POND LIFE - Issue 27

Welcome to Pond Life...

your local Wattle Downs news!

Hello to our wonderful community from your Pond Life Team. Welcome to the first edition of Pond Life for 2024. Here we are heading into Autumn after a Summer of rain, sun and wind. Our gardens are growing prolificallyespecially the weeds!

We hope you enjoy the articles we have compiled for you; something for everyone. Puzzles for the children; an article on the Ponds just in case you were wondering what they do; details of the Pest Control programme; a report from BUPA and Acacia Cove Village, our facilities for older people and much more.

Do contact us if you have something you would like to tell our community or if you have any questions. That’s what we are here for.

Best wishes from Sue, Rae and Pat

Tington Park Upgrade

Manurewa Local Board have secured the funding and presented a proposal for the upgrade for the Tington Park playground. Now that public consultation has been completed, council will collate the feedback and present the final plan to the Local Board.

NEWSLETTER TEAM: Pat James, Sue Matete & Rae Baxter. Big thank you to Acacia Cove for printing the Pond Life. CONTACT US: wattledownsresidentsassoc@gmail.com COVER PHOTOGRAPHY: Charisse Joy, Warren Lenne, Alan Boyle & Valarie Subritzky Pond Life (E&OE) is a volunteer non-profit organisation operating as a sub-commitee of the Residents & Ratepayers Association Inc.

Wattle Downs Residents Association Inc.

Everyone living in Wattle Downs is automatically a member of the Residents Association. This community together adds to living in our area by:

• Running a community CCTV network for safety

• Community events such as annual Xmas picnic

• Coastal planting and beach clean ups

• Community newsletter - that you can advertise in

• Lobbying Council and Local Board for resources

• Education via guest speakers

• Facilitating a Pest Control program on the Peninsular

Do come along and attend all or any of the above. Meetings are held bi-monthly on a Sunday at 7pm.

Go to the Wattle Downs Residents & Ratepayers Assn.Inc Facebook page for more information. Notices and information are emailed from wattledownsresidentsassoc@gmail.com and posted on our Facebook page @wattledownsresidentsassociation

We’ve had a successful year under the Chairmanship of Row Robinson and have achieved success with many community initiatives. Our new 2024 committee has been elected (photo below). Pat James is our new chairperson and we welcome her to the role and look forward to her direction. Our grateful thanks go to all the residents who support our activities and we hope that this can continue.

We can be contacted at wattledownsresidentsassoc@gmail.com

Residents 2024 Committee. Left to Right: Barbara Gerbich (Secretary), Pat James (Chair), Payam Hamidi, Stella Cattle, Sue Matete, Rae Baxter (Deputy Chair), Elly Forsyth (Treasurer), David Hopkins. Absent: Leo Liu & Michelle Yin

We have had an extended quiet period for the cameras, which unfortunately was broken recently with the recent approach made to a local school girl. Footage was provided to the police that night and the following day which have assisted with their investigation.

We replaced two anpr (plate) cameras this financial year at a cost of $4,300. In the same period the subscriptions received from residents dropped to $2,200.

We have 12 cameras in four locations and, with equipment gradually reaching the end of its service life, we can expect maintenance costs to remain at $2,000 to $4,000 annually from now on.

All moneys collected from subscriptions are used exclusively for the purchase and maintenance of the CCTV equipment. The people behind the scenes are volunteers, not employees.

For ongoing support from residents we ask each household for a subscription fee of $20 per year.

Incident Reporting: The CCTV phone number is no longer operational. An online incident link is now available on the Association’s facebook page. This will provide a structure for collecting relevant information in a similar manner to the police website.

When submitted, an email notification will be passed onto a volunteer who will then make contact with the resident when they are able which may be the following day.

The functions of system maintenance and responding to incidents are now separated so as to spread the load and add more resilience to the process. We are grateful for the two residents who have volunteered to take on these roles for now.

CAN YOU CONNECT 4?

Ask yourself the following questions:

• How well do you know your neighbours?

• Do you know the neighbours across the road, behind you and on either side of you?

• If there was an emergency do you know if neighbours might need extra assistance - perhaps elderly, a baby in the house, medical condition etc?

• Do you have mobile numbers for your neighbours?

Please check and lock up homes and vehicles - day and night. And watch out for each other and your neighbours.

The connect 4 concept is the crucial element of the neighbourhood support movement.

Pest Free Wattle Downs

Expanding Our Pest Control Efforts

Our pest control initiatives continue to evolve alongside our capabilities. Presently, we employ a variety of methods to manage pests including:

• Setting baits and cage traps for:

• Wasps

• Guava Moths (known for damaging feijoas)

• Codling Moths (responsible for apple damage)

• Employing cage traps to capture possums and hedgehogs

• Utilizing bait stations for rats and mice

Community Engagement

With Council consent we recently started installing poles to attach bait stations in reserve areas. These efforts aim to increase bait station density where natural barriers are lacking. Special thanks to Ian from Key Industries for his hands-on support, drawing from his extensive experience as a Commercial Pestman.

Collaborative Support

We’re grateful for the support and interest shown by the Head of Pest Control at the Council and other suppliers. Their willingness to observe and assist is a testament to the dedication of our volunteers, under the guidance of David Hopkins.

Innovative Approach with “Rafts”

We’re excited to announce our latest endeavour: the development of prototype ‘Rafts’ designed to host bait stations in mangroves and other wetland areas. These rafts will be designed to adjust with the tides, offering protection from rough weather. We’re currently refining the design and plan to commence testing in April.

We extend our gratitude to our collaborators:

• Chris from the Golf Course for design assistance

• Ian from Key Industries for design and installation support

• Pokeno Water for plywood supply

Future Plans

If successful, we aim to install 100 rafts in the mangroves, implementing the project in stages. Our approach involves:

1. Trial runs to assess raft performance in varying weather conditions and tide levels.

2. Investigating rat presence in mangroves through bait consumption monitoring.

3. Scaling up raft production and installation based on trial outcomes.

Future Endeavours

Looking ahead, we’re exploring additional strategies for improvement, including:

• Further raft trials

• Increased post installation at various reserve locations

• Collaboration with neighbours to share our pest control approach

We’re also exploring innovative technologies, such as wirelessly monitored traps and facial recognition cameras, to enhance our efforts.

Community Outreach

We’re eager to engage with our neighbours and offer insights into our pest management practices at Wattle Downs. By fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing, we aim to collectively improve pest control efforts in our community.

St Anne’s Beach Clean Up

Great work from the volunteers who helped with the community clean-up at St Anne’s Beach and around the adjacent esplanade reserve. Thank you to the neighbours who were able to pitch in. Keep watching our FB page for updates on future clean ups and activities.

Wattle Farm Ponds What are they for?

What happens at the large ponds beside Wattle Farm Road near Clayton Park School?

This reserve is open for recreation like walking and boating. There is a playground, a carpark and a toilet block. It’s not recommended for swimming because the water comes from the city stormwater system with all its debris, chemicals etc. The whole area is an important part of Manurewa’s stormwater treatment system.

Rainwater flows into drains in our roads, gutters, houses across a big catchment area and then into the ponds. Water is purified as it goes through a series of ponds and then out to the Manukau harbour and the sea.

You can see the incoming stream/drain near the toilet block. As water arrives, it is first cleaned to take out large rubbish items like trolleys, plastic bottles etc, which are caught behind huge metal grills. These are cleaned periodically.

Water then spreads out and drops smaller items like plastics and sediment from runoff from roads and roofs in that pond. This sediment includes particles of soil and mud as well as heavy metal and other stuff that is not good for our bodies or the rest of the environment. This is why swimming here is not a good idea.

The cleaner water flows over a weir and into the next pond – deeper and larger. Here more fine particles fall out of the slow-moving water. This pond, empties into a final pond surrounded by

rushes and other wetland plants to remove even more of the chemicals and tiny sediments from the water. From this pond water exits, flowing over a concrete weir into the tidal stream heading out towards Manukau Harbour. This discharged water is now much safer for fish and other sea life of the harbour and the ocean beyond.

There is another large pond, closer to the road, which is usually filled with sea water. It works as a backup if there is very heavy rain so some will also flow out through this second large pond. This pond is controlled by tidal gates to keep the water in even when the tide goes out.

Both ponds can have a variety of birds, fish and even eels.

The water is always changing whether there is a wind or it’s sunny or the time of day. Come and have a look…

Clayton Park School

Clayton Park School has had a great start to the year. We’re working alongside a number of smart and resourceful people to ensure we’re giving our children the best deal, and we continue to use what we learn to improve the school site and our capacity every year.

We were proud to stand alongside Reremoana School to promote the Run Rewa Fun Run and were pleased to see that all of Wattle Downs got behind this great wellbeing and community initiative.

Our longstanding project of getting the sunshade in place is now complete and we expect that we will be holding more outdoor events across the year, as well as daily events that make the most of the space. We have two other projects in the pipeline. One is the fit out of a Makerspace area and the other is a collaboration with Counties Manukau to re-ignite our plans for a challenge course on the hillside running along Wattle Farm Road. This was an idea the Board funded a couple of years back and our plans are exciting and dynamic. The collaboration is to find ways to activate the entire school grounds so that the community has safe and purposeful access to the facilities. We all believe that kids that play are happy kids, and that a community with good resources is a safe and happy community.

Clayton Park is having a successful year with sports already. We are very proud of the turnaround in the three sports we have entered this term: Y7/8 third in cricket, Yr 7/8 third in tag, and Y5/6 second in cricket. We are now training hard for Term 2 and really hope it pays off and we stay in the top three for our events. (A gold medal would be great!)

Clayton Park School is a receiver of the Lunches in Schools program. We advocate strongly for this to remain in place to ensure those children who are unable to access kai, have equitable access to it and don’t go hungry. Please support us by sharing the kōrero.

Have a safe and prosperous year everyone.

Jolene Marie, Principal

I have no daors, but I have keys. I have no rooms, but I have space. You can enter, but ou cannot leave. WHAT AM I?

I jump when I walk, and I sit when I stand.

WHAT AM I?

I

have a hole in my back and legs I lack. I live where I can’t breathe, and I eat without teeth.

WHAT AM I?

Acacia Cove Village

Our new summer bus trips have started, with great interest. Many of our residents are enjoying going to places they would never normally go, such as Auckland Zoo, Takapuna, and the lavender farm and cafe in Karaka. The trips have created much excitement, particularly for residents who are not confident drivers, do not drive, or live alone.

We have had very exciting news regarding one of our gardeners, who has recently flown to get married in his home country of India. Some of our residents have kept in contact with him online, and have been delighted to receive the latest photos and updates. We look forward to his return.

Fabulous meals have been enjoyed by all with our new chef. We have been loving the new additions to our dinner and lunch menu. The menu range also included new desserts such as panna cotta and apple crumble.

We have our Acacia Cove Christian Fellowship. Our previous meeting was held in early March. As we prepare for Easter, we can reflect on what the Lord means to us. The fellowship is a wonderful way to stay in touch with your community, and meet like minded people.

Our Kimpton Memorial Games were held this month. The games included lawn bowls, table tennis, indoor bowls and many more. Prizes were 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place vouchers. Any game that has a competitive aspect has been featured, and residents have been enjoying some friendly rivalry.

Unusually, we also have a number of small villas available, ranging from $630,000 - $740,000. All with fantastic indoor/outdoor living and gardens.

In March we doubled the fun by combining our Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations with our annual village picnic. Both occasions are for all residents, and staff can also attend. The day featured a barbecue lunch, and games such as gumboot throwing, and petanque. It was a fantastic day, full of laughs and great company.

Bruce Cullingham

021 649 065 • bruce@acaciacove.co.nz

Bupa Wattle Downs

Long time Wattle Downs Residents Neville and Dianna moved into the village this year and of course, like all new residents, they have said they wished they had done it sooner.

The have been enjoying the activities offered such as bowls, bus trips, morning teas and social events to name a few.

They don’t need to worry about maintenance but can settle into making new friendships in their new home.

One-bedroom apartments are still available and the next open day is the Saturday 18th May, from 10am to 2pm. Come along and see what we can offer at Bupa Wattle Downs Village or contact Lynne Westbrooke for a personal tour on 0274 050 335.

For care home inquiries, reach out to Yvonne Kleyn, our General Manager.

Email Yvonne.Kleyn@bupa.co.nz

Plant Swap & Little Library

Wattle Downs Golf Course

Cafe, Bar & Restaurant

Our peninsula has a 9-hole golf course tucked in amongst the trees and residences. The course is situated on private land but is open to all people of different ages and stages.

There are some great activities that have been happening in the clubhouse which have been well attended with great success.

Yoga on every Tuesday 10am to 11am open to all and koha based (except during school holidays).

We have been collaborating with ‘Kowhai Heart Books’ running adult paint and sip sessions and also kids painting classes.

The monthly Trivia quiz night which is always popular on a Friday night.

On May 25th we will be hosting a Pink Ribbon Breakfast.

(All details can be found on our Facebook ‘Wattle Downs Café, Bar & Restaurant’.)

Gardening Corner with Chris

By the time this great Wattle Downs neighbourly publication is delivered to your letterbox, it will be autumn. A top priority for gardeners through this hot summer has been trying to keep our special plants surviving while being mindful of the water bill, which will be rising with the heat. My theory is to keep a reasonable level of watering to those plants you deem unable to cope without it and let the rest fend for themselves. I have found that many of the decorative-type plants in my garden have coped very well with no care so it’s a matter of now carefully selecting plants which will survive our summer temperatures. I am trying to get some leek plants going, plus brassicas, which are so handy to have in the garden. Broad beans too are also such a good standby if you have room. Don’t forget to look out for the pesky guava moth which can infest all stone fruit, all citrus, feijoas, and macadamia nut trees. If you have it, I think Neem oil spray helps a little. Make sure you keep underneath your trees free from anything that the moth can lay its eggs into. I have found the only way to keep the guava moth off my feijoa trees is to completely cover the tree in white insect net making sure there are no gaps!! For this you need to keep your tree to a manageable height of course.

For those of you who don’t garden, but are maybe thinking about having a go at establishing a little patch near your kitchen back door so that you can nip out and pick a leaf of this or that to supplement one of your culinary masterpieces, now would be a good time to do that. You will need a place that catches rain and a good dose of sun. The first thing you need to do is to look at the soil where you may like to plant a few things. If it’s new ground, it will need plenty of organic matter dug into it before you start planting anything. That can be as simple as putting a layer of lawn clippings over the soil and digging it in so that the worms can get busy with their work. For new ground, a dusting of lime helps plus compost. Herbs that are so handy for everyday use are parsley, chives, mint, and thyme. Give it a go!!

Recipe of the month:

Alison Holst’s Oaty Pancakes/Pikelets

¾ cup milk

¾ cup rolled oats

1 egg

½ tsp salt

2–3 tbsp sugar

½ cup flour

2 tsp baking powder

25g butter, melted

Pour milk over rolled oats. Add remaining ingredients. Mix with fork (or in a food processor) just enough to combine ingredients. Put spoonfuls on to preheated, greased or sprayed frypan. Turn spoon for round pancakes.

Turn pancakes as soon as bubbles form and burst in the middle. Slide a thin metal blade under the pancake and flip it over.

Second side is cooked when centre springs back. Put a dab of butter on cooked surface of several pancakes. Pile up so butter is between pancakes. Pour syrup over just before serving.

For pikelets, serve with jam and cream, or butter and jam.

Serve oaty pancakes (or American pancakes) for breakfast or brunch, with juice and coffee. Pour syrup over the pile of buttered pancakes, and serve bacon or sausages alongside if you like. Pancakes have a larger spoonful of the mixture, pikelets a smaller spoonful.

Wattle Downs Annual Residents & Ratepayers

Christmas Picnic

A successful picnic was held on Sunday 10 December 2023 with hundreds of Wattle Downs residents attending on the day to share in the festivities.

With beautiful weather and many activities for people to take part in, the day was a huge event for the community of Wattle Downs. There was a climbing wall, bouncy castle, scouts & cub activities, Band, tug of war, face painting, Santa, rock painting, raffle prizes and picnic food.

It was wonderful to see our community join together to enjoy the day. We are so lucky to be able to hold an event like this and are looking forward to hosting this again in December. A huge thank you for all who made this day possible. • SAVE THE DATE: 15 December 2024 •

Celebrating Our Locals

This month Tracey Raututi has recently celebrated the 12th Birthday for her local fitness business Fitaz Fitness here in Wattle Downs.

From early beginnings Tracey has been actively involved in providing boot camps, nutrition and fitness wellness for anyone in the area. Accommodating early dawn or dusk classes has allowed many working families to fit exercise into their day and has been an opportunity to be able to exercise locally. Even though her classes are now just before sunrise at 5am and 6am the business is still going strong.

In Traceys words “It’s hard to believe that 12 years ago I started Fitaz. We’ve come a long way since then. I’ve grown as a trainer and I’ve seen a lot of people shrink. Thanks to all my long standing loyal clients who have even been with me before Fitaz was started. And all the stayers who just keep coming day after day week after week”.

Tracey still has a few people who have been here with her from the start. She wants to thank each and everyone of you for making her job the most rewarding job in the world. So many people ask how she stays so motivated and driven. It’s not hard to do at all when you’re surrounded by people who are just as driven and motivated and that’s what I thrive off, says Tracey. Many friendships have been developed along the way and many more to be made.

One of her recent endeavours was to take part in the Run Rewa Fun around the local coastal wattle Downs pathway with her team.

Congratulations and keep up the great work in our community Tracey!

Weymouth Sea Scout Group

Our Keas, Cubs, Scouts and leaders had a fabulous day in March, kayaking and raft building at our water activities day held at the Onehunga Lagoon. Thanks to Grassroots Trust for six new sit on kayaks and PFDs which allows everyone to be out on the water together.

In April the Scouts had a fabulous camp at Sladdin, cooking all our meals on the fire, bush walking, eeling, cart racing and venturing out after dark to see the glow worms. We would like to give a big thank you to the Manurewa Local Board for funding our new hiking tents.

Keas are aged 5½ - 7½ years and Cubs 7½ - 10½ years. They meet Monday nights at the Reremoana School Hall. Scouts are aged 10½ to 14½ years and meet Tuesdays at our Browns Road Hall.

Do you have a young person interested in checking out what we do or joining in on the action yourself as a leader?

Contact our Group Leader Kate on 021 297 3227 or email: weymouth@group.scouts.nz

How does our community connect?

There are many ways you can get involved in doing things in our neighbourhood. There are so many passionate people with many interests and hobbies that they are willing to share and connect with their neighbours. Many communication channels are open to everyone. It does not matter what language you speak or if you have a computer or not.

Here are some ways that you can seek out and share in connecting in Wattle Downs:

WATTLE DOWNS RESIDENTS & RATEPAYERS ASSOCIATION

Facebook: @wattledownsresidentsassociation

www.facebook.com/wattledownsresidentsassociation

Email: wattledownsresidentsassoc@gmail.com

LOCAL FACEBOOK GRAPEVINES

Wattle Downs Grapevine

www.facebook.com/groups/986812188017626

The Wattle Downs Community Grapevine

www.facebook.com/groups/THEWattleDownsCommunityGrapevine

The Wattle Downs Mummys group

www.facebook.com/groups/1444544802450137

Wattle Downs Buy and Sell

www.facebook.com/groups/715457138532911

Wattle Farm Ponds

www.facebook.com/search/top?q=wattle%20farm%20ponds

Wattle Downs Café, Bar and Restaurant

www.facebook.com/search/top?q=wattle%20downs%20club%20bar%20 %26%20restaurant

Wattle Downs Golf Course

www.facebook.com/search/top?q=wattle%20downs%20golf%20course

Wattle Downs Nannas Grandmas

www.facebook.com/groups/580100375500281

WeChat Group

www.facebook.com/groups/939028382775911

POND LIFE NEWSLETTER

Contact the newsletter team for more info, articles you would like to write, or to be a new committee member.

WATTLE DOWNS ANNUAL CALENDAR

Contact Leo: 021 930 066 or Sue Matete: 021 715 672

OUR LOCAL DIRECTORY

AAA Roberts Property

Maintenance Services

“All your Handyman Needs” robertspms@gmail.com 021 261 9301

Accountants

Taxteam 09 267 3628 admin@taxteam.co.nz www.taxteam.co.nz

Beauty Sensations

Specialising in all beauty therapy treatments

99 Tington Ave, Wattle Downs 09 268 4044

Beck Electrical

Richard 09 266 4584 027 242 2109

Cedar Park Superette

99 Tington Ave, Wattle Downs 09 267 5909

Clayton Park Bakery

99 Tington Ave, Wattle Downs 09 267 9087

Cleven Electrical Ltd

For all your electrical and air conditioning needs. 09 238 5374 office@clevenelectrical.co.nz www.clevenelectrical.co.nz

Davis Pool Care

Swimming & Spa Pool Servicing

Mark 021 370 793 0800 4 POOLS

Euro Motor Works

General Vehicle Repairs & WOF

MTA Assured

19a Holmes Rd, Manurewa 09 914 1590

Exclusive Electrical

Darren - 0800 865 824 0275 942 538

sales@exclusiveelectrical.co.nz www.exclusiveelectrical.co.nz

Fitaz Fitness and Group Fitness Classes

Tracey Raututi - 021 151 7174 fitaz@hotmail.co.nz

Go Pest - Pest Control

Commercial & Residential info@gopest.co.nz 0508 467 378

JB Lawn & Garden

Lawn mowing, tree pruning, spraying jblawnandgarden@outlook.co.nz 0210 260 5630

Latree Services

Mase - 021 0251 6240

Les Car Valet

Les - 0211 400 391

LS Muir Builders

Local renovations & building Lee 021 2255 282 lsmuirbuilders@xtra.co.nz

Mobile Towbar Supply and Installation

Hennie - 021 079 1515 barsonwheels.co.nz

Moor Park Superette

1 Moor Park, Wattle Downs 09 267 4638

Next Gen Electrical

Dylan - 021 950 706 dylan@nextgenelectrical.co.nz http://www.nextgenelectrical.co.nz/

Perfect Kitchens

Kitchens, Wardrobe, Vanities & all kinds of cabinetries

info@perfectkitchens.co.nz

Aman 0221 011 986 Ashika 0224 561 735

Reiki Master and Life Coach

Charisse Joy 021 130 2886 www.charissejoy.com

Ross’s Plumbing Ltd

Plumbing, Gasfitting & Drainage 09 262 4003 0800 363 747 www.rosssplumbing.co.nz

Sarah Beauty & Hair Salon

Wattle Downs 0210 558 612

Shane’s Installation Services

CCTV Installations, For all your UHF aerial & freeview TV services. Installation repairs, new outlets & TV wall mounting. 0276 601 377

Smartwash Waterblasting Ltd

House washing services 0800 80 WASH office@smartwash.co.nz www.smartwash.co.nz