Officer Ewen Heron has become the second fire fighter in the 80-year history of the brigade to serve 50 years as a volunteer firefighter.
To mark this impressive achievement John May QSM presented Ewen with his 50 year gold star medal at a ceremony at the Wainuiomata Fire Station on 12 October.
Continued on page 2.
Ewen and Merran Heron with the certificates they were presented in recognition of the significant service they both have provided to firefighting in the region.
Photo: Frank Neill.
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A great example of a chief
Continued from page 1
A former member of the Wainuiomata Volunteer Fire Brigade, John was representing the United Fire Brigades’ Association (UFBA).
The time and commitment Ewen has provided to firefighting has been “awesome,” Fire and Emergency New Zealand’s Deputy National Commander, Brendan Nally, said at the celebration ceremony.
Ewen, he said, “is a great example of a chief and he is a great example of what we want our volunteers to be, which is servants of the community.
“Our organisation cannot operate without our volunteers.
“The backbone of our organisation is our volunteers.”
As Ewen and his family arrived for the ceremony, Wainuiomata’s Chief Fire Officer Peter Thompson presented him with a korowai, made by brigade member Brenda Janes of Contemporary Korowai Designs.
“This is the first time I have seen a korowai presented to a chief,” Brendan Nally said.
The gold star presentation evening was a “very special occasion,” CFO Thompson said in the opening speech of the evening.
It was a celebration of the “incredible service” Ewen has provided to the Wainuiomata brigade.
It celebrated an “extraordinary milestone – 50 years of service by Ewen, supported by his wife
Frank Neill.
Merran.
“Ewen and his family have made a significant contribution to the brigade over 50 years,” he said.
“Tonight is a significant milestone in the history of the Wainuiomata Fire Brigade,” John May said in his speech.
“We are recognising a lifetime of service to the community of Wainuiomata as well as the Hutt Valley and greater Wellington region.
“Ewen, you will be the second member of this brigade to achieve his 50 year medal and what is more significant is that all his 50 years have been served here in Wainuiomata.
“Ewen commenced in the bush force on 6 October 1974 and served with them for just over a year before transferring to the Wainuiomata Fire Brigade on 20 November 1975.
“This was an interesting time as the New Zealand Fire Service Commission had been formed
and was to the the parent organisation for all brigades across the country.
“For someone to give a lifetime of service requires effort, along with fantastic support from his family,” John said.
“Here tonight we also recognise the loyal support that Merran and family have given Ewen in his endeavours.”
After noting that “behind every successful man is a very successful woman” John also noted that Ewen’s daughter Leah Lenihan and son Jordan “have followed their father’s footsteps and have become very active in the fire service.”
Leah is now serving as a firefighter at Wellington Airport and is also a member of the Wainuiomata brigade.
Jordan is serving out of the Avalon Fire Station.
At the gold star ceremony Leah presented her father with a picture she had drawn of him, dressed in his firefighting gear.
“Ewen has brought a very high degree of professionalism to the former New Zealand Fire Service and now Fire and Emergency New Zealand and has been involved in many committees over the years as a subject matter expert is his field of expertise,” John said.
“All this work has been on a completely voluntary basis.
“He is very well respected in the brigade and is held in very high regard in the community.
“This is reflected in his appoint-
ment in October 2007 as Deputy Chief Fire Officer and then the position of being appointed Chief Fire Officer in June 2013.
“In 2023 he was a recipient of the [Wainuiomata] Community Spirit Award.
“Ewen constantly encourages members of the brigade to be involved in other activities in Fire and Emergency as well as the community.
“This, he believes, made them a better member of the brigade,” John said.
During his speech, John also passed on to Ewen congratulations from the Minister of Internal Affairs, Brooke Van Velden.
WAINUIOMATA COMMUNITY BOARD
The final meeting for 2024 will be held on: Wednesday 23 October
The meeting will be held in the Wainuiomata Neighbourhood Hub, Queen St, Wainuiomata at 6.30pm.
At 5.30pm prior to the meeting, the Board will host its annual Community Spirit Awards. This is an opportunity to recognise those who contribute to the spirit of Wainuiomata through their voluntary work.
You are very welcome to attend.
Meeting agendas are available on Council’s website: huttcity.govt.nz/council/council-meetings/meeting-agendas-and-minutes
Keep up with what’s happening in your community.
John May pinning the gold star for 50 years’ service on Ewen Heron’s jacket. Photo:
The portrait of Ewen Heron, drawn by his daughter Leah Lenihan, which Leah presented him at the ceremony where Ewen received his 50 year gold star. Photo: Frank Neill.
Major projects happening at the Marae
By Frank Neill
Four major projects at the Wainuiomata Marae are either under way or in the pipeline.
One project in the pipeline is building an eco-papak inga consisting of 12 affordable rental houses of between one and four bedrooms on the marae’s whenua.
The second project, Ngahere Korowai, is a small wetland forest on the marae’s whenua near the Parkway Road entrance.
The third project is building an indigenous play space of around 400 to 500 square metres.
The fourth project is a new building for the Tihei Rangatahi programme.
Eco-papak inga
The Wainuiomata Marae Charitable Trust (WMCT) has been funded by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (MHUD) and Te Puni K kiri (via the Whai Kainga Whai Oranga Fund) to build the eco-papak inga, including the infrastructure and landscaping.
Before this arrangement, the WMCT had been working since 2017 with K inga Ora and Te Puni K kiri, who were going to fund and build the houses, and fund the infrastructure respectively.
When working with K inga Ora, in 2022 a series of six workshops was undertaken with the Wainuiomata Marae Trustees and other
marae members and friends of the marae, to establish and agree a papak inga vision and key design parameters which were translated in a masterplan led by Wellington based landscape architects Local.
The project is called He Tipu Manahau: Kia Mau Te R (To grow resilience; To keep hold of the sun).
The papak inga will be based on the vision and values of the marae which are contained in the Marae’s Development Plan created in 2021.
The papak inga’s houses will be connected to the marae through design features, pathways, tohu and services for residents.
In addition the marae has a very strong environmental approach – above the building code and other requirements – which it will try to apply to the papak inga design and operation.
The WMCT has also been in discussions with the Hutt City Council (HCC) over a number of years regarding the proposed papak inga.
“The HCC have been very supportive of the papak inga proposal to date and have provided valuable advice and services when working through planning issues,” WMCT says.
The WMCT has engaged Urban Plus Limited (HCC’s development organisation) as development manager. Their role is to bring the trustees’ vision to fruition with the
budget available.
The WMCT has been working with MHUD since mid 2022 and with Urban Plus Limited since mid 2023, on a range of detailed agreements which are now signed-off.
These agreements include using local resources and contractors where they meet the required standards
WMCT applied for MHUD’s He Taupae funding to carry out the resource building consents, but was only granted funding for the resource consent.
WMCT also applied for MHUD’s He Taupua for administration, accounting, legal and management costs but was not successful.
In September 2024 Urban Plus Limited and the WMCT carried out a Request for Proposal process for consultant services for the resource and building consents (that is architecture, landscape design, planning, surveying and civil engineering).
Organisations representing these services were engaged in the first week of October this year and a full design team meeting is set for the second week of October.
Urban forest
The project to develop an urban forest next to the marae, named Ngahere Korowai (signifying a beautiful cloak of forest), will see the plantings take place on the swamp area between the marae and the hill.
Continued on page 6
Garage sale
The Lions Club of Wainuiomata will hold its 2024 garage sale at Louise Bilderbeck Hall from 8:30am to noon on Saturday 2 November. If anyone has goods to donate they can contact the club’s secretary Allan O’Brien on 021 263 9311. “We are interested in any household items, excluding large furniture items, and clothing,” Allan says.
Twilight bowls
Twilight bowls will start for the season at the Wainuiomata Bowling Club, 1B Moohan Street, on 13 November.
Play starts around 6pm with registrations from 5pm.
The evening includes fun, food and bowling, and is open to all. The format is two games of six ends with three players per team each having two bowls.
Bowls will be supplied.
Hallowe’en market
A market will be held on Hallowe’en night, 31 October, at 12 Wellington Road Wainuiomata.
Stalls at the market will be selling a variety of items, including hangi, rewena bread, seafood chowder, steak ‘n egg fried bread burgers, raw fish, toffee apples, choc ‘n chippy, choc ‘n worms, raw fish, fry bread, cinnamon scrolls, locally made jewellery, wax melts and balms, and solar lights. There will be karaoke as well.
An aerial view of the Wainuiomata Marae. Photo: Supplied.
First Hutt Arts Trail this weekend
By Frank Neill
The inaugural Hutt City Arts Trail, which features three Wainuiomata artists, takes place this weekend, 19 and 20 October. Maggie Mundell, Sophie Gardiner and Anna Gibson are the three Wainuiomata artists who have displays on the Arts Trail. Sophie and Anna’s displays will be at The Petone Depot, 8/193 Jackson Street, Petone, and Maggie’s display of jewellery will be at The Learning Connection, 182 Eastern Hutt Road. The exhibitions are open between 10am and 4pm. Anna works with collage, printmaking and textiles.
“I love working with many different mediums and especially being creative with discarded scraps,” she says.
“Recently I have been focusing on collage, ceramics, jewellery and textiles. I enjoy designing patterns that can be applied to prints, fabrics and ceramics.
“My collage work tends to be a bit humorous and searching for vintage magazines is a hobby in itself.
“I studied Art in Bendigo, Australia and Design at Massey, Wellington, majoring in Illustration with printmaking and textiles electives.
“I have also had the privilege of being an Art Tutor at Vincents Art Workshop in Wellington for seven years.
“During my time at Vincents I saw how access to art and creativity can benefit people's mental health and overall wellbeing.
“I also hold a weekly craft group at the Pitoone Depot called Community Crafternoon. It is a space where anyone can bring their art and craft project to work on, while being surrounded by the encouragement and support of other creative people.
“We also have sewing machines available if needed. Community Crafternoon is every Wednesday [from] 1pm to 4pm.
“I will have a range of my work at the Pitoone Depot on display and for sale during the Lower Hutt Art Trail.
“I have lived in Wainuiomata since 2019 .
“I have recently started attending Te Whare Toi Ora - MIX here and I'm so happy to have found such a wonderful art space. It's free and open to everyone in the community, so if you haven't already been there, you should take a look,” Anna says. Maggie is a jeweller and works mainly with stirling silver, often combining that with gem stones. She began making jewellery when she joined The Learning Connection in 2015. Sophie Gardiner is a qualified artist who creates art that focuses on positivity over adversity, which is, she says “important in a world that confronts us daily”. Sophie has exhibited all around the United Kingdom as well as in Wellington.
Fantastic response to Love Wainui survey
Love Wainuiomata received a “fantastic” response to its survey of residents, Love Wainuiomata’s Co-ordinator Chastity Card says.
More than 1,000 people have answered the survey, named “Revitalise Wainuiomata”, which closed on Sunday 13 October.
“We smashed it out of the park,” Chastity says.
The mahi to obtain that high
number of signatures “has been quite an effort.”
It has been achieved through activities such as door knocking, holding barbecues and drop in sessions and even a stall at a market.
Around 60% of respondents came from that grass roots engagement, while 40% of people completed the survey online.
Love Wainuiomata’s committee
“will be looking at the information from the survey to develop the 2025-28 strategic plan for Love Wainuiomata,” Chastity says. The survey results “will guide our next three years of exciting projects, transforming our town into an even more welcoming and stunning place to live, work, and play.”
People taking part in the survey
went into a draw for three prizes and Love Wainuiomata plans to publish the winners later this week.
The new three-year plan has three main objectives, which are the same as the purposes of Hutt City Council’s Wainuiomata Development Plan. These are to: -
sion and describe what this could mean for the future of Wainuiomata;
priority aspirations for what Wainuiomata could be like in the next 20 years; and
the ideas that have come from the community with actionable tasks and programmed implementation.
Your Place
Your Place
Thinking about roofing?
A roof replacement is one of the best investments you can make in your home. There is a large difference between tile and metal roof costs - however either one can increase your home’s value significantly. Realtors report that a new roof is one of the most sought-after items by home buyers.
Wainuiomata cricketer Craig Foster, who works for Design and Build, has just returned to the valley with a world championship to his credit.
Craig was a member of the New Zealand men’s over 45 team that won the Indoor Cricket world title.
The team became the champions when they defeated Australia 99-34 in the grand final, played in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
This is the third Indoor Cricket world title Craig has won.
His first came in 2013 when he was a member of the New Zealand over 30 team that beat Australia in Johannesburg.
You also want to make sure that your roof is as accessible as possible when the roofers arrive. This makes their job easier and potentially faster.
Once you decide to install a new roof, learn what to do to protect your home, family, and pets during the process.
Many older roofs may have been installed without sarking, which provides additional insulation and protection to your home. You only get one chance to install sarking and that is when you are reroofing or installing a new roof.
Specialists in Land Development and
World title for Design and Build cricketer
The second title came in 2019 when the New Zealand over 35 team beat South Africa on its home turf in Cape Town.
Craig has competed in nine Indoor Cricket World Cup competitions since 1995. He has played 84 Indoor Cricket tests for New Zealand and has been playing at Hutt Indoor Sports centre since he was 13.
Craig is also involved in Outdoor Cricket and is a member of the New Zealand over 50 team that will compete in the Australian state chamionships in Newcastle next month. He is also the President of the Wainuiomata Cricket Club.
EMERGENCY ROOF REPAIRS AVAILABLE
The victorious New Zealand team, of which Craig Foster is a member, celebrating with the trophy they won. Photo: Supplied.
Continued from page 3
The Marae supports the precious “ngahere korowai” which will provide a playspace-storytelling while supporting nature, education and natural ecosystem services. Fundraising to help pay for the project is now under way.
Molly Melhuish and Pam Crisp have set up a Pledge Me page at https://pledgeme.co.nz/ projects/8010-grow-a-tiny-forest-with-awetland-on-a-marae-and-show-others-how.
They are aiming to raise $10,000 to help pay for materials and labour so the vision of an urban forest can become a reality.
People are welcome to support the project, which had raised a little over $3,200 when the “Wainuiomata News” went to print.
The wetland forest will use native species, densely planted under the Miyawaki method to help drain and stablise the nearby area which is prone to flooding
Japanese botanist, Akira Miyawaki, recognised that Japan’s shrine forests were extremely resilient to storm damage, flooding and even tsunami. His “tiny forests” built in urban land proved just as resilient.
His method was rediscovered in Europe in around 2015, and in the United States and other countries soon afterwards.
Tiny forests are ideally the size of a tennis court or even as small as two parking spaces. They contain some 20 to 50 species of trees, shrubs and ground cover that are native to the actual climate and soil where they are built.
They are planted at three or more per square metre, into soil which has been deeply dug and mixed with straw, woodchip, manure, and infusions of soil microbes.
Indigenous Playspace
Tu Kotahi Asthma Trust and WMCT has received funding from the Lego Corporation (Denmark) via the Spirit Project (John Hopkins University, USA) to develop an Indigenous playspace.
The outcomes of the playspace include:
relationships with land and the environment are (re)established to improve the health and wellbeing of families;
playspaces designed by and for indigenous communities with a focus on early childhood, particulary (but not only) 0-6 year olds;
ferent indigenous nations are shared between projects, especially ways that overcome systemic barriers to improve the health and wellbeing of children and their families; and of/with playspaces through indigenous and
Newspaper Deliverers WANTED
other evaluation methods.
Tihei Rangatahi
The WMCT has been working with builders TRENZ Create A Home to design a 150 to 200m2 building that will be located on the Wainuiomata Marae for the Tihei Rangatahi Programme.
The building will also act a reception and first point of contact for manuhiri to the marae.
GUM 4m3 $740, 2m3 $430
Having the Tihei
Programme based at the marae will be a win-win with rangatahi having a place to call their own and will support the Marae’s succession planning.
Friday 18th Oct 2024, 6:30pm at the Wainuiomata Rugby Club, 2 Moohan St, Wainuiomata. All members are welcome. If anyone is interested in being part of the WRFC committee please let us know.
DOUGLAS-FIR 4m3 $730, 2m3 $420
AREA
Rd
papers AREA 5: Naseby Gr, Bexley Gr, part of Wellington Rd - 285 papers
Of the ear (4) 30. Slight blow (3) 32. Petrol(U.S) (3)
34. Flog (4)
35. Prompts (7)
36. Desire to drink (6)
39. Hebrew prophet(O.T.) (6)
40. Ate lavishly (7)
42. Care for (4)
46. Obstinate (3-6)
48. Unrehearsed (9)
50. Friend(Sp) (5)
51. Gratify (7)
52. In the middle of (5)
53. Augmentation(11)
54. Child-minders, baby (7)
DOWN
1. Commodious (5)
2. Steals (7)
3. Sun-worshipping cult member (6)
4. Kingdom (8)
5. Captain (7)
6. Distinctive character of a culture(5)
7. Badger (6)
8. English novelist, D.H. (8) 9. Outstanding chess player (5,6)
10. Rough-surfaced cloth (5) 16. Festival (7) 18. Slackened (5) 20. Found (7) 21. Average (3) 22. Stage of journey (3) 24. Tell apart (11)
Spoil (3)
Of sheep (5)
Small rodent (3)
Vigour (3) 33. Throw (3) 37. Capital of Cape Province(S.A.) (4,4) 38. Dependent (8)
AGM
Photo: Frank Neill.
Rangatahi
Outstanding knock by Wainui batsman
By Frank Neill
Wainuiomata cricketer Jackson Hemmingway batted and bowled outstandingly in the opening match of the 2024 season on 12 October.
Playing against Upper Hutt in Cricket Wellington’s RobLawMax T20 Cup, Jackson scored 74 not out, well over half the 119 runs Wainuiomata chalked up.
He scored his runs from just 67 deliveries he faced.
Jackson’s score was well over double the match’s next highest scorer, Upper Hutt’s Navroz Singh, who reached 34 from 34 deliveries.
Jackson also recorded his team’s best bowling figures when he took two wickets at a cost of just 10 runs from his three overs.
Gupreet Singh also took two wickets at a cost of 17 runs, while Craig Foster took two wickets for 22 runs.
Jackson’s feat with the bat was not enough to take Wainuiomata to victory, however, and they lost the match by 12 runs.
Batting first, Upper Hutt scored 131 runs for the loss of eight wickets. At the end of their 20
Community board appealing disestablishment
By Frank Neill
The Wainuiomata Community Board has decided it will appeal Hutt City Council’s decision to disestablish it.
The board held a meeting last week where it decided to lodge the appeal.
“We think it is important to follow through on this,” the community board’s Deputy Chair Lesa Bingley says.
“We are disappointed with the finding to disestablish us.
“We feel that we [Wainuiomata] are a distinct community and that it is worth fighting for this community board.
“It holds a lot of value for a lot of people and so we are hoping that it will continue to be something that can continue to advocate for the community for years to come.
“Our stance hasn’t changed in terms of the submission we initially made.
“We believe that it was a strong submission that we put forward, so we look forward to being able to speak more to that on behalf of our community,” Ms Bingley says.
The council should retain community boards, the Wainuiomata Community Board said in its submission.
“It is crucial for our community to continue operating a community board to ensure local responsiveness and representation of local interests,” the submission says.
“Community board members can mobilise activities within the community and facilitate public decision-making at the grassroots level.
“With rapid housing growth and numerous new developments, Wainuiomata faces both opportunities and challenges that require focused attention and localised decision-making.
“Collaboration with the council is essential to ensure that infrastructure, services and community amenities keep pace with rising demands,” the submission says.
“We have heard from residents of our community about the value
of having a community board who have also expressed their unhappiness and concerns about the proposed diestablishment for the boards.
“We have also heard the concern that disestablishment of boards would remove the layer of advocacy for the Wainuiomata community and that often there is a level of uncomfortability for residents in attending council led meetings due to the relationship between council and community not being close enough to have our community represented effectively.
“There is also a concern about how difficult it would be to reintroduce a community board in the future.
“To further support this concern, Smith (2015) identified that areas without community boards often struggle with lower levels of engagement and participation, leading to a sense of disconnection and dissatisfaction among residents, which can weaken local governance effectiveness.”
The board was quoting a paper by R S Smith "Local Government and Community Boards: Assessing the Impact on Civic Engagement," in “Local Government Studies”.
The community baord’s submission also focused on the uniqueness of the community.
“Wainuiomata stands out as a unique community within Lower Hutt. It has a distinct identity
overs Wainuiomata was 119 for seven wickets.
The first two rounds of the T20 Cup were played on 12 October and Wainuiomata did not fare well in the second match either.
Johnsonville bowled Wainuiomata out for 99 runs and then cruised to victory when they scored 101 for the loss of one wicket in just 12 overs.
Ryan Jackson was the best of the Wainuiomata batsmen, scoring 39 from the 33 deliveries he faced. Wainuiomata will have their work cut out in the two rounds to be played next Saturday, 19 October.
They face the two teams that share top spot on the table, Karori and Taita, with both matches being played at Fraser Park.
Fire destroys home, next door home saved
By Frank Neill
A Wainuiomata Road house
burnt down in the early hours of Sunday morning, 13 October.
However the rapid response by the Wainuiomata firefighters saved the house next door.
Nobody was in the house at the time as the owners were away and the blaze was reported by a passer by at 2:20am.
Crews from the Wainuiomata, Seaview, Avalon, Remutaka and Hutt fire brigades responded, along with the Wellington Command Unit.
and needs that differ from other areas,” the submission said.
“Currently, Wainuiomata has a population of approximately 19,500 residents. This population is expected to grow significantly over the next five years, potentially reaching around 22,000 due to ongoing housing developments and the area's appeal to new families.
“The Pukeatua Maunga creates a natural separation between Wainuiomata and the Lower Hutt community.
“However, this separation contributes to the close-knit nature of our community, fostering intergenerational family connections and a welcoming environment for newcomers.
“The population growth and unique characteristics of Wainuiomata necessitate a robust framework for local governance and community engagement.
“It is crucial for our community to continue operating a community board to ensure local responsiveness and representation of local interests.
“Community Board members can mobilise activities within the community and facilitate public decision-making at the grassroots level.
“With rapid housing growth and numerous new developments, Wainuiomata faces both opportunities and challenges that require focused attention and localised decision-making,” the submission said.
The house was well alight when the first responders arrived and was a total loss. A car parked next to the house was also destroyed and a second car parked near the house was slightly damaged.
“It was very good work from the first crew on the scene because
they saved it from spreading to the home next door,” Wainuiomata’s Chief Fire Officer Peter Thompson says.
When the first responders arrived the fire had already caused some minor damage to the next door house, and the fire crews prevented it from further damage.
The initial 111 call gave an incorrect address, saying the fire was on Main Road, rather than Wainuiomata Road.
This fortunately did not delay the response, however, as the first responders could see where the fire was and went straight to the fire, CFO Thompson says.
There were also subsequent calls to 111 giving the correct address.
It is important that people advise the correct street name when placing a 111 call about a fire, CFO Thompson says.
Plan to build 14 town houses
By Frank Neill
Astra Property Holdings is proposing to build 14 town houses at 130 Hine Road, Wainuiomata. They have applied to Hutt City Council for resource consent to build the town houses, with associated accessory buildings and earthworks.
The proposed townhouses are a mix of two and three storeys.
The resource consent application was submitted on 30 June. Hutt City Council requested a
range of further information from the applicant on 30 August, the council’s Head of Planning Tim Johnstone says.
“This information relates to a range of design, transport and planning matters.
“The application is on hold until all requested information has been received.
“No decision on notification will be made until all requested information has been received,” Mr Johnstone says.
The 130 Hine Road section, where Astra is seeking a rescource consent to build 14 town houses. Photo: Frank Neill.
The Wainuiomata Community Board (from left) Lesa Bingley, Tamsyn Harker, Leah Clark, Daniel Chrisp, Cr Keri Brown, Gary Sue and Te Awa Puketapu. Photo: Supplied.
