The Pilot Bay based waka ama club has secured its traditional site in the centre of the bay after club representatives succeeded in clearing up ‘misunderstandings' about their alleged relocation.

On September 11, councillors were told that moving the waka ama from the centre of the bay, where they have been based for the last 20 years, to make way for the planned boardwalk was a done deal.

The waka ama club will stay at their current base at Pilot Bay.

At the meeting in September, council parks team leader Warren Aitken told council he had met with waka ama club representatives and informed them they were going to move and the club was happy to pay.

Waka ama club spokesman Paul Woods says told the Projects and Monitoring Committee on Monday that they did meet with council staff on August 30, but it was a preliminary meeting, and the club would have to discuss it amongst themselves before any decision was made.

Paul says club members were not told about the council meeting on September 10 where the Pilot Bay boardwalk plan was presented to the committee for a decision.

When Murray Guy raised the waka ama at that meeting Warren Aitken stated he had been in contact with the club and was looking at places to relocate to.

'I've talked to them about removal of the shed, and if they are moved to another area they indicated they would pay for a shed themselves.”

The club's storage shed near the public toilet block on The Mall was gifted to Hoe Aroha Whanau o Mauao by the Mount Maunganui Yacht Club.

'The shed is essential to our function as a club, it holds life jackets and lights, because we do paddle at night,” says Paul.

While the club did not need a shed that big, there are very few examples of that particular architectural style left.

'We don't want to move from where we are. It is ideal - it's central and safe for our people to up and down and out of the water.”

Paul says if the club is moved to the northern end of the bay there will be safety issues.

He says carrying the 15m long waka across the busy area from proposed storage on the camping ground side of the road will create traffic problems, and the boat ramp is also congested.

'It is not an easy place for half a dozen people to move a large 15 metre canoe,” says Paul.

In the preliminary discussions the club only agreed it would contribute to the cost of permanent shelter for the waka, says Paul.

'But we did not offer to pay the cost towards the boardwalk going through the area in which we operate.

'We want to stay where we are. My personal view is there is sufficient room for the boardwalk on the harbour side the shed. The shed doesn't need to move at all.”

Council decided there is room for both the boardwalk and the club by moving the waka back a couple of metres.

It leaves four metres of clear passageway above the beach, and the club will no longer encroach on the proposed boardwalk.

Mayor Stuart Crosby said there was a meeting in his office with members of the waka ama club a couple of weeks ago, where many of the issues were able to be cleared up.