Elbow Reserve in Need of Some Good Ideas
Thursday 11 September 2008, 6:00PM
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The Elbow Reserve in Aka Aka is being destroyed by mindless vandalism and Franklin District Council is appealing to the community to help find a way to protect the reserve. Together with those who use the reserve, and the wider Franklin community, Council is hoping a solution to the vandalism can be found without the need to close the reserve at night.
Ideas can be given to Council through an online questionnaire, www.franklin.govt.nz, or by picking up a questionnaire from Council’s main office at 82 Manukau Rd. Council will be collecting the questionnaires until 03 October.
The Elbow Reserve (5.5ha) is situated on the Waikato River bank at Aka Aka. The reserve is a popular launching point for activities like jetskiing, waterskiing, boating, fishing and duck shooting. Facilities include a boat ramp, public toilets, a ski club building, model aero club flight area and a large grassed park with shade trees.
“The Elbow Reserve should be a great picnic spot near the river for everyone to enjoy, but unfortunately vandalism on the reserve over the past few years is threatening to take over all the good things the Elbow Reserve has to offer,” says Franklin District Council’s CEO, Sally Davis.
The Elbow Ski Club (a long standing user) have spent all their funds on repairing damage to their building and they are, understandably, sick of it. They may not be able to keep going. People come and drink, light fires, break bottles, break picnic tables, graffiti and use the grassed area as a race track.
To date, Franklin District Council has tried putting in bollards to protect the building and also installed CCTV cameras (which unfortunately became another target). The club has also tried changing from glass windows to plastic and grading the gravel track. Unfortunately these initiatives have not stopped the vandalism.
“Franklin is full of creative, innovative, caring people. Tell us what you think can be done to reduce vandalism and increase security at the Elbow Reserve. If there is a better idea than closing the road and the Reserve at night, we want to hear from you. Please take some time to fill in the questionnaire and send it to us by 03 October 2008,” says Sally.