Community round - up

This has been a busy month with a wide range of activities being undertaken by various communities across the city.

Ultra Fast Broadband

Chorus have been working in Jackson Street installing ducting and junction boxes for the laying of Ultra Fast Broadband (UFB) since around August. They will be finished in Jackson Street by the end of November with other work around Petone due for completion by the end of December. The contractors have done their best to minimise disruption. Petone residents will benefit from being one of the first to have UFB installed.

McKenzie Pool Plans

Final plans for the McKenzie Pool project are expected to be available later this month and construction work will get underway once the plans are approved. The upgraded pool will be a real benefit to the community and I am very pleased at the strong community interest in this project.

JSP gets new committee

The Jackson Street Programme has been doing a great job and new members have joined the committee following the recent annual meeting. This is good to see and reflects the significant achievements in the past year under leadership of chair Leonie Dobbs and Jackson Street Programme Coordinator Robert Hutton.

Consultation feedback

Results of the consultation on local government amalgamation have been considered by the various community boards and committees and a recommendation will go forward to the full council on 11 December. There was a good response to consultation across the city with 960 submissions received.

New traffic lights

Good progress is being made on new traffic lights being installed at the intersection of Hutt Road and Jackson Street. The change is to improve an expected increase in traffic flows pending completion of the Countdown supermarket which is being built in Jackson Street.

White Ribbon campaign

The New Zealand White Ribbon Campaign to end men’s violence against women has been launched across New Zealand. I been made a White Ribbon Ambassador and to me, violence against women or anyone, is unacceptable.  On average, 14 women die and more than 3500 men are convicted for assaults on women every year. As a community, we must take responsibility to end this violence. A very successful special breakfast was held at the Hutt Union Community Health Centre in Pomare and a locally – produced White Ribbon song was presented as a gift to the community. It was great.

Alcohol survey

I urge readers to visit our libraries and fill out a Hutt Valley Alcohol survey which is being conducted in response to the Alcohol Reform Bill. The survey is important and will guide council in developing a Hutt Valley Local Alcohol Plan. Give us your thoughts on how to combat alcohol problems in our community.  Binge drinking, particularly among our youth, is becoming a major issue. It is simply not acceptable for a 12-year-old to be out in the community at night drunk. The parents, in the first instance, need to be held to account. If for various circumstances they are not coping, then responsible government agencies need to provide them with support. We must work together as a community to help solve this problem.

A good job, well done!

The Eastbourne Community Board has worked well with the community to support the upgrade of the C L Bishop Park including construction by council of a new toilet block, installation of new play equipment, and extension of the grassed area around the Eastbourne pool. It was great to be there and see all the children having a lot of fun. Residents of Eastbourne have put a lot of work themselves into the park including volunteers who helped build the swimming pool. The park is an example of a strong community working together. The park will benefit the community for many years to come.

Vibrant Village

The Vibrant Village project for Eastbourne will enter its third stage with a number of community groups including the Eastbourne Rotary Club considering how they can be involved. The Vibrant Village project is moving forward and will gain momentum as community groups come on board and lend their support.