This page gives you the latest news about Porirua City Council's Village Planning Programme. The programme is a partnership with our communities to improve and develop their neighbourhoods. To learn more about the Village Planning Programme visit the home page.
There was big demand for spaces on this year’s annual Village Planning bus tour.
Residents, councillors and Council staff hopped aboard a bus on Monday, March 4 for an evening trip around some of Porirua’s villages to view work being done through the Village Planning Programme.
The aim of the annual tour is to give residents, councillors and staff a chance to talk and share ideas, as well as view work being done by other villages.
And there was plenty of opportunity to share success stories as the tour stopped in Plimmerton, Paremata, Waitangirua, Cannons Creek, Ranui, Takapuwahia and Titahi Bay.
There was also discussion along the way about the work being done by other villages involved in the programme - and dinner was a takeaway meal of fish and chips.
Another Village Planning gathering will be held around the end of April to discuss projects for the next financial year as identified by each village.
A notice wil be sent out once details are finalised.
Porirua City Council hosted American community-building expert Jim Diers for a day in early December 2012.
He led two seminars; one for the public and council staff, and another for Porirua City Councillors, to talk through his experiences with community engagement.
Jim Diers was appointed the first director of Seattle’s Department of Neighborhoods in 1988 where he served for the next 14 years.
Jim now shares the lessons from that work in his courses at the University of Washington; in international consulting; and in his book, Neighbor Power: Building Community the Seattle Way.
Green MP joins councillors and staff for tour of villages
Green MP Jan Logie joined Porirua City Council councillors and staff for a tour of Porirua villages to learn first hand the work being done through the Village Planning Programme.
The annual bus tour was held in May 2012 and took the tour group from one end of Porirua to the other. It included a walk around Plimmerton, Pauatahanui, Waitangirua Community Park and along Titahi Bay beach.
Customer Services Officer Tina Young says she was blown away to see how much is being done through the Village Planning Programme and really enjoyed the chance to learn about it first hand.
Each year Porirua City Council staff are offered the chance to take a tour of Porirua to learn more about the Village Planning Programme.
The aim is to ensure everyone within council knows about the programme and how it links across all council areas.
The photograph below shows the group at Titahi Bay Beach.
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Up-dating village plans – a positive experience
This photograph shows the architects of Pukerua Bay's newly updated Village Plan, (from left) Dagmar Pesendorfer, Kate Dreaver and Robyn Moore. Courtesy Kapi Mana News
Communities look at next step
Several Porirua villages are up-dating their village plans after successfully achieving much of their residents' wish list.
The village plan pulls together the aspirations of a community for their village and features everything from upgrading parks and footpaths, to holding community festivals or compiling local histories.
Programme manager Ian Barlow says a review of the village plan is great way to ensure it is a living document that evolves as projects are completed.
"We see it as a continuing process. As community dynamics change so too should the plan. It's a way of remaining engaged with residents and ensuring the plan is on the right track."
The Village Planning Programme was launched as a partnership between the community and Porirua City Council in 2004. Since then seven Porirua villages have compiled village plans and now some are taking the next step and updating them.
Residents Associations are again surveying their communities to find out whether they like what's been achieved so far and what should be tackled next to improve their neighbourhood.
Pukerua Bay new plan produced last year
Pukerua Bay produced a new village plan last year, after developing the first one in 2007.
Chairman Iain MacLean says many of the issues identified by residents had been tackled since the original plan was produced; including the rebuild of the skate park, the landscaping of the beach foreshore and work towards establishing a permanent marine reserve off Pukerua Bay beach.
"Up-dating our village plan has allowed us to go back to residents to find out if we are on the right track, to highlight how much we have achieved, and to learn what residents would like tackled next."
Plimmerton has begun work
Plimmerton is also working to update its plan, which was first produced in 2004.
Chairman Colin Bleasdale says 110 residents responded to a survey asking for ideas on what else could be done to improve the neighbourhood.
Suggestions were hugely diverse and included installing a raft off Plimmerton beach during summer, developing a regular community event, ideas for new business opportunities, marine protection, and improving the entranceway into the village.
The many ideas are being prioritised and work has begun on rewriting part of the village plan.
"This process of updating the village plan has thrown up some wonderful, new ideas for Plimmerton. We've had a great response," says Mr Bleasdale.
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Blessing for Titahi Bay Beach pou
Carver Nathan Rei puts the final touches to one of the four pou he has designed and carved for the Titahi Bay beach walkway. (Photograph Dominion Post February 2012)
Early New Zealand explorers represented in pou
Four finely carved pou representing the early explorers of New Zealand have been blessed and unveiled along the Titahi Bay Beach walkway.
The pou have been designed and crafted by Porirua carver Nathan Rei and will be installed so they all look out over Cook Strait.
The pou represent the early Maori and European explorers who discovered New Zealand; Kupe, Abel Tasman, James Cook and Te Rangihaeata.
They have been placed along the new Titahi Bay walkway, which runs just above the beach from the Bay Drive entrance to the Titahi Bay Surf Club.
See the media release (PDF - February 2012)
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Volunteers awarded for work on Pauatahanui Pathway
This photograph shows George Williamson (left) and Philip Reidy, of the Plimmerton Rotary Club during work to extend the Te Ara Piko - Pauatahanui Pathway - in April 2011.
Work on inlet pathway recognised
The Rotary Club of Plimmerton has won the Recreation Volunteers Award at the 2011 Encore Awards for its work in creating Te Ara Piko - the Pauatahanui Pathway.
And Porirua City Council has been highly commended in the Excellence in Compliance section for minimising impact on the environment during construction of the Pauatahanui Pathway
The awards, announced in December 2011, are co-hosted by the Department of Conservation, Greater Wellington Regional Council and the Wellington Hawke's Bay Conservation Board. They reward people going the extra mile to restore, protect and enhance nature and history, and enable others to enjoy it.
Rotary campaigned for years to encourage the Council to include the pathway in its long term plan, and partnered with the Council to bring its vision to fruition.
Club members advocated for the pathway, and acted as project ambassadors, promoting it at festivals, organising revegetation plantings and establishing their own nursery.
The pathway runs along the northern edge of Pauatahanui Inlet through native salt marshes and wetland habitat. It currrently stretches 1.8kms but the intention is for it to eventually ring the inlet.
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Plimmerton seat design wins silver medal at Designers Institute Awards
This photograph shows a family enjoying a picnic on the Matau Furniture seat, which has won silver at the New Zealand Design Awards.
Design talent recognised.
The Matau seat designed by Massey University Industrial Design students for the Plimmerton Residents Association has won a silver medal at the New Zealand 2011 Design Awards.
The Plimmerton Residents Association ran a competition with the students during 2009 to design a range of seats that would compliment Plimmerton. It offered a $1,000 scholarship to the winning team, and the community was closely involved in the development and review of designs.
Six finalists were selected by the public; with more than 200 people voting during a public open day. The winner, Matau Furniture, was then chosen by a committee of Plimmerton Residents Association members and Porirua City Council staff.
Matau Furniture's design draws inspiration from the traditional Maori fishing hook (Matau) and is constructed from concrete and wood.
Altogether 32 new seats have been developed for Plimmerton featuring six Massey University Designs, as well as a several commercially available seats.
All have been sponsored by the community, with many being sponsored by long-term Plimmerton families and local businesses. Each seat carries a plaque thanking and acknowledging the sponsors.
Many were handcrafted by Plimmerton boat builder Bernie Perano and local resident John Chipper, who worked on them in space provided by a local construction company.
Below are photographs showing a range of other Massey University designed seats in place around Plimmerton: (from left) Wave, Dana and (below) Recliner and Matau Furniture.
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Waitangirua Mall owners work with community on revamp
The owners of Waitangirua Mall have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Porirua City Council to support the community in an on-going clean-up of the shopping centre.
Mr Mohammed Yusuf and his wife Azima Bibi have agreed to supply paint and painting equipment to stay on top of graffiti. They are also supporting a group of Waitangirua residents carrying out a regular litter collection at the new community park and developing the gardens at the southern end of the mall.
It comes as the community and the mall owners work to reinvent the area into a well-maintained and loved community space.
Read more..... (PDF 54.3kbs)
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Waitangirua Community Park named a finalist in Australasian awards
The project to develop Waitangirua Community Park has been judged the best in New Zealand for outstanding community engagement.
Waitangirua residents drove the development of the park, to create a heart for the suburb on underused land. Residents worked alongside Porirua City Council staff at every stage; from the concept to construction.
The project has been named the New Zealand regional winner for Australasia of the International Association for Public Participation IAP2 Project of the Year 2011 Awards.
The project did not take out the overall Australisian award, which was announced in October 2011.
Read more....(PDF 68.9kbs)
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Recognition for hardworking community volunteers
Hardworking community volunteers Moana Tuariki (Waitangirua) Helen Chipper (Plimmerton) and Tony Jackman (Pukerua Bay) have received Civic Awards for their Voluntary Community Service.
Ms Tuariki was recognised for her tenacity, commitment and leadership in helping to develop the Waitangirua Community Park. She is now working towards establishing a Waitangirua Community Association to be a voice for residents and carry on improvements in the village.
Mrs Chipper was recognised for her active involvement with the Council in the development of the Village Planning Programme and spearheaded Plimmerton's 2004 Village Plan. She has since been closely involved in village projects, in particular the partnership with Massey University Industrial Design students to develop unique seats for the village and have them sponsored by members of the community.
And Mr Jackman was recognised for his community work over many years in Pukerua Bay, especially with the Waimapehi Care Group.
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Village Planning Progamme Newsletter
The Village Planning Programme team publish an electronic e-newsletter four times a year to keep the wider community up-to-date with work being undertaken and planned for the future.
View our e-newsletters (all are PDF documents):
2013
2012
2011
Subscribe to our Newsletter
If you are interested in receiving our newsletter, please subscribe here: Village Planning Programme Update. You will receive a confirmation email. We look forward to having you on our list!
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