General News
If you know of news that may be relevant to people in Pukerua Bay, please let us know.
Updated on
19 Jul |
6 Jul |
older
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 2010, 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.
Pukerua Bay Station has been re-opened on Tuesday, 2 Feb 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 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.
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 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 noticeboard outside the dairy.
Features of the plan include:
- Repairing the coastal edge with rocks (rip-rap) and planting
- Replacing the end carpark 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.