Funding request for anniversary festival

A military re-enactment like no other, including bands, vehicles and even a flypast, will be on the cards for Warkworth’s 170th anniversary heritage festival week in November, Rodney Local Board heard last week.

Heritage Mahurangi founder Dave Parker said that as the main celebrations started on Armistice Day, November 11, organisers were working with Warkworth RSA and Major Mark Blythen to plan “the greatest military parade in Warkworth since 1944”, when 5000 US servicemen left town after spending two years in the area.

Parker said other events being planned for the week-long celebration would hopefully include an ecumenical church service, concerts, visits from representatives of sister towns around the world, and a Mahurangi River pageant, led by a Ngati Manuhiri waka and featuring the Jane Gifford, steamboats and many other craft. Board members heard that closing streets for the parade and other traffic management could cost $4000, which Parker hoped the local board could help support.

“It all needs funding,” he said. “$40,000 would have been ideal for what we want, but we’ve trimmed that to $25,000 and we’ve raised $5000 so far. Any discretionary funds you could find to support us we would really appreciate.” in a retaining wall near our letterbox and planting native trees, and just want a conversation with AT on how we can manage the rest of the bank collaboratively. The latest slip is undermining our driveway and if that goes, we will have no access to our house.

Parker added that signage, brochures and advertising the various events throughout the anniversary year and festival week would take up much of their spend.

“AT keeps saying it’s not their problem, but we know where our boundary line is and it is their land that is slipping. It is so frustrating that no-one will listen.”

An AT spokesperson says contractors investigated the site and found the slip was caused by a natural event and came from the property onto the road.

“Our road was not damaged, except for the material that came down, so our contractors removed the material to make the road safe,” they said.

“AT has no responsibility to retain this bank or the property. AT will monitor the situation and remove slip material from the road as needed.”

When asked why AT had not responded to approaches from the Wildermoths, AT said it was a private matter.

“AT is responsible for the road and not private property. They could build one [a retaining wall] themselves if they believe it is necessary.”

Jo says AT is not responding to her calls or emails

“My husband took it upon himself to build a temporary frame and attach some windbreaker mesh to it, for safety and privacy, but this is AT’s responsibility.”

The Wildermoths have contacted MP Marja Lubeck and Auckland Councillor Greg Sayers asking for advice.

“We just don’t know where to go from here.

“At some point we need to make an insurance claim for the loss of the sheds and everything in them, lodge our loss of land with the EQC, and stabilise our driveway and section where the slip occurred. We need to have communication with AT first though, as we have no idea if they even realise that we have lost land and possessions, or if that’s even what we need to do.

“The bank is still very unstable, and not just where the slip occurred, and it’s very likely that it will happen again.”