The Outer Green Belt is a network of public parks and open spaces extending from Tawa in the north all the way south to the Brooklyn turbine and the coast below. It is an enormous area and the current Management Plan outlines the key values of the reserves and guides how the Council will manage and maintain the various spaces and places. See this attached letter for details of the review, dates of drop-in meetings , and how you can have your say. There is also a short online survey where you can quickly and easily give the Council your thoughts – responses by 24th November please.
Monthly Archives: October 2017
Meet the Candidates Meeting – Tuesday 14th November 2017
We are inviting you to meet the Southern Ward By-election Candidates. This Meeting is at St Anne’s Hall, Emmett St, at 7.30pm on Tuesday 14th November – the doors open at 7.10pm and the meeting will start promptly at 7.30.
These are the confirmed candidates –
Vicki Greco, Mohamud Mohamed, Don Newt McDonald, Laurie Foon, Fleur Fitzsimons, Rob Goulden, Thomas G P Morgan and Merio Marsters. They have all been invited, and we hope all will be there. Hear their reasons why you should vote for them, their responses to ‘hot topics’ and their answers to questions from the floor.
Supper is provided, so after hearing the formal presentations you can talk informally over a cuppa and a snack.
Postal voting is between 30th November and 22nd December.
Notes from our monthly meeting on 16th October 2017
These are brief notes of the topics discussed, but you can see the full minutes here.
Prince of Wales Park Submission
Wellington City Council have issued a public notice that they intend to go ahead with constructing the reservoir at Prince of Wales Park. We have decided to make a submission about this, in order to keep involved in the process. This will make similar points to our submission on the resource consent; this time the emphasis is on the earthworks. [Update – see the completed submission here.]
Liquor license applications, and similar issues.
Discussed an application to establish an off-licence called The Black Bull at 236 Riddiford Street – the current Silk Route Spices site on the corner of Gordon Place.
We are waiting for the next moves in the Zoo Bar licence application – our Association objected to the extended hours requested.
Newtown has a liquor ban in force but there aren’t many signs about the ban – we will ask Ray Tuffin (WCC Liaison Officer) to look into this.
The Security Guard at the Library has been keeping an eye on people drinking or causing concern around the Library and on the corner with Riddiford St – the meeting expressed our appreciation for this.
Workingmen’s Bowling Club
The WCC officers’ opinion is that the Club should not get a new lease because “the current circumstances of the club do not meet the Assessment Criteria” under the Town Belt Management Plan. We think that the Club is a valuable community resource, and want to support them to increase their community connections.
The Club had a very successful open day on Sunday 15th October, which increased membership significantly. They have a lot of community support.
[Update – after a constructive discussion with the Council on 24/11, the lease will now continue through until at least April next year to enable everyone to understand the issues around the future of the Club.]
Meet the Candidates Evening
We will proceed with planning for a Meet the Candidates Meeting for the Southern Ward By-Election
A “Thank You” to Paul Eagle
Discussion of the By-Election prompted expressions of appreciation for the work Paul Eagle did in representing Newtown on Council. A motion thanking Paul for his contribution and welcoming him as our new MP was passed unanimously and enthusiastically.
Neighbours Day 2018
It is time to apply for a WCC grant if we want to have a Neighbours’ Day function. Last year we provided an evening of activities in Newtown Park. We agreed to plan to repeat this next year.
Parking
Car parking in Newtown is already very difficult and is going to get worse next year. The new children’s hospital will take away a lot of hospital parking – and hospital staff parking on surrounding streets is already causing major problems.
Ray Tuffin at Kia Ora gets numerous complaints about parking issues, and is initiating a major project exploring parking options.
Next month’s meeting is on Monday 20th November. We expect to designate this a Special General Meeting, and to present the Annual Accounts.
2017 Annual General Meeting
Notes of the Newtown Residents’ Association AGM held at the Newtown Community Hall on Monday September 21st.
The President, Rhona Carson, reported on a busy year. Highlights included:
- The success of the Newtown Festival and establishing the Newtown Festival Trust
- Publishing the Wellington South Licensing Trust History
- City Council relationships- particularly Ray Tuffin’s appointment
- Newtown Neighbours Night on 24th February was very successful
- Submissions were made on the Wellington City Council Annual Plan, the WCC Playspaces Policy, the Wellington Region Waste Management and Minimisation Plan and the Wellington Water application to WCC for Town Belt Easement for the construction and operation of the Prince of Wales/ Omāroro Reservoir. Also to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, who were consulting on an Urban Development Authorities Discussion Document
- Our Town Newtown is in the stage of analysing data gathered
- Keep Newtown Clean is continuing on a quarterly basis
- Newtown Community Garden group has been revived
- Repurposing the Caltex site for use by Mechanical Tempest, Rebicycle and the Dance-o-Mat looks very promising – congratulations to the owners, the WCC, the community groups and Newtown Festival for the work in coordinating this.
- Our Meet the Candidates meeting for the Rongotai Electorate went well, with record attendance. Thanks are due to the MC Patrick Morgan, and all who helped with organising the meeting.
Financial Report
The audited accounts are not yet available, due to needing to change the auditor unexpectedly. We resolved to present them at a later meeting. There is no need for concern; the finances are in good shape with reserves in the bank.
Newtown Festival Trust
For the past 23 years the Newtown Festival has been hosted by the Newtown Residents’ Association through the Festival Committee. For some years the Association has wanted to form a Festival Trust, and now it has happened. James Coyle and Anna Kemble Welch are the two founding Trustees, and shortly they will be joined by three, or probably four, others. At this meeting the members present passed the necessary motions to hand over responsibility for the Festival from the Association to the Trust, and this will come fully into effect when the other Trustees have been appointed. The Newtown Festival Committee will continue on, but from then on will report to the Trust. We passed a motion of thanks to Martin Hanley, the Festival Director, for the enormous amount of work involved in negotiating the Trust. Thanks are also due to the law firm Chapman Tripp, who provided all the legal work pro-bono. They have been extremely helpful.
Elections – Newtown Residents’ Association Executive 2017-2018
The nominees were all elected unopposed.
- President: Rhona Carson
- Secretary: No nominations. Rhona Carson will continue in the meantime.
- Treasurer: Jane Patterson
- Vice Presidents Martin Hanley, Kevin Lethbridge (continuing as membership secretary)
- Executive Carol Comber, Steve Cosgrove (minutes secretary), James Coyle, Peter Frater, Keith Powell, Stephen Pritchard, Effie Rankin,Cheryl Robilliard, Sam Somers.
Rhona thanked Steve Dunn, who stood down from the Executive this year. Steve is a past President and has worked extremely hard for the Association. Recently he brought a long standing project to a successful conclusion by coordinating the publication of the History of the Wellington South Licensing Trust.
See the full AGM minutes here.
Addition – as the Association Accounts couldn’t be presented at the AGM in September we held a Special General Meeting in November, and they were presented then.
newtown.org.nz 