Proudly
NAPIER September 2020
Word from our Mayor Kirsten Wise Kia ora koutou. This week marks the start of a new era for Napier residents. From 1 October you can begin using your Council supplied wheelie bins for rubbish collection. As you may have read in the booklet supplied with each bin, Omarunui landfill, which we manage together with Hastings District Council, is filling up much faster than expected. In the past four years alone there has been a 25% increase in waste received at the landfill. There are simple ways you can help, by making sure you don’t put the wrong items, such as garden waste, in your bin, and thinking about other ways you can help reduce waste. We are also about to start workshops for people interested in turning their garden and kitchen waste into fertiliser. Council is also proposing to offer a remission on next year’s rates bill for those who manage to reduce their wheelie bin collection to fortnightly, rather than weekly. For more information, go to www.napier.govt.nz search keyword #rubbishrecycling. You may have seen some bilingual flags on Marine Parade and near Te Whanganui a Orotū (Ahuriri estuary).
The region’s five councils collaborated to produce these flags to celebrate Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week) earlier this month. The Wairoa district has had flags since 2013, so I’m proud the rest of us have now done the same. The flags show simple ki waha, or everyday sayings you could use every day. Some of which you may already know, such as kia kaha (be strong). Others are not quite so wellknown but I think are very fitting for this year, such as me manaaki tētahi i tētahi (look after each other), and me mahi tahi (work together). Don’t be scared to have a go at using them! I would also like to share a common proverb with you.
Naku te rourou nau te rourou ka ora ai te iwi - with your basket and my basket the people will live.
This proverb refers to co-operation and the combining of resources for the greater good, a reminder of what we have achieved this year in Napier, and always strive to achieve.