Costs escalate on Pioneer Village work

Subsidence on its Silverdale site has affected two of the Pioneer Village’s historic buildings, and there have been significant cost overruns in fixing the problem.

Members of the Silverdale & Districts Historical Society, that runs the village, have known that the historic Old Parsonage, built in 1877, and Neville House, which dates from the early 20th Century, needed repiling for a few years. They worked hard to raise a total of $85,000 to get the job done – this includes the cost of building consents.

However, Society president, Ian Hacking, says even before work started on one of the buildings, a few weeks ago, the group knew that money would not be enough.

He says the cost went from $25,000 per building to $39,000 for the Old Parsonage and $39,500 for Neville House. This was because the specifications for the work changed, with more piles required than originally thought. Also, the group had not factored in GST.

The repiling of the Old Parsonage is now complete and Hacking, says volunteers are doing a major cleanup of the site. They are also going to do the interior decorating themselves– that work was to be contracted, but doing it themselves saves money.

Repiling the Old Neville Homestead has been delayed by weather and is expected to begin in November, when the soil has hopefully dried out, Hacking says. He is confident that the Society will be able to raise the additional $30,000 they need, using some reserve funds (normally used for running costs), and applying for grants. “When this is all done, the buildings will be safely future proofed so the community can continue to enjoy the historic village,” he says.

Donations or sponsorship are welcome. The Society’s bank account details are on its website, www.silverdalepioneervillage. com/ w Backstories www.localmatters.co.nz March 6, 2023

A Place to Call Home

This feature is all about real estate, a continuously hot topic here on the Hibiscus Coast.

Well, we aren’t the only ones looking for the perfect place to live – our bird and lizards are too, but what do they find when they look in your backyard? Will they want to invest for the long term, and are you ready to share your space?

When searching for a new home, the first thing we look at is location, and we can all agree that the Hibiscus Coast ticks a lot of the boxes. From a “birds eye view” it’s pretty good too, with Shakespear, Alice Eaves Bush, Ōrewa Estuary, forests along the Weiti, quiet beaches, clifftop views and a mosaic of parks in between.

Some species have particular needs, for example kākā, the forest parrot that visits us, need areas of mature native forest, where they can nest in tree hollows without disturbance from possums, stoats or rats. We must look after those areas and protect them from development.

For many residents it’s all about convenience – access to supermarkets, places to eat out and to meet others. Does your garden look like a good source of food for birds and lizards? Are there a variety of flowers, fruits and insects all year round? Food for thought when planning your garden, and joining a tree planting day on a reserve this winter.

Safety is important when choosing a home, and it is for the birds too. Places with lots of pest control are essential for native birds looking to invest in nest building. Our precious fantails, pīwakawaka, lose three out of four nests where a lot of rats are present, so get yourself a rat trap from Pest Free Hibiscus Coast, or buy a bait station, to keep rat numbers down. Removing rats could reduce insurance claims, as they can nibble through cables too!

What about the neighbours? When moving to a new house we are curious about what the neighbours are like, as we pop round to say hello. But sometimes we can get an unpleasant surprise, and find they are up until all hours disturbing our sleep or even making us feel unsafe. Are you and your pets good neighbours to wildlife? Could you put a cute and colourful collar on your cat, keep it in at night, or even all the time (keeping your moggy safe too and reducing those lost pet posts on social media).

Right now our birds and lizards are looking for a safe place to rent for the winter, as they build up energy in time for breeding season. However, so are the rats, so it’s time to think about making your home a haven for wildlife as well as your life.

Being part of a pest free, nature rich community can add value to your property, as well as your own enjoyment of where you live. Communities in pest free Wellington suburbs, for example, are already starting to see the difference as nature recovers – and right here we are seeing possum numbers plummet, forests regenerate and bird numbers start to grow.

Now there’s a return on investment that I invite you to buy into.