (mainly 🙂 ). I fulfilled my dream of having him perform on Rakino, and I understand they similarly had a great time. There are so many great photos of his performance in our hall; I’m just going to post a selection below, and credit you for the images if they are yours. Here is a sweet video from Clare first up..
https://www.facebook.com/seaclare/videos/2765086670372814

**Billie the roadie. Photo courtesy of Rob Cawte.**

**Before the gig in the outdoor lounge, courtesy of me**.

**..and the party went on, courtesy of Rob Cawte**.

Up at the crack of noon, DJ’s Hudge and Bobby Brazuka were down at Sandy Bay, where we swam, picnicked, and listened to some summer sounds on the beach, a perfect wind-down. Many thanks to Alf for his stellar pizza delivery service, and Hayden from Sea Cleaners, who cheered me up with tales of how much plastic waste the Sea Cleaners team has removed from the Hauraki Gulf. It’s really impressive.

**Jackie and Jimi hooking into the snarlers.** **Photo credit Rob Cawte**.

**Beach beats! Photo courtesy of Rob Cawte.**

Thank you to everyone that participated in the weekend. It was a great success, and hopefully we can do something similar next year. Your support was invaluable, and much appreciated.

Summer on Rakino 2021

It started off as a whim to get Anthonie Tonnon to perform on Rakino, and grew from there into a weekend of events and activities…

Proceedings kick off on Friday Jan 8 at 5pm with an art exhibition opening Upstairs at the Rakino Art Gallery. There will be a range of works to peruse and purchase, paintings, prints, woodwork, and jewellery, made by Rakino locals and Rakino friends. Join us for a celebratory glass of wine and nibbles. As always with island gatherings, feel welcome to BYO!

https://www.rakino.org.nz/event/rakino-island-art-gallery-exhibition/

10am till 12pm Saturday morning starts with a Rakino Nursery open morning with John MacKenzie on hand to advise and take orders for the coming winter’s tree planting. The baby trees are looking lush with lots of new growth. They’ll look even better planted in your backyard, and our burgeoning island wildlife will appreciate the gesture! Please walk down to the nursery via the track from the AT land on South Pacific Rd. https://www.rakino.org.nz/event/rakino-plant-nursery-open-morning/

1pm till 4pm Rewa Grimsdale will be holding a flax weaving workshop at 21 Woody Bay Rd. (Josh, Holly, & Billie’s house). Participants will have the opportunity to learn to prepare flax for weaving, and make a flax flower and loose woven kete. https://www.rakino.org.nz/event/flax-weaving-workshop-with-rewa-grimsdale/
I’m keen on this one; harekeke is a material there’s no shortage of on Rakino!

From 3pm till 5pm contemporary jeweller Mia Straka will be holding a talisman making jewellery workshop at 21 Woody Bay Rd. You can get a feel for her work here: http://www.miastraka.com/ Mia’s work is sculptural and thoughtful, and this workshop will probably suit ten year olds and up.. https://www.rakino.org.nz/event/mia-straka-jewellery-class/

8pm – Anthonie Tonnon begins his performance at the Rakino Community Hall. I really can’t emphasise how lucky we are to have him perform on Rakino. I can only urge you to purchase tickets here: https://www.rakino.org.nz/anthonie-tonnon/ because this will be a really unique experience. You can learn more about Anthonie here: https://www.anthonietonnon.com/

Sunday the 10th starts at a leisurely 12 pm with a flurry of activities. DJ Hudge, Bobby Brazuka, and Friends will kick things off down at Sandy Bay with Beach Beats. Koha and pizza deals available courtesy of Alf’s Woody Bay Pizzeria. https://www.rakino.org.nz/event/sunday-wind-down-with-extra-cheese/

Simultaneously Grace Carr-Shepheard will be on hand at 12pm to talk about the small changes we can all make to make our world a better place. https://www.rakino.org.nz/event/grace-carr-shepheard-talking-sustainability/

At 1pm, Hayden Smith from Sea Cleaners will be chatting about the amazing work Sea Cleaners do in our ocean environment. https://www.rakino.org.nz/event/conversation-with-hayden-from-sea-cleaners/

Drag the teens out of bed for these inspirational and informative chats down at Sandy Bay. Bribe them with beats and pizza!

Day	Date	Depart Stanley Bay	Depart Downtown	Depart Rakino	Arrive Downtown	Arrive Stanley Bay
Fri	Jan 8/21	10.40am	11am	11.55am	12.40pm	1pm
	Jan 8/21		6.50pm	7.45pm	8.30pm	8.50pm
Sat	Jan 9/21	10.40am	11am	11.55am	12.40pm	1pm
	Jan 9/21	3.15pm	3.35pm	4.30pm	5.15pm	5.35pm
Sun	Jan 10/21	10.40am	11am	11.55am	12.40pm	1pm
	Jan 10/21	3.15pm	3.35pm	4.30pm	5.15pm	5.35pm

Belaire’s timetable for the weekend of the 8th/9th/10th

Sadly the event ‘Walks, Talks, and Snorks’ has had to be postponed due to America’s Cup racing. As soon as the Hauraki Gulf is no longer a four-lane highway, the event will be re-instated. It will follow the same format, however, so read on…

Saturday, January 16 and we have more treats in store! Walks, Talks, and Snorks is an eco fiesta on Rakino. We are very lucky to have a visit from scientists and enviromentalists Tim Haggitt, Tim Lovegrove, and Kerry Lukies, thanks to the efforts of Elisabeth Easther. This is a fantastic opportunity to learn more about our birdlife, our marine environment, and our little blue penguins. Those with good swimming skills and their own gear have the opportunity to participate in a guided snorkelling experience with Tim Haggitt in Sandy Bay. For more details and links, visit https://www.rakino.org.nz/event/walks-talks-and-snorks/

Walks, talks, and snorks..

Walks, Talks and Snorks on Rakino Island

March 6, 2021, 10am-2pm (ish)

As some of you may be aware, a marine ecological survey was conducted around Rakino Island in 2020, with the cost of the survey covered by a grant from the charitable trust Foundation North. The survey was undertaken in order to obtain scientifically robust baseline data from which environmental change can be evaluated; to identify areas that support high biodiversity and ecological functioning; to identify gaps is the knowledge base; to identify key threats to animal and plant life including things like invasive species and sedimentation; and to provide information that can help us look at ways we might establish environmental initiatives for the Island, such as restoration and protection.

The next stage of this survey is to share the information that has been gathered with the good people of Rakino at an event on January 16 (back up weather day January 23). Called Walks, Talks and Snorks, we have invited a few scientists and ecologists to visit the island to share their knowledge, and to help us better apreciate the wonders around us and as the title suggests, they will be taking interested parties on walks, while giving talks and even leading a guided snorkel of Sandy Bay. You will need your own equipment for this and be a confident snorkeller/swimmer and kids under 14 would need to be accompanied by an adult.

We are delighted to be welcoming:

Dr Tim Haggitt:

Tim Haggitt has 12 years of experience in marine consulting and research and provides specialist technical advice on marine community diversity and functioning; state of the environment reports; the design and application of monitoring programmes in order to detect and measure impacts and effects; audits of marine monitoring programmes and habitat restoration. Tim Haggitt is based in Leigh where he co-supervises students in marine ecology. Tim Haggitt’s core area of research expertise lies in subtidal rocky reef and soft sediment community ecology.Tim will talk about the survey, answer questions, clear up misapprehensions and then take interested parties on a guided snorkel at Sandy Bay. You will need to bring your own snorkel gear but this is a wonderful opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of our sea life.

Kerry Lukies: Northern New Zealand Seabird Trust

Kerry has always been passionate about marine conservation and the many animals that call the ocean home but her fascination for seabirds first began when working as a penguin keeper at Kelly Tarlton’s Aquarium. Kerry recently finished her Master’s degree on the stress physiology and foraging ecology of Little Blue Penguins in the Hauraki Gulf and has since been working for the Northern NZ Seabird Trust. She works on a range of projects involving seabird conservation, research and restoration, mainly on the pest-free islands of the Hauraki Gulf but also on islands further north and Auckland’s mainland. Projects she has been working on recently include attaching GPS trackers to Little Blue Penguins to determine where they forage at sea and studying which light types used on vessels are most attractive to nocturnal seabirds in an attempt to minimise the rate of light-induced collisions.” Kerry will share her knowledge and passion for our seabirds.

Dr Tim Lovegrove, aka The Bird Whisperer. Regional Fauna advisor, Auckland Council Biodiversity team.

A regional fauna advisor in the council’s Biodiversity team, Tim Lovegrove is fondly dubbed ‘The Bird Whisperer’ and he can distinguish and identify many different bird languages by ear, and mimic their chatter through whistles and coos with the occasional help of lures made from forest grasses (which are especially useful for talking to little birds). Tim has guided the kōkako recovery project in the Hunua Ranges, helped set up Tāwharanui and Shakespear open sanctuaries and has been involved in bird conservation management and monitoring for over 30 years; his knowledge of the native bird world is vast. Tim is passionate about the work he does for the council and for the environment.

John MacKenzie – Rakino Island Nursery

Our very own botanical bright spark John MacKenzie will also give a scintillating talk down at the Rakino Nursery where he’ll explain the work that’s happening there and also how you can help keep Rakino clean and green, both through what you choose to plant and, just as importantly, what you stay on top of in the form of unwelcome weeds.

EDS Report on Protecting the Gulf Islands

This report https://eds.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/RMLR-Hauraki-Gulf-Report_FINAL-V2.pdf includes a case study on Rakino, here are the key issues it mentions:

Rākino is one of the few settled islands in New Zealand that is pest free and this creates an enormous opportunity to create a haven for biodiversity. The island is still mainly covered in kikuyu grass although there has been a more recent increase in indigenous planting and the establishment of a nursery on the island. Given the small number of owners of most of the grassed land on the island (including the 25 large lots), the council should consider working individually with them, to identify opportunities and incentives to encourage more extensive replanting. The current subdivision rules for the Rākino amenity area do this to some extent, through making provision for additional lots if replanting is undertaken, and this seems appropriate. However, given the high potential for further subdivision on the island already, replanting incentives should not simply be linked to subdivision. The island could also be a place to experiment with new styles and forms of building, encouraging those that fit within the landscape rather than dominate it (and potentially include this in the residential zone rules).Restoration should also be considered in the marine area surrounding the island, and as suggested in the case of Waiheke Island, this could be assisted through an integrated planning approach which considered both the island and the surrounding marine area in a specific section of the Auckland AUP.

Some interesting quotes are included…

In the future, I hope things will stay the same as they are, with a lot more planting of trees supporting more varied and better bird life. I really do hope there is no commercialisation of the island.

RRA Meeting 25/10/20

The minutes as noted by the Anarchist Amanuensis.

RRA Meeting, October 25^th 2020 10am… a beautiful sunny day with the best part of it wasted on a 1hour 45 minute meeting that could easily have been wrapped up in an hour.

Presided over by Chairman Clews.

Apologies – Steve McCrone, Kevin Hester.

Past minutes – a brief overview

Thanks to Tom and Chris for sorting the picnic tables at Sandy Bay.

Nothing has happened about the memorial seat for Rob Everall.

The financial report was presented, not much activity. There has been a $25k grant from Foundation North which contributed to the baseline marine survey around Rakino Island..

The background to the marine survey and proposed reserve was outlined.

Elisabeth Easther presented the findings of the survey which can be read here : https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bo3bZqMyQF2EALjrL8QeHPrLaHElnfYn/view?usp=sharing

The usual qualms and misinformation were addressed, yet again.

Chairman Clews said that no decisions would be made without a mandate from the islanders, and Elisabeth correctly observed that any marine reserve is enormously difficult to achieve, and there are literally thousands of recreational fishers that will oppose any such move.

As usual, there has been no progress made on the Rakino Community Hall. We would expect no less. It appears the Auckland City Council would prefer to have the ratepayers of Rakino take over control and maintenance of the Hall.

Bev presented the Fire Report.

The firelords went off for service; two came back, one did not, as it was claimed to be no longer viable. There was a long discussion about dry fire-fighting, and the unrealistic suggestion with regard to volunteer fire-fighting education.

At this stage:

*permit only status for fires.

*20 permits issued to date.

*please get a permit that lasts over several weeks so you can have a fire when the conditions are right.

*Have water and tools on hand in the unfortunate event that the fire gets out of hand.

*Notify the community via social media if you are having a permitted fire.

*The fire signs are to be updated.

Josh said the fire pump is broken.

There was a reminder from Chairman Clews that the Fire Officers position is voluntary, and the position must be respected. He threatened to ring the police if he got wind of any miscreant behaviour. He then went on to say that all voluntary positions must be respected, and are therefore not open to any robust criticism. It’s not the achievement or lack of that matters; it’s the volunteering to be on a committee that is important. There was some railing against people going off and doing things willy-nilly without committee consultation.

Chairman Clews then held forth for some time on his opinion that the Fire Brigade wanted no responsibility for Rakino Island’s fire-fighting equipment because of that hoary old chestnut ‘Health and Safety’. Happily Matt Maling kindly pointed out in his professional capacity as a lawyer that you are exempt from prosecution under the Health and Safety Act if you are a volunteer.

Discussion then commenced with regard to the placement of the water tank on DoC land, and the complaint that ensued. The water tank has been relocated to Hawkins land, but not without a considerable amount of time-wasting and double handling. There was a plea for people to ask questions first before complaining to authorities.

Many people appear to be unaware that there was an intention to place a water tank and utility shed at the top and center of the island on the AT land, as well as being unaware there was an intention to place a heli-pad in that area, specifically and only for the emergency Westpac Helicopter to use.

This is despite last year’s minutes being published for all to read.

There will be a generator to power a siren in event of an emergency that can be heard all over the island.

General business.

Les announced that he had been bit by a dog 3 weeks ago. He has also been bailed up by dogs and knocked over by a dog. Chairman Clews suggested that Les would be better off complaining to dog control than the Rakino Ratepayers meeting, but did not threaten to call dog control about miscreant dogs himself. There is general agreement in the community that we would like more dog control, but alas this is not a view shared by dog owners.

A $1000 dollar donation will be made to the Westpac Helicopter Trust.

A secretary is needed for the committee.

A list of mooring holders was requested.

Jo brought up the perennial issue of cars and speed, with a plea for everyone to slow down because of free-ranging children and dogs, and Mark quite correctly observed that the laws of physics still apply on Rakino even if people believe other laws don’t apply, and it is concerning to see the number of children riding around on vehicles as ‘hood ornaments’.

Sarah Webb volunteered to be committee secretary.

Sheryl spoke about the new rules that apply around the inorganic collection; you must book in with the council, and you must keep the rubbish on your property.

Do not put it on the berms.

There is to be no illegal dumping, thank you.

>At this point I, the Anarchist Amanuensis, wish to make a couple of points about rubbish that were not discussed at the meeting, because I didn’t really notice until I went to place my recycling and household waste in the bins on Monday.

Firstly, not all plastics are recyclable. If you have a broken old plastic thing, chances are, it is not recyclable and should in all likelihood be put in the household waste bin.

If you take your empty bottles to the recycling bin in a plastic supermarket bag, put the bottles in the recycling, and the plastic bag in the household waste bin.

If you have used nappies or used feminine hygiene products to dispose of, for goodness sakes, scrape off the poo, wrap them up, put them in a bag, and then place them in the household waste bin. It is really unfair to subject Tom and the rubbish volunteers to gross things like dirty nappies.

We have the enormous privilege of a predator-free island, so either bury or compost your food scraps, because there are no rodents. Don’t put them in the bins if possible.

More possibility for recycling paper and cardboard would also be appreciated by keen recyclers.

Always remember; everything that comes onto the island eventually has to be removed…

Meeting closed 11.45 am

Many thanks to the provider of sausage rolls and the top notch chocolate brownies. You rock!

Moth Plant

Moth plant is a swine of a pest plant.

It’s a vigorous grower, shade tolerant, and capable of smothering our regenerating bush if allowed to run rampant. It’s pink-white flowers are easily visible in the trees between December and May. In autumn and winter it’s pale green choko-like pods form. The pods carry up to 1000 dandelion-like seeds which can travel several kilometers once the pods have dried and split.

On Gulf islands land-owners are legally required to remove moth plant, and this is best done well prior to the pods splitting.

The sap is a sticky irritant, so protective clothing in the form of gloves and arm covering is a good idea. If the infestation is minor, the seedlings can be pulled out and left to die. If the flowering vines have climbed into the trees, the vines can be cut off near the ground and painted with Picloram gel, a stump paint which works well on moth plant.

If pods have formed, they need to be removed from the vines, and bagged up to be taken away.

The sites of removal need to be revisited in order to follow up on infestations. It’s an on-going task.

There is a small team of intrepid moth plant removers on Rakino who gather a couple of times a year to try and tackle the moth plant problem in the reserves, but also on private land if required. If you’re willing to volunteer a couple of hours on a long weekend a couple of times a year, the moth plant removal team will almost certainly come and help out with your infestation, and you’ll be justly rewarded for your efforts with an expertly cooked sausage courtesy of Kevin Wragge. Delicious! 🙂

Planting to attract birds.

On my most recent island visit I got some feedback that people were looking to do some winter planting on their patches of land to attract our local bird-life, and were looking for advice on how best to achieve that. I’m no expert, and would always advise chatting to Rakino Nursery manager John MacKenzie before embarking on an ambitious planting plan, but here is a bit of basic information to get started with.

Below is a chart of native birds we see on Rakino, and their favoured foods. The nectar feeders prefer insects at nesting time, as they feed their young insectivorous protein. Planting insect attracting shrubs and trees like manuka and kanuka will ensure you always have insect-gobbling fantails and grey warblers flitting through your garden, and will also provide nourishment for the young’uns of nectar feeders. We watched a tui bashing a large stick insect senseless against a tree down at Sandy Bay in preparation for a tui family feast..

Another very good reason to plant manuka/kanuka is that it’s a great habitat for geckoes and skinks. The jury is out on whether we have geckoes on Rakino or not, but we definitely have a number of native skinks. Muhlenbeckia is also a very good habitat for lizards, and John is currently germinating muhlenbeckia seeds due to popular demand.

I have noticed that kakariki love flax seeds, so I would definitely advise the planting of harakeke if you love tui, bellbirds, and are hoping for kakariki to visit, as I am. Aside from this, it’s a great firebreak, and will self germinate readily.

species	nectar	fruit & seeds	foliage	insects
tui	*	*		*
waxeye	*	*		*
grey warbler				*
fantail				*
king-fisher				*
bellbird	*	*		*
kaka	*	*		*
kakariki		*		*
wood pigeon kereru		*	*

A few Rakino birds and their diet, in no particular order.

Below is a list of some of the trees that are generally available to purchase at the plant nursery. Many are currently sold out but I’ll share the link so you can see for yourselves what’s available. The list below isn’t comprehensive, just an indication.

species	fruit & seed	nectar	insects
nikau	*
taraire	*
karamu c. robusta	*
taupata c. repens	*
cabbage tree	*	*
pigeon-wood	*
tawapou	*
kawakawa	*
mahoe	*
harakeke flax	*	*
five-finger	*
kowhai		*
puriri	*	*
karo	*	*
kanuka			*
manuka			*

Rakino Nursery trees that provide food for birds.

Most of the above trees are also attractive to insects, but manuka and kanuka are specifically attractive, and flower frequently.

I’d also like to give a plug to the humble bottlebrush, or callistemon. It’s an Australian native, and not available at the nursery, but it’s irresistible to bellbirds, and bees, and flowers readily. If you are bringing bottlebrush over from the mainland, please ensure you place it in a bucket of water and soak it thoroughly in order to avoid any nasties like plague skink eggs being inadvertantly transported also. I soak any plants I’m transporting overnight, such is my level of paranoia about pests.

I’ll defer to John MacKenzie with regard to what to plant and where; some trees don’t like wet feet, some dislike the dry, others are comfortable almost anywhere. Manuka, harakeke, karamu, taupata, karo, and five-finger make great regenerative ‘nursery’ plants and are very forgiving. A hard to kill plant is a good plant. They’ll provide shelter and shade for more temperamental trees.

The other thing to keep in mind is that once you have a few trees in the ground and the birds are visiting, they will spread the seeds they are eating through the digestion process, and many will germinate successfully.

Happy planting!

https://www.rakinoisland.org/nursery

Photo credit- Jennie Cruse

Local Focus: Rakino Island Plant Nursery.

Over Queen’s Birthday Weekend we visited Rakino for the first time since lockdown ended with the daunting mission ahead of planting forty more trees at 9 Woody Bay Rd.

Our aim is to try and smother the tenacious kikuyu grass with shade-casting trees in order to ensure we never have to spend any time mowing grass on Rakino. Unbelievably, neighbour Barry who keeps his considerable lawn immaculate has yet to volunteer his mowing services, and when I mentioned it to all-round handyman Josh, he quickly said “Absolutely not”, so I figure my plan is best.

Winter is the time to get your trees in the ground on Rakino, as it can dry out considerably over summer, so we got our order in early to John MacKenzie, and he delivered all the trees I’d ordered, with a few extra assorted five finger and coprosma. All were duly planted, and I hope they’re thriving with the recent soakings…

The initiative for the development of the Rakino native plant nursery came from the current day trustees, the Thomas family, environmental stalwart John MacKenzie and his wife Carolyn, and Kevin Wragge.

The nursery was started back in 2015, with funding for it’s establishment secured in part from Auckland Cities Environmental Initiatives Fund and also a significant contribution made by the Thomas’, financially, transport, and construction-wise. It’s located on land generously provided by Stephen and Stacey Thomas at a peppercorn rental of $1 per year.

Today it’s a not-for-profit charitable trust; all the sales generated are returned for the upkeep of the nursery; the ongoing costs of pots and potting mix are not inconsiderable. It’s managed and operated by John, with able assistance from Carolyn. They toil ceaselessly to ensure we have trees available for planting, at very inexpensive prices, I might add.

The objective of the nursery is to support the regeneration of Rakino’s denuded environment by offering for sale plants which have been eco-sourced by John. Most of the seeds are sourced on island where possible, but if not they are sourced from Motutapu and Motuihe. As a last resort seed is sourced from the wider Auckland ecological area. This ensures bio-diversity values with genetic adaptation which affords better survival and growth prospects. It also mitigates transportation and bio-security issues. One of the big concerns about trees brought in from the mainland is the possibility that they might harbour nasties like plague skinks, or noxious weeds like asparagus fern.

**Karo seedlings waiting to be potted up.**

We were very fortunate to have ordered 15 of John’s large eco-sourced kowhai trees, a variant which is unique to Rakino Island. There may still be a small number available from the nursery, but I believe they were a popular purchase this year. I can’t wait till they begin to flower; I might be able to tempt some of John and Carolyn’s flock of tui Hulk-wards if I’m lucky.

The nursery also relies heavily on community volunteers, and community participation. Water to sustain the nursery is kindly provided by the Wihongi family, and permanent residents such as Kevin Hester volunteer for watering duty. I’ve only been available once to volunteer for re-potting duty, but it was a fun activity, and a good opportunity to meet some other islanders. Kevin Wragge wore his best gardening jersey and was a real sport about the compliments he received from all of us.

2019 saw the first year of significant sales from the nursery to enthusiastic islanders; it is envisaged the nursery could potentially assist in the regeneration of other Gulf Islands, such as our neighbours The Noises.

The Rakino Nursery is a significant and valued part of our island culture. The regeneration of the bush habitat is a huge and on-going project. As the trees start to grow and flower we’re noticing more birds visiting and hopefully breeding on island. There are increasing reports of kaka, kakariki, and kereru. I recall being excited at spotting a couple of bellbirds at Albie’s place about thirteen years ago; they’re now regulars all over the island.

The Nursery also hosts events as fundraisers to generate income to plough back into nursery development. ‘Nursery Rhymes’ was an inspired idea held earlier this year on a stage set down by the nursery with a beaut bush backdrop, featuring Jennie Cruse, Stacey Thomas, Tom Donaldson, a star turn by Amanda Frecker, and the ‘kino kids showcasing their choreographed dancing skills.

If you’re considering some tree planting, and I hope you are, I recommend contacting the Rakino Nursery to organise a time to talk to John about plants that are suitable for your site. Visits are by appointment only.

https://www.rakinoisland.org/nursery