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NAPIER
NUIT BLANCHE, TENNYSON STREET
November 2023
Word from our Mayor Kirsten Wise
When Nuit Blanche happened in October as part of the Hawke’s Bay Arts Festival we could see this idea come to life. The streets became a massive, public living room. Every type of person was present and part of it. We shared the streets and the spaces in between, whether we were there to hear soul music or a DJ, eat pizza or tacos, watch bubbles, circus tricks, or a movie. The spaces and places of Napier City welcomed everyone and Napier became the place everyone wanted to be.
Kia ora koutou.
As we move through the design phase of our new landmark and cornerstone - of the city with the Te Aka project, we are thinking about how to create more of these shared spaces.
When we set our strategic vision as a council, earlier this year, we gave a lot of thought to what we can do for our city and its neighbourhoods: “Enabling places and spaces where everybody wants to be”. We want people to feel comfortable, welcome and safe. We want spaces in our city and its environs that people want to spend time in, whether it’s in the outdoors enjoying all that Napier has to offer in terms of recreation, or in our built environment, urban centres, and streetscapes.
Te Aka is about designing and constructing Napier’s new library and civic building including a place for public and council meetings. Concept designs for the buildings and outdoor space were recently approved by Council and we’ll see further refinements of these high-level designs in early 2024. The new library’s design will reflect what is unique about Napier and the stories important to us. We’ll see how the outdoor space surrounding the library contributes to Napier’s sense of community and place. When finished, it'll be somewhere we can celebrate, commemorate and collaborate.
Napier is rich in the volume and value of our shared spaces. We have wonderful parks but we also have spaces other cities are lacking, which give us our character. We have a parade or promenade, laneways, squares and a piazza. With the soundshell and the adjoining lawn, the war memorial pavilion, the seaside and its wonderful walkways, the wide streets of places like Hershell Street and Hastings Street, we are lucky our city founders had the foresight to create such community spaces. Known as ‘third places’ these are sites of community connection, where events and meet-ups take place, either planned or ad hoc. They are the spaces between work and home, places that belong to us all. We take real ownership of them when we have positive experiences and we can see ourselves, and our stories, reflected in them.
Napier’s a wonderful place to explore because of these journeys through shared spaces. Some need a tidy up I agree, some are much loved and well used, some have huge potential for a rethink, some have had attention and now are better of because of it. As you journey, you’ll come across poetry, murals, fairylights, quotes, sculptures, planting, signs from shops long gone. Some pathways are cobbled, others painted, one I know has Astro turf! Ours is a vibrant city full of character and we all benefit from the time we spend together in its spaces and places.
Square's golden harp This is the Carillon Bells, which celebrate 50 years in the city next year. Paul Reynolds is the technician who cares for the Bells. He’s Automation and Controls Manager at Electrotech and has looked after the system since 1999. Paul describes the Carillon, in its original form, as working in a similar way to a child’s music box. As a drum inside the device turned, it would strike contacts which made the bells go off.
Best Friends Share Books Taradale Library is going to the dogs with their new kids’ reading programme. Children are being invited to snuggle up with a pooch and boost their reading confidence through the Reading To Dogs Programme. Nicola Saunders, Napier Libraries’ Manager, says the free programme gives kids a chance to practice their reading skills in a nonjudgmental, relaxed setting.
Paul collaborated with Dr Tim Bell from Canterbury University to devise the PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) that runs the Bells today. Dr Bell played a tune on a keyboard, recording it on a computer, converted it to the controller format, and emailed it to Napier for loading onto the Carillon programme. The Carillon plays a mix of popular songs, traditional airs and seasonal ditties, depending on the time of year, such as Loyal, Pokarekare Ana and Silent Night, or Paul’s favourite Putting On The Ritz. Its distinctive bells ring out every half hour from 11.30am until 2pm, playing four tunes, one minute apart, each time.
“Reading to dogs is a fun way to help tamariki improve their literacy, self confidence and self-esteem,” explains Nicola. “Kids can practice reading as well as develop their love of reading. When they read to a furry friend, their focus and confidence around reading aloud and talking about their book soars!” Reading To Dogs is open to children aged 6 and older, and places must be booked ahead of time. The 15-minute slots are on Thursday afternoons between 3:15pm - 4:15pm from until 30 November. The programme is a collaboration with Canine Friends Pet Therapy, a New Zealand-wide network of people who share their friendly, wellbehaved dogs for various supportive programmes. All participating dogs have gone through safety and temperament assessments.
Smokefree/vapefree public spaces Council-managed pedestrian laneways in retail areas are now smokefree and vapefree. These areas are covered by the 2022 Smokefree and Vapefree Policy, which Napier shares with Hastings. Other public places covered include Council-managed parks and playgrounds, areas within 10m of public pedestrian entrances to Council offices, bus stops, and events held on Council land.
Watch this space...
1-9 December Be there and be square!
Have your say Transport Solutions From speed cushions to zebra crossings, transportation engineers and planners have a lot of tools to help calm traffic, control flow and get pedestrians across roads safely. Our Transportation Team uses engineering, psychology and planning to come up with the right answer to a roading issue. Often, they’ll trial a temporary fix before committing to a permanent solution. They also look overseas and across New Zealand at best practice and new innovations. What works in one part of the city, might have the opposite effect somewhere else. Zebra crossings can actually make crossing the road more dangerous. They work well where vehicle speeds are low, like 30kmh. When used on streets where cars are moving quickly, they can cause issues with people presuming cars will stop, when often they won’t. Children, especially, tend to step onto zebra crossings without looking. At the same time, drivers frequently ignore zebra crossings, and don’t stop. Raised crossings are a better solution, particularly where there are lots of pedestrians. They are known as a ‘vertical’ solution. Anything vertical slows down vehicles because people don’t want to damage their cars, especially when those cars are lowered! They're often used in a sequence every 100 or 200 metres. This sets the tone for the street and drivers slow down for the full length. Speed cushions are also a vertical solution. Again, they set the tone for the road when they're used in multiples. Speed cushions go across most – but not all – of a lane. This is so ambulances, fire engines and trucks, which have wider wheelbases, can go over them without having an impact, or being too bumpy (especially important with ambulances!).
The Proposed Napier District Plan is now open for public submissions until 15 December 2023. This is your opportunity to give us your views on how and where development should take place. The District Plan is a requirement under the Resource Management Act (RMA) 1991 and has a rolling review cycle that takes many years. It sets out the rules needed for sustainable management of natural and physical resources, protecting the environment, and addressing social and economic needs of our community. Some key changes we are proposing: • Introduction of Medium and High-Density Residential Zones in some areas including Taradale, Marewa, Maraenui and Napier South • Changes to the heritage areas extent (and some new ones) and the rules associated with these • New heritage items and groups • Introduction of a rule requiring stormwater generating from buildings to be managed on-site. This is current practice but applied through the engineering approval process. The new rule in the Proposed District Plan will make this rule clear from the outset. To read about these topics and other proposed ideas in the Proposed Napier District Plan visit www.sayitnapier.nz If you have questions or would like more information, join us at the drop-in session today, Thursday 2 November, from 4.30 - 6.30pm at Napier War Memorial Centre, 48 Marine Parade, Napier. Submissions can be made at www.sayitnapier.nz, at Napier or Taradale Library or at the Napier City Council Customer Service Centre.
Revitalise Emerson Have you got ideas and thoughts you’d like to share about revitalising Emerson St? Our researchers from local company Folkl are working in Emerson Street at the moment and would like to have a chat with you. Please email info@folkl.co.nz if you’d like to speak directly to a researcher. If you’d prefer to complete an online survey then scan the QR code or visit the website. More information about revitalising Emerson Street is on our website: sayitnapier.nz/ncc/emerson-street-revitalisation/
Marathon in a month at the Napier Aquatic Centre Do it on your own or create a team & tackle it together! Swim 1680 lengths of our pool! Raise money for the Cancer Society For more information and to register go to marathoninamonth.org.nz
‘Aotearoa in Space’
Taking part? Purchase a concession card from Napier Aquatic Centre and receive 50%off
Get ready to blast off on a space adventure! Get ready to blast off on a space adventure! The National Aquarium of New Zealand presents the Tūhura Otago Museum’s ‘Tūhura Tuarangi, Aotearoa in Space’ science showcase. It’s packed with hands-on interactives like building a satellite, launching a rocket, holding a meteorite that’s 4 billion years old and exploding clean, green rocket fuel. The showcase explores our connections to space, from the earliest Polynesian navigators to the amazing space technologies being developed in Aotearoa. 6 November to 14 December. Entry is free as part of General Admission.
Recycling Day
CALLING FOR PARADE ENTRIES & FLOATS A great way to celebrate Christmas and showcase your business, organisation or community group to thousands of people.
Bring your spare things or buy something new!
Join the fun on Sunday 3 December Register by 5pm, Monday 13 November at www.napier.govt.nz search keyword #christmasparade
SATURDAY 4 NOVEMBER, 8.30AM - 12PM ANDERSON PARK, NAPIER
In association with
Proud media sponsor
Entry on Freyberg Avenue
Your Council Mayor Kirsten Wise
Deputy Mayor Annette Brosnan
Cr Chad Tareha
Cr Graeme Taylor
Cr Greg Mawson
Cr Hayley Browne
Taradale Ward
Taradale Ward
Nelson Park Ward
Ahuriri Ward
Onekawa-Tamatea Ward
Cr Juliet Greig
Cr Keith Price
Cr Maxine Boag
Nelson Park Ward
Ahuriri Ward
Nelson Park Ward
Cr Nigel Simpson Cr Richard McGrath Cr Ronda Chrystal Taradale Ward
Onekawa-Tamatea Ward
215 Hastings Street, Napier 4110, Private Bag 6010, Napier 4142 | t 06 835 7579 e info@napier.govt.nz napier.govt.nz | facebook.com/NapierCityCouncil
Taradale Ward
Cr Sally Crown Nelson Park Ward