Lengthy debates over plans to extend the Katikati boat ramp continue swirl after the Western Bay of Plenty District Council handed back responsibility to the Katikati community.

At the Western Bay of Plenty District Council operational services committee meeting this week councillors voted to decline the request to upgrade the ramp on behalf of the community.

The current Katikati boat ramp. Photo: supplied

The agreement comes after a Reserves and Facilities Projects and Assets Manager report tabled last month recommended declining the Katikati Boat Club's submission in 2011 to improve and upgrade the beach boat ramp.

The boat ramp was originally Katikati Boat Club property, but like all harbour side facilities, now belongs to council.

Council commissioned Tonkin & Tonkin to undertake cost estimations based on doubling the length of the ramp from 150metres to 300metres, extending launching and retrieving time either side of the high tide, which came back at $336,000 excluding resource consent.

At the committee meeting, the expense of gaining resource consent, which still remains unsuccessful, was agreed as the main obstacle in extending the 5m wide ramp.

Mayor Ross Paterson says council is not saying no to the ramp's upgrade or extension, but it is now time for someone else to take up the baton after council went away and researched the possible improvements costs.

'We had a request to look into it. Now it's at a stage where people can take that and work out how to get around this.”

Western Bay of Plenty District Council reserves and facilities projects and assets manager Scott Parker says he attended one of the community workshops a few weeks ago addressing the report and one of the issues raised being the high cost it may incur.

'We have spent $30-50,000 on resource consent and still haven't been successful.”

Scott suggests there are other alternatives available for the boat ramp extension including a modified tractor which could launch the boats deeper than the current level.

Councillor and Katikati resident Noel Mayo says it is a huge issue and when the existing boat ramp was first built the Katikati community chipped in.

'I have used the ramp for 50 years and if the ramp was extended half the distance the local community would be happy.

'The report says we must get a resource consent. This is the age we are in and it's time we have a long think about it.”