In case you’re wondering why some of your devices aren’t quite as you expected … on Friday there was a momentary power cut at approx 0615 then again at approx 0715 and again at approx 1630. In our case that means resetting the towel rail timer and the oven clock. The outages were just blips, but it’s still annoying. No apparent reason … maybe it was the high winds places nearby felt (but we didn’t really).
In March 2023 the post Toilet block cost per an LGOIMA request, cited the cost expected for the upgraded facilities block at Hank Edwards Reserve: $369,687 plus GST. At the time of the request work had not even begun. I submitted a request for the figures for the now completed toilet block and on 03 July 2023 received this reply (LGOIMA Response - 2023/984): The physical construction cost for the upgraded toilet block was $406,798, which is $52,170 more than initially considered.
I believe this is an Oioi, jointed wire rush, on the stretch of sea frontage on the Miratana land. Published on 30 June 2023: Waikawa Newsletter June 2023. The monthly newsletter is based on posts I’ve written during the month, with added sprinkles. If you’d like to automatically receive posts by email as they are published subscribe. If you know of Waikawa Beach things that would interest others or if you have comments on this newsletter or the websites please let me know at kiaora@waikawanews.
Part of the original plan for updating and refurbishing the Hank Edwards Reserve toilet block was to have it painted with murals. Now, some 6 months after completion, is the time for that to happen. The WBRA is looking for a mural artist to carry out this work. The mural will be on a wall about 4 metres by 1 metre and is likely to be related to the environment and feature local birds.
The 31 May 2023 Agenda (10MB PDF) for the next Horowhenua District Council Ordinary Meeting makes for interesting reading as it includes deliberations on reports such as the Rates Review and Activities. Page 54 has a graph showing that around 15 submissions on the Long-term Plan Amendment came from Waikawa Beach. Vehicles on beach north of the river On Pages 130 and following is Topic 6: Vehicular access to beaches between Waikawa Beach and Hokio Beach: Regan Savage (#34).
Published on Thursday 25 May 2023: Waikawa Newsletter May 2023.
The monthly newsletter is based on posts I’ve written during the month, with added sprinkles. If you’d like to automatically receive posts by email as they are published subscribe. If you know of Waikawa Beach things that would interest others or if you have comments on this newsletter or the websites please let me know at kiaora@waikawanews.nz. If you want to suggest others subscribe to the newsletter please send them to waikawanews.
Published today Waikawa Newsletter April 2023. The monthly newsletter is based on posts I’ve written during the month, with added sprinkles. If you’d like to automatically receive posts by email as they are published subscribe. If you know of Waikawa Beach things that would interest others or if you have comments on this newsletter or the websites please let me know at kiaora@waikawanews.nz. If you want to suggest others subscribe to the newsletter please send them to waikawanews.
According to Horowhenua District Council: We normally open dog registrations on 1 July each year, but in 2023 dog owners will be able to renew their dog registrations from 10am Thursday 6 July until Saturday 5 August 2023 before a 50% late fee penalty payment is applied. This change is because: we are consulting on Fees and Charges as part of the Annual Plan 2023/2024. We’re proposing an increase in dog registration fees to recover more of the cost of providing the dog control service from dog owners, rather than from rates.
Horowhenua District Councillor Rogan Boyle emailed to ask me to advise the community of an Additional Long Term Plan Amendment Consultation Event: Just wanted to reach out and let you know we’re putting on an additional LTPA consultation event further South at Manakau Hall on 18th April [2023] at 7PM. It’ll likely focus heavily on the Rates Review, with a little more detail on the rural side of things. If you could let your community know … so that they’re aware if they would like to come along that would be great.
It's interesting what you stumble across while looking for something completely unrelated. This is the Response - Official Information Request to a query about the toilet block at Hank Edwards Reserve: The public toilet facility at Hank Edwards Reserve is the only public toilet facility available in a perimeter of approximately 10km. The next available public toilets are in either Otaki or Levin. The total cost of the project is $369,687 plus GST.
After some wrangling in 2016, I succeeded in getting the Council to give us rubbish bins at each entrance to the beach off Reay Mackay Grove. At the time, I asked for dog poop bag dispensers as well, but that was a step too far. Eventually though, in May 2017, I asked again for the dispensers. A lot more wrangling went on, but finally, in November 2017, we were granted one dispenser, installed on the rubbish bin at the south track.
Each year Horowhenua District Council consult on their Long-Term plan. Consultation for 2023 opens 27 March and runs until 1 May. Note, it's been pointed out to me that this consultation is on the Long Term Plan Amendment, which is slightly different. HDC Long Term Plan Consultation 2023: The Long Term Plan (LTP) sets out the services and projects the Council will provide to the Horowhenua community all the way out to 2041!
Next date: Thursday, March 09, 2023 | 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM
Join us for a cuppa and a chat about local topics that matter to you.
We’ll be boiling the kettle for anyone who wants to come along and discuss Council-related topics that are important to them.
Come along to Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom or Shannon Library from 10.30am - 12.30pm on the second Thursday of each month.
Do you need funding for your community organisation or a programme, project or event that will benefit and enrich the lives of our community? If you’re a Horowhenua-based not-for-profit or voluntary organisation, get your application in before midnight on Sunday 12 March 2023. The following grants are open: Creative Communities Scheme: Got an exciting idea for an art project to take place in the Horowhenua? Both individuals and organisations can apply.
Update, Wednesday 25 January 2023: the toilet block has been reopened. Unfortunately sometime overnight thieves broke into the toilet block at Hank Edwards Reserve, stole crucial plumbing items and damaged the main power supply. This means the toilets cannot be used until repairs have been made.
Cleaners discovered the problem on the morning of 24 January 2023 and alerted Horowhenua District Council.
The toilets are locked overnight and the damage was done in an area not accessible to the general public, whether the toilets are locked or not.
The Recycling Station has been placed in Hank Edwards Reserve again for a few weeks. After a few days some segments have already filled up!
This year a sign has been added to try to relieve the noise disturbance to those who live nearby:
RECYLING STATION CLOSED FROM 8:30PM to 7:30AM Closure due to noise reduction considerations
Everyone deserves a good rest
The fence is gone, the doors are open: the toilet block at Hank Edwards Reserve is finally open for use.
Next comes the Official Opening, at 3 pm on Saturday 17 December 2022. You’re all invited!
Stephan Titze, HDC Parks and Property Project Lead | Kaihautū Kaupapa Papa Rēhia, Rawa is organising an opening followed by a BBQ to celebrate this new toilet block.
The last block served the community for about 60 years.
Are you visiting, or living in, Waikawa Beach this summer?
[Council] provide a temporary recycling station at Hank Edwards Reserve during the summer period (mid-December to early January) to ensure holiday-makers have a place to take their recycling when visiting.
Would you like us to continue providing this service? Comment [on the Facebook Page linked below] with ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ by 5pm Friday 2 December [2022] to share your views.
As at 25 November 2022 the new toilet block is effectively finished. No photos of the outside this time as there are no noticeable changes since last week.
But this time we have views of the interiors, the BBQ area and the outdoor showers.
There’s an electric BBQ with bilingual instructions. There’s a rubbish bin only a few steps away. The BBQ stands next to the pump housing, which has a special tap to allow the nearby firefighting water tank to be refilled.
The toilet block is clearly very close to completion. New this week: a Solatube style light on the Reserve side of the building; outdoor showers, drinking fountain and dog water bowl, concrete ramp, rubbish bin by the BBQ area, all the planter boxes in place, gutters and downpipes, lights outside. There are also a couple of black plastic ‘covers’ in the grass beside the block, on the Reserve side.
There have been a lot of contractors on site and the toilet block is getting ever closer to completion.
The building has been painted blue, a bench seat installed out front, the BBQ is in place, some planter boxes have been installed and more concreting work is underway.
This week there are a bunch of very noticeable changes to the toilet block. It has been painted a pale blue, there are doors in place, the pump housing has been put in place and there are picnic tables at the BBQ end. The concrete path and ramp around the block has also almost been completed.
It’s starting to really look as though it’ll soon be complete. Lights still need to be wired up and outside showers and dog water bowls fitted, and probably there’s still work to take place inside.
There has been no update since 08 October 2022 because almost all the work is being done inside, where I can’t really get photos or see what’s happening.
A large box has appeared at the BBQ end. This probably houses the pump.
Inside, the walls have been finished and installing fittings seems be underway.
The Blueberry Farm on Waikawa Beach Road is also home to award winning olive oil production. The 2022 Awards had 152 entries, but Waikawa Glen, owned by Lisa Buchan and Glenn Wigley won both the commercial intense blends Best in Class and the Best in Show.
We were told two years ago when we won three gold medals, two best in class, and a runner-up to the boutique best in show, that we should never expect to have such a year again, so we were quietly pleased to get another gold medal last year,"