Sparkling gymnasium open
By Frank Neill
High School’s “sparkling” gymnasium is now back in operation following a major refurbishment.
The upgraded gymnasium is part of the school’s current building project, with two new classrooms – one of them being an ampitheatre-type classroom – an entry foyer and a new office also completed in time for the beginning of the new school term.
Continued on page 2.
Wainuiomata
Wainuiomata High School’s “super dupa” gymnasium. Photo: Supplied.
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Continued from page 1
The newly refurbished gymnasium is “super dupa,” says Wainuiomata High School’s Sport Director Peter Cowan.
“It is state of the art and it looks like one of the events centres.
“It is a great community hub, and we can run multiple events there.
“It has really opened up what we can do ... and it allows our school to connect with community groups even more.
“It’s a shared resource – a bit of a Sportsville.”
The refurbished gymnasium will be available not only for sports, but also for other events, including the arts.
“We will now be able to host a lot of things,” Peter says.
One of the local clubs that has been using the school’s gymnasium is the flourishing Ulalei Wainuiomata Netball, and Basketball is also based there.
Ulalei has been based at the school since it was formed in 2004 by a small group of passionate netballers, aiming to build a netball base in Wainuiomata for players of all abilities.
Being based at the high school has allowed Ulalei to provide a seamless transition from college to club netball.
The gymnasium refurishments has seen new windows, ceilings and lights and brand new changing rooms.
The schools two gymnasiums are also now linked and are tied into the school’s back sport field.
The school’s gymnasium will be a welcome facility as gymnasium space is at a premium in
Lower Hutt. “Walter Nash Stadium is not enough,” Peter says.
The new foyer at Wainuiomata High School. Photo: Supplied.
One of the two new classrooms at Wainuiomata High School. Photo: Supplied.
Fundraising for tiny urban forest
By Frank Neill
Fundraising to help pay for a new tiny urban forest at the Wainuiomata Marae is 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-witha-wetland-on-a-marae-and-show-othershow.
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 more than $3,400 when the “Wainuiomata News” went to print.
The urban forest, 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. It will cover an area of 80 square metres.
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.
The Marae supports the precious “ngahere
Locals to feature at Wainuiomata Connections
By Frank Neill
Two local business leaders will feature as the speakers at Love Wainuiomata’s second “Wainui Connections” breakfast on 21 November.
Chemist Clive Cannons, a distinguished leader in the Wainuiomata business community, will share his lived experiences, insights on overcoming challenges and tips for building lasting business relationships.
Awhina Vailima, General Manager and co-founder of the Tuatahi Centre, will share her perspective on “Why businesses need dreamers”.
Love Wainuiomata says that it welcomes all local business owners, entrepreneurs, stakeholders and those whose businesses are over the hill but reside in Wainuiomata at the “Wainui Connections” breakfast.
The breakfast will be held at the Wainuiomata Community Hub from 6:30am to 8am and people can register at https://forms.gle/
Clive Cannons, who will be one of the speakers at the second Wainui Connections breakfast. Photo: Supplied. bxBC7uAnMSZLqrJZ9.
People attending are asked to bring along canned food, dried goods or sanitary pads to contribute to Kokiri Marae P taka Kai. The P taka Kai helps more than 60 families every day, families who struggle to get necessities for their wh nau.
Free squash
The Wainuiomata Squash Club is holding free junior nights every Thursday from 24 October to 14 November and it also features free pizza. For young people aged from eight to 17 years, the evening sessions will run from 5:30pm to 7pm at the club, 97 Main Road.
Rackets and balls will be available, and those attending will need to wear sports shoes.
All levels are welcome at the junior squash nights.
For more information email woasquash@gmail.com or phone Andy on 021 453 858.
Garden meeting
Arakura School is running a hui to discuss how the community can work together to get its garden, Te Māra ō Arakura, growing.
The meeting will take place at the school from 6:30pm to 7:30pm on Wedensday 23 October.
An online option to joing the meeting is available.
For more information email carolm@arakura.school.nz.
korowai” which will provide a playspace-storytelling while supporting nature, education and natural ecosystem services.
Three community groups are creating the Ngahere Korowai.
People from the Wainuiomata Marae, Transition Town Lower Hutt and Nature’s Vela are now hard at work on the project.
“Our project will provide a model for growing ‘tiny forests’ across Aotearoa New Zealand,” the group’s PledgeMe page says.
“‘Tiny forests’ help cool cities, increase biodiversity, improve human health and teach tamariki the importance of nature.
“Startup funding of $1,500 from Transition Town Lower Hutt helped us make a start, including scoping the site and preparing a project proposal, vision and plan.
“Forest and Bird’s Wainuiomata Nursery are sourcing, growing and gifting most of the native plants for the Ngahere Korowai.”
Pam Crisp, Molly Melhuish and Wainuiomata Marae Chair Star Olsen against a drone image of a tiny forest. Photo: Supplied.
Shocking plan
Dear Editor,
I was shocked to read of the developer’s plans to build 14 townhouses two and three storeys high at 130 Hine Road. This is ludicrous.
This property is iconic along the street due to its magnificent old trees that add so much character and greenery to the area.
I presume the developer will want to chop them all down just to maximise how many square metres of housing they can cram in there.
And three storey? I can understand that height in very central Lower Hutt, but in this location it does not make sense, not to mention where will they all park?
Community Board axing
Dear Editor,
I am feeling guilty, as I did not make a submission to the [Hutt City] Council on its proposal to do away with community boards, and especially the Wainuiomata Community Board. When I read that this was being proposed, I thought I should make a submission but then I didn’t get around to it. That proved to be a big mistake, because the council then voted to get rid of community boards.
I have attended a few meetings
of the Wainuiomata Community Board, although I have never spoken at one.
In my view the board does a good job.
It listens to the community, and when I have been a lot of Wainuiomata people have spoken about issues and quite often they are important not just to them, but to the whole community.
I can’t see that people will go along in anything like those numbers and speak at council meetings
Trades&
That is just sticking the middle finger to all the surrounding neighbours, so they can bleed every last little dollar from the property and then disappear. Disgusting.
Please reconsider Astra Property Holdings. You may not live here but we do.
Horrified Hine Road resident
over the hill after the community board holds its final meeting next year.
In my view that just won’t happen. What that means is that the council will have got rid of one of the most important ways people are letting the council know what is important to them. I definitely agree with the Wainuiomata Community Board when it said in its submission on the plan to ditch community boards the following: “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.”
I understand that one of the issues that Hutt City Councillors were looking at when they made the decision was cost. Democracy
always has a cost.
In my view it is important that the money is available to pay for democracy, and that includes appropriate interaction with the community, such as the intereaction that happens at community board meetings.
I also understand that one of the issues was that community boards are not operating across the whole of Lower Hutt City.
Continued on page 6
The 130 Hine Road section, where Astra Property Holdings is seeking a resource consent to build 14 town houses.
Photo: Frank Neill.
World title for Design and Build cricketer
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.
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.
The victorious New Zealand team, of which Craig
is
with the
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.
Foster
a member, celebrating
trophy they won. Photo: Supplied.
Continued from page 4
There are just three community boards: Wainuiomata, Petone and Eastbourne.
That means that there is an issue of fairness. However rather that getting rid of the three community boards, the council in my view should have put together a plan to introduce them across the whole of the Hutt Valley.
That did not necessarily need to happen in time for the 2025 local body
elections, but it should have happened. Wainuiomata once had its own local body.
Before the New Zealand local government reforms in 1989, when Wainuiomata came under Hutt City Council, the valley was looked after by the Wainuiomata District Council. Wainuiomata also had its own Mayor, Harry Martin. The community board was set up as part of the local government reform, as part of the trade-off for disestablishing the district council.
Greater ethnic representation needed
Local Member of Parliament Ginny Andersen was a member of the Labour Pary team that met with ethnic leaders from across New Zealand this month.
At the meeting the leaders voiced their concern over a series of issues and called for greater representation in shaping government policy.
Four of the major areas of concern they identified were health, immigration, crime and education.
Hate-motivated offending was a special concern in the area of crime.
The meeting was told that New Zealand Police statistics showed that three quarters of hate offences were motivated by race or ethnicity.
Health disparities affecting ethnic com-
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munities and an education system that better reflected New Zealand’s diversity were among the other issues raised at the meeting. As well as Hutt South-based Ginny Andersen, Labour leader Chris Hipkins attended the meeting.
Among the leaders of ethnic communities at the meeting were: Daljit Singh of the Sikh Association; Manisha Morar, the President of the Wellington Indian Association; Paul Patel of the Indian Central Association, Anwar Ghani of the Federation of Islamic Associations, Richard Leung and Debbie Chen of the New Zealand Chinese Association, Gregery Fortuin of the African Leaders Group and Robert Hunt, Chair of the New Zealand Buddhist Council.
I cannot see that anything has changed and that the community board is just as important now as it was in 1989. Finally, I would like to congratulate the Wainuiomata Community Board for making a submission asking the council to retain the board, and also for lodging an appeal against the council’s decision. As part of my job requirements I am prevented from making public statements, so I am writing this letter under a nom de plume.
Avid democrat
New Squash champion crowned
as runner up.
Trades
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Graham’s Painters
Hamish Buchanan is the new Wainuiomata Squash Club’s men’s club champion.
Hamish won the title ahead of Aidan Walbaekken during the senior club championships, played on 17, 18 and 19 October.
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The reigning champion going into this year championships Lance Keall was injured and was not able to defend his title.
Jennymae Keall won the women’s championship, following a mother-and-daughter contest with Georja Keall, who finished
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Jennymae added the women’s championship to the master’s women’s title she had earlier won ahead of Roena Rogers. It was an all Keall event at the top of the junior men’s championship, with Connor Keall winning and Flynn Keall finishing as runner up.
Gorja Keall won the junior women’s championship ahead of runner up Ellie Briggs. As well as winning the senior men’s championship Hamish Buchanan won the masters men’s title, while Wayne Gurdler was runner up.
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Photo: Supplied.
Ryan Jackson stars with the bat
By Frank Neill
Wainuiomata cricketer Ryan Jackson, who usually features as a top bowler, starred with the bat on 19 October.
Earlier this year Ryan was named Club Cricketer of the Year in the 2024 Cricket Wellington Awards.
Ryan won the award for his outstanding bowling, and he also won the Ron Murray Cup for taking the most wickets in the 202324 season in the men’s top two divisions.
Playing against Taita in Cricket Wellington’s RobLawMax T20 Cup, Ryan finished on 62 not out, having faced just 43 deliveries.
Ryan did not receive the support he needed from the other Wainuiomata batsmen, however, and they handed Taita a comfortable win.
Batting first, Wainuiomata scored 115 for the loss of six wickets in their 20 overs. Taita overhauled that total for the loss of just two wickets, finishing on 118.
The second highest Wainuiomata batting total was chalked up by Jackson Hemmingway, who also took one of the Taita wickets to fall, with Brett Dansfield taking the other. Wainuiomata did not fare well in their second T20 match on 19 October.
Batting first, Karori scored 177 for the loss of seven wickets. They then bowled Wainuiomata out for just 82 runs.
Ryan Jackson and Logan Stoup both bowled well for Wainuiomata, taking two wickets each, while Daniel Hewitt, Jackson Hemmingway and Gurpeet Singh took one wicket each.
Nikhil Narayanankutty was the best of the Wainuiomata batsmen, scoring 28 runs from just 18 deliveries.
Rugby Club’s 2024-25 officers
The Wainuiomata Rugby Football Club held its annual general meeting on 18 October, where the officers for the upcoming year were elected.
The officers for 2024-25 are: Patron, Bart Bartlett; President, Kirsty Beyer; Vice President, Larry Gladwell; Chair, Gerard Eising; Club Captain, Chris Foley; Secretary, Penney Foley; Treasurer, Robert Manuel; Publicity Officer, Moana Kuma Sponsorship Officer, Teru Time Wellington Rugby Football Union Representative, Chris Wright; Gear Steward, Zoe Clark; Junior Convener, Arikirangi Kerei; Assistant Junior Convener, Gary Sue; Bar Manager, Tom O’Brien; Assistant Bar Manager, Jamie Larn; Solicitor, Jason Taylor of ARL Lawyers.
Spirit Awards postponed to 2025
By Frank Neill
The Wainuiomata Spirit Awards, presented annually by the Wainuiomata Community Board, will not be taking place this year.
They were due to be presented at 5:30pm tonight (23 October) at 5:30pm at a ceremony at the Wainuiomata Library.
“Unfortunately our Spirit Awards will be postponed until next year,” the community board’s Deputy Chair Lesa Bingley told the “Wainuiomata News”.
The reason for that is because the community board did not receive any nominations, Ms Bingley said.
There had been a lot of interest in the awards.
However that had not translated into actual nominations, which closed on 4 October.
The lack of nominations was in marked
contrast to last year where “we had so many nominations it was difficult to pick the winners.
“It is a missed opportunity to celebrate the amazing contributions of the volunteers we have in Wainuiomata,” Ms Bingley said.
“I’m really hopeful that we will receive nominations for the Spirit Awards next year in what will be the last time the Wainuiomata Community Board presents the awards.”
That is unless the community board’s appeal against Hutt City Council’s decision to disestablish the city’s three community boards – Wainuiomata, Petone and Eastbourne – is successful.
The Spirit Awards presentation was scheduled to take place before the community board meeting, which will begin today at 6:30pm.
Get to Know Cricket
By Frank Neill
A “Get to Know Cricket” afternoon will be held at Byran Heath Park from 4:30pm to 5:30pm on Friday 25 October.
The Wainuiomata Cricket Club will have coaching stations set up for the children to have a go at the sport. The club will also be throwing in a sausage and drink for those who turn up.
As well as catering for the children, the evening will also cater for parents.
Cricket Wellington will be providing a Smash Play coaching session to parents
who are interested in coaching this year.
The free session is open to all parents and children up to year 8.
Junior Cricket is free to play this season, thanks to sponsors of the Wainuiomata Cricket Club.
The club will be fielding four junior teams this year, and places on the teams were still available when the “Wainuiomata News” went to print.
People can register for the team by visiting www.playhq.com and typing in Wainuiomata Cricket Club and then Register.
Ryan Jackson, who starred with the bat for Wainuiomata on Saturday 19 October. Photo: Supplied.
