MAY
HARATUA 2022
Get involved in Honing small havens local politics Fresh faces are needed for the Eastbourne Community Board, with at least one member of the current board stepping down this election. Ginny Horrocks has served as chair of the board for the last three terms and says it’s time for new, younger people to step into local body politics. “I’ve been incredibly lucky with the boards that I have worked with, but it’s time for me to do something else, and for Eastbourne to have a different person, and younger people,” she says. There are six ECB meetings each year and Mrs Horrocks says the time commitment varies. Job satisfaction comes from helping solve issues raised by locals, she says. Currently,, the community board chair is paid $13,734 per annum. Board members are paid $6,867. The board includes two Harbour Ward councillors, who will also be elected this year. They are each paid between $53,628 and $81,324 depending on whether they also hold chair or deputy chair roles on council committees. The mayor is paid $158,000, and the deputy mayor $101,524. Wellington Regional Councillors, two of whom represent Hutt City, are paid between $61,517 and $81,570, depending on their other roles on the regional council. This year, voting day for the local body elections is on Saturday, October 8, but there is also postal voting. Nominations are open from July 15 to August 12. For more information go to https://www.lgnz.co.nz/local-governmentin-nz/local-elections/vote2022/
HEATING SORTED
Hettie Allen gets to work on a nesting box for a Little Blue Penguin, with the guidance of Menzshed chairman, Barrie Littlefair.
The Seaview Project (see last month’s story about the wharf) worked with the Department of Conservation and volunteers from the Eastern Bays Little Penguin programme, Days Bay MENZ Shed and teams of pupils from San Antonio and Muritai schools to build 36 nesting boxes for four “penguin havens” to support Little Blue Penguin nesting and breeding in the area. Sadly, Wellesley boys could not take part on the day because of an educational commitment.
The completed boxes, plus 19 unassembled, were moved to Matiu/Somes to weather for at least a year, to lose their human smell – and they’re still there. Mike Rumble of EBLP says while the kids really enjoyed the opportunity to contribute to something significant, installing the boxes on the shared pathway has been delayed yet again, because the design to support the needs of the penguin havens has not yet been finalised. “We can’t do a thing while Council cogitates.”