8 August 2023
Present: Paul FitzGerald, Iain McLean, Mel Galletly, Margaret Blair, Lenka Horanska, Jonathan Harker, Nikky Winchester, Chris Kirk-Burnnand (GWRC), Josh Trlin (PCC), Deepa Goswami (PCC Waste Minimisation Adviser).
Apologies: Moira Lawler, Gay Hay.
Approval of previous minutes: moved Jonathan, seconded Margaret, none opposed.
Matters arising
Letter to Department of Conservation, regarding sign for the Scientific Reserve. Letter gone to CEO Penny Nelson for consideration.
Correspondence
None received.
Financial
Finance report as at 8 August 2023:
BNZ $ 6818.40
Income: $ 300.00 Korero
$ 280.00 He Ara Panorama
$ 297.00 RSA Quiz
$ 400.00 PCC Annual Grant
$ 20.00 Ahu Trust for Matariki Baking
Expenditure: $ 2.40 Bank Fees
$ 284.07 CGFF Roofing pavilion
$ 25.03 CGFF Roofing pavilion
$ 430.63 He Ara Panoramas
$ 335.00 He Ara Website
$ 204.93 CGFF Finials
Invoices – Issued:
$ 300.00 Ahu Trust - Paid
$ 400.00 PCC - Paid
Account balances as at 8 August 2023:
Res Assn 000 $ 540.58
He Ara 001 $ 988.69
CGFF 002 $ 2576.08
Kōrero 066 $ 2557.73
Surf Seat 067 $ 154.93
Motion: to accept the financial report; moved Paul, seconded Iain, none opposed.
Porirua City Council update
Josh Trlin: attended Local Government New Zealand conference last month. Village Planning will be going into the Long Term Plan (LTP). The annual plan was one of the most difficult to complete in recent memory. There will be a lot of pressure in the LTP to cut Village Planning. Just to continue funding existing programmes would require a rates increase of 23% instead of the 9.7% used, or the 11.8% supported by some councillors. The upcoming election is not helping with budget planning. Even with Three Waters going ahead PCC will need to fully fund water for two more years. Managed Retreat work is only dealing with flood-prone areas, not coastal erosion or sea level rise.
Waste Minimisation, Deepa Goswami (PCC): good work with waste minimisation already. PCC now have a waste minimisation and management plan. Act in 2008, all councils required to have one. NZ is one of the worst per capita in the world for waste volume. Current plan is 2017-2023, and the draft for the next period (2023-2029) is ready after consultation. Submissions open to 1 September. “Less Waste Greater Place” plan, includes Wellington regional as well as Porirua-specific matters.
GWRC update
Resource Management Act (RMA) changes. Improving rivers, waterways; construction, land for development run-off, esp. measurable copper and zinc levels in water. Efforts to capture these metals will usually also capture other metals. Will make housing density increase, because greenfield developments will have higher requirements. Lets Get Wellington Moving: public liaison largely ignored, e.g. ignoring 1300 cycling submissions in Johnsonville.
Projects
Community Garden
While the garden and fruit trees slowed down over winter months, the garden community was busy with flurry of activities in the past month.
- Irrigation system upgrade has been just about finished with taps throughout the garden.
- Potatoes, garlic, broad beans and spring bulbs have been planted and are taking off.
- Winter fruit tree pruning and planting has been just about finished.
- Stocktake of trees and developing of more permanent labels has started.
- The group secured ongoing supply of food scraps from Kaibosh for feeding the worm farm which is another little contribution towards waste minimisation.
- Upgrade of the old Muri Road station building has reached another major milestone with re-roofing being just about finished now.
- Work on a fundraising tea towel has slowed down a bit, but it is going to be fantastic!
- The Porirua council has kindly repaired a couple of weed eaters the group has been using for keeping the grass down.
With spring on the horizon, the group started planning a Spring festival in the garden, currently scheduled for 23rd September. The programme is still TBC at this stage. The aim is to have details nailed down by the time next issue of Korero is out and advertise the happening there.
Apart from the ongoing maintenance and getting ready for sprint planting, the groups is also looking into sourcing rainwater tanks to connect to the station building spouting. This is to minimize amount of drinking water used for irrigation.
The group has also approved further spent on upgrade of the station building which will be coming out of the bank account within the next month or so. This is to get a couple of finials made.
Renovating the old railway building, irrigation a little planting and maintenance while it’s winter and everything is mostly asleep.
Future activities: 23 September Spring Festival.
He Ara Pukerua
A skink had been removed from the Centennial Highway car park panel. There is also a lot of graffiti in that carpark.
Seven panorama images have been sold. Advertisement sent in for next issue of Kōrero.
PCC have persuaded us to do a presentation for Heritage week 23 October – 5 November. Pākehā at Pukerua is planned for 28 October at the RSA.
He Ara plans to sell prints of Pauline Morse’s painting of Waikokako, now called Brendan Bay.
Development of He Ara website continues.
Waste Free
Collection day was cancelled but there will be one in early September
Kōrero newsletter
The September issue of Kōrero is in preparation. It has the theme of immigration and features stories from four residents with roots in other lands: Olaf Wehr-Candler, Indira Wieringa, Claire Conradie, and Megan Melidonis. Their stories connect with our community values of manaakitanga and whanaungatanga. There is a report on the climate action workshops and items promoting the Community Forest and Food Garden’s Spring Festival, the tennis club’s open day, the Residents’ Association’s AGM, and He Ara Pukerua’s fundraiser. It’s good to see lots going on and that Kōrero is so trusted as a promotional vehicle!
The year’s final issue will go out in mid to late November and have the theme of ‘summer reading’.
General Business
Mulch: PCC has a lot of excess mulch to dispose of. It might be good if there was a place in Pukerua Bay where people can come and get mulch.
Kaianga Ora: Northern Growth Area planning.
AGM publication: 11 October; get something to Kōrero pronto for the next issue.
Will Caccia Birch would like to meet with the RA in August. The PCC and RFI has been ongoing for six months; they will not be in any position to know much more until November.
Meeting closed: 9:13 pm
Next meeting: 12 September 2023