April 15, 2024
Action needed to support our Lifting the Creek Project!
The Greater Wellington Regional Council has shown an interest in the remediation of our landfill here in Houghton Valley after a presentation made by members of the community. They asked us to submit support for the project to their Long Term Plan. However, they also said support from other members of the community will go a long way to reinforce the need for something positive to be done. Can you do a submission?
Submissions to the Long Term Plan for GWRC are open until 22 April, so this needs to be done fairly promptly. To help you with what to say, here are some points:
- Can Greater Wellington Regional Council help the Haewai / Houghton Valley / Houghton Bay community get a solution to our leachate problem?
- The closed landfill is causing leachate to contaminate Houghton Bay Beach and Taputeranga Marine Reserve, hydrocarbon odours pollute the school and residential areas, and fresh water is being needlessly contaminated.
- The community has been trying for over a decade to get a solution that is holistic, effective, lasting, creates better amenity and helps regenerate the environment.
- Lifting the Creek is a community led project and we want the process to be collaborative. Residents and recreational users, Mana Whenua, Wellington City Council, Wellington Water and Greater Wellington Regional Council all have complementary visionary thinking and technical expertise to ensure the best possible solution.
- Can GWRC help with the funding needed to develop a design that considers the entire water catchment of Haewai / Houghton Valley / Houghton Bay, including overland flows of rain and stormwater, and wetland treatment to filter the water before it enters the Marine Reserve? From this plan the stages of the project can be priced to lock in future funding.
- WCC are struggling to achieve this project on their own, so GWRC funding to help implement an entire catchment solution will help avoid them taking measures that don’t really solve the problem.
- This project aligns absolutely with GRWC’s Whaitua aspirations and catchment approach. It aligns with the Environment Group’s Performance Measures of Thriving Environment, Connected Community and Resilient Future. Here is a flagship opportunity to put all these principles into action!
To make a submission go to the GRWC 2024-34 Long Term Plan site. You need to scroll down to the Have Your Say on Other Consultation Topics survey section and fill in there. But while you are there, they would love you to make a submission on their Public Transport and Centreport ownership strategies as well.
Weed and Feed at the Pines
A large group of enthusiastic weeders tackled Cape Ivy up behind The Pines, around from Houghton Bay. Lots of fun was had, lots of weeds were dispatched and some great connections were made between the people there. And of course the posh sit down lunch overlooking the South Coast was a great reward. Definitely worth the prospective repeat next year!
Houghton Valley Progressive Association Update
The HVPA is starting a new year and the AGM is coming up on 19 May. This organisation looks after the Community Hall and supports the great stuff that is going on in Houghton Bay. We really are your Community Association!
By joining the Association, you help us to help the community, and by joining the Committee you can get really involved with what is going on.
For the Committee we are particularly looking for a new Treasurer. The job is pretty straight forward for someone who doesn’t mind numbers. We will be looking this year to really streamline the process, so if anyone has any suggestions for good, simple online accounting programmes we would love to hear from you. We are also looking for other people to be on the committee. There are a range of roles and projects that could be shared around such as: hall bookings; membership, fundraising, history research for our centenary, or whatever interests you that we haven’t mentioned. Just being another voice in decision making would be helpful, but on the other hand, some of these roles can be done without attending committee meetings if your time is limited. If you are interested, or needing some more information, please contact Jenny at admin@houghtonvalley.org.nz.
And if all you can do is become a member, that is fine too! Membership is $10 per person per year, from 1 April to 31 March. How to join
(161 recipients, 103 opens)