NEWSLETTER MARCH 2008

CURRENT COMMITTEE

General Committee



Greg Stenbeck (Chairman), Graham Painter, Michael Campbell (OBC Rep), Scott Oliver, Andrew Boyd, Michael Dow, Steve Marshall (OBC Rep), Bill Harris, Don Sykes (DCC Chairman), Mike Prebble (OBC Rep), Paul Macnicol - Manager (Non Committee)

PRESIDENTS MESSAGE

Dear Members

I hope you all had a great summer vacation at Omaha. The weather could not have been better over the public holiday period. landscape gardening and rubbish collections have again been a problem, however the OBC (Omaha Beach Community) are being proactive on both of these issues, with good results on the rubbish front and a wait on RDC to sort out landscaping.

We have a strong 10 member committee for this year and we will be undertaking a review of all paid positions on the OBRS. We are also currently rewriting the Design Guidelines to reflect. information learned over the past six years. All members will have an opportunity to comment on the Guideline Review when the revision is posted on the website which is expected during  March. It must be noted that many conditions in the Design Guidelines are RDC requirements.

We are also undertaking a review of the Constitution. The Constitution was originally conceived by the Developer who is no longer involved with the Community. We therefore consider it appropriate to review the Constitution in light of the current stakeholders, i.e. the OBRS members. Any review of the Constitution will need to be ratified at the next General Meeting.

Wishing you all the best

Greg Stenbeck

WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING

Rodney District Council

• Maintenance of roadside plantings

The vision barriers at intersections have been dealt with by RDC with the removal of all tall plants and replanting. Committee members have met with RDC Parks and Reserves representatives and have been advised that, as a trial, residents are responsible for the care of the "gardens" adjacent to their roadside. They have further advised that if proper maintenance of those plantings are not maintained then they will be removed by Council. General untidiness of common areas has also been raised with Council who has advised that their allocated budget for maintenance of these areas has proved inadequate (especially around water lakes and way areas).

• Bottles

The bottle collectors will only take bottles from the RDC approved blue bins. They are available free of charge from RDC, Centreway Road, Orewa.

• Rubbish.

The Committee and OBC have had, and is having, discussions with Council regarding rubbish collections. All collections for rubbish, paper and bottles are Monday morning except Christmas when you will be notified of all additional days. Please leave notes in rented properties advising of collection day and to hang rubbish bags on light standards. Also, a note not to feed seagulls. The seagull droppings end up in your water tanks.

Design Control Committee (DCC)

Hi, my name is Don Sykes. I took over the chair of your Design Committee from Greg Stenbeck in November. This followed Greg's election as OBRS Chairman, succeeding Michael Campbell. Greg remains a member of the Design Committee. We are also fortunate to retain the professional advice and services of Brent Hulena of Hulena Architects and President of the NZ Institute of Architects, Richard Harris. Peter Neeve, a long standing Planning Consultant completes the professional Design Committee line up.

Background to the Design Committee. One of the objectives of your Society is to preserve and enhance the value of your Omaha Beach investment. And of course one of the key determinants of that value is the overall quality of the erected structures and related landscaping. To this end the Design Committee inspects all applications to erect structures, and works with the member concerned advising and suggesting alternatives where appropriate. Another responsibility of the Committee is to ensure that all the erected structures comply with the standards laid out in the documentation initiated by the developer.

Plan Change #76: Omaha South. This plan change for the introduction of a Special Zone providing for residential development at Omaha South became operative on 24 January 2000. The change amended the boundary of the previous Rural Conservation 1 Zone and rezoned the Rural Conservation 3 Zone as Special 16 (Omaha South Development) Zone. The zoning provides for coastal residential and small-scale local commercial development in Omaha South in a manner which recognises the social, environmental and cultural values apparent within Omaha South e.g. kahikatea swamp forest on the estuary side. In terms of the original Development agreement made with the Rodney District Council, the Design Committee is responsible for approving building plans which fit within the scope of the Plan Change. A benefit of this is that section owners wishing to build do not have to apply for Resource Consent. However any material changes to the Design Guidelines have to be approved by the Council. So an important function of the Society is to ensure that building standards are maintained to the guidelines that have been set. This function is carried out by the Design Committee which is a sub-committee of your Society and is accountable to it.

Guidelines. As Omaha fills and landscaping matures, our environment changes. What initially may appear stark, can soften and blend in later. To ensure currency, reviews of the Guidelines are conducted periodically, the latest of which will shortly be posted on the website for comment. For those interested in statistics, last year the Design Committee considered 176 different development matters on properties in Omaha excluding matters of general business such as the Design Guidelines review. To date over 400 development proposals have been submitted while just over 240 development applications are current work in progress. The average cost to the owner has been calculated at $ 1501. I hope you continue to agree this is very reasonable. Especially when considered in relation to both the overall building cost envelope and the degree of service provided to us, the owners. I look forward to any questions and comments. Please address these to either Greg, myself or the Societies Manager, Paul Macnicol

Cheers, Don Sykes -don@sykes.co.nz

Section Maintenance

Most members have been diligent in maintaining their property's to a suitable standard. There are some however who have not attended to lawn mowing as required. The Committee has given notice to these members whose lawns are untidy for them to mow the affected lot{s). Where this has not resulted in any remedial action, the Committee has arranged for a mowing contractor and the costs have been charged to the affected owner. This policy will continue. Members are also asked to be considerate regarding the placement of household rubbish awaiting collection.

Walkways and Gardens

The walkways and gardens are the responsibility of RDC and their contractors, City Care Services. Your Committee meets regularly with them and is making strenuous efforts to make the gardens and walkways more presentable. Should you have middens on your property or adjacent, we would appreciate a few minutes of your time in keeping them neat and tidy.

Tennis Courts

Access code is C-51 049.

Please ensure that gates are shut after you exit the courts and that the court surface, nets and surrounds are respected. Options to address some flooding issues on the court surface are being addressed by the Committee.

Rabbits

The southern end rabbit population has diminished due to extensive baiting. The vegetation on the dunes and surrounds is now regenerating. Should you have rabbit infestation, bait or bait stations are available. Contact Steve (09) 423 0015.

Levies

Some members have enquired why the payment of levies (presently $112.50 + GST bi-annually) is necessary. The levy services the following: maintenance tennis court and other common facilities, membership of OBC, legal and consulting costs regarding matters affecting all members' interest (e.g. local and central govt. issues, etc), administration costs. Surplus funds belong to members and are rebated via ongoing reductions in future levies. Further details regarding the objectives and funding of the society are available in the handout titled “What is the Omaha Beach Residents Society" which has been sent to all members. Contact Paul Macnicol for a copy if required.

FINANCIAL REPORT