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.
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