Category Archives: News

Notes from the Newtown Residents’ Meeting June 2025

News,

This meeting was at 7.30pm 16th June  at the Community Lounge, St Thomas’s Church, 200 Riddiford St.

The advertised agenda for the meeting included an item about Emergency Management but the expected guest from WREMO didn’t come. This was due to a miscommunication and the topic has been rescheduled for the July meeting.

Rhona Carson confirmed arrangements for Meet the Candidates meetings: GWRC Monday 25 August, Wellington City Council Monday 1 September, Mayoral candidates Monday 8 September. Venue is the Salvation Army Hall, 4 Normanby St – they are co-hosting.

Dan Millward from Regent Street introduced himself. He is standing for Pukehīnau/Lambton Ward as part of the Independent Together Group. He reported there would be a meet the IT candidates at the Rintoul St Community Centre 3:30 – 5pm on Sunday 22nd June – one of a series of meetings the IT group are holding throughout Wellington.

Sam Somers outlined the kaupapa of ‘It’s In The Ballot’. Meet the Candidates meetings are live streamed – although audiences can also attend in person. See https://itsintheballot.nz/.

See the full minutes for more details of times and places for meetings.

We had hoped our local Community Constables Ash Sutherland and Des Foo would be at the meeting, but unfortunately they were unable to attend due to sickness. Constable Ash Sutherland sent an update about recent activities, including executing a search warrant and arresting two people for supplying synthetic cannabis.  She reminded residents to log worrying issues with Council and to call Police for any disorderly behaviour.  Ash is going on Maternity Leave 27 June, but we hope to see her colleague Des Foo at future meetings.

‘Eyes-On’ and related community safety events have continued over the last month or so. There has been a walk-around with Council Officers to look at the streetlights – there are still a lot not working.

Eyes-On is a programme for people in frontline positions dealing with the public.  People who had attended a recent workshop decsribed strategies for avoiding and de-escalating potential issues.

Andrew Wilson from the Salvation Army said they also run de-escalation workshops on keeping ourselves safe. These workshops are aimed at community members, rather than businesses.  Many people at the meeting would be interested in attaending.   With regard to advocacy, the Salvation Army is co-ordinating getting messages to relevant ministers, especially about the need for more and better services and housing.

There was discussion about the day-to-day work of the Salvation Army in Newtown. Cups of tea are available at the Salvation Army daily from about 9am – and usually donated food. New World Newtown are good supporters. 

Carol Comber from Mt Cook Mobilised reported that at a recent meeting there was a lot of concern about bus stops being removed along the Golden Mile – particularly the ones by the St James and Reading complex. It is suggested that those who have concerns should email daran.ponter@gw.govt.nz.

There was an extensive discussion about the parking situation at Roy Street. DM Laurie Foon is going to follow this up with WCC Officer Paul Barker.

Rhona Carson advised that there will be a Newtown historic photo exhibition for the Wellington Heritage Festival, 18th October – 9th November, at Gallery 24/7 – 247 Riddiford St.

The park at 177 Owen Street is expected to be complete by the end of June. There will then be a month for the grass to grow and plants to establish, before the Park opens to the public sometime in August.  Discussion has started about an opening event. Six of Paul Forrest’s red admiral butterflies have been commissioned to go in the playground. https://paulforrest.co.nz/galleries/butterflies-and-moths 

There is another round of Annual Plan consultation starting in July. The Association will continue to look for opportunities to promote a start on Carrara Park toilets while also advocating for 177 Owen Street toilets. 

See the full minutes here

Notes from the Newtown Residents’ Association May meeting

Meetings, News

This meeting was held on 19th May 2025 at the Community Lounge, St Thomas’s Church, 200 Riddiford St. These were some of the topics discussed – see the full minutes for more details.

Newtown Parking Plan update
Most attendees have applied for Residents’ Parking Permits without any problems, although two people had an issue with finding acceptable proof of address. The Newtown East parking changes will start on June 24th.

Local Body Elections – Meet the Candidates Meetings
Captain Andrew Wilson, of the local Salvation Army, spoke with the meeting. TSA are happy to assist with the democratic process by hosting Candidate Meetings at their Hall at 4 Normanby St.

The meetings will be held on Monday evenings – 25th August for Greater Wellington Regional Council, 1st September Wellington City Council Paekawakawa/ Southern Ward and Māori Ward candidates,  and 8th September for candidates for Mayor of Wellington.

Wellington Heritage Festival – October 18th till November 9th
Paul Forrest is keen to repeat his talk about the history of the Town Belt and the associated walk. People at the meeting were also interested in another exhibition of Newtown historic photos. The Gallery at 247 Riddiford St was suggested as a venue – the Rice Pudding Gallery used last year is already booked. 

Newtown Issues and Concerns
Duncan McLean (Duncan McLean Denim)  and Paige Simoneau (Black Coffee) of the Newtown Business Group addressed the meeting.

Duncan talked about the clean-up Newtown events that the business group have organised with the MPs Office and WCC, and the difficulty of keep the streets clean. He also talked about how the increased number of rough sleepers is challenging. He called on all to work together and work on supporting each other.
He noted that the Council has $10 million dollars in the LTP Budget for Suburban Centre upgrades. Newtown and Johnsonville are likely contenders – and Duncan advocates for Newtown having priority.

Paige described the mahi she has undertaken with business and community organisations, including the ‘Newtown Consortium’ public meetings. She said they are organising workshops, including ‘Eyes On’ training for businesses at Newtown Community Centre on 22 and 26 May https://ourcbd.co.nz/, to address challenges with interacting with some in the street community. There could  be more de-escalation workshops coming up which could be available to residents as well as organisations. Paige emphasised that Police and Council encourage everyone to report concerns; businesses can register with ‘Eyes On’ for reporting, others can report to the Police (111 or 105 if not so urgent) or Council – either Fixit or a phone call.

Andrew Wilson, Salvation Army, added his experiences, including the resources at their large local site. He talked about his background with Salvation Army work in different areas.
The issues of concern in Newtown are systemic and it will take many years to fully resolve, but there are things that can be done in the meantime. Giving people respect and humanity is the first stage to getting them back on track. De-escalation is a complicated challenge, but can be summarised as: Acknowledge; Engage and explain effects; Suggest consequences. It is important not to take a negative interaction personally.
It is also a good idea to have a plan, particularly one that tamariki can learn to apply when walking down the street, on their own or in groups, if they feel intimidated – eg, take shelter in a nearby shop.

The vacant site at 198 Adelaide Rd
This is the former TipTop site next to Woolworths Supermarket. The site was bought by a developer, but their proposal for housing didn’t get Resource Consent from WCC- the rumour was that this was because the proposal was for a relatively low-rise development in an area zoned high rise. The site is now going to be used as a car park, which will provide extra parking for hospital parking.
This solves a parking problem but it is unfortunate that it doesn’t help with the extra housing we want for Newtown. It is noted that the Ferguson Street Ioane Vito Centre is for sale – that would be an excellent place for a housing development.

See the full minutes here.

Progress on Cararra Park Toilets!

News

We finally have some good news about the long running problem of No Toilets for people visiting Carrara Park. It’s been a long time coming but at the WCC Council Meeting on Thursday 22nd May this motion was passed –

1.30 Agree per resolution of Kōrau Tōtōpū | Long-term Plan, Finance, and Performance Committee on 15 February 2024, that work to upgrade Carrara Park Toilets will commence within the 2025/26 FY.

We are extremely grateful to Cr Nureddin Abdurahman who has been very persistent in advocating on our behalf, ably supported by Deputy Mayor Laurie Foon – and ultimately we’re grateful to all the Councillors, there was no opposition to this motion. So, with the financial year due to start on July 1st, we hope to see some action very soon!

Submission to the WCC Long Term Plan Amendment and Annual Plan

Consultation, News

This was submitted on 21st April 2025. As usual with Wellington City Council consultations there was a submission form asking for approval or disapproval of a number of budget items. Our President, Rhona Carson, used this form on behalf of the Association, but noted that “This submission on behalf of the Newtown Residents’ Association has not taken a position … on the majority of the Long Term Plan Amendment Options. There is a range of views about these, and many Newtown residents will be making individual submissions.”

A copy of the submitted form can be seen below, and we also included a narrative submission, which covered some issues we did want to comment on. These were about the operation of Te Awe Māpara, the Community Facilities Plan, and also about the long-standing issue of the provision of toilets in Carrara Park, and now also in the new Owen St Park.

Let’s Talk – 2024-34 Long-term Plan Amendment and 2025_26 Annual Plan Submission Form
Newtown Residents’ Association LTP & AP submission 2025

Notes from the April 2025 Association Meeting

Consultation, Meetings, News

This meeting was at 7.30pm on Monday April 14 at the Community Lounge, St Thomas’s Church, 200 Riddiford St Newtown. Our local City Councillors, DM Laurie Foon and Cr Nureddin Abdurahman, were at the meeting to discuss the WCC consultations on the Long Term Plan Amendment, Annual Plan and Wellington Water Done Well. The deadline for submissions to Wellington City Council is Monday 21st April.

The Newtown Parking Plan

Paul Barker Wellington City Council Street Transformation Manager, attended the meeting to talk about this. He outlined the parking plan, which is already operating in Berhampore and Newtown West  and is due to begin in Newtown East on June 24th. For more details go to https://www.transportprojects.org.nz/current/berhampore-and-newtown-parking-scheme – the interactive map comparing the current parking regulations with the new ones is very helpful.
 
The first phase of the Parking Plan has been reviewed, and the WCC Koata Hātepe | Regulatory Processes Committee meeting on Wednesday 9th April agreed to investigating the need for more restricted spaces in Berhampore, and extending the zones for residents’ permits to include residents in the local commercial centre. Permits are allocated in priority order – currently there are nine priorities. Local Centre could be a tenth priority.

Residents in Newtown east will receive a letter and a leaflet in early May – this will have information on the parking changes and how to apply for a resident parking permit and visitor permits. Applications for residents’ permits will be open from mid-May. The application is done online or by phone. 

The discussion covered a number of issues, including how to help people from refugee and migrant communities where there is a language barrier to find out about and understand the new rules, the site specific parking issues around the Zoo and Newtown Park, and assurance that Constable St residents living inside the Local Centre Zone who are currently eligible for a parking permit will still be eligible in future.  See the the full minutes for these and other topics.

A discussion of the WCC open consultations followed – Long Term Plan amendment, Annual Plan and Local Water Done Well. Submissions close on Monday April 21st.

DM Laurie Foon clarified that anything that is not listed in the consultation document is remaining in the LTP and is not being consulted on. This includes the Arts Funding, which was agreed in the previous round of consultation.  

LTP amendment consultation

Cr Nureddin outlined the process leading to the amendment about not selling the airport shares, and listed some of the proposals for funding changes resulting from this.

As usual the Consultation Submission Form focusses on these projects and asks submitters whether they approve or disapprove of various options. It is important to realise that submissions don’t have to be limited to these projects, anything can be mentioned in a submission, and feedback can be about projects from any area of the city.

For instance there is local concern about when the Carrara Park toilets will be installed. This was approved by Council in August 2023 but when Cr Nureddin enquired about progress  the answer was that nothing has happened yet because it is scheduled for year four of the LTP (the next Council). We thought it had higher priority, and we will request that this be brought forward and included in the current Annual Plan.

There was also discussion about the new 177 Owen St Park, now under construction and making good progress. The request for a toilet in those plans was defeated – there is a Council policy of no toilet if there is another public one within 5 mins walk. We could reopen this request.

Another local issue is that there is money in the proposed LTM for Suburban Centre Upgrades, Newtown and Johnsonville are likely candidates.

Annual Plan – Deputy Mayor Laurie Foon spoke about this

There is a proposal that the Council provide $700,000 each year to Taranaki Tenths Trust to maintain Mātai Moana Reserve on Miramar Peninsula. This is something we could consider supporting. https://wellington.govt.nz/your-council/projects/matai-moana-reserve

Commercial rates for Air B & B providers are suggested in the Annual Plan. Any submissions on this topic will be of interest. Cr Nureddin noted that this is a very tricky issue.

The projected rates rise is 12.2%. This includes 1.4% for the waste minimisation fund.

Local Water Done Well

This is a very big decision. The options are

A multi-council water services organisation with all the Greater Wellington Councils. The water related assets, debt, revenue and liabilities would be transferred to the new entity. The costs would no longer be included in Council rates, households would be charged directly for their consumption.

A Wellington-only water services organisation – similar to the above but solely owned by WCC and only applying to Wellington water services.

Continuing with existing arrangements, WCC owns the assets and services are contracted out to Wellington Water.  

Water meters are probable whichever option is decided.

Cr Nureddin noted that with existing arrangements it would take 660 years to fix the pipes.

We can feed back into this process if we have concerns about: The potential for privatisation, Lack of Council control over the new entity, Potential of the new entity to avoid any targeting of charges.

Transferring 3 waters to a regional entity would mean that  City Council would have reduced assets to secure borrowing.

See here for the full minutesDownload

A milestone for Newtown Festival – and Newtown Residents’ Association

Local Events, News

On Saturday April 5th there was a party in Carrara Park – a surprise party for Residents’ Association members Martin Hanley and Anna Kemble Welch, marking their retirement as Directors of Newtown Festival. They have been involved with the Festival since the very beginning 30 years ago, and moved into the roles of Director and Associate Director in 2008. Now they will continue as Newtown Festival Trustees, while other members of the team carry on with the day-to-day work. Newtown Festival will continue – the next Festival will be on March 8th 2026.

Newtown Festival has a long history. It started in 1995 when Neal Palmer, the Wellington City Council Arts Officer of the time, proposed an event to celebrate the newly completed Carrara Park. Local residents Peter Frater, Chris Renwick, Martin Hanley and Anna Kemble Welch agreed to support it and organise a programme of performers. This was so successful it was repeated the following year. In 1997 the WCC proposed moving the Festival into the main street, and it has continued every year since, by popular demand.

The 1997 Festival only closed part of one street, but it grew steadily as different groups asked to participate. New stages were established, the demand for stall sites increased, and different activities, such as street sports for young people, were proposed and acted on. By 2015 the current footprint of Newtown Festival was established – it runs from Hall St/ Mein St to Rhodes St/ Russell Tce in Riddiford St and includes all the connecting side streets, at least in part.

At first the Festival was organised by WCC but then a committee of the Newtown Residents’ Association continued it, with Council support, until the Association initiated the formation of the Newtown Festival Trust in 2017.

On Saturday there was a lovely gathering of Newtown Festival team members and supporters, past and present. It was particularly special to have 4 of the 5 founders of the Festival present, Neal Palmer, Peter Frater, Anna and Martin. Sadly Chris Renwick died in March 2020.

Here are a few photos of the occasion:

The Founders – Neal Palmer, the WCC Arts Officer who got it going, Martin Hanley, Peter Frater, and Anna Kemble Welch. As well as being one of the first organisers Peter went on to be Newtown Festival Director for several years, handing over to Martin and Anna in 2008. He is also our only Newtown Residents’ Association Life Member.
Festival Trustees -Ian McKinnon was one of the original Trustees. The current Trustees are Deirdre Tarrant (who founded Footnote Dance NZ), Martin, Anna,  Andy Nichols (Chair -was Chapman Tripp managing partner, now District Court Judge), and James Coyle (a Newtown Resident, was the Festival programme director for many years until he got a job with Massey College of Creative Arts).  Noel Woods (who coordinates the Tangata Whenua Stage) is also a Trustee but sadly away at a funeral.
The current Newtown Festival core team: Emi Pogoni Programme Coordinator, Martin Hanley Director, Barrie Hutton Production Manager, Anna Kemble Welch Associate Director and Chief Marshall, Rhona Carson Festival Administrator (also Newtown Residents’ Association President).

Notice of Meeting, April 2025

Consultation, Local Events, Meetings, News

This meeting will be on Monday April 14th, 7.30-9.0pm, at the Community Lounge, St Thomas’s Church, 200 Riddiford St.
(it isn’t the usual 3rd Monday of the month – the 3rd Monday in April- 21/4/25 – is Easter Monday)

The agenda will include:

A discussion of the WCC open consultations – LTP amendment, Annual Plan and Local Water Done Well.

The Newtown Parking Plan – due to commence in Newtown East on June 24th.

Other Newtown News

All welcome! We hope to see you there.                              

Notes from the Newtown Residents Association March meeting.

Consultation, Local Events, Meetings, News

This meeting was 7.30 pm 17th March 2025 at the St Thomas’s Community Lounge.

Rhona Carson, Association President, welcomed the guest speaker, Welington City Missioner Murray Edridge, and other attendees.

Rhona passed on thanks from Martin Hanley, Newtown Festival Director, to all who contributed to the Newtown Festival on March 2nd.

Car parking for Association meetings: It was noted that the McDonald’s car park time limit has changed from 90 to 60 minutes and people are being prosecuted for parking there for 90 minutes. The P60 on-street parking restrictions apply between 8am and 6pm, so parking on the street during meetings is recommended. See the official information here.

Guest Speaker

Murray Edridge, Wellington City Missioner, talked about Whakamaru, the new building which opened in November, and the work that WCM does from there and at other WCM facilities.

He noted that the situation for those challenged in the community is as dire as it has ever been. There is an increase in the homeless population, exacerbated by the decreased availability of emergency housing.

Several WCM services are focussed on housing options. In Wellington. These include Te Pā Pori, the Tory Street Supported Transitional Housing Facility; Te Pā Maru, the previous Night Shelter on Taranaki Street which now provides accommodation for substance users; Te Ō – a Kāinga Ora complex in Mt Cook, where WCM provides 24/7 support to the residents; and Whakamaru, the new facility, which has transitional housing as well as a range of other services.

These services include:

  • Craig and Gail’s Café – a vibrant community hub open to all where there is no ‘us and them’. Customers pay what they can.
  • There are meeting spaces with excellent connectivity and services. These gather people in.
  • Social Supermarket
  • Laundry and showers
  • Medical Centre and other practitioners: social workers, support workers, financial mentors.
  • Crisis Recovery Café. People in distress can drop in to the Café at any time 24/7 to seek support from staff who are trained and supported to provide it.

Murray answered questions about the services. He also praised the staff and volunteers who make the services work – including some of our members at the meeting who are part of the WCM team.  He was thanked and warmly applauded for his contribution.

Neighbours’ Gathering at Carrara Park Rhona invited attendees to this event on Saturday March 22nd from 1pm – 4pm We at Newtown Residents’ Association are hosting this event to celebrate Neighbours Aotearoa.

Update on the new Community Park, 177 Owen St – work has started on the Park construction. The WCC officers have been consulting with Manu Whenua, who are going to give a name to the park.

Urban Renewal: Adelaide Road, a case study on Brownfields Redevelopment. A panel discussion was run by the Urban Development Institute (UDINZ) on 6 March at Whakamaru. Hilary Watson, Steve Dunn and Carol Comber attended.
Hilary reported back and referred us to this review of the meeting: https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/360605726/ripe-development-failed-plans-adelaide-road

Consultation and development of a plan for Adelaide Road was initiated by WCC in 2008, but little has been completed.

Ian Cassels spoke on the panel about the successful development of the ‘Monark building’ on the corner of King Street.

WCC consultations.  Consultation on the Long Term Plan (LTP) amendment, the Annual Plan, and the Local Water Done Well, will be happening from March 20th to April 21st.

There will be 2 in-person consultations in our ward. The first consultation meeting will be at Newtown Library Saturday 22nd March 10.30am – 12pm, the second at Island Bay Library, Thursday 10 April, 12–1.30pm. 

Date of the next meeting: 14th April. The 3rd Monday in April, 21st April, is Easter Monday. Rhona proposed moving to 14th April – still 4 weeks between meetings, and allows time to discuss the WCC consultations before submissions close.

See the full minutes of the March Meeting here.Download

Newtown Residents’ Association February 2025 Meeting

Local Events, Meetings, News

This meeting will be on Monday February 17th, 7.30-9.0pm, at the Community Lounge, St Thomas’s Church, 200 Riddiford St.

The agenda will include

  •  Ingrid Downey, Project Manager Dwell Housing Trust, describing their plans for new housing in Gordon Place.  Dwell have bought the Wellington City Mission property left vacant when WCM moved to Whakamaru, and they already owned another property – this will all be redeveloped.
  • A progress report on Newtown Festival – which will be on Sunday 2nd March.
  • A discussion about pedestrian safety – see below.
  • A review of other local issues and events.

                  All welcome! We hope to see you there.         

Newtown Events in Wellington Heritage Festival: 26/10/24 -17/11/24

Local Events, News
DateEventHost, presenterWhereIs booking required?
Any time during the FestivalSelf-guided tour of Truby King Park Using smart phone and QR codesWellington Gardens –Wellington City Council21B Manchester TerraceNo
11am-12:30 Sat 26 Oct & Thurs 31Oct‘Old Town’ Newtown Walking TourClaire NolanMeet Cnr Constable and Riddiford StsAlready fully booked
11am-4pm Sat 26 -Mon 28 Oct then Thurs 31 Oct – Sun 3 NovNewtown in Photographs and Story  
An Exhibition		Newtown Residents’ Association.   Exhibition curated by Chris RabeyRice Pudding Gallery 91 Constable St. No
10-11:00 am Wed 30 Oct & 2-3:00 pm Wed 30 Oct  Visit ANZ Bank’s Archives and Museum  ANZ Bank New Zealand Ltd Archives  Level 1, 2a Green St   (the former ANZ  Bank building)Yes  -free entry Contact joanna.newman@anz.com to book. 10 people per visit.  
7:30-9pm Wed 30 Oct & 4-5:30pm Sat 2 NovNewtown (and beyond) on Film  (2 showings)Te Whare Hapori o ngā Puna Waiora / Newtown Community CentreCnr Rintoul St and Colombo StYes – cost $18 waged, $10 unwaged
Rescheduled from 9/11
2:00-3:00pm Sat 2 Nov  
Rain day 3rd November		Bring Back the Natives: Green Belt, Newtown. Walking tour and Butterfly  Art installationPaul Forrest   with   Newtown Residents’ Association.  Meet at the Southern end of Owen Street.  No
7:15-8:30pm Wed 6 Nov  Newtown’s Flora, Fauna, Land and Waterways   A talk in two parts  Newtown Residents’ Association.   Presenters  Yadana Saw and Paul ForrestNewtown Community Centre Theatre. Cnr Rintoul St and Colombo StNo
7:00-8:15pm Thu 7 Nov  “Gowns, Streams, and Essence of Filth” – The Archaeology of NewtownNewtown Residents’ Association. Presenter Mary O’Keefe, ArchaeologistNewtown Community Centre Theatre. Cnr Rintoul St and Colombo StNo
11am-4pm Thurs 7 – Sun 10 Nov; Thurs 14 – Sun 17 NovNewtown Adventure Playground 1974: Photographs by John McWilliamHilary Watson   with   Newtown Residents’ Association.  Rice Pudding Gallery 91 Constable St. No
7:00-9:00pm Wed 13 Nov  Renovations: Housing in 1970s-80s & Newtown Community Centre in 2023
A talk in two parts  		Newtown Residents’ Association.   Presenters  1.Peter Healy 2. Eryn Gribble and      Ellie ClaytonNewtown Community Centre Theatre. Cnr Rintoul St and Colombo StNo.
Entry by koha
11am-6pm Sat 16 Nov  Polish Christmas MarketPolish Association in New Zealand Inc  Dom Polski – 257 Riddiford St and in Rhodes StNo

See the full programme of events here. They cover the whole Wellington Region – including the Wairarapa.

Minutes of the 2024 AGM

Meetings, News

This meeting was held on Monday September 16th at the St Thomas’s Community Lounge.

The meeting received the President’s Annual Report and the Treasurer’s Financial Report.

The following people were elected unopposed as Officers of the Association:

President:  Rhona Carson

Vice Presidents:  Jane Patterson and Martin Hanley

Secretary: Rhona Carson 

Treasurer:  Sam Somers

Committee: Carol Comber, Steve Cosgrove, Marion Leighton, Stephen Pritchard, Penny Sturgess, Hilary Watson, Michelle Wolland.

President Rhona Carson thanked all the Candidates, in particular Michelle for her service as Treasurer over the past 4 years and Sam for being willing to take up the role.

Rhona also noted that she is intending this to be her last year as President. By the time of the next AGM she will have been President for 10 years, and she thinks it is good for any Association to have a process of renewal. Hopefully over the next year a willing and able candidate to be the next President will come forward.

A matter arising from the 2023 Minutes was continuing discussion of the need for Constitutional Changes, required by the Incorporated Societies Act 2022. This revision is still a work in progress.

Other Business included a discussion about Wellington Heritage Festival events in Newtown, and information about the Wellington City Mission move to their new Oxford Tce base, Whakamaru, in November.

See the full minutes for this – and more.

Reminder of AGM on Monday 16th September

Meetings, News

The meeting will be 7.30-9.00 pm, at the Community Lounge, St Thomas’s Church, 200 Riddiford St.

Agenda

Apologies– please send any apologies to newtownwellington@gmail.com
Minutes of the NRA AGM 2023: to be approved (please review – the minutes will be taken as read at the meeting)

Matters arising from the minutes 

The President’s Report

Treasurer’s Report and presentation of accounts for 2023-24

Election of Officers:

  • President
  • Up to three Vice-Presidents
  • Secretary
  • Treasurer
  • Up to nine (9) committee members

Review of Constitution changes, as required by the Incorporated Societies Act 2022.
See here for a copy of the current Rules of the Association.

Any other business.

The Laura Rosier History of Newtown is now online

News

Laura Rosier (1927-1994) came to Newtown with her family as a baby and lived here for the rest of her life. She and her husband Vaughan were active members of our Residents’ Association. Laura spent the 1980s and early 1990s researching and compiling a history of Newtown, but sadly she died suddenly in February 1994. What happened to the manuscript after that is outlined in the Introduction to the book.

After a long hiatus the book was edited, and we have now uploaded it to our Local History page.

Here is a selection of photos as a preview – click to enlarge

Clockwise – The Newtown Hotel, cnr Constable and Riddiford, 1904. The same building converted to the Ascot Theatre, 1969. The Last Tram, coming along John St, 1964.

Notice of Annual General Meeting

Meetings, News

The 2024 Newtown Residents’ Association AGM will be on Monday September 16th 2024, 7.30-9.00 pm, at the Community Lounge, St Thomas’s Church, 200 Riddiford St.

The AGM is when we discuss the year’s activities and plan for the future. We will also elect the Association Officers (President, Vice President(s), Secretary, Treasurer) and other Executive members for 2024-2025. If you are an Association member you are invited to consider putting your name forward for one of these positions  – you are welcome to contact us at newtownwellington@gmail.com  if you would like to discuss this.

If you need to renew your membership here is a link to the membership form. There will also be paper membership forms at the meeting.

At the 2023 AGM we announced a review of the Association’s Rules, and the necessary changes to comply with the Incorporated Societies Act 2022, and this year we plan to present an updated Constitution for approval.

Before the AGM there will be an updated post with a more detailed agenda, including links to the President’s Report and the Financial Report.       

All Welcome!

Notes of the August 2024 Meeting

Local Events, Meetings, News

The meeting was held on Monday 19th August at the St Thomas’s Community Lounge. This is quite a long post because of the number of discussions and news items.

Association President Rhona Carson welcomed everyone, particularly our Council representatives DM Laurie Foon and Cr Nureddin Abdurahman, and introduced Jesse Gale to talk about MacAlistair Park restoration.

MacAlister Park Restoration Group
Jesse Gale attended to introduce this mahi to the group. Geoff Simmons, the group convenor who made the initial approach, was unable to attend. Geoff, and friend Ed Hearnshaw (now deceased), started the group (called ‘Charlie’s Angels’) around ten years ago to restore the Prince of Wales Park. They group has applied to WCC for funding for new tools, but as they aren’t a legal entity they need another group to ‘umbrella’ this, and they are asking if the Residents’ Association can provide this – which we agreed to.      

There are about 20 adult members, with other whānau, who go out about once a month to return gorse and unusable land to native bush. The plants are provided by the Council. The exact days of activity vary; they are usually a weekend day. If anyone is interested in getting involved Geoff Simmons is the contact – geoffsimmonz@gmail.com.  Map reference link

Berhampore and Newtown West Parking
Rhona had asked for feedback about the Parking Plan, and had received written and verbal reports from some people unable to be at the meeting.  These were positive, with the people concerned finding it much easier to park outside their homes. Those at the meeting were generally in agreement.

Some are unhappy about the need to pay for a parking permit, and wonder why Newtown and Berhampore are the first suburbs with this requirement. Cr Nureddin explained some of the background to the parking changes, particularly why Newtown was the first suburb to get these changes.  Rhona summed up the history of parking concerns in Newtown, with requests for more residents space for parking.  

A question was raised about whether the rules applied on public holidays.  DM Laurie will check this out. There are no CBD parking restrictions on public holidays.  

Newtown Community Consortium Meeting at Black Coffee, July 26th
This meeting was organised by Duncan McLean and Paige Simoneau from the Newtown Business Group. The purpose of the meeting was to gather ideas, voice concerns and create partnerships within the community for support and safety. There was a very good attendance with nearly 50 people present, including representatives from various agencies –social services, WCC, Police and others – and many local residents.

DM Laurie Foon and Penny Sturgess both went to the meeting and reported their impressions of it. There was a lot of positive feeling for Newtown, but also many concerns about safety and security.
DM Laurie added that Downtown Community Ministries (DCM) are out on the streets, and she has been very impressed with their work.  It is better to donate to DCM than to beggars. The Fixit App is very useful to log any troubling events (but call 111 if there are threats to safety).
There is likely to be a Community Cleanup event on 15 September. [Now confirmed].

Interest in Emmett and Green Streets having Historic Heritage designations
DM Laurie and Cr Nureddin have been talking with local people about progressing this mahi.

Wellington Heritage Festival
Alex Hockley (Wellington Heritage Festival CEO) reported that the brochure of events would be released soon. About 150 events are being held throughout the region.  Twelve are in Newtown, and six of these have been initiated by the Newtown Residents’ Association – there will be more information about these coming soon. The Festival is running from 26 October to 17 November.

Newtown Mini-Events
Newtown Festival has arranged with WCC for Wilson Street and Newtown Avenue to be able to be closed a few times a year for live events.  These will be well publicised ahead of time. An advance notice – the Latino Community are organising a Day of the Dead Festival to be held on Saturday 2 November outside Viva Mexico, in the Wilson St carpark.

Newtown Festival Sunday 2nd March 2025
More than 240 people have already applied for stalls (about 400 are expected), and expressions of interest for performers are coming in. See https://www.newtownfestival.org.nz/ for both those links.

Cancer Society Relay for Life
The Society are interested in having this at Newtown Park in March next year; still to be decided.

Wellington Airport Regional Community Awards
Congratulations to Newtown Tool Library who got runner-up for the environment awards. See here for the list of winners. [Additional note – Wellington Community Choir who rehearse at Te Whaea at 7pm on Wednesdays were the runner up in the Arts and Culture category, and several other local organisations including Smart Newtown, Quick Kai, Wellington Timebank (all from Newtown Community Centre) and Wellington City Mission were finalists. Congratulations to all involved!]

Te Aro Zero Waste
The Sustainability Trust and Wellington City Council have created a partnership to offer more services. Instead of making the trip to the WCC Landfill Tip Shop you can now go to the Sustainability Trust premises at 2 Forresters Lane to drop off items for recycling or reuse, purchase secondhand items, and more. See https://sustaintrust.org.nz/tearozerowaste. Open hours Wednesday – Saturday 10am – 4pm.

Affordability for Sports in Wellington
Cr Nurredin informed us that a report has been prepared on this subject and will be reviewed by Council soon.

Gillies McIndoe Research Institute – 7 Hospital Road
Graeme Carroll drew our attention to an important recent activity at GMRI.  Dr Swee Tan, the lead researcher on the Glioblastoma Phase II clinical trial is recruiting patients recently diagnosed with glioblastoma as participants. The trial will investigate a safe combination of repurposed drugs that is hypothesised to regulate cancer stem cells. If you wish to know more about the Phase II trial, see https://www.facebook.com/GMRINZ/  – a post from July 22 – or email info@gmri.org.nz for more information.

177 Owen Street (previously known as Workingmen’s Bowling Club) redevelopment
The bowling club club rooms have been demolished and work is progressing on creating the new Park, including extensive sound checking to determine the optimal stage placement.

Newtown Residents’ Association Membership
Rhona reminded people that the new financial year started on July 1st and membership renewals are now due. The Membership Form is here. There are also paper membership forms available at meetings.

See the full minutes below.

Minutes NRA Meeting August 2024