Monthly Archives: May 2017

Our Town Newtown: #3

Consultation, News

Ngā mihi maioha ki a koutou katoa

The Our Town Newtown Project is about putting the community at the centre of deciding how to spend $3million of Wellington City Council funding for developing Newtown’s community facilities. Passionate locals and collaborators are working to ensure this is done through a co-design, or community-led process. This means actively including all users, local people and stakeholders in the design process, making sure that local knowledge and the people who make Newtown Newtown – are at the centre of decision making – resulting in more appropriate, useful and unique developments.

WAYS TO HAVE YOUR SAY:

Complete the online questionnaire.

Pop into the Our Town Newtown Project Hub @ 199 Riddiford St – between the New World Mall entry and St Vincent de Paul’s. Here you can discuss the project, fill out the questionnaire, have a look and contribute to the interactive exhibition, have a cup of tea, or be taken through an activity with one of the hosts.  Children are welcome – there is a craft activity table and a reading corner to keep them entertained.  If we have enough volunteers for the roster the space will be open from Tuesday to Saturday 12 noon -6pm till early July – if there aren’t enough volunteers it will be open at least on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 12 noon – 4pm.

Contact us on ourtownnewtown@gmail.com, we ‘d love to hear from you and if needed we can organise to meet you at home or some other convenient place.

‘OUR TOWN NEWTOWN’ EVENTS COMING UP:

Tuesday evenings, 20th and 27th of June 6:30 – 8:30pm – Shine a light on Newtown

Join us for local mini presentations from a wide range of speakers, a meal and project discussion

@ 199 Riddiford St, Our Town Newtown pop-up space

Saturday 1st of July – Public Workshop – Scenario Planning

Watch out for more information closer to the time!

Recent submissions

Consultation, News

This week was a busy one for completing submissions and sending them off.  There are copies here for your information.

Firstly two to Wellington City Council

The third was to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, who have been consulting on an “Urban Development Authorities Discussion Document”.  The proposed Urban Development Authorities would give wide ranging powers to develop land for housing and other purposes, overriding the usual planning and consenting procedure. We made a submission opposing this, you can see it here.

May Meeting Notes

Consultation, Meetings, News

Notes of the Newtown Residents’ Association Meeting – May 15 2017

See the full minutes of the meeting here.

Robyn Langlands from Playspace , supported by Tom Hovey, spoke about the risk that their Centre will have to close if they don’t find new premises.

  • Current property at 235 Adelaide Rd is being developed after purchase in 2012.
  • Lease expires start of 2018.
  • They offer a research-based childcare model.
  • They need100 square metres indoors – 90 outdoors.

The discussion considered some possibilities of existing venues where shared use might be possible. Playspace are interested to explore all options.

Our Town Newtown – information from Cally O’Neill, Project Facilitator

Cally introduced herself and her background as a Freelance Architectural Designer, who follows the principles of participatory design – bringing design closer to those using the asset being designed.

See here for more about the Our Town Newtown Project.

Ray Tuffin’s Report (WCC Newtown Liaison Officer) covered these topics-

  • Begging outside the mall
  • Open spaces being investigated for potential for community space, occupational activity
  • Homelessness in general a big issue (discussion from the floor with accounts of people unable to find appropriate housing)
  • Replacing the footpaths and kerbing Hospital to Constable St is currently underway
  • Newtown School swimming pool upgrade is $300,000 over budget, needs further consideration.
  • Carrara Park has had some improvements but still no firm plans for toilets, barbecue, drinking fountain
  • Changes happening to bus stops – part of GWRC changes to bus routes
  • Traffic Light boxes – frustrations getting graffiti cleared, not using usual contractors, a different team involved.

Salvation Army community liaison: Lachlan Marshall introduced himself.

  • He and his wife have recently been posted to Newtown. They are working together to do things to benefit the community.
  • TSA have a rehabilitation programme and there are people involved who are looking for something to do. Lachie has been in discussion with Carrara Park Newtown Community Garden. WorkerBe Oasis is another possibility.

Wellington South Community Patrol: Carol Comber brought a request that our Association write a letter of support for this group, which has been nominated for a community award. The Patrol drive around our local suburbs at night, liaise with Police about any problems observed. The meeting agreed to support their cause.Agreed.

Update on Airport Runway Extension Consent Process –Currently there is court action from the Airline Pilots Association objecting to approval of runway length.

The Environment Court has put the issue on hold in the meantime.

Consultations: WCC and Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment

  • There are 3 submissions due by 20th
  • Annual Plan submission – main points, continuing financial support for Newtown Festival, ongoing request for toilets and drinking fountain in Carrara Park
  • Waste Minimisation Proposals – submission to support the proposals.
  • MBIE: Proposal to Establish Urban Development Authorities – submission to oppose overriding District Plan rules etc.

Next meeting: Monday 19th June 2017, 7.30pm. Newtown Community Hall, 71 Daniell St.

 

 

Our Town Newtown #2: the Questionnaire

Consultation, News

We are launching the Our Town Newtown Project Questionnaire!

This questionnaire is a community-wide introduction to the Our Town Newtown Project, which is an exciting collaboration between Wellington City Council and Newtown locals and is providing Newtown with an opportunity to collectively develop ideas and identify how to best spend Wellington City Council allocated funds on the development of WCC community facilities in Newtown.

A steering group drawn from the Newtown Residents Association, the Newtown Community and Cultural Centre and the Wellington City Council is supporting the project, and together with a wider ‘working group’ and related professionals, research, investigation and planning is going well.

Anyone and everyone who lives in Newtown, works here or uses facilities here is invited to get involved.   We have some exciting plans to share with you soon – including a pop-up project hub in the shop site at 199 Riddiford St, next door to St Vincent de Paul, and a series of public meetings and activities. Right now however we would like to ask you to please give us a hand with this questionnaire.

We need to make sure we understand where we are starting from: what Newtown is, what Newtown has, what Newtown needs, and how Newtown does things. The questionnaire is designed to collect information about this.

The online version of the questionnaire is here. Can you please fill this in, and also pass it on to other people with an interest in Newtown.

We aim to include as wide a range of voices as possible, and to reflect Newtown’s diversity in further development. We know there are communities and people who will find an online questionnaire difficult or unappealing, or who don’t have access to computers. A hard copy distribution is being set up and will include an outreach strategy. If you know of people who would like to be interviewed, instead of filling in a form, please let us know. And if you are interested in being part of the team effecting outreach for the Our Town Newtown project it would be great to hear from you.

Please send us a message with any questions or suggestions:ourtownnewtown@gmail.com