Published as Issue No. 69
8 May, 2013
Welcome to new newsletter recipient households, 184 and 185.
Proposed community dance: After getting positive feedback for the idea of a community dance Miranda from Hornsey Road would like to go ahead and help organise one in the community hall, around the mid-winter solstice. Preference seems to be for a family affair where there is plenty of quiet time to talk and a great band to dance to. Everyone would bring a plate and non alcoholic drink. Miranda is keen to get a few more people on board so that it can go ahead, ring her if interested.
On the Buses: On April 30 Christine (Buckley Rd) and Linda (View Rd) attended a follow up meeting about the Wellington City Bus Review held by the Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC). Draft timetables were presented for the revised service that will probably be implemented in 2014, at the earliest. See http://www.gw.govt.nz/draft-timetables. [link not current] Provision of the new bus service will be put out for tender later this year and it is possible the successful tenderer may negotiate changes to these proposed timetables therefore they remain draft documents.
The new bus service will provide an increase in service, i.e. more frequent buses, in many suburbs, including Houghton Bay, Melrose and Southgate. [Thanks to the efforts of Christine, Linda and others – Ed.]
An important point to note is that the new service will not be introduced until the ticketing system has been changed to allow for just one fare to be charged for each journey into or out of the city, regardless of whether or not you have to change buses along the way.
GWRC have asked Linda and Christine to coordinate any feedback from the Houghton Bay and Southgate areas so if anyone has any significant issues with the proposed new timetables for the Houghton Bay (Route 23) or Southgate (new Route 29) routes please email those concerns to Christine with ‘Bus Review Feedback’ in the subject line before Friday 14 June 2013.
From the Community Garden: Now is the perfect time to plant broccoli. There are lots of seedlings so if you come on Sunday afternoons, you can get some for your garden.
Cleaning up Houghton Bay: Houghton Bay sediment ‘worse than sewage’, reads an article on the Stuff website five days ago, featuring an interview with John Robinson of Island Bay who is actively involved with Houghton Bay residents looking to clean up leachate from the old tip. See http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/wellington/8629822/Houghton-Bay-effluent-causes-a-stink
Grant and Norman