Welcome to Kaukapakapa's Community Website

The Kaukapakapa Area Residents and Ratepayers Association (KARRA) developed this website to bring you news of KARRA's activities, and also as a place to post information from - and about - the Kaukapakapa community. Please let us know if there is any business, sporting, cultural or any other community information that you would like us to put on the site. Email us at admin@kaukapakapa.org.nz or mail the information to KARRA, P.O. Box 8, Kaukapakapa 0843.

If you want to contact any of the KARRA committee members you will find their contact details on the Contact Us page.

To become a member of KARRA you can complete the application form online on the Members page or you can download the form here and send it to our Secretary.

To see previous KARRA committee meeting minutes click here.

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New Bus Service from Kaukapakapa?

In a recent submission, KARRA suggested a new bus service that travels along Kahikatea Flat Road and links with the express buses that enter the Northern Motorway at Silverdale, and the regular Orewa, Whangaparaoa, Albany buses.

We had a fabulous response to our online bus survey - 124 surveys returned in only 19 days. There is overwhelming support from the community for a bus service between Kaukapakapa and Silverdale. KARRA is now planning a trial bus/shuttle service in March - more details to come but if you're interested, please email pip@kaukapakapa.org.nz.

More than half of those who completed the online survey are also interested in the idea of carpooling/ridesharing. Not many people are aware of it but the Rodney District Council has been operating an online community based carpool scheme since 2007. For more information visit http://www.rideshare.co.nz/faq or come along to the Kaukapakapa Market on Sunday 21 February. RDC staff will be at the market to explain the rideshare scheme, and to help residents sign up. KARRA will also be at the market to provide details of the proposed bus trial in March.

This might well be Kaukapakapa's best opportunity to cut congestion on Kahikatea Flat Road, and for residents to be able to say goodbye to those long drives to and from work or school. Lower fuel costs and no expensive parking charges also mean more money in your pocket.

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Proposed changes to General Rural Zone rules in Kaukapakapa

The Rodney District Council has formally notified a variation to the District Plan. The proposed West Coast Rural Policy Area affects a large swathe of General Rural zoned land in South Head, most of Kaukapakapa on the harbour side of SH16, and right up to Glorit, Port Albert and Tapora. The variation is already in effect and puts new controls in place for buildings (scale, design, location), new buildings and external alterations to existing buildings. More stringent activity thresholds will apply to earthworks, tree and bush removal and wetland/watercourse modification. Submissions closed on 23 October 2009. For more information click here.

A summary of the submissions is now available for public inspection on RDC's website here.
The hearing on Variation 132 is expected to begin in March 2010. RDC has advised that submitters will be contacted approximately two weeks beforehand.

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Latest Power Station News

Opponents of the power station have every right to say "I told you so"! On 20 November 2009 the National Business Review reported that "Economic viability and an unsecured gas supply may stall Genesis Energy's plans". Genesis Energy's spokesman admitted to NBR that gas supply could be an issue for the proposed power station at Kaukapakapa and that "The board obviously wouldn't start work without securing a gas supply agreement, but it also depends on capital expenditure, forecasts, electricity prices and other commercial considerations." Since being granted resource consent earlier this year, Genesis Energy has also confirmed that the company plans to exit gas exploration activities, including two prospects the company told the RDC/ARC hearing Commissioners were likely to be sources of gas for the Kaukapakapa plant.

The Electricity Commission's annual assessment of how secure New Zealand's electricity supply will be in future years has just been released for consultation. Confidential information provided by Genesis Energy and other generators was used to prepare a list of all new power stations that the generators expect to build before 2020. While Genesis Energy may have "got its zone" at Kaukapakapa, the gas-fired power station they've proposed for the site doesn't even appear on the ten year list.

Genesis Energy have confirmed to Parliament that capital expenditure on the Rodney Power Station project is already in the tens of millions of dollars. Strange then that a power station which is supposedly vital for security of electricity supply to Auckland and Northland now appears to have been put on the back-burner indefinitely.

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Update on Kaukapakapa Structure Plan

Click here for more information

Proposed Gas-fired Rodney Power Station

'STOP RODNEY POWER STATION' Campaign

State-owned electricity generator Genesis Energy is proposing to build a 480MW gas-burning CCGT power station in Kaukapakapa. The joint ARC/RDC hearing for Genesis Energy's resource consent, plan change and variation applications concluded on 31 October 2008. Dr Neville Miller, Bruce Cowan and Pip McAlwee gave a three and a half hour presentation to the hearing panel on 6 October. A further submission from KARRA, responding to supplementary evidence from Genesis Energy, was presented to the hearing panel on the final day of the hearing.

The Auckland Regional Council commissioners granted thirteen resource consents for the project on 11 December 2008. Genesis Energy appealed some consent conditions to the Environment Court. On 26 March 2009 the Rodney District Council commissioners approved the special zone plan change and variation to the District Plan, and two further resource consents. KARRA sought legal advice on appealing the decision to the Environment Court, and presented this advice to residents at a community meeting on 23 April 2009.

The Environment Court appeals concluded in October 2009, after consent orders were signed by the various parties involved. For the latest information on the 'Stop Rodney Power Station' campaign, please email pip@kaukapakapa.org.nz

For information on the proposed White Hills Road Cleanfill click here.