Congratulations to Dave and Liz O’Sullivan of SB Maintenance. We nominated them for this award in recognition of all they do for Keep Newtown Clean, and we were very happy to see them receive their awards on Wednesday 23rd November.
Pakize Sari (co-awards presenter) Rhona Carson (Newtown Residents Association – nominator) Liz and Dave O’Sullivan (SB Maintenance Limited – recipients) and Geoff Atkinson (guest speaker and awards presenter)
Since July 2013, SB Maintenance, owned by Dave and Liz O’Sullivan have supported the Keep Newtown Clean project, a voluntary project initiated by Newtown businesses/residents. For 18 months, KNC volunteers met on the first Saturday of the month from 9 – 1pm. SB Maintenance scoped out areas requiring attention prior to the event, prepared the necessary resources (graffiti paint out, graffiti removal, rubbish collection, gardening) and coordinated the volunteers on the day.
Dave and Liz declined to receive any payment from council for the work they were doing, stating, “If the Newtown community are volunteering their time, we will do the same.”
The commitment by the Newtown community/volunteers and SB Maintenance has restored pride in the community and beautified Newtown. As a result, volunteers and SB Maintenance now only need to meet quarterly.
Dave and Liz live and operate their business in Petone. They are committed to the communities they work in and have an ‘attention to detail’ ethic, which provides Wellingtonians and WCC with a professional/quality and timely service.
See the full minutes of the meeting here.
An office at 8 Constable Street will be Ray’s base, and also available for other community use.
See the full minutes for more about what Ray has been doing.
Emergency Response
Ray and Bessie were among the WCC staff on duty at the WREMO centre 24/7 since the earthquake on 14/11. They described how this unfolded and the many tasks WCC were involved with in helping people .
Issues for the 2017 WCC Annual Plan
We have started thinking about what we might include in a submission to WCC next year. Please contact us if you have any comments or anything to add!
Suggestions
This was the final formal meeting for 2016 – next meeting Monday 20th February 2017.
This will be a great opportunity to meet Ray Tuffin, the newly appointed WCC Newtown Liaison Officer, and hear about what he can do to help all Newtown residents and business people in their dealings with the Council. In his two weeks in the job he has already been following up complaints about weed growth, flooding, and other issues that have been plaguing us. He has been out and about, meeting people and getting to know the community, and is very enthusiastic about his new role. NB – working with WREMO on facilitating a Newtown Community Response Plan is among Ray’s priorities.
Also, the November meeting is the last formal Residents’ Association meeting for the year and a good time to discuss any issues we would like to see included in the 2017 WCC Annual Plan – the call for submissions will come out before our next meeting in February, so lets be prepared!
Thursday 24 November, 3:30 – 7:30, venue: Massey Executive Suite
Improving emergency water supplies for central Wellington should be very much in everyone’s thoughts at present! Wellington Water is holding a public information afternoon on 24 November, as part of the resource consent process. See their Q&A Sheet and a Timeline/Roadmap for more about the project.
Executive Seminar Suite, Gate A, Massey University, Wallace Street, Mount Cook. Parking Available through Gate E, Tasman Street
This meeting was held on Monday 17th October, 7.30pm at the Newtown Hall in Daniell Street, and these were some of the main topics.
WCC Newtown Liaison Officer and Newtown office
It was announced that Ray Tuffin has been appointed to this position. He has a business and community background, and will be starting on 31st October. We are looking forward to welcoming him to his new role. WCC is planning to lease a Newtown Office, and this was mentioned in a WCC Resiliency Newsletter.
Neighbours’ Day is approaching – 25th – 26th March. We discussed possible events we might initiate, a small group is to consider further. Application for funding needs to go to Council by the end of the month – 28/10.
Airport Runway submission
Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC) and Wellington City Council (WCC) have prepared reports on the resource consent application for the Wellington International Airport runway extension, which are available here. We decided to apply to be a party to the Environment Court proceedings, when the time comes.
Discussion of playgrounds in Newtown, and the use of the Town Belt. Noted Carrara Park playground is on the cover of the consultation document. Submissions close 5pm 18th November. To consider further.
Tom Law reported that when cars were being interfered with and broken into over a few weeks a month or two ago there were complaints that the Police were not around. However in fact the Police were involved with undercover patrols, and the Community Patrol were also keeping an eye on things. The Police worked well in catching a suspected offender. Tom is happy to hear from people interested in joining the Community Patrol.
Community Engagement Planning
This is the process for gathering community views on the redevelopment of community facilities in Newtown, and coming up with a plan for how the funds set aside in the Long Term Plan should be spent. NRA has committed to taking a lead role in coordinating the community engagement process, and we agreed a planning group of NRA members and Newtown Community Centre people would workshop ideas for how to take this forward.
Congratulations to Wellingtonian of the Year nominees.
Martin Hanley and Anna Kemble Welch have been nominated in recognition of their 22 years involvement with the Newtown Festival. The meeting expressed hearty congratulations and good wishes to them both.
See the full meeting minutes here.
Next meeting: Monday November 21st 2016, 7.30 pm at the Newtown Hall, 71 Daniell St.
As Dr Seuss put it in The Lorax: “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better, it’s not.”
The President, Rhona Carson, reported on a busy and successful year. Hightlights included:
Financial Report
The audited accounts are not yet available; as with last year the AGM will need to be reconvened at a later date so they can be presented. There is no need for concern; the finances are in good shape with reserves in the bank.
Elections – Newtown Residents’ Association Executive 2016-2017
Proposals discussed:
Community engagement process for deciding on how to spend the money set aside in the Long Term Plan for redeveloping Newtown community facilities. WCC have asked our Association to be the lead agency in this process, and AGM discussed this and passed a motion agreeing that we will take on this role.
Change of name for Newtown Residents’ Association? It has been proposed that there should be one Association including Residents, Business people and others with an interest in Newtown. See the relevant report here. Our rules allow us to be this Association, should we change our name to reflect this? There were mixed views, and it was agreed that we would continue to think about these issues.
Newtown Festival
Planning is underway for the 2017 Festival. The Festival Committee are making progress towards establishing a Charitable Trust to run future Festivals – this has been an idea in development since 2014. We expect it will come to pass before the next Festival takes place. In the interim the Association passed the Festival’s annual operational funding and management resolution, which empowers the Director to run the Festival, and appointed the Festival officers –
See the full AGM Minutes here (in draft form until confirmed at the 2107 AGM) and Presidents’ Report here.
Monday 19th September, 7.30pm, Newtown Hall 71 Daniell St
Agenda:
Confirming Minutes of 2015 AGM See here for the Minutes
Matters arising
President’s Report
Treasurer’s Report
Discussion of proposals for the Residents’ Association:
Election of Officers (President, Treasurer, Secretary, up to 3 Vice-Presidents and up to 9 Executive Members – see last year’s minutes for the current office holders.)
Newtown Festival Director’s Report
Discussion of development of Newtown Festival Trust
Appointment of Festival Director, Festival Committee and Festival Review Team
Other Business.
Every one of us depends on access to quality health care to keep us healthy and help us when we are unwell, injured or disabled, but how much do we know about the people who want to lead Capital and Coast District Health Board? In October, as well as the local body elections, we will have a chance to vote for seven elected DHB members to represent our communities on the eleven-member board. The Wellington Public Health Association invites you to come and meet the candidates, and get a feel for what they stand for:
When: Tuesday 20th September, 6:00 -7:30pm (doors open 5:45)
Where: St Johns Hall, corner of Willis and Dixon Streets, Wellington
Light refreshments provided, entry by koha. Please RSVP to wellingtonpha@gmail.com or Find out more https://www.facebook.com/events/1829843237244984/
Mary Potter Hospice are planning to build two large apartment blocks within the hospice complex on the corner of Mein and Owen Streets. This has come as a shock to the Owen Street residents whose properties are on the hospice boundary, particularly as this small site has been designated a special housing area and therefore doesn’t need to comply with the usual rules, including height restrictions.
The residents have enlisted the help of local MP Annette King and Southern Ward Councillor Paul Eagle, who have called a public meeting to discuss the proposal. See the meeting notice here.
This issue has also been reported in the Dominion Post – follow the link for more.
We have invited the Southern Ward Candidates to a ‘Meet the Candidates’ Meeting hosted by the Newtown Residents’ Association, to tell us why they should represent us on Wellington City Council for the next three years.
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 the formal presentations you can mix and mingle and talk informally.
When: 7pm on Tuesday 13th September
Where: St Anne’s Hall, Emmett St, Newtown
Twitter: #MeetTheCandidates@NewtownResAssc
Postal voting is between 16th September and 8th October.
We haven’t any visiting speakers arranged for this meeting. It will be an opportunity to raise issues and discuss your thoughts, concerns and ideas about our suburb and the surrounding area.
See the full meeting minutes here.
We had a positive, well attended meeting on Monday 18th July.
As well as a good turn-out of local Residents we also welcomed four Victoria University Landscape Architecture students, who are doing a class project on Newtown, its community and its issues, and four Wellington City Council Officers: Mike Mendonca (WCC Chief Resilience Manager), Jenny Rains (WCC Community Service Manager), Bessie Fepulea’i (Community and Neighbourhood Advisor), and Deane Virtue (WCC Team Leader Cleansing & Growth).
Jenny Rains, WCC Community Service Manager, introduced this topic. The proposal for a new position of Newtown Coordinator within WCC came as a response to the frustrations expressed by residents at the May meeting with WCC CEO Kevin Lavery and other WCC officers. The appointee will be able to make sure the relevant WCC services are joined up to respond to Residents’ concerns. The job description is still being developed and there will be further consultation about the details.
Jenny also reported on money set aside in the WCC Long Term Plan to upgrade Newtown facilities. In this financial year (July 2016 – June 2017) there is $48,000 available to develop a concept through community engagement, and there is funding for capital projects of $610,137 in 2017/18 and $2,728,177 in 2019/20. Vogelmorn and Aro Valley are also involved in similar projects.
Mike Mendonca, WCC Chief Resilience Manager, introduced this topic.
Challenge: defining what is “Resilience”?
Mike gave a brief historical overview and moved on to outlining the main areas of concern.
All these things are included in a report to Council -see here
The report was accepted at the WCC meeting on 29th June, and a draft Resilience Strategy is to be presented on 28 September 2016.
A number of issues were discussed, with a particular concern about securing a water supply post-earthquake. See the meeting minutes for more.
Jenny Rains, Mike Mendonca and the other Council visitors were thanked and applauded for their contributions.
People interested in this stayed on to discuss a draft submission prepared by Patrick Morgan.
There was no strong consensus either for or against the project – there was discussion and some approval of the economic benefits if direct long haul flights did come to Wellington, but a lot of concerns as well. These centred on the cost, the perception of a weak business case, and the effects of the anticipated increases in road traffic.
The next step agreed was for Patrick to re-draft the submission and for it to be circulated for discussion via email. The submission is due on 12th August.
Martin Hanley (Festival Director) went through a written report that had been circulated at the beginning of the meeting, and thanked all who had been involved in making the Festival such a great success.
Do you remember the slide show of Newtown trouble spots from our May meeting, and the sad pictures of dead tree stumps or empty planters which had been in Owen Street for a long time?
It is very exciting to see graceful new kowhai trees in their place! Repeated ‘fix-its’ have had an effect!
