Lighting mooted for heritage streetscape Letter

Lighting up Devonport’s heritage buildings is a long-term aim of the Devonport Business Association and Business Improvement District (BID) manager Richard Thorne.

Sponsorship would be looked at to help fund the project, Thorne told Devonport-Takapuna Local Board members in an update given with association chair Dianne Hale.

Multicoloured lights were temporarily installed along Victoria Rd for Matariki celebrations last year. These had been “much admired”, said Thorne, and were a way Devonport could stand out.

Board members were also told at a workshop last week that the Devonport Peninsula Trust would take the lead in organising Matariki community events this winter.

Around 2000 people attended last year, with a lantern hikoi up Takarunga proving so popular that it is understood ways to disperse attendees more widely are being looked at with the Tupuna Maunga Authority. This may see activities introduced on Maungauika as well.

The BID intends to focus on repeating the success of Friday After Five, a community gathering last held in December in Clarence St, and on its shop-local initiatives.

Smaller-scale events, such as performances by local musicians playing on the main street, are back, and Easter and Halloween egg hunts and pumpkin hunts for children are also set to return to shop windows.

Hale said the association had some reserves that could help with the lighting project, which would require ongoing maintenance. But it did not have as much to spend as last year, when post-Covid funding allowed for more major events.

The BID’s budget comes through a targeted rate levied on participating businesses and collected on their behalf by the council. Specific support for events also comes from the local board, but this is likely to be reduced due to council spending cuts.

Bad call to have booze at a school fair

Of all events in the Devonport calendar, surely the Devonport Primary School fair should be the one that doesn’t involve the all-pervasive alcohol. So, it was really disappointing to find the bar open from 12pm on Saturday.

Whilst I appreciate money has to be made, doesn’t that have to be balanced with the school’s greater responsibility; ie, the education and well-being of our children, which includes the right messages?

It shows really thoughtless judgement in what was otherwise a fantastic fair.

Charmaine Barnett