community garden

Present: Ross Leggett, Chris Kirk-Burnnand, Paul FitzGerald, Margaret Blair, Jane Comben, Gay Hay, Jonothan Harker , Iain MacLean. Late comer Matt Meladonis
Apologies: none

Approval of February 2024 minutes

Approval of February 2024 minutes
Motion: Gay moved to accept February minutes, Iain seconded – all agreed, carried.

Council Updates

GWRC

• Chris has visited the community garden with Paul and will try to make inquiries.
• Mt Welcome understand the consenting issues and challenges. First bit will be 10% of whole development. We’ve seen the visualisation images with lots of trees.
• Thursday this week voting on LTP for GWRC looking at a 19.8% rates rise. 66% transport (but more technically) so that is a concern. Includes fares increase. When national ticketing comes in there maybe charges for Park and Ride with concessions for train ticket holders.
• Consulting on own and set up a depot in Miramar and northern areas. Depots need to be near electricity for charging buses.
• Looking to purchase 2approx 3% shares owned by Horizons Centreport shares. Considered important to add to 77% existing shares so it’s kept in local community ownership. Chris is confident their yield can be improved overtime.

PCC

• Long Term Plan consultation coming out 1 April. There will be a meeting 4 April 3-5pm at RSA. 17.5% proposed rates increase in the first year. Many projects have been deferred or stopped.
• PCC have chosen to include water in the LTP – although it should be taken over by other govt arrangements. 66% of Capex is water. Most commitments that are remaining are related to water. The big tank project will help prevent overflows into the harbour.
• New govt policy statement changes direction from previous govt and downplay emissions but deals other items such as increase road maintenance. There will be more clarity over time. Way things are funded (eg cycleways) are changing.
• Civic awards nominations are open again. Think about if we’d like to nominate anyone.
• Plunket Room consultation document is coming out. Although we have already consulted in a basic overview way.
• Village Plan – proposal for consultation is coming out that Village Planning will be culled for cost saving. Capex will go. Some projects in the system will be worked through.

Matters arising from previous minutes.

Action: Chris and Paul have visited to the Community Garden.

Finance Report to March 2024 Meeting   as at 10 March 2024

BNZ   		$11,369.25
Income:		
$   130.00  CGFF Tea Towel Pre Pay
$   770.00  Korero Invoices
$   300.00  Korero Donation
$       3.52  Interest
$     13.58  Interest

Expenditure:
$  678.48  Korero	
$      3.80  Bank Fees 
			
Invoices – Unpaid
$  220.00
				  	
Account balances as at 10 March 2024

Res Assn 000    	$  255.19
He Ara 001		$1661.60
CGFF 002		$7107.01
Kōrero 066		$2190.47
Surf Seat 067		$  154.93

Correspondence

12 Feb 2024: Porirua Community Leaders Forum invite forwarded by Jono fromTalanoa Wānanga 

13 Feb 2024: Paul FitzGerald responded to Bill Inge’s email about cleaning work on theSecret Valley Murals.

No Action items

Project Updates:

Community Garden

• Compost system. Bins in place. Vicky and Brian leading the project.
• Pest Control. Very frustrating for beans tomatoes and berries. We plan to consult other gardens and try to establish a yearlong attack. We will plant less densely next year.
• New signs created by Gay to prevent people taking fruits before they’re ready
• Pavilion report. Working on interior.
• Matariki celebrations. Plan to provide pumpkins for school hangi in future. Garden to host Welsh author, artist storyteller, Peter Stevenson. He will work with community to construct a “Crankie” and provide art work to retell a Matariki story. Ara Swanney has offered to work with tamariki to make harakeke stars. Possible date 22 June.
• Winter prep of gardening. Discussion still needed.
• School Gala. We will be taking orders for our tea towels (Due April 20). We will donate a basket of produce as a raffle prize for the school.
• Korero. Gay and Margaret have agreed to work on an article for the next publication focussing on “kai”.
• Local business (not sure which) may support garden with a staff work day. We need to action this.

He Ara Pukerua

• The Stores panel was revealed on Thursday 7 March by Janine Thomson and Darryl Lindsay. They are grandchildren of Arthur and Annie Lindsay, the original owners of the Lindsay family store.
– Bill Inge and Megan Krishnan from PCC also came along.
– We are blown away with the responses to our posts on He Ara Facebook from all over the world. There is often subsequent dialogue between many of these people.
• Pou panel – wording had been approved by PCC we are now waiting on approval from Ngati Toa.
• PCC have put in the concrete pads for the Mosen and Pool seats in the Muri Reserve.
• Wellington Heritage Festival – we have received an invitation to participate in October.
• Margaret has met with author and researcher Clare Gleeson about Miss Ngita Woodhouse.
• Work is proceeding on the He Ara website.
• Ashley accompanied three classes from Pukerua Bay School to Wairaka rock and talked to them about Albert Augustus Clark aka Nobby Clark.
• Visit from Dick Farrell. He has so many stories about living in the Bay as a child. He will be back again. He donated a large, framed photograph of the beach in the 1960s

Motion:  Approval requested from this Residents’ Association meeting to apply to the Nikau Foundation for funds to complete the panels project. moved Paul, seconded Jono – Carried

Kōrero

Kōrero is now in its fourth year of publication. We’re entering this year without our dear friend, Mel, and in the knowledge that we will soon lose Iain. In the face of those losses, we’re delighted to welcome three new people to our editorial team: Gill England, Carla Guy, and Kelly McClean.  Iain remains on the team for the meantime. Kate continues as co-ordinating editor, Moira ably organises advertising and budget, Nikky is chief proofreader, Jonathan looks after the IT side of things, and Gill has stepped in to look after distribution.  Anne’s role as designer is critical – she makes us look good!

Our extended whānau includes our distribution team; Paul, who does most of the pickups from the printer; and Margaret who processes our invoices and helps Moira keep track of finances. And, of course, it includes our wonderful contributors, whose numbers grow with each issue.

Publication would be impossible without the generosity of our advertisers, sponsors, and, last year, the Pelorus Trust. 

Our first three issues this year have needed to be produced on a tight timeframe, as Matariki will be celebrated a month earlier than usual, so Issue 3 will have to come out in the first half of the year. We have not finalised dates for issues 4 and 5. These will be determined later in the year and be responsive to community events.  With that in mind, this is the 2024 schedule.

Financially, we are reasonably on track, but our planning is based on 16-page issues, and we find that we normally need 20 pages. A sign of success, but it does create some pressure. For that reason, we would like the RA committee to endorse our application for another grant to help pay for printing.

Motion:  To apply to Pelorus Trust for extra funding for Korero printing costs. moved Iain, seconded Jono – Carried

General Business:

Community Resilience – Matt Meladonis

• Still pin point water sources outside the community hub and distribution plan.
• We need to localised fliers specific to Pukerua Bay about what to do. What to do, what to keep in stock. Margaret suggested we find a sponsor for printing
• Need a list of people who would require assistance, on chronic meds etc.
• Hoping to get some street groups going with Street Rep so it will help distribute information easily. Could coordinate with neighbourhood watch if it existed. Neighbourhood day could be an opportunity.
• Whetu Bennett contacted Matt about radios and told Jane the PKB report will be updated in April.
• List of key personnel in bay (medics, elderly care, police etc)
• If we have a long term panic, perhaps put out a call out for generator, chest freezers etc. Investigate EV’s V2L powering like a battery.

Muri Road Development update

Artist impression renders were sent in the part that is already zoned for residential and consented. It’s a Jennian homes development. To be put out on a Facebook post.

Closed: 8.52pm