27 February Independent Herald by WELLINGTON SUBURBAN NEWSPAPERS

Safety issues

By Frank Neill

Safety risks are present in the current ﬂight path taken by aircraft using Wellington Airport, Plane Sense says in its latest media release.

The safety risks have been identified by expert witnesses who have filed affidavits in Plane Sense’s legal battle against the flight path change that was implemented with no warning in December 2022.

Continued on page 2.

An aeroplane flying low over northern suburbs homes. Photo: Phil Greig.

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Plane Sense wants ﬂight paths set aside

Continued from page 1.

“These afﬁdavits, challenging the safety and efﬁciency claims made by Airways and Wellington Airport, will be central to the group’s upcoming High Court hearing in May 2025,” Plane Sense says.

Plane Sense is a community advocacy group pushing back on the current DMAPS [Divergent Missed Approach Protection System] ﬂight path.

It is asking the High Court to set aside the DMAPS ﬂight path.

Their expert witnesses have “highlighted safety risks, particularly related to heavy aircraft climbing out over the high terrain of Mount Kaukau, which could be dangerous in an engine failure scenario or a scenario involving plane debris falling into the suburbs – incidents which do feature in the media worldwide.

“DMAPS also introduces increased complexity for pilots and air trafﬁc controllers, contributing to greater operational risk.

“These concerns contradict international aviation best practices,” Plane Sense says.

Plane Sense also says an expert witness has identiﬁed the shift in flight paths has resulted in “signiﬁcant property value losses for homeowners.

“The total economic loss across the affected suburbs is between $248 million and $453 million and could increase with Welling-

ton Airport’s WLG 2040 plan to increase aircraft numbers by 50%, using larger and noisier long-haul aircraft.”

In addition, Plane Sense says its experts have also raised noncompliance issues, with DMAPS in Wellington not meeting regulatory standards.

“One regulatory exemption was granted by the Director of Civil Aviation, one year after the implementation of DMAPS, with a further application for dispensation from separation standards under consideration.

“No formal regulatory action has yet been taken by the Director.

“Plane Sense’s experts have pointed to alternative safer ﬂight path procedures that are adopted at far busier airports globally,” Plane

Sense says.

The experts conﬁrm that jets flying the DMAPS flight path have increased noise pollution drastically.

“Our expert witnesses have uncovered deeply troubling safety issues that may not only jeopardise those directly under the ﬂight path but also pose risks to all Wellingtonians using and living around the airport,” Plane Sense co-founder Louisa Picker says.

“These issues must be heard in Court.

“Despite more than 50% of the community voting for a ﬂight path change in the belated consultation process, Airways and Wellington Airport remain ﬁxated on defending DMAPS at any cost.

“That cost is being paid by our community in terms of wellbeing, safety and ongoing ﬁnancial impact.

“After more than two years of DMAPS it’s time for these concerns to ﬁnally be addressed and for our voices to be heard, Louisa says.

“According to our expert witness, the shift in ﬂight paths has resulted in signiﬁcant property value losses for homeowners,” Plane Sense co-founder Roxy Steel says

“On average, homes under the DMAPS flight path have lost between $20,000 to $28,000, with some properties losing as much as $262,000.

“This loss is independent of general property market fluc-

tuations and represents a direct ﬁnancial burden on thousands of Wellington residents across the affected suburbs,” Roxy says.

“This situation involves a transfer of homeowner wealth to the airlines and Wellington Airport without any offer of compensation.

“The total economic loss across the affected suburbs is between $248 million and $453 million,” Roxy adds.

As Plane Sense prepares for the Judicial Review, the group faces mounting legal costs, including High Court hearing fees. They are calling on the community to help fund the ﬁnal stretch of their campaign.

“We are at a critical juncture,” Roxy says.

“Our evidence in support of the case has been completed, but we need the public’s help to ensure that costs can be covered in the run up to the hearing date.

“Every donation will help ensure that the voices of residents and the safety of our community are prioritised over unacceptable corporate conduct,” she says.

For more information about the case and to donate visit: planesensewellington.com.

“Each option has beneﬁts and downsides, but the case for the status quo is very strong,” Wellington Airport Chief Executive Matt Clarke says.

Continued on page 4.

I recently hosted a meeting which included local property developers and representatives from the City and Regional Councils. The background for the meeting was the need to ensure all people involved in providing more housing in our electorate, whether it be those building them or those regulating and permitting that building, understand the issues which govern the ability to build the houses everyone agrees we need.

There are essentially two types of development; greenfields and brownfields. Greenfields means building on currently undeveloped land, typically ex farmland on the edges of current urban areas, where infrastructure like sewers, water supply and other essential services don’t exist are usually built by the developer.

Brownfields development means rebuilding on existing sites, and there has been considerable discussion in recent times around how much intensification should be allowed in existing suburbs, especially changing of height limits to allow for more apartments.

Behaviour of MPs at Parliament has become a hot topic with the resignation of Andrew Bayley as a Cabinet Minister, and the nonresignation of David Seymour for arguably worse behaviour around interfering in murder and sex abuse enquiries and driving a car up Parliament’s steps. Cabinet Ministers are held to a higher standard than non-Cabinet Ministers as they are subject to the Cabinet Manual, which is more prescribed than the general code of conduct for MPs. MPs can only be forced to resign their seats if they are convicted of a crime liable to more than two year’s imprisonment, and there are rules around bankruptcy and attendance. Largely, it is up to the electorate to not re-elect them, or in the case of list MPs, for their party to not give them a winnable spot on the party list if they misbehave.

Both have their advantages and disadvantages; the Regional Council in particular see their role to prevent more

Andrew Bayley, for example, can remain an MP for his electorate; he has only resigned from

runoff and other material ending up in our harbours, especially the Porirua harbour in the case of development north of Johnsonville and Newlands. The Wellington City Council are concerned that the existing infrastructure cannot handle the pressure it comes under when new housing areas are developed. Existing infrastructure is aging and needs upgrading across our city, as evidenced by recent pipe failures. An advantage of intensification of existing areas means more people, therefore more ratepayers to pay for those upgrades.

Developers of course need to make a profit, and wish to keep their compliance costs as low as possible. Many believe the Resource Management Act is too cumbersome. We as government for our part have undertaken to rewrite that act.

The feedback was good, but the success will be when there are sufficient affordable houses to meetdemand. That is certainly my goal as your MP.

Cabinet. The same happened to Ministers who resigned from the previous Government for breaches of the Cabinet Manual. The Cabinet Secretary, a neutral public servant, advises the Prime Minister on the Cabinet Manual. Despite the impression to the contrary, most long-time observers of Parliament will say that behaviour of MPs is much better today than in the past; I daresay the advent of social media and cell phones may have a lot to do with that. My observations are that most members on all sides are pretty well behaved, and any hint of bad behaviour quickly ends up on the front pages, something which may not have occurred in the past.

That, and of course having a vibrant and functioning Johnsonville Shopping Centre we can all be proud of.

There’s plenty to be getting on with.

While many are critical of politicians for any number of reasons, my experience is the vast majority on all sides are trying to do the right thing. Criticism goes with the job, so a thick skin is useful.

Plane Sense co-founder Roxy Steel speaking at the 14 April meeting that voted in favour of Court action. Photo: Frank Neill.

Exhibition by Newlands artist

Newlands artist Kit Ong has an exhibition of his work opening at the Alfred Memelink Artspace Gallery, 223 The Esplanade, Petone, at 1pm on 1 March.

Entitled “Wellington Cityscapes”, the exhibition will run until Sunday 30 March and the gallery is open between 10:30am and 4pm daily.

Born in Malaysia, Kit started painting and experimenting with different mediums from a young age.

He won several art awards at school but his favourite medium soon became watercolours.

Kit emigrated to New Zealand in 1988 and furthered his architecture studies at Victoria University.

In 2013 he semi retired from architecture in order to spend more time painting. Since then he has combined his love of art and architecture.

He captures his favourite painting subjects of buildings and cityscapes into much loved paintings. Kit enjoys the freedom of expression and the versatility painting with watercolours offers.

He always tries to capture the blur, or mystical vivid moments and memory of places and scenes that are dear to him, especially Wellington and other New Zealand cities.

Kit has won a number of international and New Zealand art awards for his vivid and atmospheric paintings.

Restricted ﬁre season imposed

All the Wellington district is now in a restricted ﬁre season. The restriction was imposed at 8am on Tuesday 25 February and will remain in force until further notice.

Porirua and the K piti Coast entered a restricted season on 28 January.

Now, Wellington’s city suburbs, Hutt Valley and all of the Wairarapa will join those areas in moving to a restricted season.

A restricted fire season means anyone who wants to light an outdoor fire must go to www. checkitsalright.nz and apply for a fire permit authorised by Fire and Emergency.

Wellington District Communi-

ty Risk Manager Phil Soal says a lack of recent rainfall and windy conditions across the district has led to an increase in ﬁre danger.

“The vegetation has dried out and the ﬁre danger is now high, meaning any escaping ﬁres will be fast moving and difficult to control and extinguish,” he says.

“People will need a permit to light a ﬁre, and they will need to comply with any conditions set out.

“This is a very risky time of year for wildﬁres, so we’re asking everyone to help us keep Wellington district’s people, property and environment safe from ﬁres this summer.”

Top scholars

Samuel Marsden Collegiate School scholars were awarded 28 scholarships in the 2024 examinations.

One of the school’s students, Sage Pettus, performed outstandingly in the examinations, gaining an Outstanding Scholarship in Geography.

Theses results are a testament to the students’ dedication, perseverance and commitment to academic excellence, the school says.

“These achievements not only reflect our students’ hard work but also come with financial support for those continuing their studies in New Zealand.”

Student survey

CensusAtSchool New Zealand – TataurangaKiTeKura Aotearoa launched its 12th biennial survey on 25 February, capturing the voices of thousands of students nationwide.

This year’s questionnaire explores screen time and gaming habits, pets, musical instruments, favourite sport to do, bedtime, and more —providing a unique snapshot of young New Zealanders’ lives. Visit https://new. censusatschool.org.nz/explore/.

New park toilets welcome

By Frank Neill

The new public toilets at Ian Galloway Park have been welcomed by Wellington City Councillor Diane Calvert.

Located near the BMX area and dog park, the new toilets are “good news,” Cr Calvert says.

“They are being used by approximately 50 people a day and they look very nice.

“This is a really good project done with the council and the community. This is what we need as a city,” Cr Calvert says.

Previously, there was no public toilet or drinking water facility at the southern Ian Galloway Park area.

Funding of $320K for this project was approved as part of the 2023/24 Annual Plan.

The toilets are now open to the public from 7am to 9pm daily.

Spokesperson for Courts and Veterans’ Affairs Assistant Speaker

One of Kit Ong’s Wellington Cityscapes that will feature in the exhibition. Image: Supplied.

The new toilets at Ian Galloway Park. Photo: Wellington City Council.

Continued from page 2.

“It delivers the best combined safety and efﬁciency outcomes, was the most favoured option from our consultation process, and likely affects fewer people overall with noise than before December 2022.

“We have listened carefully to all public and industry feedback over the past two years and empathise with all of the sentiments expressed during consultation.

“We understand this will be disappointing for some people.

“However, the unavoidable challenge for a city like Wellington with an airport relatively close to the CBD is that aircraft must ﬂy over residential areas at times, no matter which ﬂight path option is preferred,” Mr Clarke says.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) acknowledges the point of view of the Plane Sense group, CAA’s Deputy Chief Executive Aviation Security and Infrastructure Mike Hill says. “They have

exercised their rights to seek a Judicial Review, and a hearing is currently scheduled for May.

“This is the appropriate avenue to discuss these issues, their complexity, the process, and the role of each organisation.

“It is important to state that the CAA takes any allegation of unsafe or non-compliant conduct seriously and as it advised the Plane Sense group last year, it has carefully considered the claims that the group has made.

“The CAA does not have safety concerns regarding the Wellington DMAPS.

“Out of respect for the court process it isn’t appropriate for CAA to comment further at this time,” Mr Hill says.

“Airways is New Zealand’s air navigation service provider, and the safety of air travel is mission critical to our work,” an Airways spokesperson told the “Independent Herald”.

“As the matter is before the Courts, Airways declines to comment further.”

Play-in-the-Park a cracker

KAT Theatre’s 25th summer Play-inthe-Park season in Khandallah Park was a cracker.

“The eight performances over two gloriously ﬁne weekends were enjoyed by scores of children (and many adults too), with quite a few coming more than once,” says KAT Programme Coordinator Mary Collie-Holmes.

This year’s offering was a dramatisation of Margaret Mahy’s “The Man Whose Mother Was A Pirate” by Auckland playwright Tim Bray.

“As always there was plenty of audience participation, with the children delighting in correcting Mr Fat who couldn’t count correctly, lining up for an exciting wheelbarrow ride pushed by the Pirate Captain and Sam, after Sam and his mother had reached the sea and joined the pirate crew, and offering the Philosopher their ideas on why the earth is round, which brought her darting through the crowd to

each small hand waving in the air.

“The adults had just as much fun.

“They joined in the action with gusto and thoroughly enjoyed the children’s laughter and responses to, for example, the Cow farting (every good children’s show needs a fart) and Mr Fat demanding that they give him all their money,” Mary says.

A new development this year was the sale of candy ﬂoss by a group of Khandallah Venturer Scouts before and after each performance.

“They asked if they could do

this a few days before we opened,” Mary says.

“Together we worked out the logistics and the result was a successful fundraiser for the Scouts and lots of delighted and very sticky children.”

With so many families from near and far enjoying the Playin-the-Park each year, and an ever-changing pool of enthusiastic directors, actors and crew, the KAT Theatre committee looks forward to bringing this 25-yearold community entertainment to Khandallah Park for many summers to come.

The Pirate Captain giving Mabel Collie a wheelbarrow ride during KAT’s Play-in-the-Park. Photo: Brian Scurﬁeld.

The audience participating in the 2025 KAT Play-in-the-Park. Photo: Mary Collie-Holmes.

New J’ville play area

By Frank Neill

Wellington City Council (WCC) is going to create a new play area at Flinders Place in Johnsonville.

The council has produced draft designs for two options and is currently seeking feedback on the proposals. Feedback closes on 3 March.

The Johnsonville Community Association (JCA) is “delighted to see that WCC is creating a new play area in the Flinders Place dog walking park in Johnsonville West,” JCA committee member Maureen Sullivan says.

The JCA “encourages local residents to make their views known by submitting on the consultation currently underway.

“WCC identiﬁed in its 2017 Playspaces Policy that West Johnsonville was one of the areas in the city that had a gap in the provision of play areas.

“JCA has been promoting the need for a new playground in Johnsonville West for some years given its increasing population.

“As part of this JCA has been working with

the council to ﬁnd a suitable area for a new playground.

“In 2022 a JCA committee member with a strong interest in local recreational facilities, assisted WCC in scoping out available land in the area and Flinders Place dog exercise area was determined to be the best option and this project is now in the current work plan.

“The JCA committee would like to thank WCC for recognising this need and working with JCA to improve facilities for local residents.

“This will be an excellent addition for local families.

“And again JCA encourages locals to make their views known by submitting on the two options WCC has proposed to ensure that the most appropriate design for the new play area is selected,” Maureen says.

The Flinders Place play area is the first of the identified gaps to be filled and work is scheduled to start this year.

The background and submission forms are on the WCC website at https://www.letstalk. wellington.govt.nz/ﬂinders-place-play-area

impressions of one of the two options for the play area at Flinders Place Wellington City Council is consulting on. Image Supplied.

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Looking for a place to relax, shop, and enjoy great food? Khandallah Village is a buzzy, vibrant destination packed with a fantastic mix of boutique stores, cafés, and restaurants, plus a real sense of community. It’s the perfect spot to catch up with friends, have a bit of retail therapy, run errands, or simply take a break. Whether you’re driving or taking public transport, getting there is a breeze, with plenty of free parking and bus and train connections just minutes away, visiting couldn’t be easier.

Make a Day of It! After enjoying the village, take a stroll through Khandallah Park or challenge yourself with the iconic Mt Kau Kau walk, offering breathtaking views over Wellington.

The Village dates from 1911 with the opening of Khandallah Town Hall as headquarters for the Onslow Borough.

From there it progressed as a typical suburban shopping centre with small local businesses. This changed about 1970 with the opening of the New World Supermarket and Johnsonville Mall. Small local businesses were no longer able to compete and progressively closed down. However, unlike many other suburban centres, shop space in the Village has been rarely vacant.

A great advantage to the safety and ambience is that it is not located on a main road.

Local residents have a strong vested interest in Khandallah Village. Over the years they have been active in promoting projects such as increased parking and pedestrian safety. The centrepiece of the Village, the Town Hall, once destined for demolition, was restored due to several years of effort by the Community.

Khandallah Village, which has attracted shops to move from the CBD, is a great place to shop or relax over coffee and treats in one of the several outlets. The Village is a great destination to meet people, enjoy the shopping, partake in activities and meet friends and get business done.

The Rotary Club of Wellington North has relocated from Thorndon to the suburbs of Crofton Downs, Ngaio and Khandallah, to better become involved with the local community.

A Local Membership category has been established for $30 PA, which provides recipients with a monthly community based newsletter, invitations to events with the opportunity to participate in local projects when available

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& HOME Gardening LIVING

It’s time for lawn care – sow, water and feed

By Dwyllis Maggs

If you’ve sorted your spring bulbs and your winter vegetable garden it’s time to turn your attention to the lawn. Autumn and Spring are the best times for sowing new lawns and repairing old ones. Soil temperatures are still warm enough for seed to germinate and dews are

heavier but you must commit to watering regularly (check for council watering restrictions).

Buy your seed in small quantities so you don’t have to store it. Fresh seed has better germination rates. If you do have seed left over keep it in a container with

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ninety degrees and sow again. Make sure the seed has good contact with the soil by placing a board over the area and standing on the board. Lightly cover any exposed seed with soil (to protect from birds and sun). Finally water and keep watering daily.

Autumn is also the time to aerate and feed your lawn. Aerating your lawn

allows moisture and air to get down to the roots of the grass. An easy method is to drive a fork into the ground at regular intervals. Probably best done after it has rained or after watering so that the ground is softer.

Liquid fertilizers are a good way to feed your lawn. You can buy preparations that you can attach to your hose and feed while you water.

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Titanic features at Rebus meeting

Graeme Jupp is a professional cartographer and is obsessed with the sinking of the Titanic.

As guest speaker at last month’s Khandallah Rebus Club meeting, he promised to talk on many details about the Titanic and he delivered on that promise. No detail was too tiny or too esoteric, from the ﬁnding of the Titanic’s whistles in 1993 and their sounding again in 1999 after being repaired; to the photograph of

the 20 draught horses which hauled the fifteen-and-a-half-ton anchor from its manufacturer to Dudley railway station in England, en route to being installed on the ship at Belfast. There was the stewardess who survived three shipwrecks –two sinkings and a collision; and the youngest survivor at nine and a half weeks old, who died in 2009 aged 97.

Her mother and younger brother

survived the sinking, her father drowned. Almost 1,500 people died in the disaster.

People who are fascinated by the mixture of scandal, celebrity, catastrophe, heroism, ofﬁcial failures and technical hubris may be interested in tracking down Graeme Jupp’s free online e-book; “The Titanic in 366 days: A Calendar of Events”.

This Friday, 28 February, Kate

Roud, Team Leader at the Main Gardens, Wellington Botanic Garden, will be speaking on changing climate, changing culture: horticulture in a heritage landscape at 10am, at the Khandallah Bowling Club, 24 Woodmancote Road.

Rebus is a social club for seniors which meets on the last Friday of the month. For more information about the club see https://khandallahrebus. wixsite.com/khandallahrebusclub.

Talk to your LOCAL PHARMACY

We all need to take medicines at some time during our lives - for some it is everyday, others only sometimes for a cold or headache. Self Care pharmacists can provide you with the fact card Safe Use of Medicines, and help you with any questions you have about any medicines you are taking. Whether you buy medicines or get them on prescription, Self Care pharmacists advise that they have some good suggestions for taking medicines properly, and for getting the best results from their use. Know what your medicines are for. Even if your doctor has explained, when you collect your medicines discuss with your pharmacist what each medicine is for. Your pharmacist can give you information on the expected effects of each medicine and how to take or use them correctly, and whether they will interact with other medicines you have been prescribed or medicines that you have purchased. Before taking any medicine, read the label carefully to conﬁrm you are taking the correct medicine, the correct dose, at the correct time. This is especially important if you take many medicines at different times of the day. Labels have other important information such as when to take the medicines in relation to food (with food or on an empty stomach), whether the medicine must be swallowed whole, whether it has to be used-up by a certain date. Pharmacists can also advise you if you miss a dose and when to take the next one. Sometimes medication may be large and difﬁcult to swallow. Not all tablets and capsules can be halved or crushed and your pharmacist can help you

with this. Talk to your pharmacist if you develop any unusual symptoms after you start taking a medicine. It is best to get this checked out as it may be an allergic reaction or an unwanted side effect of the medicine.

Always measure liquid medicines accurately, using proper measures, to make sure you get the correct dose. A range of reusable measuring devices are available from pharmacies and your pharmacist can advise you on the one most suitable for you and your family.

Drink a large glass of water as you swallow tablets or capsules. This will stop the medicine becoming stuck in your throat and help it get down to your stomach quickly to start working as soon as possible. It helps to lean forward as you swallow.

Only take medicines that have been prescribed for you , and those recommended for you by your pharmacist. Do not use other people’s medicines because they may not be suitable for your health condition. Other people’s medicines may interact with other medicines you are taking.

Store medicines correctly and dispose of them safely. Safe means out of reach of children - preferably in a locked cupboard. This is really vital when children come to your home only occasionally. Store medicines in a dry place, away from direct light or heat, so they don’t degrade. However, some medicines need to be kept in the fridge.

Don’t keep medicines that are no longer needed. Despite the wastage, there are safety concerns in keeping old

medicines “just in case”. Don’t throw them out in general rubbish, instead, talk to your pharmacist about safe disposal. Medicines returned to your pharmacist cannot be reused, and charges cannot be refunded. Discuss with your pharmacist if your medicines look different from what you are expecting. It is best to be reassured that everything is as it should be. If you are having trouble managing your medicines, your pharmacist may be able to help with their packaging especially for your own individual medication needs. Talk to your Self Care pharmacist about your medicine, to get the best outcome for your health.

G raeme Ju pp s p ea k in g at the Khandallah Rebus Club meeting. Photo: Supplied.

Fun, Friendship, Learning

Yoda statue stolen

By Frank Neill

A statue of the Star Wars character Yoda has been stolen from a Khandallah property. The metal statue was taken from the back yard of a Madras Street address on Tuesday night 18 February, the Police say in a Facebook post.

The Police want the public’s help to locate the sculpture, they say.

“Yoda is about 1.2 metres tall, made from steel and took hundreds of hours to craft.

“The sculpture will not have a high scrap

value and its owner and creator is understandably upset at the theft,” the Police say,

“If you have any information that could help our enquiries, please update us online now or call 105.

“Please use the reference number 250220/2990.”

The statue of Yoda that has been stolen from a Khandallah address. Photo: Police Facebook page.

Battle on for Onslow Cricketers

By Frank Neill

Onslow’s premier Cricketers have a battle on their hands in their match against Hutt District.

Batting ﬁrst in the division one two-day encounter, Hutt District was bowled out for 286 at the Hutt Recreation Ground on 22 January.

Onslow was within striking distance when they reached 238 for the loss of seven wickets at stumps. They will, however, be relying on their bowlers to bat well to overtake the Hutt total.

Elliot Seddon bowled outstandingly for Onslow, taking four wickets for 69, as did Ryan Tsourgas with three wickets for 53.

Andrew Simpson chimed in with two for 22 and Matthew Scoble took one for 57.

Two Onslow players notched up half centuries – Devan Vishvaka with 67 and William Julian with exactly 50.

Ethan Jefferson contributed 40 runs and Andrew Simpson followed up his good bowling spell by scoring 39.

Onslow is currently sitting at the top of the table.

The division one match between Karori and Eastern Suburbs was evenly balanced by stumps on 22 February.

Eastern Suburbs declared their

ﬁrst inning closed at 277 for nine at Kilbirnie Park.

Karori was 52 for the loss of just one wicket at stumps.

Jakob Vandenberg gained a ﬁve wicket bag, taking exactly five wickets at a cost of 76 runs.

Max Sargentina took two wickets for 72, and Oscar Wilson and Louis Ayres took one wicket each.

Oscar Wilson was 33 not out at stumps and Shivang Choudhary was 12 not out.

Johnsonville will be looking to take early wickets in their division two match against North City.

Batting ﬁrst on Linden Park, Johnsonville declared their ﬁrst innings closed at 371 for nine wickets on 22 February.

North City had reached 76 for the loss of two wickets at stumps.

Three Johnsonville batsmen recorded half centuries.

Will Martin ﬁnished on 85, just one run more than Reece Edgecombe’s 84 and Janakan Kuranaharan scored 75.

Maximus Petrie took one of the Norths wickets to fall at a cost of 13 runs, and Ben Stephen took the other wicket at a cost of 14 runs.

The Johnsonville women, currently sitting second on the Wellington division one table, did not have a good day on 22 February.

Petone Riverside recorded a com-

fortable win in the match, played at the Basin Reserve.

After bowling Johnsonville out for 42, Petone Riverside reached 46 for the loss of three wickets.

None of the Johnsville batters

Plan for three western suburbs parks

Wellington City Council is currently working with community and sports organisations on a plan for the future of Ian Galloway Park, Wilton Park and Appletone Park.

The three parks “are important recreational areas for Wellington’s western suburbs,” the council says.

“However, these parks face challenges related to ground conditions, accessibility, and under use.

“Community insights indicate a strong desire for recreational upgrades, improved sports ﬁelds

and enhanced biodiversity connections.

“The council has already allocated funding for key improvements, including recently installed public toilets, a new play space and new planting.

“The plan will identify future funding requirements and remain flexible to incorporate external funding raised by the community, ensuring these investments align with broader recreational and environmental goals for these spaces.

R O O R C S

The pre-design community en-

gagement is scheduled to take place this month, followed by development of a draft design in April and community engagment on the draft in June.

The council has indicated that the plan is scheduled to be complete in July and it will be implemented from 2026 onwards.

“Through the 2024-34 Longterm Plan, $1 million from the Charles Plimmer Bequest has been allocated for 2026/27, alongside $250,000 for a new local play space,” the council says.

1. Active (2,3,4) 6. Baton. (9) 11. Characteristic (5)

12. Clump of grass. (7)

13. Relating to birds. (5) 14. Blameless. (8)

17. Make difficult. (9)

18. Write (3)

20. Give out. (4)

22. Arrives at conclusion (by reasoning) (7)

24. Scattered rubish. (6)

26. Pounds,Shillings & Pence(abrev)(3)

reached double figures. Annissa Greenlees and Alison Rodwell came close when they both scored 9.

Annissa went on to take one of the Petone wickets to fall at a cost of just 2 runs.

Arlington culvert strengthening

By Frank Neill

Wellington City Council will soon begin work on strengthening the culvert on Arlington Road, Karori.

Work on the culvert, which is next to the bus turnaround area, is scheduled to start on 10 March and the council expected it will take 10 weeks to complete.

The project will involve the installation of steel columns and beams, concrete work and the replacement of the carriageway asphalt.

Work will take place between 7am and 5pm Monday to Friday

and between 7am and noon on Saturdays.

Streets surrounding the intersection will be controlled by a reduced speed limit with a lane closure at times at the culvert location.

The road will mostly remain open for resident access to properties including vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians.

During lane closures the footpath will also be closed with a pedestrian diversion in place.

For any questions on the project, contact Sarath Amarasekera, Transport Structures Team, Wellington City Council Transport. Structures@wcc.govt.nz.

55. Expel from country. (5)

56. Old fashioned portable fire extinguisher; pump. (7)

57. First public appearance. (5)

58. Interpret. (9) 59. Withdraws (5,4)

1. Exterior (7)

2. Coach (5)

Attract (6)

Frequently. (5)

Simplicity. (4)

Couple. (7)

For November 3, 2004 ACROSS

28. Silly. (5)

29. Experience. (7)

32. Subject of a text. (5)

33. The Alphabet. (3)

34. Unit of measure. (3)

35. Maori dancing prop. (3) 36. Weeps. (5) 37. Tables ornamental centrepiece(7) 38. Overflow. (5) 39. Nevertheless. (3) 41. Sections of a year (6) 42. Cure for all ailments. (7)

Idiots. (4)

Right of Admission

Fineness. (10)

Artificially high-pitched voice (8)

Not tidy. (6)

Orchestral player (woodwind section) (12)

Plant. (5)