Art Deco in full swing - image: Kirsten Simcox
THIS ISSUE
Coffee with a Councillor
Meet Our Team
Roading Update
Time Capsule
Cricket World Cup
What’s On?
Word from the Mayor Welcome. We’ve just had another fabulous Art Deco weekend. Once again, Napier did us proud and it was great to see our city in the national spotlight looking so wonderful. We know how to put on a party and I’d like to acknowledge all the behindthe-scenes work that goes into the event from not only the Art Deco Trust, but also the tireless efforts put in by our Napier City Council staff who ensure the city is in tip-top shape. Our gardens looked magnificent and the streets were sparkling clean – not always easy to achieve but these things had a huge impact on our visitors, many of whom remarked to me that they wished their own councils had the same high standards we do.
February
2015
Bill Dalton
Another big event on the horizon is the Cricket World Cup. We’re extremely lucky to have been selected as a host city and, once again, I know Napier will rise to the occasion and look great as shots of McLean Park are beamed around the world. Four teams will play here – our own Black Caps, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates and Afghanistan. I encourage you all to get out and support the teams and get into the spirit of the occasion. There will be a fan zone on Marine Parade on 4 March and 7 March where you can have a go at the giant inflatable ‘Whack-a-Wicket’, watch some great entertainment and enjoy food from some of our local food trucks. We’re also encouraging fans to walk to the ground on match days by following the cricket ball pavement sticker trail to McLean Park. Starting from Emerson, heading along Hastings St and down Sale St to Latham St, it’s a great option for those wanting to avoid parking hassles. The Bay City Stompers, cultural groups and the wonderful Deco Dancers will be entertaining walkers along the route. I’ll see you there.
Coffee with a Councillor
Roy Sye
Your favourite meal to cook... To be honest my culinary skills are fairly limited, but I can cook a pretty good Cordon Bleu Schnitzel. What’s your coffee order? Flat White with an extra shot and in a takeaway cup (I never have enough time to sit down and drink it). Favourite holiday destination... Anywhere that I’m with my family and I’m happy. But you can’t beat a good weekend away at Waimarama Beach. It’s a great place to visit either summer or winter – everything slows down when you’re there. In the weekend I… Start the weekend by heading off for a big walk on Saturday morning with my wife Amanda. We then reward ourselves with a nice breakfast somewhere. Weekends tend to still be busy with a mixture of council work and socialising with family and friends. I am happiest being busy though.
Napier City Councillor Roy Sye
One of my goals for the next 12 months is… To ensure the positive change and momentum of the council continues. I just don’t think you can beat the quality of life here in Napier and Hawke’s Bay. I’d like to bring people back to the region by creating more quality job opportunities here. www.napier.govt.nz keyword: #councillors
Meet our Nursery Manager
Richard Oliver
If you think Napier’s garden beds are stunning, then meet the man who grows most of the plants you see around the city from seed! Richard Oliver went to Australia a dairy farmer and returned as a flower grower and for the past 12 years he has been part of the Napier City Council’s horticulture team, initially working as a gardener before becoming manager of the nursery at Nelson Park. Richard handles thousands of plants each year - 260,000 annuals (bedding plants) alone. For most of the year it’s a six day a week, one man show, except for the busy times, March to June, and September to November, when someone comes in to help with the weeding. He fills in much of the rest of the time tending to native plants, maintains the semi-automated NIWA owned weather station at Nelson Park, and looks after a cache of sub-tropical palms. These are hired out for a small fee to local businesses and organisations for special events. Planning is a big part of the job. For Art Deco Weekend, for example, gardens in the CBD are timed to flower at the same time. “People give me a list of what they want and the design is up to me.” When Richard left Taranaki in 1985 for a 10-year stint in Australia the thought he might leave farming for good never crossed his mind. But when he began working for a flower grower on the outskirts of Sydney, he discovered a new passion – plants. He trained in horticulture part-time for three years, and hasn’t looked back. It’s intensive, hands-on work but he enjoys spending his working day with so much greenery. And one of the best things is flowers don’t give you any back chat, he quips. “I love it, it’s like farming but on a really small scale.”
Richard Oliver tending to the flowers
Ford Road and Austin Street
Roading Update On Monday 2nd March the priority (give way rule) at the intersection of Austin Street and Ford Road will be reversed. Traffic on Austin Street will now give way to traffic on Ford Road. Temporary signs will be erected around the intersection a week ahead of the change to warn people of this major alteration in Austin Street. The change is part of the Ford Road Extension, a new road link between Prebensen Drive and the Onekawa industrial area. The
extension will be opened soon after the intersection changes are
made.
The Ford Road extension is being followed by a project to widen Prebensen Drive to four lanes. Due to start shortly, this project will include changing the existing Austin Street intersection with Prebensen Drive to “left in - left out” arrangement which, in combination with the new Ford Road link, is expected to improve both safety and ease of access to and from the Onekawa industrial area.
Freeman White at work on the new mural
Ford Road and Austin Street Intersection
Time Capsule We’ve had a few people ask us what the large metal object inside the glass cabinet in the main Council Chamber is. It is a time capsule – sealed forty years ago and not due to be opened until 2074. So what was put in there? Well not many know the answer, but luckily one man has a long memory – former Mayor Dave Prebensen.
Napier’s Past Recalled Second term Napier Councillor Michelle Pyke was at Wycliffe Intermediate at the time the capsule was filled. She recalls putting a copy of her family tree into the capsule, and other items. “It will be nice to think someone from my family, maybe one of my grand-children, will be here when that capsule is opened.”
Not only does he remember the contents, as a former engineer, he used his skills to actually make the capsule. Families of babies born in the two weeks leading up to it being sealed were asked to fill in a form about them. The form included space for the babies’ footprints. Other items include a child’s plastic ride-on trike - they were new at the time - a packet of welding rods, the town clerk’s suit and a dress donated by the mayoress. Retailers and businesses also contributed a lot of material. The last thing to go inside the casing, on top of the canisters and under the top dome, was a 16mm film by the late amateur filmmaker Ron Sang. The film, which was never viewed in public before it was added to the time capsule, was an edited account of the lead up to, the filling of and the official function for the sealing of the time capsule. “There will be enough to hold quite a substantial exhibition when it’s opened. It’s the ordinary stuff that people used every day that will be the most interesting I think, because it’s not the sort of stuff people would keep for 100 years and back then most of it was brand new,” said Mr Prebensen.
Napier City Council councillor and time capsule contributor Michelle Pyke and former Napier Mayor Dave Prebensen with the time capsule, in the Napier City Council Chambers
Cricket World Cup
On in Napier
What’s On? MTG Happenings
Seaweek Events • Creative Napier’s Driftwood Sculpture Competition & Exhibition, 6-19 March
Join in the range of events happening over Hawke’s Bay to celebrate Seaweek 2015. The theme is “Look beneath the surface – Papatai ō Roto – Papatai ō Raro” and encourages us all to consider how precious our marine environment is.
•
Hawke’s Bay Regional Council Awatoto Beach Clean-up, Saturday 7 March 9am-12pm
• Free Movie – Planet Ocean (UK), Saturday 28 February 10.30am onwards
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Creative Napier’s Children’s Workshop ‘Rubbish to Sculpture’ Weekend, 7 & 8 March
•
Gannet Beach Adventures Beach Clean-up, Sunday 1 March 7am
• Open Water Swim Confidence Sessions, 10 March 5.30pm
•
Quacky Races, Sunday 1 March 11am-12pm
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Dive into Books at Taradale Library, Sunday 1 March 12.30-1.30pm & Saturday 7 March 10.30-11.30am
• Seaweek Quiz Night at Speights Ale House Ahuriri, 11 March 7-9pm
• Seaweek Royal Society Lecture with Anton Van Helden, Tuesday 3 March 7.30pm
For more information and venue information visit www.seaweek.org.nz/events/hawkesbay
• Seaweek Poetry Reading Night, Thursday 5 March, 7-9pm
Celebrate Children’s Day on Sunday 1 March Children’s Day is nearly here. Join in the fun and do something special with the small people in your life. There’s a range of great offers and cool activities to take part in. National Aquarium of New Zealand Free entry for one child when accompanied by one paying adult (children aged between 3-14 years). Par2 MiniGolf Free entry for one child when accompanied by one paying adult (children aged between 3-14yrs). MTG Hawke’s Bay Free entry for adults when visiting MTG Hawke’s Bay with children.
Mayor Bill Dalton
Deputy Mayor Faye White
Councillor Mark Herbert
Councillor Graeme Taylor
Councillor Maxine Boag
Councillor Michelle Pyke
Councillor Roy Sye
Bring the kids along at 10.30am for the Children’s FIMO activity. Enjoy a tour of the Pounamu exhibition and be inspired by the treasures on display to create your own Taonga made from FIMO (modelling clay) to wear home. Limited to 20 children, $10 per child for materials. Phone 835 7781 for bookings. Napier Aquatic Centre Celebrate Children’s Day with $2 for entry and slide per child (normal price is $8.10 per child). * Adults are normal entry price.
Councillor Annette Brosnan
Councillor Tony Jeffery
Councillor Kirsten Wise
Councillor Keith Price
Councillor Mark Hamilton
Napier City Council www.napier.govt.nz 06 835 7579 info@napier.govt.nz www.facebook.com/NapierCityCouncil 231 Hastings Street, Napier 4110 Private Bag 6010, Napier 4142
Councillor Richard McGrath