Announcements

He Ara Pukerua: beach heritage marker unveiling

Painting: waka on the beach, Pukerua Bay
Waka on Pukerua Bay beach.

The beach heritage marker, part of Pukerua Bay’s He Ara Pukerua heritage project, will be unveiled by Porirua Mayor, His Worship Mike Tana. The marker covers a brief introduction to Pukerua Māori history, George Stubbs, John Nicol, Nobby Clark, beach houses, the 1962 Battle of the Rocks, the Rāhui and early artists.

This will be followed by the unwrapping of the bollard for the Pukerua Bay Surf Lifesaving Club at Brendan Bay, with members of the club.

All welcome!

10 am start, Saturday 3 August 2019 (ical)
Southern beach car park, at foot of Goat Track (map)

No Engine Braking sign for Pukerua Bay

We’re very pleased to see that NZTA has put up a “No engine braking” sign for south-bound traffic. It’s been a long battle even just to get signs installed, and David Olsen deserves credit for persisting with it. We’d like to find ways of stopping engine braking disturbing residents entirely, but this is a good start.

He Ara Pukerua signpost opening

The He Ara Heritage Group of the Pukerua Bay Residents Association would like to invite you to the opening of 4 heritage bollards on the Ara Harakeke Way. The event will be on Saturday 19 May 2018 and start at 10.00am by the entrance to Whenua Tapu.

That might sound a bit official but it’s really a great chance to see and hear stories about our local history. The bollards have been placed alongside the walkway to mark significant events or places at those sites.

It’s a 2.5 km walk down to the Z Truck Stop and Mayor Mike Tana is officiating at all four of them. He will be ably assisted at each one by our selected historians who will give a potted history of the significance of each site.

A representative from the Hongoeka Marae will bless each one and Mayor Mike will unveil them with a flourish. As a bonus, Mike Jebson from the QE2 National Trust and a resident botanist will speak as we pass the Taupō Swamp sign which was recently rediscovered. The last time it was seen out in the open was when the Queen was here!

At the Truck Stop we will have available some ‘local’ refreshments. They will be non-alcoholic and child friendly. Actually they will be real fruit ice blocks made on the Kāpiti Coast by a couple of ladies just starting their business called Paekākāriki Pops.

Have your say before the end of the April

Pukerua Bay residents! We encourage you to make submissions to your local councils about their long term plans, and have your say about things that matter to you. Please have a look at the following two sites, both due before the end of this month:

Porirua City Council: Make submissions on the new proposed Long Term Plan before 23 April at submissions.porirua.govt.nz. The long term plan emphasis is on much needed infrastructure investment in the ageing water supply and waste/storm water systems funded with a 5.25 % rates increase per year over 4 years. Other changes include paid parking in the CBD, strategic property purchases and revitalising Eastern Porirua, subsidised recycling for schools and preschools, improved access to Titahi Bay, a second fenced dog park, and increasing fees and charges to reduce the increase in rates. Click here for the whole document (PDF).

Greater Wellington Regional Council: Submit your opinions online at www.whatmatters.co.nz before 29 April and have your say. Porirua City Council have argued they are paying too high a transport rate due to shortcomings in economic modelling, so revising these models should improve costs for flood protection and transportation. We think Porirua residents should submit in support of this change (by choosing Option 1 in the Revenue and Financing Policy proposal) to help counteract likely votes against it from Hutt and Wairarapa councils. Three other issues are 1. long term plans for the Wairarapa and Capital Connection rail services, 2. improving the Wellington Regional Emergency Management Office, and 3. support for the Water Wairarapa Project.

Community Garden consultation

We had a great meeting at the site of the Community Garden on Sunday, having invited all the neighbours to discuss the project and contribute with ideas and feedback. Everyone who turned out was enthusiastic and eager to participate, so we are looking at getting things moving ahead. With this in mind – everyone in the community is invited to a meeting at 7pm, Thursday 19 October at the School Hall to contribute to the planning for the immediate and longer term future of the garden.

If you have anything you would like to put on the agenda; ideas and feedback,  skills, materials or other resources to contribute, please feel free to message here or comment on the Facebook posts’s discussion.

Pukerua Bay Train Station opening

 

Join us in celebrating the new METLINK station shelter (funded and installed by GWRC), and heritage signs at the Pukerua Bay Railway Station on Saturday the 27th of May at 10am.  Mayor Mike Tana will present and open the archway and reveal the new Heritage Sign on the platform.  All Pukerua Bay residents and visitors are warmly invited to attend.

For further details about the event, please click here.

Background: The Pukerua Bay Residents Association has worked tirelessly in partnership with Porirua City Council to provide a beautiful new wooden archway and historical information sign.

The timbers used in this sign and the others to be installed, come from the Airlie Road over-bridge which was originally built in 1937 and demolished in 2010.

We invite you to share your memories, memorabilia or materials relating to Pukerua Bay. These will complete the research that has been done so the final map can be drawn. Please contact Margaret Blair on 021 1373 263 or pukeruaheritage@gmail.com.