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Last updated
February 8th, 2010

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Follow the links below to news items on the Helensville area and its future development. Most articles appear courtesy Helensville News.

2010 Articles

New Zealand's Got Talent star at A&P Show (February 2nd, '10)
Big list of events set for A&P Show (February 2nd, '10)
Kaipara Mills development undergoing redesign (February 2nd, '10)
40 years of combined community service to District Health Trust (February 2nd, '10)



Click here for archived stories from:  2009   2008   2007   2006  2005  2004  2003  2002  2001


New Zealand's Got Talent star at A&P Show (February 2nd '10)

    Popular finalist of television show 'New Zealand's Got Talent', Chelsea Marriner will feature at this year's Helensville A&P Show. Chelsea (18) and her border collies will entertain and delight visitors with the tricks and stunts which rocketed her to fame during last year's televised talent show, on which she featured with Quest. Since then, Chelsea and her dogs
have travelled the country performing at agricultural shows. It has become her hobby and income.
    Audiences will get to see the whole team of dogs - Bree, Quest, Flash, Ike, Spy and Shift. The newest member Cloud, who was a Scottish farm dog and is currently in training.
    “The dogs love to show off their tricks, and people are often amazed at the focus and enthusiasm they put into their performances,” says Chelsea.
    The dogs are regular competitors at agility, flygility and canine freestyle events around New Zealand. Chelsea has been competing in agility events for the past 11 years. Bree, is the country's first and only dual agility and flygility 'Grand' Champion. The 'Grand' category requires more than 20 placings in competitive events and Bree has about 60. Quest and Flash are also Dual Champions with placings in more than six events.
    Chelsea is from Rotorua and has had dogs since she was two and a half years old. She performed her first shows at school sports days when she was eight. Now she spends all day exercising, grooming, feeding and teaching the dogs new tricks. It takes patience and perseverance but the breed is naturally hyperactive and they pick things up quickly, she says.
    “I teach them in a fun way, which means they enjoy it, however sometimes they enjoy it too much and go off course! Border Collies are working farm dogs so they need an incredible amount of exercise and discipline to be well behaved but they are so willing to please it makes them fun dogs to work with and train.

 

Big list of events set for A&P Show (February 2nd '10)

    The 108th annual Helensville A&P Show is on Saturday, February 27. It’s the largest event on the town’s calendar.
A major reorganisation of the grounds last year proved very successful, so the show’s layout will be pretty much unchanged again this year, apart from a few minor tweaks to the layout of some of the horse rings.
    One of this year’s highlights is bound to be Chelsea and her Star Dogs. Chelsea was one of the most popular competitors on the recent television series, ‘New Zealand’s GotTalent’. Also new this year will be a performance by Kahurangi Ki Kaipara kapahaka, who are raising funds to visit an international folk festival in Finland in June. And also making a first appearance will be a kiwi lumberjack show, featuring among other things log-rolling in a big pool.
    Once again, the popular ‘Carnival’ area of sideshows and rides will be around by the racetrack, adjacent to the wood chopping area which this year will have a full field of competitors.
    One of last year’s big hits was the introduction of Clydesdales - the gentle giants of the equine family - to compete in the equestrian section. They are back again this year.
Prime Minister and local MP John Key is booked to visit the show, but he won’t be opening the event - show organisers have decided an official opening ceremony, in previous years held in the middle of the day, is no longer necessary.
    Reorganising the Show’s layout last year was necessary because of high demand for trade spaces at the Show; at the time of writing trade stall bookings for this year’s event were pouring in - with many new businesses signing up - and it looked like the show would equal the more than 100 trade stalls that were open for business last year.
    Once again, the A&P Show promises a day filled with fun and activity for local families - and the many ‘townies’who make a special trip to our town for what is the largest one-day A&P Show in the Northern District. Show visitors in recent years have got used to seeing beautifully coloured and decorated cardboard-cutout works of art by local schools, fastened to the outside of the main building and toilet block, and inside the main building. This year, look out for some stunning tractors, following on from previous years which featured horses,
pigs, sheep, goats, trains, gumboots and cows.
    Relish the Taste, the ‘mini expo’ of locally produced food and wine which has been so popular the last few years, is back again.
    On the main stage, local band Last Chance will be playing up a storm, while younger visitors will enjoy the Marionette Circus, The Cookie Bear Roadshow and face painting. Of course the A&P Show would not be what it is without the usual assortment of animals, including Highland cattle, sheep, alpacas, miniature donkeys, horses, poultry, working dogs - plus the equestrian competition. There will be free tractor rides from the public carpark, accessed through Stewart Street, and EFTPOS cash out facilities will be available at the show office.

 

Kaipara Mills development undergoing redesign (February 2nd '10)

    The proposed multi-million dollar Kaipara Mills development in Mill Road has had a major setback.
    The project planned for the 14,000 sq.m site of the old Kaipara Dairy Factory is undergoing a redesign as the original plan, which included a hotel, 150 residences, 20 commercial units, a public market place, theatre and river front development was proving too expensive. Developer Jeremy Dyson says the costings were a major setback as they thought they knew what it would cost and the next stage was to apply for resource consent. However a quantity surveyor had found the project to cost a lot more and a new design was required, he says.
    “We're getting together a new design and keeping going.”
    Mr Dyson says in the current economic climate it was challenging to start from scratch, but he was pushing ahead every day. Local residents packed the Helensville War Memorial Hall in July last year when a public meeting was held to present the proposal and receive public input. The development, which was to include a major upgrade for the river frontage, was generally well received.

 

40 years of combined community service to District Health Trust (February 2nd '10)

    Helensville District Health Trust has farewelled two of its foundingTrustees. Alison McKenzie (MNZM) and Ian Amoore each gave 20 years of voluntary community service to the Trust - service which was recognised at a special dinner in December.
    It was through the leadership and drive of Alison, in the years leading up to the closure of the Helensville Maternity Hospital, that NZ's first birthing centre was established in Helensville in 1989. Hallmarks of Alison's leadership included a determination to succeed and the ability to build strong personal relationships with people from the community. She quietly worked towards achieving what have often been very ambitious goals with a professional and always caring approach. Hern attention to detail ensured that the highest standards were always met.
    Alison will continue her ongoing interest and involvement with the Trust as a director of the Helensville Birthing Centre.
    Ian Amoore's two decades of service with the Trust were marked in particular by the responsibilities he took on with property management in the early years. Hands on attention was often required. Ian also provided a strong community relationship with The Lion's Club of Helensville, which in turn has provided significant financial and working bee support to the Trust over the years.
    The Helensville District Health Trust is a great example of what can be achieved in communities where people work together. The success and pivotal role that the Health Trust has today in the community is a tribute to Trustees past and present, and particularly to outgoing chairman Alison McKenzie. There have been continuous changes in the health sector
over the past 20 years, and the Trust has kept on task to ensure quality health facilities are available for people in the Helensville District which extends from Huapai / Kumeu, Parakai and South Kaipara Head in the west through to Kaukapakapa, Waitoki and Glorit in the north.
    The purchase of land in Commercial Road in 1999 which now houses the Kaipara Medical Centre and other health services, with the help of a $250,000 Government suspensory loan, secured the ongoing delivery of health services for the Helensville District for the future. None of the developments on the site occurred without much planning, negotiating and hard work from the Trustees of the Helensville District HealthTrust.
    The Health Trust is a registered charitable trust with local assets of almost $3.5 million. Today it is recognised and respected throughout the region as a very successful and integrated rural health model. The quality health facilities include the Genesis Energy Kaipara Medical Complex and the Alison McKenzie Community House, both owned by theTrust.
These facilities provide a wide range of essential health services in our rural area and include the Helensville Birthing Centre, the Kaipara Medical Centre, Waitemata Health Community Services andTe Puna Ote te Ora. The Trust recognises and values its key strategic health partners in this complex - Waitemata Health, Genesis Energy and the Kaipara Medical Centre. Dianne Kidd was elected as Chairman of the Trust at the AGM held in November 2009. Dianne is also a foundingTrustee.