Recent News
This page has the content from the latest media releases or news issued by Porirua City Council.
For previous media releases in pdf format, please refer to the Media Releases page.
News on this page:
WHO SHOULD MANAGE PORIRUA’S WATER INFRASTRUCTURE?
4 June 2013
Porirua City Council wants to hear what residents think about a proposal to change the way Porirua’s water, wastewater and stormwater assets are managed.
“The Council is considering whether to become shareholders in Capacity Infrastructure Services and contract them to provide asset management services in our city or to continue as we are,” says Porirua Mayor Nick Leggett.
“Currently Porirua is the only city in the Wellington region that manages its own water services and receives its bulk water directly from the Great Wellington Regional Council.
“Our city was approached by Capacity last year to join them as both an owner and a customer and although we know the current Porirua operation is running well, we’ve been told some small operational cost savings could be made over time. “There is also the strategic benefit of aligning all the infrastructure management of the four cities in one room.”
With change in the air for Local Government reform in the Wellington region, Mayor Leggett says it’s also timely to consider whether this service can be delivered in a more effective way.
“While we have heavily invested in our stormwater, sewage and water asset replacement, we are still running a high risk on two of those networks. Joining Capacity could be a way of getting wider expertise and advice on improving that.”
Capacity is a Council Controlled Trading Organisation, currently owned by Wellington City Council and Hutt City Council.
“If Porirua was to join the Capacity model, we would still continue to own our water infrastructure and to make all decisions on both operational and capital budgets locally, while Capacity would manage day-to-day operations and asset management including at the Waste Water Treatment Plant.”
The Council is seeking submissions on the proposal before making a final decision about how to proceed. Submissions need to be received by the Council by 5pm Monday 1 July.
They can be posted to P O Box 50218, Porirua 5240, emailed to submissions@pcc.govt.nz or dropped off at the Council offices at 16 Cobham Court, Porirua City.
If a community group would like a representative from the Council to come to one of their meetings and discuss the proposal in person, this can be arranged, within the submission period. Anyone wanting to make a request should contact Peter Bailey, General Manager Asset Management and Operations, on 237 5089.
A Summary of Information, Statement of Proposal and other relevant Council papers are available for inspection at Porirua City Council Administration Building at 16 Cobham Court, Porirua. Electronic versions are available on the Homepage of the PCC website at www.pcc.govt.nz
GEAR HOMESTEAD TREE MEMORIAL STARTS NATIONAL TREE PLANTING WEEK
28 May 2013
A descendant of James and Ruth Gear who died early from a brain tumour after years of service to her family and community will be remembered this Thursday during a planting at Gear Homestead.
Westley Jane Sugarman was the eldest daughter of Beatrix Suzanne (nee Bothamley) and Lt William Sullivan, and the great-granddaughter of James and Ruth Gear. Her mother Beatrix was a War Bride and moved to America with her U.S. Marine husband William shortly after Westley Jane was born.
When their father was deployed overseas for long periods, their mother would bring Westley Jane and her younger siblings Michele and Billy back to Porirua, where the sisters would attend Porirua Primary School.
Westley Jane’s cousin Felicity Bothamley says there was something about her cousin that drew people to her.
“She was very beautiful but so loved…not for her looks but because she was generous of spirit,” says Felicity.”
Westley Jane was devoted to her parents and had spent years caring for them until her mother passed away in 2009 at the age of 90. Westley Jane was also an oncology nurse and spoke fluent Spanish whichwas helpful in her work with Mexican patients at the hospital in which she worked before her death.
Felicity says although Westley Jane lived in California, she visited New Zealand and the cousins here visited that branch of the family often. “Westley was very clever with a Master’s Degree in Nursing. She was an avid gardener, walker, bird watcher and scuba diver...she was adored by us all.”
Felicity says Westley Jane had just got to a place where she could think about doing some things for herself when she was diagnosed with the tumour and died nine months later just after marrying her second husband Sam Sugarman.
As a tribute to Westley Jane, Felicity approached the Council to ask if the family could donate some trees to be planted in the grounds of the house that Westley Jane had spent time as a child – Gear Homestead.
Five Japanese Maples will be planted with a memorial plaque nearby with Westley’s favourite flowers, daffodils and freesias, planted below.
Westley Jane is survived by her second husband Sam Sugarman, daughters Erin and Kirsten Lagerberg (from first marriage to Don Lagerberg) and sister Michele.
Mayor Nick Leggett will help plant the trees in the grounds of Gear Homestead on Thursday 30 June at 10am.
National Tree Planting Week starts on Saturday 1 June. Other tree plantings around the city to improve our air quality and make our reserve areas green & pleasant include:
Plimmerton Karehana Park Friday 31 May 10.30am - 12pm. Join the Mayor, the residents of Plimmerton and the pupils of Plimmerton School as they continue to plant up Karehana Park.
Whitby The Crowsnest Reserve Saturday 1 June 9.30am - 12.30pm. Join members of Whitby Residents Association and Whitby Residents as they plant up the site of a former with Pine plantation with natives. Please wear stout shoes or boots and bring a spade. Native bush supports five more times the number of insect species compared to that found in Pine plantations.
Aotea Block - Baxter's Knob Saturday 15 June 9.30am - 12.30pm. Join the Council’s reserves team and help plant the reserve above the Police College. It has amazing views of the harbour and Titahi Bay. It is also one of the windiest spots in Porirua so bring a warm coat if windy. Please wear stout shoes or boots and bring a spade.
Aotea Block - Jasmine Underhill Reserve 22 June 9.30am - 12.30pm. Join the Friends of Aotea to plant trees and create shade for future users of the reserve. Please wear stout shoes or boots and bring a spade.
Whitby - Spinnaker Lookout - Saturday 29 June 9.30am - 12.30pm. Join members of Whitby Residents Association and Whitby Residents as they plant up with eco sourced natives around the newly completed lookout overlooking the Pauatahanui inlet and surrounding hills. Please wear stout shoes or boots and bring a spade. Eco sourced natives are plants grown from seed and cuttings from the Porirua region and help keep our biodiversity of local species.
COUNCIL INVESTIGATING WATER LOSS AT AQUATIC CENTRE
24 May 2013
Five bore holes will be drilled around Te Rauparaha Arena starting on Monday (27 May) to investigate water loss from the Arena Aquatic Centre.
During regular monitoring of water use at the aquatic centre, the Council found water was being lost at fluctuating levels.
To find out what was causing the leak and the best options for fixing it a project team has been established. Aurecon an independent geotechnical company will oversee the work and provide advice to the project team working on the leak. The project team comprises Council Property staff, Holmes Group and Filtration and Pumping Commercial – the original pipe work installer.
In the past few months between 10,000 and 14,000 litres of water per day has been leaking from the pipe work that feeds water to the main lap pool. The pool itself is not leaking.
A drilling rig will bore 7 metres down at each bore site and soil samples will be sent away for geotechnical analysis. One of the five bores will act as a control bore and another will be drilled inside the aquatic centre out of core business hours. Each bore will have a lockable flush mounted toby box set in cement at ground level so the water table readings can be monitored over the next four weeks.
Wellington Airport Regional Community Award Nominations now open
20 May 2013
Nominations for this award are now open. You can view information about these awards on the Wellington Airport website, and download the Nomination Forms in Word format, or pdf format. Nominations close on 28 June 2013.
Visit the Wellington Airport website for more information, and there is an online form also available.
PORIRUA HARBOUR STRATEGY WINS BEST PRACTICE AWARD
2 April 2013
Porirua City Council, Greater Wellington Regional Council, Wellington City Council and Ngati Toa Rangatira received a NZPI award last night for the Porirua Harbour and Catchment Strategy and Action Plan.
Their joint efforts were recognised by the New Zealand Planning Institutes as deserving of the Best Practice Award for Consultation and Participation Strategies and/or Processes.
“These key parties adopted a multi-agency approach to addressing the poor health of Porirua Harbour and tributary streams,” says Porirua Harbour Strategy Coordinator Keith Calder.
“This approach involved a total of 14 agencies working together over a four-year period to develop the Porirua Harbour and Catchment Strategy and Action Plan (the Strategy). It also involved a wider four year public consultation and engagement process.”
The Strategy which was adopted by the key parties in December 2011 recognises that the Porirua Harbour estuary is a unique and treasured natural environment and specifies prioritised actions to implement the three key objectives:
• reduce sedimentation rates
• reduce pollutant inputs
• restore ecological health.
Porirua Mayor Nick Leggett says that the development, commitment, adoption and funding of the Strategy by the 14 agencies, as well as the wider public, ensures that its implementation will be a success.
"Porirua Harbour is a natural treasure and a focus of beauty for our city. Having the commitment of these groups to protect and restore it is important to us. It’s also great to see regional collaboration working so well and this being recognised in this way.”
Porirua’s 800ha harbour is the largest estuary in the lower North Island, has the only sea grass (a critical spawning and nursery plant) of any significance in the lower North Island and includes the nationally significant Pauatahanui Wildlife Management Reserve. The 175km2 catchment is home to over 80,000 people.
PCC INVITES PUBLIC TO ONLINE DISCUSSION ON ALCOHOL IN PORIRUA
2 May 2013
Public feedback on an issues paper to develop a Local Alcohol Policy for Porirua can now be made using a new online tool called Inspire Porirua.
The Local Alcohol Policy Porirua issues paper was released today by Porirua City Council.
David Rolfe General Manager Environment and Regulatory Services says since the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act was adopted late last year, local communities have the ability to manage the supply of alcohol in their neighbourhood through a Local Alcohol Policy (LAP).
“This issues paper is the first step in the development of an LAP for Porirua. To facilitate discussion on the effects of alcohol on the lives of Porirua residents we simultaneously launched a trial online community engagement website called Inspire Porirua.”
The Inspire Porirua project is a comprehensive community engagement website, where citizens can engage, communicate and collaborate with community decision makers and other residents on issues facing Porirua.
“The first topic for discussion using this trial website is the issues paper and the development of an LAP. The trial of Inspire Porirua will last two months when the Council will review whether to use it for other public engagement and consultation.”
Feedback from this engagement website will be used by councillors to decide what should go into a draft LAP for Porirua. The draft is expected to be available in October this year and at that time residents will have an opportunity to provide formal submissions on the draft.
“Now is the time to join the discussion on alcohol in Porirua and influence what sort of Local Alcohol Policy is best for our communities,” Mr Rolfe says.
The Inspire Porirua project is now live at www.inspireporirua.co.nz where people can download the issues paper, use interactive maps of Porirua and join the discussion!
STREAMSIDE WORK KICKS OFF FIRST STAGE OF CITY CENTRE REVITALISATION
2 April 2013
Changes taking place by the streamside on Lyttelton Ave in Porirua City Centre over the next couple of months are paving the way for the development of the city’s new streamside plaza.
The streamside plaza is stage one of Porirua City Council’s City Centre Revitalisation redevelopment.
Porirua City Mayor Nick Leggett says development of the streamside plaza is pivotal to plans to revitalise the city centre.
“The plaza will connect to the railway station, the harbour, the new entrance to North City Shopping Centre and back through to Cobham Court. It will be clear to people they have found the centre of town and it will be clear how to find their way around from there. It is being designed to attract food and beverage outlets to locate streamside and take advantage of the increased hustle and bustle the redevelopment will bring.
“We’d envisage coffee carts and other mobile food outlets down by the stream. Office workers will be able to grab some lunch and dangle their feet in the water. Alternatively people can enjoy a more upmarket dining experience, and take time to appreciate the art,” says Mayor Leggett.
“In order to help create this streamside plaza there’s a few things the Council needs to put in place first and that’s what we are doing now.”
The following work will cost $210,000, begin in April and is expected to be completed before the end of June:
o Timber wall panels installed around the existing pump station and transformer buildings to screen these from the streamside plaza area
o Removal of the carpark opposite the bus shelters in Lyttelton Avenue and replace it with chip seal to produce a zone for pedestrian use that will eventually link into being part of the plaza
o Back lit information board to provide information on the project, hardstand area, potable water and electricity incorporated into the removed carpark to make the area attractive to mobile food outlets
o Improving pedestrian access around the area with widening the footpath and installing better lighting
o Bollards to block off the entrance to the car park behind No 2 Lyttelton Avenue. This is a service area for the buildings not a public car park
Jonathan Custance, a Spatial Designer and member of the City Development Sub-committee, which is overseeing the revitalisation project, says this is a small package of work that will get the ball rolling and will help people became aware and start using this important future area.
“It’s about improving the pedestrian flows within the city and turning the city around to link with the waterways without reworking existing buildings and infrastructure. Future new buildings will start accelerating this shift but it’s about evolution to a future masterplan not revolution.”
Mr Custance says improving pedestrian and cycle access into and around the city as well as integrating public transport more visibly are also key strategies in the revitalisation project.
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