Notice of Meeting
The 20th Annual Meeting of the Matarangi Ratepayers Association Inc. will be held at 9:30 am on Monday 27th January 2020 at the Dunes Clubhouse.
Dunes Matarangi golf club – 50 new members within a week!
With new local ownership from 2nd December, Matarangi folk are taking the opportunity to join up. Will you become a member?
There are membership specials on offer and a program of events for the summer holidays. As well as full membership for $1,200 through to 31 March 2021, there are Country ($910), Nine Hole ($930) and Junior ($300) memberships on offer.
The Dunes Clubhouse will reopen for the summer on Friday 20th December. Hours are 12 noon – 9 p.m. every day. The bar and restaurant will offer a menu of pizzas and light food options.
The Golf Club has been reinvigorated by an amazing group of volunteers who have helped the new owners to spruce up the clubhouse with painting, cleaning, gardening and minor repairs. There are new golf carts for the summer and the proshop has been re-stocked.
Greens Superintendent Raymond Fanning has some additional equipment and renewed access to water for irrigation.
Matarangi Community Trust Up and Running
The Matarangi Community Trust (MCT) has got off to a quick start, making a $1,000 donation for the maintenance of the popular Matarangi Bluff track. The trust also approved a grant to repair security cameras that record the movement of vehicles in and out of Matarangi.
Over the next 12 months the Trust’s prime objective is to secure community support for plans to preserve key open spaces following the recent change of ownership for the Dunes golf course at Matarangi. The new owners are a group of residents who have generously provided temporary advances to Matarangi Land Holding Ltd (MLH), enabling the acquisition of the property by local interests. With the help of enthusiastic volunteers MLH has already re-launched the golf club with a membership drive and breathed new life into the clubhouse.
For decades MRAI has held that community ownership of the golf course properties is the only sure way to prevent subdivision and preserve the amenities: open space, spit head walking track, golf course, bowling green and spacious clubhouse building.
Many other Matarangi amenities such as the tennis courts, the Bluff tracks and the proposed Harbour Park will need support in the future. All are crucial to keeping Matarangi such a wonderful holiday settlement. Having seen the need for a new charitable entity able to own, promote and maintain some of these amenities, MRAI sponsored the formation of the Matarangi Community Trust. MRAI has made a grant of $10,000 to MCT in support of its start-up. We reported the formation of the Trust in the October MRAI Newsletter.
MCT is now an incorporated charitable trust with wide powers to own property and support charitable community activities. Donations to MCT of $5 or more are eligible for the 33⅓% tax credit.
MLH and MCT are working closely in tandem with professional advisers to sort out a long-term plan for ownership and operation of the recently acquired golf course property. The issues are complex and all parties including the Thames Coromandel District Council and the Waikato Regional Council are working together to reach the best outcome. Even with all the good will in the world it will take months to finalise the go-forward plan.
Once there is an agreed plan, there will be a campaign to fund the Trust for its proposed activities.
The foundation trustees are widely representative of the Matarangi community: Alan Cunningham (Treasurer), Allan Dickinson, Alison Hackett, Glenn Leach, Alastair MacCormick (Chair) and Sharon Walker.
John Skelton is the Trust Secretary.
Postal address: John Skelton, Matarangi Community Trust, 118 The Fairway, Matarangi, RD2 Whitianga, 3592
Website: www.matarangitrust.nz
Keeping up with Matarangi News
The Matarangi Beach Paper is a great monthly source of information, with comprehensive advertisements for local businesses and services. Sign up for the monthly e-edition on the web site (www.matarangibeachpaper.com) or by sending an email to contact@matarangibeachpaper.com.
There is a lively Facebook page, the Matarangi Community Group, which has up-to-the-minute news of happenings and items wanted/for sale.
The TCDC emails are also comprehensive and useful, especially when civil defence events occur, such as severe weather affecting our roads. Sign up here.
Also see the MRAI website www.ourmatarangi.com which has been recently updated.
Matarangi Summer Beach Festival
MRAI supports the Matarangi Summer Festival and congratulates Shirvani Hall for bringing together so many events.
See the Matarangi Community Group facebook page for event details.