Annual reports for this yearโs Annual General Meeting are available online. These include the Chairโs report from the committee, the financial statements, and reports on activities by various groups operating under the umbrella of the Residentsโ Association.
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Minutes Tuesday 8 October 2024 7:30pmโ9:00am RSA Wairaka Road
Apologies: Gay Hay, Jonathan Harker, Chris Kirk-Burnnand. Attending: Paul FitzGerald, Margaret Blair, Nikky Winchester, Iain MacLean. Community members: Dorothy Ibrahim, Pamela Nunn.
Council updates (PCC)
Report by Councillor Ross Leggatt.
Three Waters. PCC has to develop a Three Waters Delivery Plan for government by the end of this year outlining which option they would prefer for the region: a council-owned company (CCO) or a stand-alone organisation. Horowhenua, Wairarapa, Kฤpiti, Porirua, Hutt City, Upper Hutt, and Wellington are local authorities that could be included in the regional stand-alone organisation. This is likely to be similar to Wellington Water, and the assets of the existing councils would be transferred to it.
Sixty percent of PCC capital expenditure is on water infrastructure. This new organisation needs about 30 percent more staff to do the work that is required throughout the region.
Good progress on water leaks. The number of recorded leaks has dropped from 240 to 32. Pukerua Bay is now saving three percent of its water.
Papakowhai shared path: This will be opening in a couple of weeks. There is no money for changing the intersection by Aotea College.
Mormon temple: The Church of Later Day Saints is applying for resource consents to build a new temple on the Gear Homestead site. It has owned the land for around 30 years. The application will be considered by a panel of three commissioners. One issue will be the impact of traffic while it is being built.
Other roads: The shared path to Onepoto is off the table as the government has withdrawn funding, and a number of other roading and intersection projects will be delayed.
Last month’s minutes
Moved Paul / seconded Iain. All in favour. Carried.
Matters arising
None.
Financial report as at 6 October 2024
BNZ $ 12,563.36
Income:
$ 18.21 Interest
$ 350.00 CGFF Tea Towels
$ 10.00 CGFF Seed Sales
$ 20.00 Kลrero
Expenditure:
$ 1.80 Fees
$ 153.00 CGFF Pavilion
$ 395.00 CGFF Rongoa
$ 8.00 Haywards Horse Manure
$ 58.25 Waste and Compost
Invoices โ Issued
$ 20 Kลrero
Invoices โ Paid
$ 20 Kลrero
Invoices โ OutstandingAccount balances as at 6 October 2024
Res Assn 000 $ 459.15
He Ara 001 $ 1165.82
CGFF 002 $ 1296.37
Kลrero 066 $ 1158.77
Surf Seat 067 $ 174.73
On Call Acct 025 $ 8318.52
Grants and donations
CGFF $1000.00 Tree Crop Grant
CGFF $1000.00 Donation
CGFF $ 500.00 Donation
He Ara $5000.00 Donation
Kลrero $ 750.00 Pelorus Grant
Residents $ 68.52 Interest
Margaret has prepared the financial statements for the 2023-24 year to present to the AGM.
Project updates
Community garden food forest
Compost โ Great job from Brian, Ralph, and Paul shifting the cape ivy to compost. Theu brought back soil and compost to the flower garden. Then returned for 3 m3 for the Rongoฤ. Half a bin of compost ready to be used.
Hoses โ Work in progress. Gay would like every tap to have a sprinkler and and a hand held nozzle. Donations welcome. Gay has sorted out the hoses to dahlias, lemon and tomato, potatoes and water tank. Soaker hose by gooseberries has split. Last year we divided the watering into areas, which worked ok.
Finances:
002 Acc $1344.62 On call $1000.00 Grant $1000.00 Donation $500.00 Donation
Southern side mulched ready for compost and planting.
Tomato seedlings โ Vicky has some spare.
Vicky to build structure for runner beans
Zuchini, pumpkin and corn ready. School involved.
Potatoes and Kumara looking good.
Rongoฤ โ Cardboard needs to go under the sacks as sacks arenโt smothering the cape ivy and bindweed. Ziggyโs cardboard is great!
Dahlia โ Weโre extending the dahlia bed up the hill a bit. Miranda suggests putting the cafe au lait dahlias and cosmos in the raised flower bed. Plans to sell tubers and cut flowers.
Garden club visit โ A local garden club has asked to visit and weโve arranged 11 Feb.
Berry Tunnel โ Ashley was proved right about the netting last year. We will leave it off until the fruit starts to set.
Battling bugs โ
Last year we got passion vine hopper and shield beetles.
Peaches and apricots we used seaweed and copper band. Only one tree has curly leaf.
We used Coreyโs soil conditioner. John has applied to trees.
Gay and Judy went to a biodynamics workshop and they got some stuff which John has painted the trees with it.
Coddling moth confusers are hanging in the trees.
Vasoline and cardboard around the apple and pears.
Worms โ the worms are great at the moment although we do have slugs. Event โ we need an event to sell worms, dahlia and celebrate the pavillion.
Summer Celebration โ maybe Sat, 7 Dec.
Fundraising โ still thinking about fundraising calendar and a possible garden tour.
Security โ the cameras seem to be effective.
He Ara report October 2024
The fencepost on Muri Road, dated AW (Antony Wall II) 1929, from the corner of Wall property has been removed and stored following a conversation with Simon Barber.
PKB Hub Pop-Up Parlour session โDo you rememberโ on 10 September was very successful. Forty people attended, enjoyed Macaroon cake from Mrs Charles Grayโs recipe, and contributed to lively discussions on Pukerua Bayโs past from the night cart to mushrooming to growing up in the Bay.
Research of the Mulhern family involved a visit to St Josephโs Church, Pauatahanui. Brian Murphy was a superb host. Lunch followed at GroundUp using the vouchers the team won at the school quiz.
Work is progressing on the website.
Isaac du Toit has been commissioned to illustrate and produce a story book about the Bevan childrenโs walk from Wellington to Waikawa in 1845. Their overnight stay in Pukerua is recorded in great detail in Thomas Bevanโs book The Reminiscences of An Old Colonist.
Gun Emplacement โ no word from PCC.
Pou Panel โ kaumatua to be contacted.
Heritage Festival event 9 November – planning underway. Unfortunately Barbara Edmonds is unable to open the event.
Korero
Weโre assembling copy for the final issue of the year, to be published in November. Our theme is writers and writing, a kind of mirror to the theme for November 2023, which was reading. We have many talented writers in our community, and illustrators and designers
This issue will also promote some of the events planned over summer, as well as reflecting on some of what has happened over the last month, with the very successful Parlour Pop-up and Climate Action series.
We would like to thank the RA committee for endorsing our application for a grant from the Pelorus Foundation. It was successful and will cover our costs until early next year.
In the next month or so, we will be planning themes and topics for next year. Weโre always interested in your ideas!
General business
Fireworks
Pamela Nunn raised the issue of fireworks being set off next to neighboursโ houses. After last Guy Fawkes day, when her neighbour set off fireworks within a few metres of her house, she approached the RA and Council about whether we were able to stop this. She wrote to Josh Trlin as local councillor, who told her the council has no power to stop people setting them off, but does have to respond to noise complaints.
Committee decided we would do some publicity asking people to be considerate and promote public events families can attend.
Train replacement bus shelter
Paul has had a response from Greater Wellington Regional Council. He has suggested an alternative route around Pukerua Bay that includes drop offs and pick ups at Teihana Road, which are closer to the train station and shops.
Bike on Raroa Reserve
Margaret was told about some people riding powered bikes up the track through Raroa Reserve. This is obviously a danger to people walking there. Paul will write to PCC asking for a barrier at the bottom to stop vehicles without interfering with other things like buggies.
Annual General Meeting
To be held on Wednesday 30 October, 7:30pm Pukerua Bay RSA.
Publicity has started with an item in latest Kลrero issue. We will create an event on our website and share it with community Facebook groups. We will send emails directly to members.
The Residents Association was approached for comment on the Mt Welcome farm housing development being included in the 149 in the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Plimmerton Farm development is also included in the list of 149.
This is the response we sent to the journalist.
โWe understand the need for extra housing and the Northern area of Porirua has been identified as a high-growth area. We generally support the approach being taken so far. Pukerua Bay residents, and the Residents Association have put a lot of work into ensuring that any development meets both the social needs of the community and protects the environment. We submitted to the councilโs review of the district plan and there is a special district plan (Variation 1) that covers the area the Classic developers land is in. This includes a high degree of protection for freshwater in the area, particularly any water that flows into the Pauatahanui arm of the Porirua Harbour. It is also based on medium-density housing, which our RA supports. The environmental protection in the district plan is strongly supported by local residents.
“PCC had been working with Kฤinga Ora on a potential Specified Development Project for the Northern Growth Area, which would have integrated all the housing developments between Pukerua Bay and Plimmerton, to ensure a joined up approach for roading, community facilities, public transport and other infrastructure. We would not support any developments being taken out of that holistic approach by this Fast Track process.
“Taking individual developments out of this integrated approach looks like a step backwards for the city if it allowed developers to ignore the work council, residents, developers and Kฤinga Ora have already done and take a short-cut that can ignore the appropriate environmental protection. Any approvals under the fast track process should include the conditions and environmental protections that have already been negotiated by council and developers.โ
Logging of the pine plantation is about to start on part of the Muri Road housing development by Pukerua Holdings Limited.
The area is the part of the development that has been zoned as residential for many years and is the area closest to the existing houses in Muri Road. This is the Muri Road Stage 1 development. Porirua City Council has issued a resource consent to Pukerua Holdings for the work and their contractors will begin working there in the next couple of weeks.
It’s anticipated the operation will last about four months.
Attending: Ross Leggett, Chris Kirk-Burnnand, Paul FitzGerald, Margaret Blair, Jane Comben, Gay Hay, Jonothan Harker, Iain MacLean. Ashley Blair, Hugh Evans Apologies: Nikky Winchester
Motion: to accept the finincial report. Moved Paul, seconded Gay. Agreed.
Motion: Pukerua Bay Community Garden Food Forest to make an application to the NZ Tree Trust to cover any shortfall in expenses for the project to develop a rongoa medicinal garden. This is likely to cover specimen and ground cover trees, signage and pamphlet. Can apply for up to $2,000. Proposed Gay Hay, seconded Nikky Winchester. Approved by committee.
Correspondence
Email from Adele Hickford about drop-in session (PCC report forwarded by her).
Action items
None.
Project updates
Community Garden Food Forest
Compost bins. Work in progress. Being painted.
NZ Tree Trust application is being processed.
Developing a worksheet with aerial photo to encourage people to nominate areas they can work in as part of working days
Winter prep for garden. Group discussion needed.
Plan for focused work day on the second Saturday of June.
Matariki โ plan forJune 22. Peter Stevenson Welsh story teller has painted pictures for Cranke / story-telling performance. Ara leading harakeke star making. There will be an opportunity for shared kai.
He Ara Pukerua
A replacement seat in memory of Delma Mosen has been installed in Muri Reserve and Brian Poolโs memorial bench there too. The families and locals have expressed appreciation and presumably Te Araroa walkers are happy. And no, the seat does not block the gate! Thanks due to Dave Stone at PCC for organising this to happen.
He Ara Facebook stories have received good feedback. Stories about the seats, benches and sculptures around the Bay will be put up on a regular basis.
We displayed our panorama and Waikokako prints at the school gala. Good connections and conversations.
Application for grant submitted to Nikau Foundation.
A team visit to the Mt Welcome Bush has been organised as part of research for the Natural History section of our website.
A panel for Pou Tangaroa has been designed and is currently going through the approval process.
Kลrero
Issue 2 at final proofing stage. Delivery from 19 April
Issue 3 (themes Matariki and music) underway and stories already being sourced. 1 May deadline
Waste free PKB
Nothing to report.
Climate Change
Nothing to report.
General business
Long term plan
Three topics to focus on in submission:
Water meters from year 4. General agreement in committee to support their compulsory installation as a conservation tool.
Kerb side recycling and rubbish collection. Do we agree with this? Proposal to sort glass at kerb side is good idea, but probably donโt have a choice with proposed changes to the general rubbish going into large bins. Residents canโt save money by not putting out bin. Big bins donโt provide incentive to reduce their waste. Can PCC provide the black plastic bags for people who want to save money? Please bring back the non-organic recycling collection.
Village Planning โ focus should be on community development, rather than Capex funding. Staff costs in operational budget, rather than capital expenditure on projects, structures, etc.
Provide a Kลrero story on LPT. Summarise RA submission, and link to full response on RA website.
PCC drop-in meeting
Publish PCC report on website.
Penguin signs
PCC putting in new penguin signs at beach. Dog bylaws being reviewed in 3 years. Rules and signs need simplifying.
The Residents Association made the following submission to Porirua City Council on its 10-year plan up to 2023.
The increased costs ratepayers are now expected to pay for necessary work in the city are a direct consequence of the approach of previous councils to keep rate increases as low as possible by not investing in infrastructure. This same error has come back to bite councils across the country, and we hope that has changed the approach PCC will take in the future. We understand this might be unpopular with ratepayers, but there are important intergenerational equity issues in this, and councils cannot continue to โkick the can down the roadโ for any longer.
If any cyclists are planning to cycle on Wairaka Farm at Pukerua Bay (on your left as you go north), please contact the farm manager, Kerry Kilminster, first. He can be contacted on 027 389 9212. Thanks in advance.
In a decision thatโs likely to please Pukerua Bay residents, the latest version of the Porirua City Council Proposed District Plan has removed any possibility of high-density housing being built in Pukerua Bay.
Kฤinga Ora had proposed that every part of Pukerua Bay within 800 metres of the train station should be rezoned as โhigh-density housingโ, which would have allowed at least six-storey buildings taller than 22 metres. We were worried that the panel was going to agree to that proposal, or at least rezone all the land within 400 metres of the station, which was the original Kฤinga Ora proposal.
PCC has accepted the latest version without change as the new proposed plan. In this, the whole of Pukerua Bay is now locked in as โmedium density housingโ, which is the default for the Wellington region. This allows for up to three houses of three storeys each (up to 12 metres high) to be built on all residential properties as a permitted activity (i.e. without needing a resource consent).
Many Pukerua Bay residents, including the Residents Association, sent in submissions opposing the high-density proposal, and the Association is very pleased to see there won’t be any here.
The current version can be appealed to the Environment Court, but unless the court makes any changes, the latest version will be the final operative plan everyone has to follow.
Climate change and resilience added to District Plan
We were also very pleased to see that the panel added a new section on climate change and resilience to the introduction to the District Plan variation that covers the new developments off Muri Road and the Mount Welcome deer farm (i.e. Variation 1 Northern Growth Area).
We had pointed out that there was no mention of the need to both build to anticipate and prevent the impact of climate change in the new developments, and not do anything that would make it any worse. The panel added proposed wording directly from our submission:
The development will incorporate design principles that anticipate the effects of climate change, to mitigate its impacts, to avoid contributing to it and to increase community resilience.
