General News
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Updated on
11 Apr |
6 Dec |
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The Pukerua Bay toy library is extending its hours, adding Saturdays from 9.30 am - 11.30 am to the existing Thursday hours from 20 April.
The Pou Tangaroa on the foreshore at the western end of Ocean Parade was unveiled and blessed in an early morning ceremony on 1 Dec 2012.
The 2011 General Election party vote results for the Pukerua Bay polling place, compared with the Mana electorate and all of New Zealand are as follows:
| Party | Pukerua Bay | Mana Electorate | All of NZ |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Party | 41.6% | 40.0% | 48.0% |
| Labour Party | 24.8% | 37.0% | 27.1% |
| Green Party | 24.3% | 12.4% | 10.6% |
| New Zealand First Party | 5.1% | 4.9% | 6.8% |
| Maori Party | 1.0% | 0.6% | 1.4% |
| ACT New Zealand | 0.4% | 0.5% | 1.1% |
| Mana | 0.4% | 0.4% | 1.0% |
| United Future | 0.6% | 0.7% | 0.6% |
These statistics are from the 2011 General Election web site, as updated at 1.45 am on 27 Nov 2011 and exclude special votes.
The 2011 General Election candidate vote results for the Pukerua Bay polling place, compared with the Mana electorate are as follows:
| Candidate | Pukerua Bay | Mana Electorate |
|---|---|---|
| FAAFOI, Kris | 40.8% | 47.4% |
| PARATA, Hekia | 45.3% | 41.5% |
| LOGIE, Jan | 12.7% | 7.4% |
| GOODE, Richard | 0.5% | 0.9% |
| WARREN, Michael | 0.7% | 0.5% |
Snow blanketed the Wellington region, including Pukerua Bay, following snowfalls of 10cm, settling on the ground from 5pm on Sunday, 14 Aug 2011. Photos of snow in Pukerua Bay show what was still left on Monday morning despite overnight snowfalls turning to sleet and rain.
Monday brought some more snowfalls down to sea level, as well as intermittent hail. On Tuesday, patches of snow still endured on grass areas and in the shade. The hills around Pukerua Bay remained covered in a dusting of snow for a second day, with the last snowfall on Tuesday evening turning to overnight rain, spelling the end of even the last remnants of snow.
The Wellington Kindergarten Association has provided an informational Q&A sheet regarding the proposed developments at Pukerua Bay Pre-School, covering points such as how a preferential enrolment scheme would work and the new Ministry of Education requirements.
Submissions related to the proposal to reclassify the reserve around the pre-school close on 24 Jun 2011.
The proposal is to allow for an extension into Raroa Reserve, at the rear of the Wairaka Road playground. At the moment, this is used as an informal play space. The library is also located within this part of the reserve.
The Pukerua Bay pre-school proposes to extend their building into part of this area to be able to take on more children as demand from outside of Pukerua Bay increases.
The proposal and submission forms can be accessed on the "Part Reserve Re-classification at Raroa Reserve" web page of the Porirua City Council.
Muri Station is scheduled to be closed on 30 Apr 2011, following a decision by the Greater Wellington Regional Council.
The footbridge over State Highway 1 will be closed for repairs during one night between 28 and 30 Mar 2011, 9.00 pm - 3.00 am. Traffic will be diverted via Teihana Road West, Rawhiti Road, and Wairaka Road during that time.
The Tranz Metro train timetables have changed. Trains now run up to Waikanae. The new train schedule for Pukerua Bay stations is:
| Monday to Friday, southbound | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muri | 5.21am | 5.51am | 6.21am | 6.49am | 7.23am | 7.38am | 7.55am | 8.26am | 8.51am | .21 and .51 from 9am-4pm | |
| 4.26pm | 4.41pm | 5.01pm | 5.21pm | 5.41pm | 6.01pm | 6.26pm | 7.01pm | 7.21pm | 7.51pm | .21 from 8pm-11.21pm | |
| Pukerua Bay | 5.23am | 5.53am | 6.23am | 6.51am | 7.25am | 7.40am | 7.57am | 8.28am | 8.53am | .23 and .53 from 9am-4pm | |
| 4.28pm | 4.43pm | 5.03pm | 5.23pm | 5.43pm | 6.03pm | 6.28pm | 7.03pm | 7.23pm | 7.53pm | .23 from 8pm-11.23pm | |
| Saturday, southbound | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muri | 12.22am | 5.21am | 6.21am | .21 and .51 from 7am-8pm | hourly from 8.21pm-11.21pm | |
| Pukerua Bay | 12.24am | 5.23am | 6.23am | .23 and .53 from 7am-8pm | hourly from 8.23pm-11.23pm | |
| Sunday & Public Holidays, southbound | ||||||
| Muri | 12.22am | 6.21am | 7.21am | .21 and .51 from 8am-7pm | hourly from 7.21pm-11.21pm | |
| Pukerua Bay | 12.24am | 6.23am | 7.23am | .23 and .53 from 8am-7pm | hourly from 7.23pm-11.23pm | |
| Monday to Friday, northbound | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pukerua Bay | 6.28am | 6.56am | 7.26am | 8.11am | 8.56am | .20 and .50 from 9am-4pm | 4.07pm | 4.27pm | 4.47pm |
| 5.07pm | 5.27pm | 5.49pm | 6.07pm | 6.32pm | .20 and .50 from 6.50pm-11pm | 11.50pm | |||
| Muri | 6.30am | 6.58am | 7.28am | 8.13am | 8.58am | .22 and .52 from 9am-4pm | 4.09pm | 4.29pm | 4.49pm |
| 5.09pm | 5.29pm | 5.51pm | 6.09pm | 6.34pm | .22 and .52 from 6.52pm-11pm | 11.52pm | |||
| Weekend & Public Holidays, northbound | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pukerua Bay | 12.50am | 1.50am | 6.50am (Sat only) | 7.50am | .20 and .50 from 8am-8pm | hourly from 8.50pm-11.50pm |
| Muri | 12.52am | 1.52am | 6.52am (Sat only) | 7.52am | .22 and .52 from 8am-8pm | hourly from 8.52pm-11.52pm |
Heavy rain caused a land slip undermining the tracks between Pukerua Bay station and Muri station. KiwiRail is working around the clock until Monday morning to construct a retaining wall at the site of the drop-out between Pukerua Bay station and Muri station. If you have any questions or concerns, please call their project hotline on (04) 498 2125.
KiwiRail is about to start work on all four tunnels between Pukerua Bay and Paekakariki to alleviate this bottleneck. The tunnels will be strengthened and the hillside slopes stabilised between Aug and Dec. Between 26 Dec 2010 and 10 Jan 2011, the tunnel floors will be lowered. Due to the limited access, much of the work will take place during the night, weekends and public holidays.
The construction sites will be accessed via Toenga Road, with the intersection between Pa Road and SH1 providing a turning point for construction vehicles returning from access points along the coastal stretch of SH1. Between late July and Dec 2010, there will be approx. 10 vehicle movements per night (7.30 pm - 5.00 am, Sun-Thu), and between 26 Dec 2010 - 10 Jan 2011, there will be up to 30 vehicle movements per day, operating around the clock.
There is a 24-hour hotline on (04) 498 2125 for any queries or concerns about the construction activities.
Ashley Ramsden and Sue Hollingsworth from the School of Storytelling, Emerson College in the United Kingdom are offering a course from 6 Feb to 10 Mar 2011 at The Woolshed.
Places are limited, so please register your interest early by contacting Judy or John Frost-Evans.
An exciting addition to the course will be community storytelling evenings in St. Peter's Hall, Paekakariki on the five Fridays during the course schedule. "We hope to encourage storytelling in the community as a tradition that will provide a listening and telling space in our local area for years to come," says Judy Frost-Evans, who with John has recently returned to Pukerua Bay after living and working in the UK for 10 years. "This is such a creative and vibrant community to return to and we wish to contribute in some way to re-awakening the community art of storytelling. Everyone tells stories as part of everyday life. This course will give you skills to take your stories to a wider audience," says Judy, "and Sue and Ashley are warm and inspirational teachers."
Pukerua Bay Station has been re-opened on Tuesday, 2 Feb 2010 with an upgraded, resurfaced platform and bicycle stands.
The NZ Transport Agency is about to make a start on some major roadworks on SH1 in Pukerua Bay. They will be strengthening the retaining walls and slopes between Wairaka Road and Pukerua Beach Road, and also immediately north of the lay-by area adjacent to Onepu Road.
At the same time, they will widen the footpath and install road barriers for the sections adjacent to the wall construction. During the work, traffic management will be in place.
Work at the Wairaka Road to Pukerua Beach Road site will start on Monday, 11 Jan 2010 and should be finished by July. Work at the Onepu Road site is expected to start in April and should be completed by September.
Pukerua Bay Station will be closed from 30 Nov 2009 to Feb 2010 to allow for work to be done to accommodate the new Matangi commuter trains. Muri Station remains open and a shuttle service between Pukerua Bay and Plimmerton will be provided during peak hours.
After the start of daylight saving time, the library opening times change to: Thursday: 2.00 pm to 8.00 pm, and Saturday: 10.00 am to 12.00 pm.
The Ministry of Fisheries has agreed to extend the protective regulation of the Rahui until 2014. The five-year closure makes it illegal to gather fish or shellfish by netting, diving, snorkelling or hand-gathering. Only hand-line fishing is still allowed.
Council Works staff have started revitalising the Goat Track and bringing it up to current safety standards. Some material will be flown in by helicopter. The work is due to be completed by the end of June 2009.
The 2008 General Election party vote results for the Pukerua Bay polling place, compared with the Mana electorate and all of New Zealand are as follows:
| Party | Pukerua Bay | Mana Electorate | All of NZ |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Party | 37.3% | 37.4% | 45.4% |
| Labour Party | 34.9% | 43.4% | 33.8% |
| Green Party | 16.9% | 8.2% | 6.4% |
| ACT New Zealand | 1.8% | 2.4% | 3.7% |
| Maori Party | 1.2% | 0.9% | 2.2% |
| Jim Anderton's Progressive | 0.7% | 0.8% | 0.9% |
| United Future | 2.7% | 1.3% | 0.9% |
| New Zealand First Party | 2.9% | 3.1% | 4.2% |
These statistics are from the 2008 General Election web site, as updated at 1.24 am on 9 Nov 2008 and exclude special votes.
The 2008 General Election candidate vote results for the Pukerua Bay polling place, compared with the Mana electorate are as follows:
| Candidate | Pukerua Bay | Mana Electorate |
|---|---|---|
| COLLINS, Mike | 1.8% | 1.8% |
| GILCHRIST, Michael | 11.7% | 6.4% |
| GOODE, Richard | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| GUNSTON, Robin | 1.5% | 1.4% |
| LABAN, Winnie | 49.0% | 52.9% |
| MACLACHLAN, Renton | 0.9% | 1.0% |
| MANU, Tim Salele'a | 0.0% | 0.8% |
| PARATA, Hekia | 35.1% | 35.6% |
The Residents' Association has been discussing with the Red Cross Society the possibility of holding a "Practical First Aid Course" in Pukerua Bay, which includes adult, child and baby basic life support (CPR), management of choking, recognition and treatment of bleeding and shock, fractures and soft tissue injuries, burns, poisoning, and common medical emergencies.
The course is normally a daytime eight hour course, but the Society has agreed to hold it as an evening course of four 2 hour sessions. There is a limit of 20 participants; the cost would be $25 plus a possible share of the hire of a suitable hall if necessary.
If you are interested, please contact Jack Fry on 239 9426 and indicate which nights of the week would be suitable for you.
From Sunday, 5 Oct 2008 the weekly service at St. Mark's Anglican Church in Rawhiti Road will be at 11.00 am.
A small local earthquake of magnitude 2.9 was noticably felt in Pukerua Bay just before 9pm on 19 Aug 2008. The center of the brief jolt was located only 5km below the area of Pukerua Bay. There is even a brief article about the quake in the NZ Herald.
Pukerua Bay Foreshore Reserve - Landscape Concept
A draft landscape plan is on display for public comment for the foreshore area at the end of Ocean Parade. A small group of residents has been working with a local landscape architect to prepare the plan and we now await your feedback.
The main objective of the plan is to restore the natural ecology and local pride in the foreshore area which currently has an air of neglect and tends to attract some unwelcome activity which the new plan seeks to address. The plan is available for viewing on the new community notice board outside the dairy.
Features of the plan include:
- Repairing the coastal edge with rocks (rip-rap) and planting
- Replacing the end car park with a grassed picnic area
- Reinstating the scree & native planting along the hillside edge
- Displaying some of the natural & cultural history of the site with signage and a "pou whenua" (traditionally, tribal boundary marker) at the main entrance to the reserve
The concept seeks to blend the new landscape treatment seamlessly with the existing local environment, by restoring the indigenous habitat for wildlife and for visitors to enjoy. It involves the use of naturally occurring elements of rocks, scree, driftwood and planting.
These will be used at the interface of the edges between grass, road seal and paths. They will also be used to construct new seats and a picnic table with solid timber construction. Some existing road seal and timber edges will be removed altogether and replaced with grass and planting to help "soften" and crib back the expanse currently dominated by vehicles.
Please take the time to view the plan at the dairy or here on the web site and provide any comments to Kate Dreaver on 239 9237 or Pat Hanley on 239 9727. We will need your comments by 15 June 2008 to enable the plan to be finalised so construction can be completed ready for summer.
Nga Uruora - Kapiti Project has won the Rata Community Partnership Award for their dedicated effort in restoring native bush along the coastal hills between Pukerua Bay and Paekakariki. The community based conservation project has succeeded in planting over 30,000 native plants on the coastal escarpment as well as carrying out animal pest and weed control. The award is part of Greater Wellington Regional Council's inaugural Environmental Awards.
The Pukerua Bay community web site goes live. Its main goals are to provide information about Pukerua Bay and related news and events to the community.