Finalist – Āpōpō Asset Management Excellence Awards

We’re thrilled to announce that the Cass Square Playground project is a finalist in the Community Awards category of the Āpōpō Asset Management Excellence Awards.

This award recognises projects or initiatives that are an exmplar of step change for a community in the context of infrastructure asset management excellence.

Thank you to everyone who joined us at Cass Square playground in February to assist with the photo alongside, which we included with our entry. The project was a true community collaboration, and the town would not have such an amazing playground without your support.

We’re looking forward now to May, when we’ll find out if we have won!

Recent developments at the Racecourse

The Enabling Infrastructure Project at the Hokitika Racecourse is progressing well. The stormwater installation is well underway, with most of the piping installed. Lateral connections to take stormwater from individual sections to the main pipeline and sump installation have started. Wastewater infrastructure installation is also advancing.

Overhead electrical cables along the eastern end of the racecourse have been replaced with underground electrical cabling. The forecasted completion date for the enabling infrastructure project is the end of September 2025.

Early Hari Hari History

Compiled by Charles Lucas, “Early Hari Hari History” is a captivating exploration of the rich heritage of Hari Hari, a small yet historically significant settlement on New Zealand’s West Coast. With deep personal ties to the town through his ancestors, Peter and Caroline Hende—early settlers who played a pivotal role in shaping the community—Charles weaves together photographs, and historical accounts to bring the past to life.

The Hari Hari community celebrated the launch of the book with a book signing at the Pukeko Store and Café on Wednesday 2 April, with a good turn out of interested readers purchasing their signed copies.

Proceeds from the sale of the book are going towards the extension of the Wilberg Track in Hari Hari.

Books cost $25 and can be purchased in Hari Hari township. Cash payment can be made to Judy Cardno, at 102 Main Road, Hari Hari or from Diane at the Glenalmond Hotel at 29 Main Road, Hari Hari. Books can be posted around New Zealand for $9.50 standard tracking, plus $5.50 for rural post (contact Judy Cardno: jjseas2@gmail.com). Payment can be made to the Hari Hari Community Bank account 12-3166-0303988-51 (Please state your name on the Reference details)

Text and images – Judy Cardno, Hari Hari.

Local elections – Make sure your voting details are correct

If you’re registered to vote, you should have received a voter confirmation pack in the mail. You don’t have to do anything if the details inside are correct. If the details are wrong, you need to update your details online at vote.nz or by returning the form included in the pack.

If you’re registered to vote and you didn’t receive your pack, you will need to update your details with the electoral commission by going to the website above, call them on 0800 36 76 56 or freetext to  3676.

If you would like to change from the general roll to the Māori roll before the local elections, you need to change your details before midnight, 10 July 2025.

Everyone who is 18 years or older should be enrolled to vote – it means that you get to have a say in who will represent you at the Council table. You can even register to enroll if you will turn 18 during the voting period, which means that you will be able to cast a special vote once you have enrolled.

Don’t delay, make sure you have your chance to cast your vote.

What is a grab bag, and why do I need one?

Major earthquakes, tsunamis, flooding, cyclones, landslides, infrastructure failure, space weather… emergencies can happen at any time, and often with very little or no notice. One of the most effective ways you can prepare is by having a grab bag ready to go.

In a disaster, you may need to urgently evacuate your home or workplace. Roads could be destroyed or blocked, power and phone lines might be down, and emergency services could take time to reach you. A grab bag ensures you have the essential supplies to get yourself through the first hours of an emergency – keeping you safe, warm, and connected.

Your grab bag should be lightweight and easy for you to carry, whilst still housing all your essentials. If your bag is waterproof, even better! The list below can help you get started:

• Food and water: Non-perishable food, a full water bottle (at least one litre of drinking water), and water purification drops/tablets.
• Warmth and shelter: A raincoat, hat, warm layers, emergency thermal blanket, and sturdy walking shoes.
• First-aid kit: Personal medications, bandages, antiseptic, pain relief etc.
• Communication: A whistle, a battery-powered or wind-up radio and a cable and charged power bank for your phone.
• Light source: A torch with spare batteries, or a wind-up torch.
• Important documents: Photocopies of IDs and important documents (such as your insurance policies).
• Cash: ATMs and EFTPOS may not work if the power is out, so its handy to some cash in your bag.
• Other personal items: Glasses/contact lenses, hearing aids and batteries, spare keys, and anything else you can’t do without.

If this sounds expensive or daunting, just make a start and chip away at it every week. You may find that you already have everything you need for your grab bag scattered throughout your home, so re-purpose an old school bag and start packing, keeping all your essentials in one place and ready if/when you need to evacuate.

We recommend keeping items separated using sealable bags or leak-proof containers, so they don’t damage everything else if they leak, and putting reminders in your calendar to swap out your water and food before they expire, check your batteries, and recharge your power banks.

Every household is different, so tailor your grab bags to suit your family’s needs (including grab bags for animals). Keep them somewhere easy to find, like in a cupboard by the front door. It’s a good idea to make sure everybody in your home knows where they are. Have a think about what you would do if disaster struck while you were driving, or at work, and store a grab bag in your vehicle/at your workplace too. You’ll thank us if you ever find yourself stuck between landslides waiting for contractors to clear the road.

Emergencies don’t wait, and neither should you. A grab bag is a simple but powerful step towards being ready for whatever comes our way. Take the time today to prepare – it could make all the difference tomorrow.

For more advice on emergency preparedness, visit www.getready.govt.nz, and the West Coast Emergency Management Facebook page.

Stay safe,

Katrina Renshaw

Emergency Management Officer for Westland

Product stewardship regulations for agrichemicals, their containers, and farm plastics

The Government is seeking feedback on proposed regulations to enable a national take-back and recycling scheme for agrichemicals, their containers, and farm plastics.

What is the problem?

Currently, not all farmers have access to take-back and recycling services for agrichemicals, their containers, and farm plastics. This contributes to ongoing but avoidable practices, such as on-farm burning, burial or indefinite storage in some rural areas. This in turn risks harming the environment and our health, and losing recyclable materials. Regional council rules to control on-farm waste disposal – including bans on burning plastics – vary between regions.

The proposal

Building on the two voluntary schemes, agricultural sector groups have worked together to design a single consolidated national scheme that simplifies and increases access to take-back services for farmers and other consumers. This national scheme – provisionally named Green-farms – was accredited in October 2023. This scheme is not operating yet, pending government decisions on supporting regulations. The product stewardship organisation (PSO) managing the scheme is the Agrecovery Foundation, a not-for-profit charitable trust governed by representatives of the primary production sector. We are consulting on two options:

• Option 1: Introduce WMA regulations. These will support the accredited scheme for the inscope products.
• Option 2: No action (maintain the voluntary approach). No regulations would be made. The current schemes may continue with voluntary stewardship of agrichemical containers and other farm plastics including bale wrap, but this cannot be assured.

Visit https://consult.environment.govt.nz/waste/agrichemicals-their-containers-and-farm-plastics/ to read the full consultation document and make your submission.

Text: Ministry for the Environment

Image: sehoon ye on Unsplash