Published as Issue No. 111
September 2, 2014
Environmental Improvements: Wellington City Council will shortly spend $30-40,000 on a feasibility study to improve the Houghton Valley environment. It will explore the idea of ‘lifting the creek’ with a principal benefit reducing leachate from the old tip polluting Houghton Bay and the south coast marine reserve.
The proposal was outlined at a Sunday meeting in the community hall attended by 35 local people, four Council staff and councillors Sarah Free and Paul Eagle. Residents have been working on this idea for two years. Council infrastructure director Stravros Michael outlined a partnership proposal which will see the community join with staff to work on the feasibility study, to be completed by the end of the year.
Missing cat: Dave, the School caretaker, discovered a deceased brown-white-black (tortoise shell?) cat under the hall. Feel free to contact him for more details if you are missing a cat of this description.
Proposed Subdivision: From Jacob of Houghton Bay Rd: “I recently read a document about ‘Vegetation and habitats associated with a proposed new subdivision at 215 Houghton Bay Road.’ This was included in a larger document submitted on 6.5.14 by Immaculate Construction Ltd to WCC planners in response to a section 92 request for more information about resource consent application SR95568. The document also includes a number of small changes to the project.
“I’ve briefly looked through the changes particularly about vegetation issues and have sent the following letter to WCC as below:
“I feel that it is important to contribute more feedback to WCC in light of these changes to the development, and of the information detailed in the legal representation letter which Barrister Graham Taylor sent to WCC in April and recently published in Houghton Valley Community Newsletter Issue Number 110, August 20, 2014.”
The secret lives of cats: Recently you may have seen cats wandering around the neighbourhood wearing harnesses and GPS trackers. This was all part of a project into cat movements conducted by View Rd resident 12 year old Kate. The project titled ‘Where Does My Cat Go At Night’ was awarded a prestigious 3rd prize for Class 2 (intermediate year 8) at the recent Wellington Regional NIWA Science Fair.
Tracking 6 local moggies she found that the cats ranged over a 6 – 7 km2 area which extended from the Lyall Bay waterfront to the Houghton Valley playing fields. The cats visited any house in their area that had a cat flap so prepare for night time visitors of the furry kind.
Houghton Valley Progressive Association: The City Council intends to invite the Association to join in its current planning process around September 15; if anyone is interested in being part of that group please let Ken know. The next Association meeting will be on Sunday, 12 October at 3 pm in the Hall, all welcome.
Norman