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Newsletter 21:10 October 15th 2021
Newtown Residents' Association October Meeting
Monday 18 October 2021 7.30pm-9pm 

Please note the venue!

This meeting will be held at the St Thomas’s and City Mission’s Community Lounge at 200 Riddiford St – in the same building as the Church.  

The Agenda will include a preliminary discussion about consultation on the Wellington City Council Draft District Plan.

Please email newtownwellington@gmail.com. to let us know about other issues you would like to discuss.

Tomorrow is Super Saturday!
If you haven't had your Covid vacination yet, or if you had your first dose at least 3 weeks ago  and you are ready for the second, get along to Newtown School between 10am and 4pm and get it done!

If you need transport call 0800 VAX NOW - (0800 829 669) - there will be volunteer drivers to pick you up and take you home.
 
For more information, including other places to get vaccinated, check here:  https://covid19.govt.nz/.../how-to-get.../super-saturday/...
This isn't just a clinic - its a fun event with prizes, food, and live music! All welcome!
The Draft District Plan
 
Wellington’s Draft District Plan – the first fully revised planning rulebook in more than 20 years - will be considered by the City Council’s Pūroro Āmua Planning and Environment Committee on 20th October, and  public consultation will be open from 2nd November. The Council committee agenda, including the Draft District Plan, can be viewed on the WCC website - the link to the plan itself is on page 12.

If you have followed the WCC Spatial Plan process you will know that there are enormous changes proposed for housing in Newtown, and in many other suburbs. All residents are advised to pay attention to what this involves. Do have a look at the Draft Plan -  but it is a complicated document. Once the Council have agreed to release it for consultation we will aim to get a summary of main points together to help with making sense of it.

If approved, the Draft District Plan consultation will happen alongside the consultation for the Bike Network and Let's Get Wellington Moving's mass rapid transit options, so November and early December will be a very busy time for consultations and submissions!

WCC Officers will be visiting communities and seeking feedback during the consultation. You can see the draft road show schedule here. A launch event will be held at the Public Trust Hall on 1 November and will be livestreamed, and the Council Roadshow event in Newtown is expected to be at the Salvation Army centre on November 20th from 11am till 3pm. The consultation will close on 14 December. 

Crafting and consulting on the District Plan is a two stage process - this first stage is called a non-statutory consultation on a draft plan. Following this the team will do further work on it, and in May 2022 a Proposed District Plan will be published, followed by the Statutory Consultation. Any formal challenges and hearings will take place at the second stage, next year.
A Heritage Week Event:
Memories of Newtown's Adventure Playground 1974.
An exhibition of photos from 1974 of the Newtown Adventure Playground, by photographer John McWilliam, will be at Newtown Hall 71 Daniell St, on Friday 29th October 6pm-9pm (the opening event) and Saturday 30th October 10am-4pm. 

As there is limited capacity during Level 2, Newtown Community and Cultural Centre are taking registrations for the opening event on Friday  29th and will be running a wait-list. Please email info@newtowncommunity.org.nz to register. No registrations are needed for Saturday.

The Newtown Adventure Playground was a radical DIY space for unstructured play and exploration for kids in the ‘70s. It was on the corner of Constable and Daniell Streets and was a space of joy that many Newtowners remember vividly – the spirit of fun and excitement is captured in these striking stills. 

Copies of John’s new book “Hey Mister Look At Me! Memories of Newtown Adventure Playground 1974” will be available for sale. In addition to the photo collection it includes memoirs from Ann Hunt who started the original playground in 1973 and was a volunteer throughout.
See https://wellingtonheritageweek.co.nz/ for more about the many Heritage Week events.

Notes from the 2021 Newtown Residents' Association AGM, followed by the September meeting

The full meeting minutes are here.

The meeting was 7.30pm Monday 20th September at the St Thomas’s / City Mission Community Lounge at 200 Riddiford St (a change from the usual venue at Newtown Hall because of Covid restrictions)

The Minutes of the 2020 AGM were taken as read and approved

Matters arising included the History Project.   Martin Hanley outlined the history of this (long-running) project. It has now been prepared for publication as an online document.

President’s Report: This had been circulated, and is available online. Rhona summarised the report, with a month by month account of meeting topics, issues addressed and submissions made.

Treasurer’s Report: Michelle Wolland, our Treasurer, couldn’t be at the meeting.  Sam Somers read the Treasurer’s Report. There was a small operating surplus in the 2020-2021 financial year, and the Association has a healthy financial position.

Election of Officers:

President: Rhona Carson

Secretary: no nominations: Rhona noted that she had been acting as Secretary as well as President, and would be happy to hear from any member interested in this position.

Treasurer: Michelle Wolland

Vice Presidents: Jane Patterson & Martin Hanley

Executive Committee: Sam Somers , Carol Comber , Peter Frater, Marion Leighton, Steve Cosgrove, James Coyle, Hilary Watson, Penny Sturgess, Adam Awad

The Annual General Meeting was declared closed at 8:32, and the September Monthly Meeting started at 8:33. The main topics were:

Wellington City Council Representation Review

Sam Somers circulated and spoke to his written notes on this subject. Sam is doing a personal submission and encouraged others, including the Association, to make submissions. Consultation closes 4 October

There was a general discussion about issues pertaining to Council and Councillors.  In particular it was noted that before wards were introduced Councillors almost always came from the northern areas.

Community Centre Upgrade: a report from Tom Law (Chair of the Newtown Community and Cultural Centre Trust)

This is going very, very, slowly.  Plans are on the City Council website, and on the NCCC website.

  • The Theatre will be upgraded. An application has been made for Lottery Grants Board Funding for the Theatre fit-out,  which was supported by the Newtown Residents’ Association and Newtown Festival. 
  • Escalating building costs have led to a request to Council for more funds.
  • The Community and Cultural Centre is nearing the end of its one-year lease in the current replacement location (2 Green Street).  An extension to this is being progressed.

Update on Jared Corston’s role as WCC Community Liaison officer

  • Jared now has a wider range of responsibilities liaising with Community Centres across the City. However he is still focusing on Newtown issues. As before he asks people to use the WCC fixit app to report issues, but he is happy to be contacted when this doesn’t solve the problems, or if there are other Newtown issues to discuss. He can be contacted at Jared.Corston@wcc.govt.nz

The new venue

Martin Hanley moved a motion of thanks to Mark and Kirsty from St Thomas’s for the use of the Community Lounge for this meeting, and suggested we also have the October meeting there.  This was supported by the meeting.

2021 Residents' Association Meetings
 
We meet on the 3rd Monday of every month between February and November. The last meeting for 2021 will be on November 15th, again at the Community Lounge.
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