Minutes Tuesday 8 October 2024
7:30pm–9:00am RSA Wairaka Road
Apologies: Gay Hay, Jonathan Harker, Chris Kirk-Burnnand.
Attending: Paul FitzGerald, Margaret Blair, Nikky Winchester, Iain MacLean.
Community members: Dorothy Ibrahim, Pamela Nunn.
Council updates (PCC)
Report by Councillor Ross Leggatt.
Three Waters. PCC has to develop a Three Waters Delivery Plan for government by the end of this year outlining which option they would prefer for the region: a council-owned company (CCO) or a stand-alone organisation. Horowhenua, Wairarapa, Kāpiti, Porirua, Hutt City, Upper Hutt, and Wellington are local authorities that could be included in the regional stand-alone organisation. This is likely to be similar to Wellington Water, and the assets of the existing councils would be transferred to it.
Sixty percent of PCC capital expenditure is on water infrastructure. This new organisation needs about 30 percent more staff to do the work that is required throughout the region.
Good progress on water leaks. The number of recorded leaks has dropped from 240 to 32. Pukerua Bay is now saving three percent of its water.
Papakowhai shared path: This will be opening in a couple of weeks. There is no money for changing the intersection by Aotea College.
Mormon temple: The Church of Later Day Saints is applying for resource consents to build a new temple on the Gear Homestead site. It has owned the land for around 30 years. The application will be considered by a panel of three commissioners. One issue will be the impact of traffic while it is being built.
Other roads: The shared path to Onepoto is off the table as the government has withdrawn funding, and a number of other roading and intersection projects will be delayed.
Last month’s minutes
Moved Paul / seconded Iain. All in favour. Carried.
Matters arising
None.
Financial report as at 6 October 2024
BNZ $ 12,563.36Income:
$ 18.21 Interest
$ 350.00 CGFF Tea Towels
$ 10.00 CGFF Seed Sales
$ 20.00 Kōrero
Expenditure:
$ 1.80 Fees
$ 153.00 CGFF Pavilion
$ 395.00 CGFF Rongoa
$ 8.00 Haywards Horse Manure
$ 58.25 Waste and Compost
Invoices – Issued
$ 20 Kōrero
Invoices – Paid
$ 20 Kōrero
Invoices – Outstanding Account balances as at 6 October 2024
Res Assn 000 $ 459.15
He Ara 001 $ 1165.82
CGFF 002 $ 1296.37
Kōrero 066 $ 1158.77
Surf Seat 067 $ 174.73
On Call Acct 025 $ 8318.52
Grants and donationsCGFF $1000.00 Tree Crop Grant
CGFF $1000.00 Donation
CGFF $ 500.00 Donation
He Ara $5000.00 Donation
Kōrero $ 750.00 Pelorus Grant
Residents $ 68.52 Interest
Margaret has prepared the financial statements for the 2023-24 year to present to the AGM.
Project updates
Community garden food forest
Compost – Great job from Brian, Ralph, and Paul shifting the cape ivy to compost. Theu brought back soil and compost to the flower garden. Then returned for 3 m3 for the Rongoā. Half a bin of compost ready to be used.
Hoses – Work in progress. Gay would like every tap to have a sprinkler and and a hand held nozzle. Donations welcome. Gay has sorted out the hoses to dahlias, lemon and tomato, potatoes and water tank. Soaker hose by gooseberries has split. Last year we divided the watering into areas, which worked ok.
Finances:
002 Acc $1344.62
On call $1000.00 Grant
$1000.00 Donation
$500.00 Donation
Rongoā costs:
Plants $131.10
Compost $395.00
$526.10
28 teatowels on hand
Spring Planting
- Southern side mulched ready for compost and planting.
- Tomato seedlings – Vicky has some spare.
- Vicky to build structure for runner beans
- Zuchini, pumpkin and corn ready. School involved.
- Potatoes and Kumara looking good.
Rongoā – Cardboard needs to go under the sacks as sacks aren’t smothering the cape ivy and bindweed. Ziggy’s cardboard is great!
Dahlia – We’re extending the dahlia bed up the hill a bit. Miranda suggests putting the cafe au lait dahlias and cosmos in the raised flower bed. Plans to sell tubers and cut flowers.
Garden club visit – A local garden club has asked to visit and we’ve arranged 11 Feb.
Berry Tunnel – Ashley was proved right about the netting last year. We will leave it off until the fruit starts to set.
Battling bugs –
- Last year we got passion vine hopper and shield beetles.
- Peaches and apricots we used seaweed and copper band. Only one tree has curly leaf.
- We used Corey’s soil conditioner. John has applied to trees.
- Gay and Judy went to a biodynamics workshop and they got some stuff which John has painted the trees with it.
- Coddling moth confusers are hanging in the trees.
- Vasoline and cardboard around the apple and pears.
Worms – the worms are great at the moment although we do have slugs.
Event – we need an event to sell worms, dahlia and celebrate the pavillion.
Summer Celebration – maybe Sat, 7 Dec.
Fundraising – still thinking about fundraising calendar and a possible garden tour.
Security – the cameras seem to be effective.
He Ara report October 2024
The fencepost on Muri Road, dated AW (Antony Wall II) 1929, from the corner of Wall property has been removed and stored following a conversation with Simon Barber.
PKB Hub Pop-Up Parlour session “Do you remember” on 10 September was very successful. Forty people attended, enjoyed Macaroon cake from Mrs Charles Gray’s recipe, and contributed to lively discussions on Pukerua Bay’s past from the night cart to mushrooming to growing up in the Bay.
Research of the Mulhern family involved a visit to St Joseph’s Church, Pauatahanui. Brian Murphy was a superb host. Lunch followed at GroundUp using the vouchers the team won at the school quiz.
Work is progressing on the website.
Isaac du Toit has been commissioned to illustrate and produce a story book about the Bevan children’s walk from Wellington to Waikawa in 1845. Their overnight stay in Pukerua is recorded in great detail in Thomas Bevan’s book The Reminiscences of An Old Colonist.
Gun Emplacement – no word from PCC.
Pou Panel – kaumatua to be contacted.
Heritage Festival event 9 November – planning underway. Unfortunately Barbara Edmonds is unable to open the event.
Korero
We’re assembling copy for the final issue of the year, to be published in November. Our theme is writers and writing, a kind of mirror to the theme for November 2023, which was reading. We have many talented writers in our community, and illustrators and designers
This issue will also promote some of the events planned over summer, as well as reflecting on some of what has happened over the last month, with the very successful Parlour Pop-up and Climate Action series.
We would like to thank the RA committee for endorsing our application for a grant from the Pelorus Foundation. It was successful and will cover our costs until early next year.
In the next month or so, we will be planning themes and topics for next year. We’re always interested in your ideas!
General business
Fireworks
Pamela Nunn raised the issue of fireworks being set off next to neighbours’ houses. After last Guy Fawkes day, when her neighbour set off fireworks within a few metres of her house, she approached the RA and Council about whether we were able to stop this. She wrote to Josh Trlin as local councillor, who told her the council has no power to stop people setting them off, but does have to respond to noise complaints.
Committee decided we would do some publicity asking people to be considerate and promote public events families can attend.
Train replacement bus shelter
Paul has had a response from Greater Wellington Regional Council. He has suggested an alternative route around Pukerua Bay that includes drop offs and pick ups at Teihana Road, which are closer to the train station and shops.
Bike on Raroa Reserve
Margaret was told about some people riding powered bikes up the track through Raroa Reserve. This is obviously a danger to people walking there. Paul will write to PCC asking for a barrier at the bottom to stop vehicles without interfering with other things like buggies.
Annual General Meeting
To be held on Wednesday 30 October, 7:30pm Pukerua Bay RSA.
Publicity has started with an item in latest Kōrero issue. We will create an event on our website and share it with community Facebook groups. We will send emails directly to members.
Meeting ended 8:50pm.