Condolence book – Queen Elizabeth II

We invite the Westland community to share a message on the passing of Her Royal Highness, Queen Elizabeth II.

A condolence book will be available at Council’s Customer Service Centre in Hokitika from Tuesday 13 September. If you are unable to visit to sign the book in person, you can leave a message through our website or you can call Council on 0800 474 834 and your message will be inscribed in the book.

An international online condolence book is also available at www.royal.uk.

Conservation Week 2022

Wadeson Island planting day

Staff from several local Jobs for Nature projects, including Sustainable Wild Whitebait Fishery and Weed Free Te Tai Poutini, and representatives from key stakeholders celebrated Conservation Week with planting action on Wadeson Island recently. About 70 people planted up to 2,000 locally eco-sourced native trees. As the trees grow and mature, they will help to keep the weeds away and return areas to bush.

The event was hosted by the Department of Conservation, Conservation Volunteers New Zealand and MBC Environmental. Planters included workers from Westland District Council, West Coast Regional Council, Westland Milk Products and Development West Coast.

You may have noticed lots of activity on Wadeson Island recently with the weeding, planting and track maintenance. It is all part of a collaborative project lead by Westland District Council to encourage the community to enjoy Wadeson Island as a nature and recreation space. More information can be found here.

There will be opportunities in the future for you to contribute to the development of Wadeson Island. Keep an eye on Westland Matters for future opportunities.

Text and images supplied by Department of Conservation

• Event participants getting involved in the planting.
• ‘How to plant’ instruction provided to planting participants.
• Event participants gather for planting day briefing.
• Event participants gather for planting day briefing waiting to get stuck in.

Supporting Grey Power

Last week staff from Westland District Council collected over 120 items including tins and jars, baking goods, crackers and soup bases, cat food and toiletries to donate to the Hokitika Greypower Kitchen Cupboard.

After hearing from the Greypower team that some of the people that they support will feed their pets before themselves, one of our staff set about making a collection for the Gerypower Kitchen Cupboard food pantry. Greypower provides services to support and protect the welfare and well-being of older people in the community, and the Kitchen Cupboard is part of that service. As many older community members visit the Greypower rooms frequently, it is an accessible and comfortable place for them to receive some help.

Organisers at Greypower were very happy to receive the donation. They are open from 9am – 4pm, Monday to Friday at 136 – 140 Revell Street, Hokitika. Donations for their Kitchen Cupboard are very welcome.

Pictured: Staff from Westland District Council with the donations; Sarah Brown, Community Development Advisor, and Stephen Fossket, Grey Power President at the Kitchen Cupboard.

August at the Westland Industrial Heritage Park

August was a pretty quiet month at the Westland Industrial Heritage Park. The weather was a factor meaning that some of the Saturdays we were unable to run the Mudfish Bush Railway.

The floor of the Museum of Fire has been sealed and work has continued steadily on many of our projects despite the weather.

Visitor levels have fluctuated as you would expect with the weather we have experienced. We hosted a vintage car club group from Nelson and the Sumner RSA. Both groups enjoyed their visits. Our events group are in negotiation with a number of organisations for visits in the near future.

We held one really great day on 27 August when we had a “Family Fun Day”, with the proceeds going to the Cancer Society Daffodil Day Appeal. The weather was kind, the Mudfish Railway was operating and we had a sausage sizzle. We were so well supported that we ran out of sausages before lunch and had to hastily thaw more supplies to meet the demand for the rest of the day! Thankfully, thanks to our friends from Nelson and Greymouth who brought their locomotives along, the railway operated well and is still a great favourite with kids from two year olds to 72 year olds. We hope the day was enjoyed by all. It was a great success for us and we were able to give a substantial donation to the Cancer Society.

If you are interested in becoming a member please get in touch:

Email: wihpark@gmail.com

Phone:  027 629 1935

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

Address: 9 Brian Waugh Lane, Hokitika 7810

Text and image supplied by Westland Industrial Heritage Park

Big Book Sale

Calling all book lovers! Treat your shelves to Westland District Library’s all-you-can-read book buffet. Gold coin entry (under 5’s free). 

Bag yourself a bargain and fill your arms, your bag, a box or even your boot with ex-library books, magazines and DVDs.

The sale is an opportunity for the public to support their Library and give tired books and other materials a gentle retirement from public life in a new home.

There are a wide variety of genres and books for different tastes available. This is a great opportunity for everyone to come along and stock up their bookshelves at a great price. You’ll also find a craft table for kids of all ages.

Feedback on self-contained vehicles

Parliament is taking public submissions on the Self-contained Motor Vehicles Legislation Bill

The Economic Development, Science and Innovation Committee is seeking public submissions on the Self-contained Motor Vehicles Legislation Bill. This bill proposes to improve the management of vehicle-based freedom camping by creating a robust regulatory system.

The bill proposes the following:

• a national requirement for freedom campers staying in a vehicle on land managed by a local authority to use a certified contained vehicle, unless staying at a site designated by the local authority as suitable for freedom camping in motor vehicles that are not self-contained.
• a regulatory system for certifying self-contained vehicles, with the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Board providing regulatory oversight.
• a requirement for self-contained vehicles to have a fixed toilet.
• strengthening the infringement regime and extending it to other Crown land.

Submissions close at 11.59pm on Thursday, 13 October 2022. You can make your submission on Parliament’s website here.

Text: Parliament.nz; Photo by Jake Stone on Unsplash

MTFJ – Proud to support local business and youth

Mayors Taskforce for Jobs (MTFJ) is proud of the work that has been done to support local businesses and job seekers. Over the past two years, almost 300 people have received assistance to gain employment or training. The programme has been so successful that a dedicated, youth-friendly space is being opened up in the Pakiwaitara building for the programme to run from. Council has a mandate to support community well-being in the Local Government Act, and this programme is designed with that in mind.

Expect to hear more success stories as the programme continues to grow.

Image: Lofa Leleifua, apprentice at Glacier Joinery in Hokitika who is supported by MTFJ

Carnegie Building interior works

Work to re-open the Carnegie Building is continuing, with work focussing on the interior of the building. Plastering work is well underway and ready to be painted and the interior electrical works have also been completed.

External plastering of the new parapets has begun before new exterior lights are installed as a part of the Hokitika lighting project, carried over from last year.

Image: Interior plastering underway

Our Council – District Assets

The District Assets group oversees the operation, maintenance and improvement of the Council’s infrastructural assets.

These assets include local roads, three water services (drinking water, stormwater and wastewater), recreational assets, such as the parks and playgrounds, cemeteries, council-owned buildings, and transfer stations and landfills.

The group is also responsible for the development of the Infrastructure Strategy in the Long Term Plan, which is based on their Asset Management and Activity Management Plans. They are also responsible for education and offering opportunities for waste reduction and provide funding towards the Enviroschools programme.

During an emergency event, the District Assets team are responsible for assisting the Emergency Operations centre to monitor and respond to issues to do with the infrastructure in the district, like slips that affect the roads, flooding and anything affecting the three waters services.

Images: Jackson Bay Wharf