Residents’ Association Annual General Meeting

• • RA

The Residents’ Association is holding its Annual General Meeting on Tuesday 1 November. It will include discussion on:

  • A joint New Zealand Transport Agency and Porirua City Council crash reduction study onState Highway 1 and possible safety measures they could install. They have some suggestions and want our feedback on them.
  • A proposal for a cafe in Pukerua Bay – possibly at St Mark’s Church, or maybe somewhere else.
  • Community-led initiative to make Pukerua Bay pest-free by having traps across the village.
  • Review of our Village Plan.

We will also elect the committee for next year, and volunteers are welcome. We would like another two or three people on the committee. Contact Iain MacLean if you’re interested.

All Pukerua Bay residents are members of the Residents’ Association. Come and have your say, and raise any issues of concern.

(event link on Facebook)

Te Araroa Track working bee

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A working bee is to take place on the morning of Tuesday 18 October 2016. This working bee will be focused on weed control, in particular a follow up to work already started on Cape Ivy control on the boundary to Melody Farm. Members of the regular Tuesday working bee for Ngā Uruora will be helping out.

Where and when: Assembly point will be at the end of Muri Road near the track entrance gate (map), at 9:30 am, Tuesday 18 October 2016.

What to bring: Bring drinking water, gloves, muscles, knowledge, smiles and all important morning tea. If you have loppers, a pruning saw or a grubber this would help. Don’t worry if you don’t have tools, Ngā Uruora have a few that could be provided.

Weather: If the weather looks like not cooperating the intention is to send out a cancellation email the night before.

More information is also available on the Ngā Uruora website, and if you are interested in volunteering for the Pukerua Bay end, sign up to their newsletter.

Te Araroa Track working bee

• • Announcements, Working Bees

Tuesday 18 October 2016, 9.30 am

te_araroa_track_appealA working bee is to take place on the morning of Tuesday 18 October 2016. This working bee will be focused on weed control, in particular a follow up to work already started on Cape Ivy control on the boundary to Melody Farm. Members of the regular Tuesday working bee for Ngā Uruora will be helping out.

Where and when: Assembly point will be at the end of Muri Road near the track entrance gate (map), at 9:30 am, Tuesday 18 October 2016.

What to bring: Bring drinking water, gloves, muscles, knowledge, smiles and all important morning tea. If you have loppers, a pruning saw or a grubber this would help. Don’t worry if you don’t have tools, Ngā Uruora have a few that could be provided.

Weather: If the weather looks like not cooperating the intention is to send out a cancellation email the night before.

More information is also available on the Ngā Uruora website, and if you are interested in volunteering for the Pukerua Bay end, sign up to their newsletter.

Paekakariki Escarpment track opens

• • Announcements, Recreation

On Saturday, 9 April 2016, the Paekakariki Escarpment track opened to the public, enabling walkers to walk the entire length of the track between Pukerua Bay and Paekakariki. The 10 km track climbs high above the railway line and is part of the Te Araroa New Zealand walking trail.

For one-way hikes, the nearby railway stations at Pukerua Bay and Paekakariki allow the option to take the train back to close to the starting point. The track is unsuitable for people with vertigo and children younger than 8 due to being narrow, with steep drop-offs to the side.

Community Food Forest planning workshop

• • Community Garden, Consultation

A one-day planning workshop was held at The Woolshed on 12 March 2016 to plan the first stages of setting up the Pukerua Bay Community Food Forest. Attendance was thinner than previous meetings, nevertheless we made a great deal of collective decisions and progress, and this was summarised into our document, Plan for Autumn-Winter 2016 (PDF). See also the Planting Guide (PDF) produced as the result of earlier research work and meetings.

Muri Reserve community food forest site
Muri Reserve community food forest site

Many thanks to go to Richard Self for ably leading our workshop process, and for sharing his experiences with the Wellington Innermost Gardens community garden!

Muri Reserve consultation results

• • Consultation

The results are in from the Residents’ Association community consultation about the Muri Reserve. Great news – 82% of respondents support a community food forest garden in the reserve! Respondents were also in support of building a board-walk across the wetland to join the two halves of the natural zone, using the amenity area as a venue for events such as summer cushion concerts, and a formed path around the edge to connect Sea Vista Drive with the Muri station platform.

The survey questions are listed here in descending order of support.

Q3. Would you support a board-walk across the wetland to join the two halves of the natural zone?

92% Yes

Q6. Do you support a community garden or food forest in the reserve?

82% Yes

Q5. Should people be able to use the amenity area as a venue for events, such as summer cushion concerts?

82% Yes

Q4. Would you use picnic or resting areas in the natural zone if the walking access was better?

72% Yes

Q2. Do you want a formed path around the edge of the amenity zone to connect Sea Vista Drive with the Muri station platform?

62% Yes

Q1. Do you want better, easier walking access to the reserve from Sea Vista Drive, such as a formed path on the existing track?

58% Yes

Q7. Would you like to see a memorial garden in the reserve?

66% No

Q8. Would you or your children use a children’s BMX track in the reserve?

71% No