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Alan Bruntonessays, interviews |
| Getting It Together Island
Bay, The Newsletter RED
ROCKS: The rocks were formed about 200 million years ago. They are formed from
volcanic lava. The red colour is caused by iron oxide. Maori tradition gives
three different explanations for the colour of Pariwhero (= Red Rocks). One is
that when Maui used blood from his nose to bait his hook in order to fish up
Te Ika A Maui (the North Island), some of the blood fell onto the rocks. The
rocks are associated in most people’s minds with Kupe. In one explanation,
Kupe cut his hand on a paua shell and his blood stained the rocks. In another,
Kupe’s daughters cut their arms as they lamented his departure for the
South. There
were two villages associated with the area - Taumata Patiti east of Sinclair
Head and Makurerua on the hills above. Karaka trees indicate occupation. * Yes,
I want to belong to the Island
Bay Residents Association! NAME
.............................................................. ADDRESS
...........................................................…
.............................................................. PHONE
.................................. I
enclose $5.00 annual family subscription. * ISLAND
BAY RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION End
of Year Message from The President: The
year is drawing to a close and this is the last Newsletter for 1996. It would
be remiss of me to let this time pass without a big ‘Thank you’ to the
Committee of the Residents Association. They have worked hard and been loyal
to the community. The Association has had a very successful year in terms of
assuring its financial stability, its connection with Wellington City council
and in defending our environment from degradation
by the greedy and small-minded. Our membership continues to expand with
meetings being enthusiastically attended. Our meetings are proving to be a
real political training ground! During
the past year, we have had quite a few ex-patients from hospitals and
institutional homes take up residence among us. i trust that our community has
made them feel welcome. Some of them may be facing a lonely Christmas. Could
you please pass on to any in this situation the following invitation: The
Salvation Army Community & Family Services (Newtown) will again in 1996 be
serving a Christmas Dinner for families, people on their own and Shut-Ins.
Last year, 100 people participated in the dinner and 20 meals were delivered.
The time is 12.00 (noon) at the Salvation Army, Constable Street. Anyone
wishing to attend the dinner should reserve by calling: 389 0594. Christmas
Samplers are also available for families and individuals who prefer to have
Christmas at home. From
myself, Kathy and our family our warmest thanks for the blessings of the past
year and our hopes for your Happy Christmas and Prosperous New Year.
Ray Clegg * Help
us to help you! * WHAT’S
UP / WHAT’S NOT Raucous
celebrations in the streets of the Bay last week - Valuation New Zealand
announced figures that show average house price in Wellington rising to
$212,500, an average increase of $2500. In our area, July-Sept 96, there were
36 sales with price average rising from $174,500 the previous quarter to
$189,500! The
coupons that you filled in earlier this year with regard to specific problems
about Council services were dispatched by the Association to Council in
September. We have a reply from Trish Ubels (Roading Co-ordinator, Roading
Department Commissioning) encouraging members to call 499 4444 for prompt
investigation of concerns about local streets and pavements. Congratulations
to Bryan Pepperell upon election to the City Council in the recent
by-election. Will he heed calls from Cr Rex (‘Let’s revisit the issues’)
Nicholls to be ‘constructive’ or will he continue to follow his own nose?
In
response to anguished enquiries by several readers: When will The Parade (aka
Speed Camera Alley) be resurfaced? The Parade will be ‘shape corrected by
qualified personnel in January or February next year.’ The Council is aware
of the problems but must wait until Drainage completes its work. The shape
correction will eliminate puddles (sorry, kids!) and make the ride smoother.
Re
cleaning beaches: Council’s Parks Business Unit cleans beaches weekly (!)
and removes inorganic rubbish but not organic waste such as seaweed,
driftwood, shells or dog deposits - except at Oriental Bay. * LAST
MEETING FOR 1996: Island
Bay Resource Centre * Island
Bay Residents Association (Inc.) *
NEXT
MEETING: Monday
9 December 7.30 pm * COMMUNITY
RESOURCE CENTRE 137
THE PARADE Weekly
Community Activities Monday TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY
10.00-12.00 Mothers
Alone MONTHLY
2nd Sunday 10.00 Rambling
Group
6
WEEKLY plus
University of the Third Age (contact for details) * Issues
start to heat up, soon some animated words get said. Ray Clegg announces
strong Island Bay Residents Assn opposition to the ‘no fishing in Island
Bay’ of the Marine Reserve folks. Colin says he won’t mind fishing-boats,
he wants a tourist attraction. Robert Logan arrives too late to hear all this.
Erica Stirling starts to cry as she details how Council housing tenants are
joining together to oppose threats to public housing. ‘Be honest and
truthful,’ she says and I’m wiping tears away too. Robin
Corner speaks in opposition to any casino - he gives as one reason that rates
of rape increase when a town has a casino. The sentiment in the room is
strongly anti-casino. From the murmurs, you can tell people are united on this
issue. Personally, I like chancing a few chips on the spin of the wheel (but
then I love old Kenny Rogers movies too). The Zoological Society says we need
a Zoo to make Wellington ‘a better place to live’. Annette King arrives.
Hey, anything could happen. There’s
urgent debate about shop encroachments in Newtown. People say that
‘greengrocers’ and ‘people like that’ are taking over the pavements of
Newtown! Councillors say there is a policy and a position of Pavement
Inspector. Sadly, the situation is vacant. Any volunteers? An
independent consultant is assessing the need for a boat ramp and repairs to
the pier in Island Bay. Robert makes a note in his book. A blind man gets up
and leaves. Cr Piper asks if everyone who’s still there can read. Darryl
speaks to every issue with regard to feelings in Russell Terrace! There will
be traffic lights controlling traffic flow around the Basin Reserve by January
1997. The delay is caused by Transit NZ. Should
Residents Associations be funded? New councillor Pepperell states a firm
“No!” Collected ResAssn bigwigs suck in breath. The Mayor says he thinks
it’s a good idea. Cr Pepperell backtracks, he mutters that the matter
must “be looked at
carefully.” Cr
Piper leaves to play croquet. I’m gazing at the little slices of pecan tart
the Council is giving us for afternoon tea. Roy wants to know about closing
the quarry at Owhiro Bay. Cr Wade-Brown tells him ‘the issue is not dead.’
Simon Collins from City Voice makes a note in his book. Outside, you can tell
it’s a beautiful day at the Bay. The sun is making the old church windows
glow. The Berhampore delegation starts quietly stomping the floor. We want our
cup of tea, some of us were up so early we missed breakfast ... Someone wants
to know when bicyclists will start paying road-user taxes. The Mayor has no
involvement in Chinese Hot Sauce
... for further information, call 499 4444 ... Hmm, pecan tart ... * The
Manawa Karioi Society (named after an historic spring on Island Bay’s
western skyline) is continuing efforts to restore native bush above Tapu Te
Ranga Marae. if you would like to join in the working bees, phone Maggy
Wassilieff (383 6100) regarding the Sunday working bees, or Sally Bowman (389
3580) regarding the regular Wednesday working bees. To
join the Manawa Society, send $5.00 only + details to: Tapu
te Ranga Marae, 44 Rhine Street, Island Bay. *
NOTE: A red dot means your subscription has expired. * ‘we
serve you’ supports
the community * SOUTHERN
WARD MEETING 23
NOVEMBER 1996 NEWTOWN
COMMUNITY CENTRE Saturday
morning came in with all alarms ringing as the sun slapped into my eyes: Hi!
summer’s here. There was a dull throbbing in the back of my head. Idly, I
pushed my fork around a half-fried egg and took in the debris of a heavy
night’s television viewing from the night before. Castoff the cat was nosing
a few cold chips and colder battered fish. There was a half-empty bottle of
chardonnay going pink on the window-sill. The telephone screamed. It was my
editor demanding I get to the Southern Ward Meeting immediately. There would
be a car, it would toot. I ran a wet flannel over my face. The toot goes toot
like fire-crackers in my brain. Too much Eddie Murphy last night ... The
driver was a professional. He asked where I was going. “Newtown,”
I said with a snarl. He turned a whiter shade of pale. “Newtown? At this time of day?” “Sure,” I said,
“It’s a ..., it’s a ward meeting.” I
walked into the Community Centre with my sombrero down over my eyes. There was
a smell of power in the room. All the movers from the southern suburbs were
there. Berhampore’s shadowy organisation, Resident Action Group, was
practising hand signals. Island Bay Residents Assn headman, Ray Clegg, was
stylish in an Aerospatiale jacket. The duo from Newtown Residents Assn
was looking casual but the appearance was deceptive, these were
hardened people, used to the cut and thrust of public debate. On the stage was
a bench. At one end was a laptop computer and at the other was Bryan
Pepperell. Above him, a sign: TRUST HOUSES FAMILY. There was another sign too:
Absolutely Positively Wellington. Here are my notes: Councillor
Celia Wade-Brown calls us to korero. Also on stage by now, Cr Sue Piper
dressed in a sporty blue ensemble. Councillor Sue Kedgeley is introduced as,
does she say?, the Chair of Community Confrontations. The Mayor sends an
apology because he is ‘with the Greek Pope in Whitby.’ Marie
Russell describes her library where people have dignity as human beings as
being under attack by user-pays. In the battle to reduce rates, the library is
being pushed into ‘business process re-engineering’ or ‘bpr’, a
radical kind of user-pays. This will be reviewed next February. The contract
calls for performance measures, there will need to be ‘robust indicators’.
I could use an aspirin. Cr Piper says “Questions will be asked, and heads
will roll ...” The mayor arrives, “Hi, Mark!”, and takes a pew beneath a
fire-hose. * MAORI
SITES OF TAPU TE RANGA (#3) MOTU-HAKU
Kainga or Pa * SPECIFIC
PROPOSALS TO BE PRESENTED It
is the intention of John Ritson and Caryl-Louise Robinson to deliver a strong
presentation to the December meeting of the Island bay Residents Association
with regards to making Island Bay ‘child-friendly’. The concept was
endorsed at the October meeting and is now
to be put to the community for implementation. FLOOD
PREVENTION Residents
Assn asked for consultants to liaise directly with the Association over a
flood protection scheme. Ray Clegg noted that Karori has received funding of
over $1 million towards a similar scheme. DOG
POOP Under
the Dog Control Act, Council has the ability to issue instant fines of $200.
People can encourage dog owners to remove the poop. IB Residents Assn favours
the ‘pooper-scooper’ by-law as in Palmerston North. Newtown Residents
Assn, on the other hand, favours widespread use of the ‘supermarket bag
technique.’ ISLAND
BAY SKYLINE City
Council Finance and Corporate Committee rejected (23 September) the staff
recommendations to remap land at the end of Quebec Street from Open Space to
allow for development and to construct a link road between Quebec and
Frobisher Street. Only one councillor Rex Nicholls voted for the staff
proposal to re-open the whole issue of developing the skyline. Councillors
Piper, Foster, Wade-Brown, Cook, Nef and Barraclough all spoke against the
staff recommendations. * scorpio’s * INTERNET:
Any body interested in contributing to or helping develop the Island Bay
Internet (Web) Site linking people, talent and ideas, please contact: Tim
Jordan, e-mail: tjordan@actrix.gen.nz * GET
INVOLVED: twenty-six voluntary rangers are being sought by City Council to
protect and educate about reserves, parks and Town Belt. Rangers have legal
powers to approach people involved
in anti-plant activities and obtain details.
Call the Service hotline - 499 4444.
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