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Last updated
March 9th, 2010
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Home > News Archive 2003 |
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| Follow the
links below to archived news items on Helensville and the
surrounding area.
2003 Articles
(December 19, 2003)
(December 14, 2003)
(December 6, 2003)
(October 19, 2003)
(October 16, 2003)
(October 1, 2003)
(August 27th, '03)
(August 13th, '03)
(July 31st, '03)
(July 31st, '03)
(July 18th, '03)
(July 18th, '03)
(July 14th, '03)
(July
4th, '03)
(July 3rd, '03)
(June 23rd, '03) (June 13th, '03)
(April 28th, '03)
(March 31st, '03)
(March 27th, '03)
(March 25th, '03)
(March 7th, '03)
(March 7th, '03)
(February 26th,
'03)
(February 21st, '03)
(January 30th, '03)
(January 25th, '03)
(Jan 17th, '03)
Click here for more recent news articles
2001 Articles
2002
Articles
2004 Articles
2005 Articles
2006
Articles
2007
Articles
2008
Articles
2009
Articles
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Locals
set up 'P' support group (December 19th,
'03)
Two Helensville
women have set up "FACES" - Family and Community Educational
Support - an organisation to help families and individuals cope
with the use of methamphetamines (or 'P') by others.
Heidi Bassett and Jacqui Graham set up the
initiative to educate and support people with the aim of minimising
or reducing the effects of the drugs on the community.
Their service includes educaton, links to
safe houses and medical assistance, and monitoring progress. It
aims to be a point of contact to all the services available to users,
victims and their families.
The pair have been joined on the board by
Rodney Mayor John Law, plus the co-ordinator for Safer
Rodney, Graeme Howard.
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Horse Expo
major new event on town's calendar (December 14th, '03)
A day to celebrate
everything to do with horses – that’s the motive behind
Horse Expo New Zealand, which will held for the first time at the
Helensville Showgrounds on Saturday, April 17, 2004.
Planned as a showcase for the many different
clubs and organisations involved with horses, there will also be
a comprehensive display of the latest equestrian products and services,
along with equestrian-themed entertainment.
A venue for the private sale of horses,
floats, horse trucks and second hand equipment, called the ‘Saleyard’,
will add a further dimension.
Being organised by a dedicated sub-committee
of the Helensville Agricultural and Pastoral Association, some of
the proceeds from Horse Expo 2004 will go to the international charity,
Riding for the Disabled.
There will be three demonstration rings, with
at least one in action at all times. These will feature displays
and informative talks from equestrian organisations covering the
likes of pony club, dressage, miniatures, eventing, side-saddle,
hunting, mounted games etc.
Trade and retail exhibits will cover the whole
gamut of ‘horsey’ products and services, including float
and truck manufacturers/retailers; saddlery, covers and tack; feed;
clothing; farriers; medical - veterinary, equine dental, equine
hospital, homeopathic, chiropractic etc; horse camps and trekking
companies; equestrian buildings; horse transport; small block holders;
and rural equipment such as fencing, jump poles, arena construction.
Spokesperson for the organising team, Helensville
A&P Show president Shona Addison, says the event will have a
broad appeal.
“It will be popular with anyone involved
in an equestrian code, the equestrian trade – whether retail
or manufacturers - and anyone with an interest in horses in general,
such as former riders and farmers.
“It will be a great family day out”
she adds, “especially for those with children and youths in
the 'horse-mad' age range of 8-15.” Mrs Addison hopes Horse
Expo will attract up to 5000 visitors.
A website - www.horse-expo.co.nz
- has been set up to promote the event, complete with online forms
so potential exhibitors can register their interest.
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Xmas parade
a huge success (December 6th, '03)
Today's Helensville
Christmas parade was a huge success, with hundreds of locals lining
Commercial Road to watch a procession of more than 30 floats.
The Combined Churches won the rosette
for Best Christmas Theme, while River Valley Kindergarten took out
the Most Original award. Oikumene Forest won the Most Humourous
Float with a "fart tax" display. Seven other floats received
merit awards.
The annual event was just five minutes
late getting underway, to the relief of the crowds - many of whom
recalled waiting almost an hour last year while judging dragged
on. As with previous years, a range of stalls lined the main road,
and once again local Yvonne Hilton compered the event.
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Trolley
Derby set to become annual event (October 19th, '03)
The Helensville Trolley
Derby - held for the first time just a couple of weeks ago - looks
set to become a permanent fixture on the town's calendar of events.
Organiser Heidi Bassett, of the Te Awaroa
Youth Club, said the inaugural event was a huge success, and plans
are already underway for next year's derby, which will probably
be held later in the year, in November.
Changes to the format will include a slightly
longer course, and most importantly for the spectators, abolishing
the sometimes lengthy waits between races.
Heidi says next year the Youth Club organised
event - designed to foster community spirit and bring families together
-will feature more races, with one race starting as soon as the
previous racers have crossed the finish line.
She is now looking for volunteers to help
form a committee to get the next trolley derby into shape. More
than 45 entrants took to the 500m course this year.
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Museum
on the move at last (October 16th,
'03)
Work has finally begun
on the relocation of the Helensville Pioneer Museum.
After years of fundraising and months of
planning and weeks of delay because of bad weather excavators moved
onto the new Riverside Reserve site a few days ago to begin the
first phase of the project, construction of the complex foundations
for the three buildings which make up stage one of the relocation
project.
The museum will shift from its present tiny
600 sq.m. site to the roomy new 1ha Mill Road location, which has
been leased from Rodney District Council.
The first building to be moved to the new
site will be Helensville Primary School's original 1880s headmaster's
house, which has been in temporary storage for almost five years.
Next to move will be the main museum building, which dates from
the early 1900s, and finally Helensville's original courthouse,
now 140 years old, will be shifted.
It is hoped the re-sited museum complex
will be open by early 2004.
Meanwhile, for more than five months volunteers
have been creating a central database of the museum's thousands
of artefacts, each of which is also being photographed for a pictorial
registry before being packed for the move. This work has taken place
in the old courthouse building, which was shut to the public in
September.
On Sunday, October 19 the main Pioneer Museum
building also closed its doors for the last time at its present
site, to enable the final packing of its collection.
However, researchers requiring information
can still receive help on a “by appointment” basis.
They should contact the museum on 420 7881.
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A&P
Show to hold another Friday evening bash
(October 1st, '03)
A special Friday evening
of fun will again be held in conjunction with the Helensville A&P
Show next February.
From 6pm on the evening of Friday, 27th
February, locals will be able to listen to music, take in the rides
and sideshows, and sample from the food stalls. The evening will
end with a large-scale fireworks display.
Entry will be by a gold coin per person,
with free parking on the grounds.
The evening follows the hugely successful
one held two years ago to mark the 100th Helensville Show. That
evening began with a parade through the centre of town, watched
by hundreds of residents.
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Public
meeting to discuss Kaipara Harbour fishing issues (August
27th, '03)
A public meeting was
held in Helensville on September 16 for people to discuss the future
of the Kaipara Harbour.
The meeting was one of four held by the
Kaipara Harbour Sustainable Fisheries Study Group, which is chaired
by Kaipara Mayor Grame Ramsey. Earlier meetings were held in Dargaville,
Maungatoroto and Wellsford.
The group is concerned about the depletion
of fish stocks in the Kaipara, and among its proposals are an immediate
closure of all scallop beds for up to two years, plus a reduction
in the scallop season. Also recommended is a permitting system for
commercial fishing.
The group has considered a range of other
options, most of which appear to be unworkable. They include:
- Reducing the total allowable commercial catches for the entire
quota management area;
- A separate quota management area for the Kaipara;
- An annual catch limit for the Kaipara;
- Purchae of quota;
- Local area closures.
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Rodney
launches its 30-year vision (August
13th, '03)
Rodney District Council
has released a 'vision document' outlining the ways it believes
the district should develop over the next 30 years.
Six main goals form the basis of the vision:
- We will keep our country look and feel
- We will not let our towns and villages sprawl
- We will maintain our lifestyle and look after the environment
- We will take care of ourselves while working with others
- We will be able to make our living in Rodney
- We will determine the future of our district.
These goals came
from people in the community following facilitation and consultation
by the council, says council strategy manager Jacques Victor. He
explains that the Vision Rodney document isn't a council document
as such, as it covers outside the sphere of council operations.
However, he says the council will now develop
its own strategy based on the Vision Rodney document, which it will
use when looking at the annual and district plans.
It is hoped the document will also assist
iin convincing central government departments to come to the party
and plan for this vision.
The idea of Vision Rodney was to take a
snapshot of how the district's communities see their future. On
the whole, people wanted basically the same sorts of things.
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Meeting
on prostitution reform (July
31st, '03)
A public meeting will
be held on Monday, August 11 to discuss the ramifications on Rodney
District of the recent Prostitution Law Reform Act.
Organised by action group VOICE, the meeting
will be at the Helensville War Memorial Hall at 7:30pm, and guest
speakers include Rodney Mayor John Law and United Future MP Larry
Baldock.
Members of the public will be invited to
ask questions. |
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Women's
Centre on move (July 31st, '03)
Helensville's Women's
Resource Centre is moving from from its home of 10 years to a new
location at 14 Porter Crescent, behind Helensville Library.
The Centre will move out of its present
Old Post Office location in Commercial Rd on August 14, and will
reopen in the new location on August 20. An open day will be held
that day from 10am to 3pm so local women can check out the new premises.
The centre's regular drop-in times are 10am
to 1pm Wednesday to Friday. |
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Inaugural
Trolley Derby set for September (July
18th, '03)
A trolley derby will
be held down Rautawhiri Road in Helensville on Saturday, September
20th, starting at 10am.
The brainchild of the Te Awaroa Youth Club,
the derby will feature classes for children aged 5-9 years, 10-14
years, 15-17 years, and for adults 18 and over. There will also
be both business and celebrity races. Local MP John Key has already
agreed to take part in the latter.
Hay bales or old car tyres will be positioned
down the road to act as safety barriers on the steep road.
It is anticipated each winner will recieve a trophy and prizes to
take away on the day, while a shield listing all the winners' names
will go on display at the Youth Club.
People interested in entering should contact Heidi Bassett at Te
Awaroa Youth Club on 09 420 7977.
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Date
set for 10th Annual Spring Festival
(July 18th, '03)
Helensville's 10th Annual
Spring Festival will be held on Saturday, September 27, starting
at 10am.
This popular Main Street organised event
will feature a range of activities including (but not limited to):
- a Kaipara Art exhibition
- market day stalls
- music
- street performances
- children's dress-up competition
- shop window display competition
- floral art
- food
- afternoon entertainment at the Grand Hotel.
For more information contact Angelika Voss on
420 8555, Pauline Brown on 420 7114 or Annette Hepi on 420 7262.
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Water
treatment improvements to start soon (July 14th, '03)
Work is expected to start
in about three months on an extensive upgrade of Helensville's water
treatment plant.
Built in the 1970s, the town's treatment plant
has undergone various upgrades, but in recent years there have been
repeated concerns from residents about the quality of the water
supply.
This latest upgrade, which includes the
plant's filter and clarifier, will ensure the plant capacity meets
demand until 2030, says Rodney District Council. The upgrade follows
investigations into the plant last year, where nine different upgrade
options were considered.
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Spring
Fling on again (July 4th, '03)
South Head's annual Spring
Fling will be held again on Saturday October 18.
Now in its third year, the popular "celebration
of the South Head area" will this year be held at 'North View',
home of Hilton and Jeanette Jones, at 388 Shelly Beach Road.
Running from 9:30am to 4:30pm, the event
will again feature music, food and a variety of craft stalls. People
interested in having a stall should contact either Chrissy Jones,
Ph 09 420 2010, email: frech@xtra.co.nz
or Diane Ferguson, Ph 09 420 2950. |
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Museum
work to begin later this month (July 3rd, '03)
Foundation work for the
Helensville Museum's move to its new Riverside Reserve site is expected
to start later this month, with the first building moving onto the
site in August.
An $83,000 grant from the ASB Charitable
Trust in May has gone a long way to help the Historical Society
reach its $300,000-plus fundraising target for the project.
The first building to move to the site will
be the Centennial Building, which has been stored for the past four
years. The existing museum buildings in Porter Cresent will then
be moved once their foundations are completed and cured.
Rodney District Council has required
especially complex foundations for the new Pioneer Village, because
it is being built on the site of Helensville's former landfill,
and there were concerns about possible methane gas emissions. However,
the Society's independent consultant considered the risk to be minimal,
as the area where the village is being built was filled in at a
much earlier date.
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Helensville
gets a new councillor (June
23rd, '03)
Thomas Grace, of Helensville,
is the new councillor for Rodney District Council's western ward.
Mr Grace received 1650 votes in the postal
ballot, almost 500 more than closest rival Scott Osmond, also of
Helensville.
The three other candidates, Kerry Gaston
and Graeme Hammonds of Kumeu, and Deborah Stites of Kaukapakapa
trailed on 816, 706 and 952 votes respectively.
Helensville residents were concerned the
vote would go outside the township, and will be pleased the election
gives the Helensville area a direct say on the council. The three
other western ward councillors come from the southern part of the
ward.
A poll on the Helensville website before
the election had Scott Osmond leading the race, closely followed
by Kerry Gaston.
The election was held following the death
of Helensville's Arnold Gosling in May. |
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Walkway
making progress (June
13th, '03)
The Helensville Riverbank
Walkway Project has taken a step closer to completion with Rodney
District Council extending its control over railway land.
The council leases Tranzrail land behind
the Commercial Road shops. Tranzrail has granted a deed of right
of way to allow for two crossing points over the North Island main
trunk railway where it goes through Helensville.
With plans for the walkway now complete,
the council is ready to start the next stage of its beautification
project - the walkway.
Local volunteers have spent many hours over
recent weekends clearing land for the path and planting shrubs and
trees.
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Acupunture
clinic opens (April 28th, '03)
Acupunturist Karen Weston
has set up a practice in Commercial Road, Helensville.
Born and raised in the UK, Karen studied law
at university before going to Japan for nine years to pursue an
interest in oriental thought systems. It was there she first encountered
acupuncture and became interested in this method of healing.
After marrying a Kiwi she came to New Zealand
to study at the NZ School of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese
Medicine. Karen now holds a National Diploma of Acupuncture, a Diploma
of Chinese Herbal Medicine and has spent two years studying Tuina
(Chinese massage/bodywork) and another year of Soseitai (Japanese
bodywork system).
Karen says acupuncture can be useful
for a wide range of complaints including migraine, asthma, prostatitis,
menopause, arthritis, painful periods, immune problems, irritable
bowel, sports injuries and skin complaints.
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New shopping
centre for main road (March 31st,
'03)
A new retail shopping
centre complete with office and professional space is to open in
the main road of Helensville.
Called Helensville Shopping Plaza, the new development
will feature nine street-front shops and a further five rooms underneath
for to be used as offices or professional rooms.
There will be parking for 50 vehicles.
Construction of the building, at 8-12 Commercial
Road - just north of the Kiwi Connection - is set for a start in
June this year, with completion aimed for August/September.
The development will feature landscaping
including mature trees and gardens, along with nighttime security
lighting. It is envisioned the retail shops will be open seven days.
The two largest stores will cover 200 square
metres, another will be 160 square metres, and the remainder will
be noticeably smaller at 91 square metres.
The developers intend to hold regular promotions
and entertainment at the plaza, and a charge to cover this will
be included in tenants' regular body corporate fees.
Helensville Shopping Plaza is the second such
local development announced recently.
The Parakai Springs Country Estate, currently
undergoing earthworks between Parkhurst and Fordyce Roads in Parakai,
to feature several shops, a restaurant and a new medical centre.
The first homes in that development are planned to be completed
sometime in the middle of this year.
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Artists
raise cash for ambulance (March 27th, '03)
The Helensville St John
Ambulance is $850 better off thanks to Art Kaipara.
The local artists' group raised the
sum during a 'silent' auction at the Helensville A&P Show in
February. Formed in 2001, the art group ran an all-day display of
their crafts at the show, later auctioning off the work they had
produced.
The 30-member strong art group wants
to set up as a trust, with the goal of creating an arts centre in
Helensville - a project the Rodney District Council is all for.
Next on the group's agenda is a large
exhibition in September - provided they can find a suitable venue.
And they are also on the lookout for a location for their eventual
arts centre - members are currently eyeing the Riverside Reserve.
St John Ambulance plans to use its
windfall to buy new textbooks.
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Former
deputy mayor Arnold Gosling dies (March
25th, '03)
Long serving councillor
and former deputy mayor Arnold Gosling, of Parakai, has died after
a three-year battle with cancer.
Mr Gosling was a Helensville Borough councillor
before the borough merged with the then Rodney County Council. He
was a Helensville and western area representative on the council
for almost 11 years, serving as deputy mayor for two terms and chairing
several committees.
He was the founding chairman of the
Rodney Community Tourist and Development Trust set up in 1989, and
among his many other roles with local community groups was a member
of the Parakai Licensing Trust for many years. He was also involved
in getting the ASB Bank to set up a local branch after Helensville's
two other banks closed up shop. |
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Helensville
rates to rise above Rodney average (March
7th, '03)
Helensville and Parakai
ratepayers are facing the unpleasant prospect of a 5.6% rates increase
- plus a hefty separate bill from the Auckland Regional Council.
Rodney District rates are set to go up by 3.5%
on average, but rural and township areas in the north-west - including
Helensville - are in for a bigger hike as Rodney District Council
attempts to redistribute the rating base.
Added to ratepayers' increased council bill
will be a special ARC rate - the first time this has been billed
separately. It will be levied at $37 for every $100,000 of capital
value, with an additional $3 per $100,000 for biosecurity and $33
per $100,000 passenger transport rate for those with public transport
access.
The redistribution of district costs is
among 10 items open for public comment in the proposed draft annual
plan. A meeting to discuss the plan is to held at the Helensville
War Memorial Hall on Monday, March 31 at 7pm.
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Woodhill
School 126th reunion (March 20th,
'03)
Woodhill School celebrated
it's 126th anniversary with a three-day reunion earlier this month.
The event was originally planned for last year, but
was delayed by reconstruction work at the school.
Celebrations began on Friday, March 14 with
a 'mix and mingle' evening. On the Saturday the school bell rang
at 10am followed by a powhiri and various formalities such as flying
the flag, hanging the shield and cutting the cake. There were entertainment,
class photos and tours of the school.
A dinner was held that evening, followed
by a dance until midnight.
On the Sunday a church service was held,
followed by a midday sausage sizzle for people to say their goodbyes.
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Garden
Party to boost museum relocation funds
(February 26th, '03)
Helensville's Pioneer Museum
is holding a garden party on Saturday, March 2nd to help raise funds
for its relocation to the Riverside Reserve.
The event will be held at the garden of Alan and Joy
Hargreaves at 56 Fordyce Road, Parakai, with a wet-weather contingency
date on the following Saturday, March 9th.
Tickets, which are available from the museum,
cost $20 per person and include a barbeque lunch, live music from
Roger Skinner, plus a selection of fun and games complete with prizes.
Beer, wine and soft drinks will be on sale for $3 per glass.
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Parakai
headquarters for mozzie team opened
(February 21st, '03)
The four-year, $30 million
programme to eradicate the southern saltmarsh mosquito from the
Kaipara Harbour is being based at Parakai.
The programme is being run by NZ Biosecure, the
company which successfully eradicated the mosquito in Napier.
It was officially opened this week by Minister
for the Environment and Associate Minister for Biosecurity Marian
Hobbs. She said that the project's $30 million was almost the entire
annual budget for the Ministry of the Environment.
A command centre with 17 staff has been set up
by New Zealand Biosecure opposite the Parakai airfield in Greens
Rd. Equipment includes a helicopter, a fleet of four-wheel-drive
vehicles, chemicals, and computers and testing equipment.
Most employees are technical officers and assistants,
and their jobs include collecting mosquito larvae and setting traps.
Initial testing is done at the Parakai base, then specimens are
sent to Napier for positive identification. |
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Epilepsy
service starts in Helensville (January 30th, '03)
A new monthly service
will provide information and support for sufferers of epilepsy in
Helensville.
Epilepsy field officer Jos Coburn will be at the
Helensville Community Health Centre in Commercial Rd from 9am to
11am on the first Tuesday of each month.
Families will be given advice and training to
help them better self-manage the illness, and any questions will
be answered.
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Helensville
to get TV image boost (January 25th,
'03)
Helensville is to be
promoted on television.
The town is being included in a serires of five
minute commercials promoting small Rodney towns, which will screen
during TV1's early morning weekday business show.
They will go to air beginning in June.
The Rodney Economic Development Trust is promoting
the area with the aim of attracting environmentally friendly companies
to set up in the district, thus boosting employment. Presently,
87% of people who live in Rodney work outside the district.
Content for the adverts, being funded by Rodney
District Council, has yet to be finalised, but Helensville could
be promoted as up-and-coming arts centre.
The adverts will be hosted by Rodney Mayor John
Law.
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Concerns
about Kaipara marine farming (January
17th, '03)
Concerns are being voiced
by environmentalists over the potential impact marine farming may
have on the Kaipara Harbour's ecosystem.
The Auckland Regional Council is proposing to
allow development of 400ha of the harbour by aquaculture. But opponents
say bringing in baby oysters grown in east coast waters for fattening
could introduce unwanted tidal marine species to the harbour.
The submissions on the proposal were originally
set to close on December 13 last year, but public criticism forced
an extension until January 31st.
Critics of the proposed scheme are likening the
possible introduction of new species to the harbour to the introduction
of the possum.
Scientists have found around 66 tidal marine
species on the east coast, but only four in west coast waters. Environmentalists
say the impact of introduces species wouldn't be know until populations
were established, and by that stage the Kaipara could be irretrievably
damaged.
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