Whanganui District Council 101 Guyton Street

PO Box 637, Whanganui 4500 06 349 0001

wdc@whanganui.govt.nz www.whanganui.govt.nz

@whanganuidistrictcouncil @WhanganuiDC

Mosquito Point wins regional spruce up

One of Whanganui’s most popular swimming spots, Mosquito Point, has received a ‘spruce up’ courtesy of Horizons Regional Council in time for the summer swimming season.

Last summer Horizons ran a competition where the public were asked to vote for their favourite location from a selection of 12. The most popular site was to win a ‘spruce up’ in the coming year.

Horizons chairman Bruce Gordon says Mosquito Point came out on top with 31 per cent of the 450 votes.

“This is clearly a popular spot and we’re really pleased to have been able to give the site some extra amenities. These include improved access to the Whanganui River via new steps, clearing of willows and vegetation, a new changing room structure, new seating and planting. We’ve already had some great feedback from locals who use the area, including one family whose disabled son can now get into the water thanks to the new steps.”

Whanganui District Council has provided new picnic tables and will upgrade the road which leads to the site.

Whanganui District Council team leader parks, Wendy Bainbridge, says it is fantastic Mosquito Point has received the spruce up. “It obviously sends the message that it is one of our region’s most popular spots and it should be even better this season.”

Mr Gordon says one aspect Horizons didn’t include in the spruce up was the reinstatement of a popular rope swing.

“We understand this may be disappointing. However, water safety is extremely important to us and unfortunately the swing has been deemed a hazard. This extends to reminding swimmers that this stretch of the river is used by motorboats and jetskis and children should always be supervised.

“At all our swim spots we also ask swimmers to check the monitoring results on our website before heading out, look for toxic algae, watch for hazards such as sunken logs, rips at beaches or unstable cliffs, and to not swim until three days after it’s rained. We want everyone to have the best possible experience when swimming in our region and stay safe.”

Mr Gordon says the changing room structure that is new to the site will have reminders of these safety messages on it.

“The other side of this structure is currently bare and we’d like to invite the community to submit design ideas for this space. We’re keen to see a design that reflects what the river means to the community, especially considering the recent groundbreaking Whanganui River settlement, Te Awa Tupua.”

Horizons is also running a ‘Swim, Splash and Share Your Region’ photo competition over summer which encourages

the public to post a photo of their favourite swim spot to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, tagging the site’s location and including the hashtag #swiminourregion. Entries go in the draw to win a $1,500 adventure package.

Mosquito Point is one of 80 sites Horizons monitors for water health from November to the end of April. Visit www.horizons.govt.nz to submit your design for the Mosquito Point changing shed, to find a map of safe swim spots or more about the photo competition.

Other Whanganui swim spotsWhanganui East PoolAfter a refurbishment which included a new concrete floor and a re-paint, the popular Whanganui East Pool in Tinirau Street is open for the summer season. For $2.50 per child and $3.50 for adults, everyone can enjoy the 33-metre pool, diving board, BBQ and picnic facilities. 11.00am – 6.00pm Monday to Thursday and 11.00am - 5.00pm Friday to Sunday.

Splash CentreWhile the 25-metre main pool, lazy river and spa pools are closed for refurbishment until later this month, locals and visitors can still enjoy a workout at the Splash Deck Fitness Centre and use the older 25-metre training pool. 6.00am

– 8.00pm Monday to Friday, 8.00am – 6.00pm weekends. $5.00 per adult ($4.50 with a Community Services Card) and $3.50 for children and senior citizens.

Castlecliff Beach Our beautiful black sand west coast beach has a patrolled swimming area and is a great area for walking and relaxing. The Cliff’, as it is often known to locals, also has a great community vibe, a holiday park, café, dairies, places to eat, a gallery and skatepark and playground. Check out www.castlecliff.nz/now for local live weather, surf conditions and tide times. Make sure you stay safe and swim between the flags.

Kai Iwi Beach This beach community, 14 kilometres from the city centre, has a patrolled swimming beach with a backdrop of Instagram-worthy cliffs. The children’s playground includes a flying fox and BBQ facilities are available for a Kiwi-style cookup. There is also a shallow stream to lounge about in.

Lake Wiritoa Lake Wiritoa, a 10-minute drive from Whanganui city centre on State Highway 3 south, is perfect for swimming as well as jetskiing, boating and canoeing, or just hanging out with a book or having a picnic. Please note: spraying will take place on Tuesday, January 23, to manage the water weed homwort. (See the right-hand side column for more information). The use of the lake for swimming or other recreational activities is prohibited for 24 hours afterwards.

Planned worksFor a list of works planned around the Whanganui District for January 2018, including road closures, please visit www.whanganui.govt.nz/plannedworks

Jerusalem Bluff worksRoad works will be undertaken at Jerusalem Bluff, just before the Jerusalem settlement, on the Whanganui River Road until early March 2018. The work involves cutting into the existing road to widen it, which is similar to the work which has recently been completed on Shellrock (Oyster) Bluff.

The road is likely to remain open while the work is done, but stop/go controls will be in place for five-to-ten minute periods as required.

Thanks for your patience and please take care on the road.

Lake Wiritoa sprayingAs part of managing the water weed homwort (Ceratophyllum demersum) in Lake Wiritoa, Whanganui District Council will spray on Tuesday 23 January 2018 at the public swimming and water skiing areas.

Depending on the weather, the alternative date for spraying is Wednesday 24 January 2018.

A boat-mounted spray unit will be used to spray Reglone herbicide, which is specifically formulated for use on submerged aquatic weeds.

Please do not draw water from the lake for bathing or drinking, or use for fish fanning or for watering livestock.

The use of the lake for swimming is prohibited for 24 hours after application. Please do not use water for overhead irrigation for 10 days after treatment.

Please contact Parks Officer Dave Kerwin on 349 3078 for more information.

Council meetingsThe first Council meeting for 2018 is the Property and Community Services Committee meeting, which will be held at 1.00pm on Wednesday 7 February 2018 in the Council Chamber.

Notifications of public meetings are published in Community Link every week. You can also read the agendas of up-coming meetings at www.whanganui.govt.nz/agendas

Our six-weekly full Council meetings are streamed on the Whanganui District Council Facebook page.

Creative CommunitiesFunding round open now

Applications for round 2 of the 2017/18 Creative Communities Scheme are now open. The Creative Communities Scheme is a partnership between Whanganui District Council and Creative New Zealand to support local arts projects.

Later in the year, details about drop-in sessions to find out more about the scheme and how to apply will be published on the Council website and in Community Link.

For a brochure about the scheme, which is available in several languages, and to apply, visit www.whanganui.govt.nz/funding

Applications close at 12.00pm noon on Thursday 19 April 2018. Projectsmust take place between 19 May 2018 and 19 May 2019.

For more information please contact cath@cathwatson.com

10 January 2018