| Council Meeting | Thursday, 25 July |
| Hokitika wastewater Treatment Plant Project Oversight Subcommittee | Wednesday, 31 July |
| Risk and Assurance Committee | Thursday, 8 August |
| Cycling and Walking Subcommittee | Thursday, 15 August |
| Council Meeting | Thursday, 29 August |
Photo: supplied by Franz Josef CDO
On 8 July the staff at the Hokitika Swimming Pool and the isite officially joined the Council staff, after being managed by Destination Westland. This change is part of the decisions made through the Enhanced Annual Plan 2024/2025 process following the Council’s CCO review.
We are very pleased to welcome the staff to the Council. Staff at the Swimming Pool and the isite will continue to provide the great service they always have!
Make sure to register your dog before 1 August to avoid any late penalties! All dogs three months and older must be registered with your local council.
If you are re-registering your dog, and you have updated your details or they have not changed, you can use the online form on our website to make it even easier – no printing or postage costs.
| Certified Disability Dog | Nil |
| Rural | $58 |
| Urban | $74 |
| Responsible Owner* | $50 |
*Contact Dog Control on 0800 474 834 to discuss becoming a responsible owner.
By setting up a payment plan over the year, you can help reduce the pinch when it is annual registration time. Visit our website to download the form and information to get started.
Thank you to everyone who came to celebrate the opening of the Cass Square playground on Sunday 23 June. The playground is a roaring success, with families enjoying it every day of the week.
Although winter is usually a quiet time for the Westland Industrial Heritage Park (the Park) we’ve had a busy time over the last month.
On King’s birthday weekend, we were visited by about 50 hot rods from the Motueka Rodders Club as well as a few regular miniature railway enthusiasts and their locos from Halswell.
The following weekend we celebrated the Park’s 25th anniversary. There was a good attendance of members. Mayor Helen Lash, President Bruce Hackett and founder member Mike Rooney welcomed everyone and gave a brief account of the Park’s history. The beautiful anniversary cake, made and iced by Diane Houston, was duly cut by Glenys Muir assisted by Jim Staton and Mike Rooney. Glenys’s husband, Doug, Jim and Mike were founder members.
In the afternoon of the same day, the Park was re-opened to the public and the Fire Museum was officially opened by former Fire Chief, Harry Collett. This was followed by a demonstration from the Fire Brigade of the rescue of a victim from a car crash. It was a great display not only of the equipment the Fire Service has but also the well-organised and rehearsed way the rescue was carried out and the patient cared for. The only victim that didn’t survive was the car!
Friday 28 June was Matariki. We had several visiting railway enthusiasts from Halswell, McLeans Island and Greymouth with several steam locomotives that are always crowd pleasers. A particular favourite is Reece Cobb from Nelson with his little Steam Truck. We had planned night runs on Friday and Saturday but the weather cancelled the Friday night run. However, the Friday and Saturday day runs and Saturday night run were a great success. The rest of the Park was open and the diesels in the Big Engine shed were started up a few times. The sausage sizzles were also popular as usual. We were rewarded by lots of people coming to visit and enjoy what the Park has to offer.
In the meantime, work still goes on at the Park. Building consent for the new Maritime Centre has been granted and Park members had to remove several containers from the site, which is now clear for the contractors to erect the building. The materials are on site ready for construction to start.
Further work has been done on the yard drainage and the old shelter near the railway station is having a makeover. Many other projects continue quietly as funds and resources allow.
Treasurer Rob has completed the annual accounts that have been sent for review in readiness for the AGM which is set down for Wednesday 17 July at 7.00 pm.
We are open to the public on Wednesdays and Saturdays but look out for additional events. Come and see our displays and talk to our members and join us if you like what you see. The Miniature Railway runs from 10 am to 3 pm on Saturdays.
Email: wihpark@gmail.com
Web site: www.westlandheritage.co.nz
Address: 9 Brian Waugh Lane, Hokitika 7810
Text and photos: Westland Industrial Heritage Park
What great talent we have in our community!!
The Franz Josef Community Council (FJCC) now owns some more great specialised tools which can be used for future workshops.
The 5th and last session of the beginners’ workshop came to an end in mid-May.
The turnout was great, weekly progress photos were received and feedback from both attendees and tutor were so positive!
The participants currently taking part in the advanced woodcarving workshop are working on a very cool project for our town – more to be revealed in the near future!
We would like to thank:
Text and photos: Franz Josef CDO
Between 8 July and 29 July 2024, Westland District Council wants to hear from you about how you currently deal with food and green waste.
This feedback will help the Council evaluate the potential demand for collecting and processing organic waste on the West Coast.
Individuals, organisations, and businesses are encouraged to participate in the survey. It will only take five minutes, and it is a fantastic chance to express your voice right from the start.
Find out more and have your say here.
Take part in the Big Swim this July and support the Coastguard NZ to keep saving lives on the water.
Hokitika Swimming Pool is an official partner pool for the inaugural Big Swim throughout July. This month-long swimming challenge lets participants get fit, have fun and raise money. Once signed up, participants who raise $100 and over will receive a wristband that gives free access to Hokitika Pool during July to complete their swimming distance.
Swimmers of all ages and abilities are welcome. Take on the challenge solo or form a team to support and motivate each other. Coastguard NZ has plenty of support and resources for participants, including individual fundraising pages, fundraising coaches and official gear. Choose the distance you think you can swim, register online and gather your sponsors.
Find out more and sign up here. For those not keen to swim, sponsorship of participants or donations directly to the Coastguard can be made on the website.
Ōkārito has been selected as the next Tohu Whenua site in Te Tai Poutini West Coast.
Tohu Whenua is a heritage tourism programme that connects New Zealanders and visitors with our cultural heritage by promoting a network of significant places that are great visitor experiences. There are currently six Tohu Whenua sites on the Coast – Denniston Mine, Historic Reefton, Waiuta, Brunner Mine, Hokitika Port, Commercial and Government Centre and Te Kopikopiko o te Waka.
Ōkārito was chosen for its spiritual and historical significance to mana whenua and its prominence during the gold rush. It was nominated for Tohu Whenua by Te Rūnanga o Makaawhio and the Ōkārito Community Association. Planning for a launch celebration in the Spring is underway. Learn more about Tohu Whenua here or follow on social media @tohuwhenua.
Text and photo: Tohu Whenua
In continued efforts to disrupt the scammer network, Netsafe has brought back rescam.org, our cutting-edge ai tool designed to waste scammers’ time so they can’t target their next victims. This innovative technology leverages the latest artificial intelligence measures to disrupt potential scams. It also educates users on the tactics used by cybercriminals in email scams.
By forwarding your suspicious emails to me@rescam.org, the system identifies scams and begins a never-ending conversation, wasting scammers’ time. With multiple personalities and an ever-growing vocabulary, there’s no way for scammers to know they’re talking to Netsafe’s specialist scam-baiting intelligence system.
Find out more by visiting Netsafe.
Text and image: Netsafe.org.nz
Entries are now open for the 2024 Development West Coast Leading Light Business Excellence Awards. The Awards Dinner will be held on Friday, 18 October at the West Coast Events Centre at Shantytown.
Key dates:
| Entries | Now open! |
| Entries close: | Wednesday, 31 July 2024 |
| Finalists announced: | Wednesday, 11 September 2024 |
| Awards ceremony: | Thursday, 18 October 2024 |
Award categories:
| NZME | Small Enterprise Award (5 or less FTE’s) |
| Gallagher | Medium Enterprise Award (6-14 FTE’s) |
| Duncan Cotterill | Large Enterprise Award (15+ FTE’s) |
| Department of Conservation | Sustainability Award |
| ACC | Employer of the Year Award |
| Greymouth Star | Rising Star Award |
All category award winners go in the running to win the Development West Coast – Supreme Award.
Text and image: Development West Coast
