Tamariki Art Display Brings Kura Pounamu to a Close

A colourful display of tamariki (children’s) creativity marked the closing chapter of Kura Pounamu – Our Treasured Stone at Hokitika Museum.Leading up to the April school holidays, students from Kaniere and Hokitika Primary Schools visited the exhibition and were especially inspired by the powerful display of hei tiki (pendants). After their visit, museum staff went out to Kaniere School to deliver a hands-on art workshop, showing tamariki how to shape and create their own hei tiki from polymer clay, while exploring the cultural meaning behind the form. The children were encouraged to understand that the pounamu hei tiki they had seen may have taken many years to complete. They also learned that every hei tiki begins its life in the shape of an adze — a form that is gradually transformed through shaping, layering, and polishing. Their own versions followed this same principle — shaping, layering, and baking in the oven!

During the holidays, the children’s artwork was proudly exhibited in the museum. Kaniere School contributed a full wall display of polymer clay hei tiki, while Hokitika Primary added a vibrant mix of drawings, masks, and polymer creations.

The museum also hosted a colouring-in competition during the break, with prizes supplied by local carver and gallery owner Steve Gwaliasi of Bonz ‘n’ Stonz.Over the final weeks, the museum was full of local children proudly bringing in their whānau to show off their work. The youthful chatter and energy in the museum was a joyful way to bring the exhibition to a close.

Kura Pounamu officially ended with a poroporoaki (farewell ceremony) on Sunday 27 April, attended by representatives from Ngāti Waewae and Ngāti Māhaki ki Makaawhio, along with museum staff, volunteers, kaitiaki, and community members.

More than 15,000 people visited the exhibition since its opening in December, with many sharing positive feedback about the taonga on display and the beautifully refurbished building. Te Papa staff remarked that of all the venues Kura Pounamu has travelled to — both overseas and throughout Aotearoa — this presentation was the best yet. Museum staff were especially sad to see the beautiful touchstone Te Hurika carefully packed away. This taonga held deep significance for many, with visitors often expressing a sense of awe and strength when standing before it.

Text and images: Hokitika Museum

Right: Bursting with colour and imagination — masks and artworks by Hokitika Primary students, inspired by the hei tiki in Kura Pounamu.

Inspection of the Rating Information Database

Council’s Rating Information Database (RID), containing district-wide valuation details, property rating classifications and any current targeted rates the property may be liable for, is available for public viewing on our website with indicative rates for the 2025/2026 year.

You can view the database online at any time, or call into the Council’s Customer Service Centre, 36 Weld Street, Hokitika, to inspect the database during opening hours.

The purpose of the RID is to allow people to check what rate types and differentials have been applied to their account for a particular rating year. The figures displayed on the RID should not be used as confirmation of the actual rates charged / payable on a property, but are indicative of proposed future rates based on the Draft Long Term Plan 2025 – 2034.

Have Your Say on Westland’s Water Future!

We’re reviewing how we manage our water services and need your input! The Westland District Council is launching our Local Water Done Well consultation to decide the best way forward for our drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater services.

Join Us at Our Community Meetings:

• Franz Josef: 21^st May, 2:30 – 4:00pm, SnakeBite Brewery
• Hokitika: 26^th May, 10:00 – 12:00pm, Council Headquarters (Customer Services Area)

Can’t make it to the meetings? No worries! You can still participate by:

• Filling out the online feedback form on our website from Friday 16 May.
• Emailing us your thoughts at infrastructure@westlanddc.govt.nz
• Dropping off or mailing your printed feedback forms to our Council office

Your voice matters in shaping the sustainable management of our precious water resources. This is your opportunity to influence how our community handles water services, ensuring they are efficient, sustainable, and prepared for the future.

Stay tuned for more details, and please share this with friends and family to ensure everyone gets a chance to contribute!

Lifetime Tags & Doggone

Westland District Council is proud to be offering new sustainable lifetime dog registration tags, made of recyclable material. By eliminating the need for annual tag replacements, these eco-friendly tags help to reduce our environmental footprint. We recommend dogs do not wear a metal tag alongside its dog registration tag to prevent any potential rubbing.

These innovative tags are paired with Doggone’s exclusive and secure text reunite service, offering the ultimate in peace of mind. Council is offering this service to dog owners at no cost as part of 2025’s dog registration.

How does Doggone’s secure text reunite service work?

In the unfortunate event of a dog becoming lost, reuniting them is made simple. Anyone who finds a lost dog can easily follow the instructions on its registration tag and free-text its tag number to 4133 to Doggone’s dedicated SMS number. This simple action sends the finder an immediate link to the owner’s chosen contact number, enabling a quick and safe reunion. In cases where the owner opts not to share their phone number, the Westland District Council’s phone number will be provided instead.

Managing your information through the Doggone app

Through the Doggone app, dog owners gain access to a secure profile for their pets. Here, they can update ownership or dog information, including phone numbers – an invaluable tool for times when someone else is caring for their furry friend. Additionally, the ‘Notes for Finder’ section allows owners to share vital information about their dog, ensuring appropriate care until it’s reunited. Any changes made through the app take effect instantly.

The app offers reminders for essential tasks such as vaccinations, worming, and even the dog’s birthday, helping owners stay on top of their pet’s care routine.

For any questions or assistance, please visit Doggone’s official website doggone.co.nz, or contact Council on 0800 474 834 or Doggone’s dedicated customer support team at 0800 321 111.

To learn how the text reunite service works, please watch Doggone’s quick instructional video.

Text and images: Doggone

News from Westland Industrial Heritage Park

We sometimes think that some of our projects are taking forever and will never be completed but often visitors who have been before remark on how much has changed and how good the Park is looking. This is great as it gives us a boost and people show their appreciation for what we are doing with very generous donations. Without that support we could not continue.

The progress of our projects is always affected by our ability to fund them but even more significant is our limited human resource. We have quite a small group of active volunteers to work on physical projects and look after our visitors and most of us are getting advanced in years!

As well as the usual Saturday and Wednesday openings we have had several additional events including the local annual wood chopping competition and a visit from the Deer Cullers group. Both were successful. We also assisted with Fire Engine and Tractor rides on Children’s Day at Cass Square, organised by Dr. Anna and the Hokitika Community Trust (HCT). The biggest event, also organised by HCT, was the Easter Egg hunt at the Park.  Apart from providing the site, we provided train and tractor rides and helped with the hunt. It was planned as a multi-day event, but the weather threatened to spoil it and we even considered cancelling. However, we went ahead and despite some inclement weather the resilience of our patrons and the lure of hidden Easter eggs won out and it was very successful.

A number of items belonging to the Hokitika Museum have been assessed by our volunteers for display. Many were beyond repair and had to be disposed of, some have been returned to the Museum for display and some will be retained for restoration and display at the Park.

Contact Information

Email:          wihpark@gmail.com

Web site:     http://www.westlandheritage.co.nz  

 Address:     9 Brian Waugh Lane, Hokitika 7810

Text and image: Westland Industrial Heritage Park

Hokitika Racecourse Infrastructure development

The enabling infrastructure project at the Hokitika Racecourse is progressing on programme and on budget. The stormwater installation is nearing completion with the trenching virtually completed, many manhole connections completed and almost half of the sump connections completed by the beginning of May.

The wastewater trenching is also close to completion, although there is still some way to go to complete the wastewater manhole connections.

In early May the construction team was focused on installing the last two pressure manholes for the stormwater and connecting into the town belt east stormwater line, and this is nearing completion.

Work has also started on the new Park Street road extension with compaction and levelling.

The project is currently on track to be completed by end of September 2025.

The AF8 Roadshow is here to bring you the latest science on likely impacts to the West Coast

If you live on the West Coast, you likely know about the Alpine Fault and the science indicating that the next severe earthquake is likely to occur during our lifetimes, or that of our children. It’s crucial we take this risk seriously and prepare now.

Preparing for a severe earthquake looks like:

• having your essentials packed in Grab Bags,
• your emergency household kit ready,
• deciding household and workplace emergency plans,
• securing large, heavy, or high items in your home to minimise risk,
• actioning ‘Drop, Cover, Hold’ during every earthquake and
• ‘Long or Strong, Get Gone’ by evacuating inland or to higher ground immediately if the shaking lasts longer than a minute or if it’s hard to stand up.

The AF8 (AF8 [Alpine Fault magnitude 8]) team are hitting the road again with free community science talks across the Coast at the end of May. This year, Westland’s session will be held at the Hari Hari Community Hall (opposite the Fire Station) at 6:30pm on Wednesday 28^th May, and with some of the country’s leading earthquake scientists coming over to spend time with us, we know it’s going to be a very interesting evening. There is no cost to attend, and everyone is welcome.

The Facebook event link: https://facebook.com/events/s/harihari-af8-roadshow-public-s/600644499798935/

More information about the biennial AF8 Roadshow can be found here: AF8 Roadshow 2025. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

I look forward to seeing you there!

Katrina Renshaw

Emergency Management Officer for Westland

katrina.renshaw@wcrc.govt.nz

Out and about in Fox Glacier

Car Boot Sale

If one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, then a Car Boot Sale is both a treasure hunt and a rubbish dump; a physical incarnate of the glass half empty/half full idiom.

On April 13, a car boot sale was held at the Fox Glacier Community Centre. Locals cleared out their closets, garages and barns; temporary residents parted with their excess items before heading off for winter, and many a coaster got a great deal on pre-loved items!

While the reality of living so rurally can make the acquiring of and disposing of items both a trial and a tribulation, hosting local sales and swaps can make it easier on everyone. Vendors had the option of managing their own sales or leaving items on a donation table that anyone could take from. Items on this donation table will be held for the next car boot sale, being held in winter, and after this, will be donated to a West Coast charity shop.

See you at the next one!

Meeting and Eating with Fox Glacier

In a terrific show of community love, many long-time locals, temporary residents, and even a few visitors turned up for the Meet & Eat on 29 March; filling the community centre to the brim with good cheer, fun times, and incredibly delicious food made with love.

They say nothing brings people together like a good meal, and why would anyone want to disprove that? Fox Glacier sure won’t. The potluck-goers proved this by the delectably eclectic menu that was enjoyed by all! From incredible enchiladas with all the accoutrements, garlic rosemary focaccia, to West Coast Sushi, rolled with local venison and crepes and shepherd’s pie, salads and homemade chutney for dipping. It was a feast that will not soon be forgotten.

The beauty in having such a tightknit community shines brightly in moments such as these, especially when this event was held with the support of many! A huge thank you to Ann Scott and Ivory Towers Backpackers, Chris Alexander and Matheson Cafe, the Fox Glacier Community Centre, and all the wonderful residents of Fox for cooking and coming! See you at the next one!

Karaoke Nights

“Karaoke” may mean “Empty Orchestra” in Japanese, but the Cook Saddle Saloon in Fox Glacier is anything but empty on Karaoke Nights! Fox may be small, but it’s prowess for belting out the classics is mighty. On the occasional Friday night over the last few months, both locals and visitors have swarmed the Cook Saddle to partake in the age-old tradition of sinking a few Speights and taking a spin on the microphone.

Keep your ears out, your vocal chords warmed, and your song picked out for the next Karaoke Night at the Cook Saddle!

Text: Maggie McCulloch, Welcoming Communities Coordinator

Proposed amendments to the Waste Minimisation Act and Litter Act

The Government is consulting on proposals to amend the Waste Minimisation Act 2008 (WMA) and the Litter Act 1979.

We are seeking feedback on the following proposals for amending waste legislation:

• creating a framework for extended producer responsibility
• changes to how the waste levy is allocated to territorial authorities, and what they can spend the money on
• clarifying roles and responsibilities for central government, local government and the waste sector
• improving tools for compliance, monitoring, and enforcement
• enabling efficient and effective controls for littering and other types of mismanaged waste.

The consultation excludes some minor or technical policy proposals that are within scope of the waste legislation amendments, such as:

• any proposed changes to the current bylaw provisions (sections 56 to 59 of the WMA)
• minor and technical amendments to improve waste levy administration, collection and enforcement provisions.

Webinars

We are holding one upcoming online webinar on proposed changes to the key legislation regulating New Zealand’s key waste and litter legislation. Thank you to WasteMINZ for hosting this on our behalf.

Date   Wednesday 21 May   Time    2pm – 3pm

Visit the Ministry for the Environment to learn more, register for the webinar and make a submission before 1 June.

Text and image: Ministry for the Environment