Three of five tennis courts at Matarangi have now been vested into Thames-Coromandel District Council ownership.

The three courts are situated on Matarangi Rd and Matai Drive and are currently managed and maintained by the council with support from the Matarangi Ratepayers Association.

Mercury Bay Area School students thank the Mercury Bay Community Board for its financial contribution of $18,500 towards traffic safety improvements outside their school.Photo:Thames-Coromandel District Council.

Mercury Bay area office manager Sam Marshall says there's been a historical issue with the tennis courts, dating back to early stages of development at Matarangi.

'It appears that these sites should have been vested in council but weren't. There's also been concern that the land could be sold or developed and therefore lost as a community asset and public reserve.”

Following discussions between the council, the Matarangi Ratepayers Association and the current owners of the courts, Burfoot Ltd, the vesting of the three courts into council ownership is on a no-payment basis.

The two remaining sites will be retained by the developer. There is also no expectation of development contributions.

'We've been offered these courts on no commitment. Burfoot Ltd will no longer have to pay the rates on these three sites, which council will now pick up,” says Sam.

The rates are abouty $5000 per annum.

Mercury Bay Community Board chairman Paul Kelly congratulated the Matarangi Ratepayers Association, council staff and Burfoot Ltd for working together to preserve the courts for the public.

'We don't have many other public tennis courts in Matarangi,” says Paul.

'The Pines courts are private, along with the ones by Matarangi Store so this outcome of having some public courts available is fantastic.”

To read the full summary of the report on Mercury Bay Community Board's September 9meeting item 3.2 click here.

The community board's recommendation will now go through to council for ratification.

There has also been a big thanks given from a group of Mercury Bay Area School students to the community board for its financial contribution of $18,500 towards traffic safety improvements outside the school.

Members of the board were presented with letters of appreciation and words of gratitude by each student.

'I want to thank you personally for putting more paths around our school. It's helped stop a lot of people from falling off their bikes and scooters and crashing into people,” says student Logan Ngaru.

The money for the improvements comes out of the Mercury Bay Community Board discretionary funding and provided more than 40m of new footpath on the corner of South Highway and Cook Drive, including the installation of a pram/pedestrian crossing to disability standards.

Other improved safety measures include:

• Low profile traffic median: at the intersection of Cook Drive and South Highway, to better control right turning traffic from South Highway into Cook Drive to make the intersection safer.
• No Stopping yellow lines: in place by the existing crossing area at Cook Drive and South Highway to keep the intersections clearer of parked vehicles and better visibility for turning traffic and pedestrians.
• Crossing point installed at Cook St: by the Heritage Close walkway which is used by many families as a walking route to school.
• Widening and extension of footpath to cope with numbers of students at the beginning and end of day.
• Speed trailer: has been used to raise awareness of speed in combination with messages in the school newsletter and visible police presence over the period the trailer was up over the last year.
• SADD: programme established with school, TCDC and Police working in partnership particularly in the senior school.
• Bus Routes: school has worked with Murphy's Buses with successful change of bus routes to make turning into bus bays safer at peak times.

'The Community Board and staff are delighted to be able to support the Area School in this way,' says Mercury Bay Community Board chair Paul Kelly.