Follow the links below to archived news items on Helensville and the surrounding area.

2007 Articles

Life Education Trust coming to Helensville (October 19th, 2007)
Museum officially reopens in November (October 19th, 2007)
Council launches online Take-a-Mate carpooling scheme (October 19th, 2007)
Heartland centre opens in Helensville (September 24th, 2007)
Exciting developments on cards for local passenger rail (September 24th, 2007)
Town Info Centre moves (August 26th, 2007)
Dragonz raise $120,000 needed for World Champs bid (August 26th, 2007)
Wastewater Infrastructure inspections for Helensville (August 26th, 2007)
Final upgrade for water treatment plant (July 21st, 2007)
Passenger rail to return to Helensville (July 21st, 2007)
Career Expo at Kaipara College (June 21st, 2007)
Multi-million dollar block to transform Parakai (May 28th, 2007)
Consents down in Rodney (April 18th, 2007)
Structure plan meeting draws big Kaukapakapa crowd (April 18th, 2007)
Local college team wins dragon boat nationals (March 28, 2007)
Traffic bypass on business association AGM agenda (March 28, 2007)
Submissions on draft South Head walkway plan close soon (March 28, 2007)
Rodney residents happiest in New Zealand (March 1, 2007)
A&P attractions aimed at youth  (January 30, 2007)
Doctors at home in new medical centre  (January 30, 2007)
Lions donate $20,000 to medical centre (January 30, 2007)
Call out for DJs for local radio station (January 30, 2007)

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Life Education Trust coming to Helensville (October 19th, '07)

    The Life Education Trust is coming to Helensville. The official launch takes place on November 19 at 7pm at the Kumeu Community Hall, where the Life Education Trust Rodney will be introduced to local communities.
    The Life Education Trust nationwide has almost 40 community-funded mobile classrooms, covering much of the country with health-based programmes for primary school children.
    To cope with Rodney's physical layout, the Trust will be managed in three distinct areas. Helensville falls into Area 1, which also covers Parakai, Woodhill, Waimauku, Kumeu, Huapai, Waioneke, Waitoki, Wainui, Riverhead and Weranui. Area 2 will cover Silverdale, Orewa, Whangaparaoa, Puhoi, while Area 3 will cater for Warkworth, Wellsford, Te Hana, Kaiwaka, Maungataroto, Mangawhai and the surrounding areas.
    The Trust's mobile classroom is now called the 'Capsule', and features the latest technology and is a state of the art learning environment. At the launch an experienced educator will describe the technology of the Capsule and introduce Harold, the Life Education Trust mascot, which gets children to raise their eyes - and their sights - well above them.
    With the first funds already raised, the Capsule has been paid for and the position of educator is being advertised in the New Zealand Education Gazette, with the aim of getting the programme underway in July 2008.
    The public is invited to the November 19 launch. Guest speaker will be Trevor Grice, the founder director of Life Education in New Zealand. As well as his work with the Life Education Trust, Trevor lectures at the New Zealand Police College, secondary schools and tertiary institutions throughout the country, government and private agencies, hospitals and businesses. He is also a private counsellor for youth at risk and their families. He lectures internationally, and has won a raft of national and international awards, including being made a Member of the NZ Order of Merit this year.
    The Life Education launch evening is designed to celebrate the future success of Life Education in Rodney and encourage local businesses to sponsor the Capsule to ensure the availability of the life-long learning programme to every child in this area. The evening will include entertainment and raffles.

Museum officially reopens in November (October 19th, '07)

    The Helensville Pioneer Museum will officially be reopened at a ceremony at 2pm on Saturday, November 17.
    Many years of planning and hard work have gone into the official re-opening, and activity at the museum site has stepped up in recent weeks with improvements to grounds, buildings and displays.
    An interesting and colourful programme has being organised, and guests are coming from as far afield as Nelson, Hamilton and Whangarei, and from all over the Auckland and Rodney districts. After welcoming speeches a ribbon will be cut by opposition leader John Key, and the Peter Reaves Memorial Deck plaque will be unveiled. The museum will then be open for inspection. In the event of bad weather the function will be transferred to the Helensville War Memorial Hall.
    A highlight of the opening day will be a pageant representing the pioneer families. Members of pioneer families who are able to take part in this parade should contact Isla Willis on 420 5114, or the museum, 420 7881. Static displays are being updated in the three museum buildings, and live craft demonstrations are planned for Hedley House on the opening day.
    The repainting of the three main museum buildings looks unlikely to be completed by opening day, and the Hec Nicholls Memorial Barn will not be ready for exhibits. These frustrating delays have been caused by a variety of factors, such as weather, waiting for funding and Council permits, and the busy work schedule of the contractors. However, important drainage work near the front boundary has been carried out thanks to Council support, the garden beds are well established, paving work is underway, and patching of windows and woodwork has been undertaken.The Peter Reaves Memorial Plaza Deck has been extended to the back of the schoolhouse, and a door opening on to the deck from the kitchen improves access to the deck.
    Unfortunately for organisers, and despite the careful planning, the chosen date has coincided with both the Auckland Highland Games and the Ellerslie Flower Show.

Council launches online Take-a-Mate carpooling scheme (October 19th, '07)

    Rodney District Council's first community campaign to deal with climate change is a new carpooling scheme called 'Take-a-Mate'.
    Based on a pilot scheme of people currently car pooling from the council offices, the campaign includes educating and working with local communities to help them understand that their actions are part of a global problem, but more importantly that they are also part of the solution.
    With the free Take-a-Mate scheme, potential car poolers can sign up online at the www.takeamate.greenride.com website to find like-minded people to share transport with. It costs nothing to use the programme, with Rodney District Council providing the system free of charge for use by residents. The potential return to Council is reduced traffic on the roads, resulting in longer road life and reduced maintenance costs to the community.
    According to the council, by sharing a ride on the basic commute to the city people can save $60 per week – that's more than $3000 freed up for the family budget per year. Research shows that although commuters would be happy to rideshare, not knowing who to share with or being unsure of the process stops them from participating.
    Rideshare software has been used in America for more than 20 years and is about connecting people who live close by, work in similar localities and share the same general philosophies. The Take-a-Mate software enables users to safely link up with other commuters taking the same journey with a similar time schedule. The software sorts through a database to find people that meet their criteria and displays their approximate home location. Personal information is kept secure at all times, and all arrangements are made on a first name, area, street name basis. Only mobile phone numbers are used.
    The software package was developed in the USA over the past five years and adapted for the Rodney District. Questions regarding the confidentiality and basic functioning of the site can be found in its FAQ section.
    The website - www.takeamate.greenride.com - also has more detail about how ridesharing works, promotional events, cost benefits and what's in it for you.
Further information about Take-a-Mate and other climate change strategies is available from the Helensville Information Centre on the corner of Garfield and Commercial Roads, or from the Citizens Advice Bureau, corner of Rata Street and Commercial Road.

Heartland centre opens in Helensville (September 24th, '07)

    The last of 36 nationwide rural Heartland Service Centres has opened in Helensville.
    Heartlands Te Awaroa is located in the town's historic former post office building in Commercial Road, which first opened in 1911.
    The new facility is the result of a three-way partnership involving the Ministry of Social Development, Ngati Whatua Nga Rima o Kaipara Trust and Rodney District Council. Also involved were the Ministry of Maori Development, Te Puni Kokiri, and the South Kaipara Collective 'think tank' of community agencies, local residents and Kaipara College.
    Over four years in the making, Heartlands Te Awaroa traces its origins to a series of local community meetings. An early focus of those meetings was to identify a stand-alone site that would allow the centre to be seen as a neutral and independent place that would support the community at large. Once the former post office was determined as the ideal location, extensive renovations were required with great care taken to preserve the building's historic character.
    Heartlands Te Awaroa is only the second in the country that is both managed by tangata whenua within their tribal area and situated in a heritage building.
    Opened on September 7 by list MP Darien Fenton, Ngati Whatua chairwoman Naida Glavish and Rodney Mayor John Law, and with more than 80 people in attendance, the centre provides a meeting place for local people to talk with government agencies and community organisations in their own township, rather than leaving the area.
    It recognises the difficulty people living in isolated rural areas face in accessing government services by bringing those services closer to the people who need and use them. This is done using the concept of 'hot desks' to fit in with booked appointments, and meetings in the conference room and confidential office space. Other facilities are also available. Each centre operates responsively to the community they are in and already, Ngati Whatua Nga Rima o Kaipara Trust has received requests for scheduled mornings from local people with particular service providers.
    Kaiarataki CEO Jane Sherard is currently initiating the service provision relationships being requested, and once confirmed the relationships will be maintained by the Heartland co-ordinator, Glendith Samson.
    mong those being requested or already attending are Career Services, Department of Internal Affairs, Te Puni Kokiri, Inland Revenue, Maori Land Court, Housing New Zealand and Strengthening Families. The opportunity to meet with clients at the centre is also open to non-government services.
    Ngati Whatua Nga Rima o Kaipara Trust is representative of the five ancestral marae that surround Te Awaroa, Helensville.
    Heartland Te Awaroa is open weekdays from 10am to 2pm, phone 420-9761.

Exciting developments on cards for local passenger rail (September 24th, '07)

    Exciting things are happening with the recent announcements of two planned passenger rail services for Helensville.
    The Auckland Regional Council has announced that a one-year trial of a commuter train service, from Helensville to Britomart, is proposed to start in July 2008.
    And a group based at Waimauku have started planning the introduction of a regular weekend train service bringing Aucklanders to Western Rodney to experience the attractions of the area.
In addition to the shops, cafés and hot pools at Helensville and Parakai, the group is also looking at stops where passengers can experience other attractions such as Muriwai gannet colony and beach, wineries, and other local destinations.
    A working group has been set up to ensure the commuter service is provided in a way that maximises use.
    It has representatives from the Western Rodney communities which will benefit from the new commuter service. Representing Helensville are Scott Osmond, a member of the Helensville Railway Station Trust and Helensville Residents & Ratepayers Association, the Helensville Business Association, and councillor Grev Walker. ARC councillor Christine Rose is also actively assisting.
This group is working with ARC and the Auckland Regional Transport Authority, which funds the work needed on stations and supplies the trains, which are run by Veolia Transport Ltd on railway tracks owned and maintained by Ontrack.
    Initially there will be just one train daily taking commuters in to the city in the morning and returning in the evening. Proposed stops for the new service are Helensville, Waimauku, Huapai, Waitakere and then selected stops to Britomart.
    “We are committed to the success of the train and plan for it to be just the beginning of a regular and extended service,” says Scott Osmond.
    “It is important that we get our message accepted in this most confusing situation.”
    Many readers may be unaware that trains and railcars running north to Whangarei historically served Helensville and further north. These services stopped in 1967 and a commuter train ran until 1980, when it too was suspended due to lack of patronage.
    Scott says the working group intends to survey the local communities, asking if they would they use the service, what times they wish it to run, and what facilities are required both on the train and at the stations.
    “There is no point in providing a service with inadequate station and on-train facilities, that does not run when people need to use it!”
    Any comments on what readers expect from the service can be made to Scott Osmond, email scottosmond54@hotmail.com or phone 09 420 8598.

Town Info Centre moves (August 26th, '07)

    The Helensville District Business Association (HBDA) sprang into action recently to keep the town's valued Information Centre open. The centre has now moved into office space at the Riverside Crafts at 96a Commercial Road.
    Started in 1994 by Greville and Maureen Walker in their shop in the old Screatons Building, it was later relocated to 27 Commercial Road, which was owned by Greville and at that time was the only available building suitable for the purpose.
    Since then the centre's operation and finances have been managed by the Walkers, and staffed by a committed group of keen volunteers.
    The Information Centre has developed into more than just providing tourist information for visitors, growing to include business development information and support, and as a base for community initiatives like the HRH (Helensville Riverside Heritage) group.
    Now that Greville is a Rodney District councillor he is faced with a potential conflict of interest with the newly formed Tourism Advocate role within Council. To continue his role as councillor/tourist advocate Greville would have to abstain from voting on any Helensville Information Centre matters that come before the Council while he remains the centre's landlord. As Greville is standing for re-election to the Council, the Helensville District Business Association has taken charge of the Information Centre and formed a related but separate formal body as a sub-committee of the HBDA to run it.
    The centre has been relocated to the immediately available office space at Riverside Crafts in the building previously occupied by Tan Ya Hide.
    The shift was achieved to everyone's satisfaction and the centre now operates from a sunny, lighter and less windy premises. The much-appreciated volunteer help in running this valuable resource for the South Kaipara community will still be vital to its success.
    The change of guard at the centre means if Greville is re-elected he will be in a position to support the initiatives of the newly established Tourism Group within council.

Dragonz raise $120,000 needed for World Champs bid (August 26th, '07)

    Kaipara College's 'Dragonz' Dragon Boat team (above) is $12,610 better off following a very wet but hugely successful fundraising golf tournament at the South Head Golf Course.
    The money goes towards the national champion junior mixed team's crack at a world title at the World Dragon Boat Championships, being held in Sydney from September 19 to 23.
In total the team has now raised $120,000 - the entire amount they need for the overseas trip.
    The tournament almost had to be called off because or rain and lightning, but players managed to complete nine holes so prizes were awarded based on those scores. The lucky winners got to choose from a table full of prizes, which were generously donated by the local community, friends and businesses. The overall winner of the day was South Head Club member Richard Saunders, who won a beautiful, handcrafted macrocarpa seat bench, made and donated by Brett Barry of Portable Sawmills Ltd in Helensville.
    Once the players dried out and got warm again the South Head club rooms began to buzz with a friendly feeling which made the team realise the level of support from their supporters.
    Club member Penney Hekkens and daughter Ashley, who is a member of the Dragonz team, were thrilled with the support the team received at the event – and of course the thousands raised.
    Thanks go to all the crew and family members who donated prizes, and thanks to the teams from: XXX Print; K.C. Krew; Team Marinovich; Ken Freer & Team; Ray White real Estate; Ian Skipper & Team; Lochnorrie; A.J.Grundy Ltd; Wayne Thomas & Team; Bruce Ritchie & Team; Dafydd Evans & Team; Stirling Sports Westgate; Helensville Police; Janet Higham; Diane McMurdo; Jan Wilson; Kura Foreman.
    People wishing to see the Dragonz in action can watch their last two training sessions on the Kaipara River entrance at the Kaipara Cruising Club on September 6 and 7 between 3:30pm and 4:30pm.

Wastewater infrastructure inspections in Helensville (August 26th, '07)

    Rodney District Council is making an in-depth inspection of wastewater infrastructure in Helensville.
    It will involve council-appointed contractors checking for any faults that could compromise the efficiency of the wastewater system, particularly during heavy rainfall. Helensville, along with Red Beach and Stanmore Bay, has been identified as a priority for inspection, as periods of high rainfall have shown that significant amounts of stormwater and groundwater are making their way into sewerage pipes in those areas.
    Large volumes of rainwater entering the wastewater system can cause system overloads, burst pipes and overflows, and puts added pressure on the Helensville treatment plant. That in turn affects the ability of the trunk pipeline and treatment plant to meet future growth demands.
    The contractors will identify damaged pipes, open joints or deteriorated manholes and check that past repairs are still up to standard. They will also check that stormwater and wastewater pipes on private properties are correctly connected and that gully traps are at an acceptable height. Affected property owners will be contacted one week prior to survey work being undertaken.
    This latest round of work follows the inspection of more than 1800 properties in the Warkworth, Duncansby, Snells Beach and Algies Bay areas, where more than 50 faults were detected.
    The council also undertook a closed circuit television inspection of 12.5km of main wastewater lines in Warkworth to gain a clear picture of what in the network needs upgrading or replacing, and surveyed 170 manholes to aid in the design of future network upgrades and extensions.
    The inspections are part of the council’s plans to reduce sewage overflows, free up capacity at the wastewater treatment plant and decrease pumping and treatment costs.

Final upgade for water treatment plant (July 21st, '07)

    Rodney District Council has awarded a contract for the final stage of upgrade works at the Helensville Water Treatment Plant.
    The work, to be carried out by Gibson and O’Connor, will see the completion of building modifications begun in previous stages, as well as updated chemical storage and handling facilities to meet current safety standards. The changes to the chemical systems will also result in a more effective treatment process.
    This final stage will include the replacement of some older electrical equipment.
    The recently completed reservoir upgrade has resulted in more streamlined flows through the reservoir, producing more consistent final water quality. This has resulted in a big reduction in the reported incidences of discoloured water over the past six months, says council communications manager, Mike Isle.
    The reservoir was split into two halves for better seasonal operation, and for ease of future cleaning. Some structural improvements were completed at the same time. Prior to that the filters were updated with the latest available systems, and these are producing water that easily complies with the new Drinking Water Standards.
    Operational changes that were made to the raw water supply system in January 2006 will be actively utilised this coming summer. The source waters from Sandhills and the Mangakura Dams will be blended precisely from November onwards, in an effort to prevent the recurrence of any of the taste or odour issues which have happened in recent years.
    Council is also currently developing a bore water supply to allow the Mangakura main dam to be taken off-line for future maintenance works that will be required.

Passenger rail to return to Helensville (July 21st, '07)

    Commuter train services will return to Helensville in the middle of next year. Helensville passenger trains last ran in 1980.
    ARC chairman Michael Lee says the ARC is pleased to contribute towards rail's renaissance further out west. The initial plan is to run one train in each direction, morning and night, from Monday to Friday, for a year.
    t's the latest step in expanding and strengthening Auckland's rail system, with the ARC approving $450,000 in capital funding so the Auckland Regional Transport Authority (ARTA) can begin preparation in the coming year.
    The money will be used for a minor upgrade to Helensville station and to develop temporary stations at Huapai and Waimauku.
    Talks are underway with ONTRACK about improvements to the line before trial commuter services can begin mid 2008. Mr Lee says rail projects are building momentum in the region.
    “There have been requests for this service for a number of years now, and we feel it is time we delivered. The aim is to get more people onto trains and off congested highways.”
    Double-tracking of the western line and the refurbishment of stations along it continues. ONTRACK commissioned a further 7.5 km of track at Queens Birthday weekend, allowing ARTA to improve timetables. The western line will carry four trains an hour in peak times from next week.
    Rail patronage for May was 576,000 – the highest level to date. In the year ending June 30, ARTA expects to have carried a record 5.8 million passengers, an increase of 14 per cent compared to last year.

Career Expo at Kaipara College (June 21st, '07)

    Kaipara College will hold a major Careers Expo at the college hall on Wednesday, July 18.
    “This expo will show students, parents and the community what education, training and employment opportunities exist right on our doorstep”, says college Careers Advisor, Claire Couch.
    “We have designed this expo to be of interest to the widest possible number of people in the area. There are over 55 providers from universities, polytechs, private institutions, industry training organisations and local community organisations attending along with the navy, air force, army and police,” she adds.
    Students will also be able to book into specific 'mini lectures' that will be running throughout the day. At the time of writing, Whitecliff School of Art, Victoria University, Massey University, AUT, BCITO, Engineering (NZ Steel) and Ames Computing had offered to hold mini lectures.
An EXCITO mini digger will allow those wanting to go into road construction or civil engineering to have a go at pulling the levers.
    The Expo will be run at the same time as a parent-teacher evening so that there is an opportunity for parents to become involved in careers discussions with their children and with the experts.
    The Expo opens to the public at 12.30pm and runs until 7.30 pm. There will be a hangi, sushi and sausage sizzles, with funds raised going toward students' Japan travel expenses and to the Kapa Haka Team.

Multi-million dollar block to transform Parakai (May 28th, '07)

    A new multi-million dollar commercial and apartment complex currently under construction in Parakai will transform the look of the area.
    When completed by the end of this year, the building will feature six retail stores, with six apartments above. Five of the apartments are two-bedroom, with a smaller, one-bedroom unit at the right end.
    The shops and apartments will be individually owned and managed by a body corporate.
    Plans from Albany-based GMC Architects show five identically-shaped retail premises of 90 sq.m. each, and a smaller, 50 sq.m. shop at the right end. The site plan shows 22 parking spaces and a loading bay at the rear of the building, which is situated at the front of a roughly triangular section. A further 10 angled parking spaces are in front of the shops and two at the left-hand end; 12 of those at the rear will be restricted for the use of residents.
    The front of the building features an imposing colonnaded look with a top reminiscent of the Screaton building in Commercial Road.
    There will be a small landscaped area at the front, plus a quite significant planted area along the south and south-east boundaries. Paving will set off the front of the building, with a covered walkway in front of the shops.

Consents down in Rodney (April 18th, '07)

    A survey by the Ministry of the Environment shows the number of consents in Rodney District was down by 119, the number of notified applications dropped from 5.36 percent to 4.45 percent, and the number of applications processed within statutory time frames dropped to 59.4 percent during the financial year to June 30, 2006.
    The national survey of resource management practice covers consent processing by councils and other authorities.
    Comparisons are made across councils, and key findings include a national drop in the number of consent applications, the number of applications publicly notified, and consents processed within statutory time frames (73 percent), compared to the 2003/04 survey. Rodney District Council followed these trends - although the figure for consents processed within the statutory time limits was below the national average.
    Lloyd Barton, Rodney District Manager, Resource Management, says that during the survey period Rodney, like a number of councils, struggled to find qualified staff to deal with the added complexities of the Resource Management Act.
    “We have since been successful in recruiting experienced staff from overseas. This, combined with reviewing our processes and reshaping our teams to make the best use of the resources we have, has led to an improvement in processing times,” he says.
    Council figures show that in March of this year 90 percent of non notified applications were completed in time and 100 percent of notified applications.

Structure plan meeting draws big Kaukapakapa crowd (April 18th, '07)

    More than 100 people attended the Kaukapakapa Area Residents & Ratepayers Assocation's (KARRA) meeting at Kaukapakapa Hall recently, to see the latest stage of the Structure Plan concept.
The concept, reported on in the March 2007 issue of Helensville News, was prepared by a special committee of KARRA. A Powerpoint presentation was displayed on the night showing proposed zone changes, walkway and linkway routes, and controlled development areas.
    That was followed by questions put to a panel including Mayor John Law, Rodney councillors Greville Walker and David Steele, ARC member Christine Rose and KARRA committee members.
It was stressed the concept plan would need strong input from the local community to work out details of the final plan. This will be achieved through a series of workshops to be organised by KARRA within the next few weeks. Locals will be able to discuss details of each area of interest to them, such as walkways, river clearance, zoning or road safety.
Information on the workshops will be available on the KARRA website - www.kaukapakapa.org.nz - along with details of what has been achieved. The workshops will be advertised via the website, local press, radio and flyers.
    The meeting also stressed that the 'Proposed Plan 2000' has stalled and is now out of date.
    "Haphazard development has, and will, affect our village, and zoning is not even in place to protect our retail area, which is currently zoned residential," says KARRA committee member Sarah Down.
    "We must take control of these and other areas to avoid the pitfalls other small towns now live with."
    Copies of the plan including a map were distributed to those at the meeting, along with a questionnaire designed to give KARRA a direction for the next steps to be taken, and an indication of how workshops are to be planned. KARRA structure plan committee members will meet in a few weeks to analyse feedback from questionnaires.
    KARRA strongly encourages locals to take time to look at the structure plan and complete the questionaire. It is available on the KARRA website or by contacting KARRA Chairman Neville Miller on 420 4199.
    Many positive comments were received from those attending and several signed up to join KARRA.
    "Mayor John Law and councillors are very supportive of KARRA and how the process has been handled to date," explains Sarah. "Both commented on how impressed they were with the KARRA presentation, and congratulated committee members on putting together 'one of the best structure plan concepts they had seen'."
    John Law said the walkways, park and river access would receive full support from council following negotiations with landowners. Regarding any commercial development, he made the point that the council would press for "commercial park" style development, which includes 35 percent parkland.

Local college team wins dragon boat nationals (March 28th, '07)

    The Kaipara College Dragonz dragon boat team won the 2007 New Zealand Secondary Schools Mixed Crew Championship at the weekend (March 24), following their success at the Auckland Championships the previous week. They now head to Sydney for the World Championships later in the year.
    The college also won the national title in 2000 and 2001.
    Their win followed succes in both the mixed and boys titles at the Auckland champs on March 18, where the Dragonz were defending their 2006 title, while the Taniwhaz team were aiming to better their fourth place from 2006. In the final the Dragonz, fastest qualifiers, led from the start and used their superior technique and power to stay there the whole race. Teams from Birkenhead and Northcote shut the Taniwhaz out of the top three, leaving Kaipara College with first and fourth places for the second year in succession.
    The championship turned up an unusual situation with for the boys' competition, which Kaipara wasn't fielding a team in. Shirley Boys High School from Christchurch were visiting to qualify for the World Championship in Sydney, but found little competition at Auckland, with just Northcote College who drew with them in an exciting heat. The Kaipara College boys were itching to have a go at them, but with the day's mission to secure the mixed crew title again, the coaches said no.
    However, once the mixed final was over and the title retained, the Kaipara boys from the Dragonz crew combined with those from the Taniwhaz, and 10 minutes after the mixed title was won they lined up against Shirley Boys and Northcote in the boys' title final.
    The Kaipara team was third at the half-way stage by half a metre, but then the call went in for the power finish and the boys delivered, winning a huge bonus to the day - the Auckland Boys Championship title to go with the Mixed Trophy.

Traffic bypass on business association AGM agenda (March 28th, '07)

    The issue of a traffic bypass for Helensville will be discussed at the Helensville District Business Association's annual general meeting on April 16.
Councillor Greville Walker has suggested a questionnaire be available at the meeting for people to take away and complete. It will also be circulated to Helensville residents.
    The main street of Helensville has seen a significant increase in traffic over the years, raising pedestrian safety and parking issues as well as problems with noise and pollution, and it has been suggested on several occasions that a bypass may be the solution.
    The process of creating a bypass would take many years, giving the town plenty of time to plan to ensure businesses do not suffer as a result. The questionnaire will aim to find locals' views on the issue.
    Also under discussion at the meeting will be crime and anti-social activities in Helensville and Parakai.
    The meeting, at 5.30pm at the War Memorial Hall meeting room, will see the election of the 2007/2008 committee, with a new president required following the recent resignation of previous president Ian White.

Submissions on draft South Head walkway plan close soon (March 28th, '07)

    Submissions on the draft South Head Walkway Plan close at 4pm on Friday, April 13.
    The 1999 District Walkways Strategy identified opportunities in the South Head area, and these have been developed into the draft walkway plan.
Issues raised by the public through the annual plan process included:

• A general desire for increased access to the coastline, particularly of the Kaipara Harbour.
• The differing needs for recreation within the South Head community with some residents wanting walking routes while others have little need to walk recreationally.
• Increasing pressures and in some cases problems, such as hooning, uncontrolled dogs and dumped rubbish, caused by visitors to the area that have antagonised some landowners.
• Some conflict between walkers and landowners due to public land such as paper (unformed legal) roads being obstructed or not marked clearly.
• Concern from landowners, particularly farmers, who had experienced bad behaviour on their farms by people who had not sought permission to walk on private property.

    In a questionnaire circulated to South Head residents in September 2005, more than half the respondents indicated that more walking opportunities were desirable. Destinations suggested included the lakes, beaches, harbour and the lagoon.
    In most cases it is not the intention of the council to promote access on private land; recommendations in the draft plan instead focus on existing public land, showing existing and proposed future walkways and recreation areas on public land.
    The plan's objective is to balance the needs of landowners and recreational users, as well as protecting the South Head environment.
    The plan has short, medium and long term recommendations, as well as promoting the concept of encouraging most recreational activity in “hubs” so that in time walking, biking and/or horse riding are located in common areas such near or within the new regional park.
    Ways of providing further access will also be worked through, such as clearly marking existing paper roads where practical.
    The draft Plan is available at the Helensville Service Centre, with submission forms on the RDC website under ‘Have Your Say’, or contact Suzanne Weld on 0800 426 5169.

Rodney residents happiest in New Zealand (March 1st, '07)

    Rodney District residents have the highest overall perceptions of the quality of life in the country, according to a national Quality of Life survey of New Zealanders
Rodney residents also rated their overall health as the highest in New Zealand and had some of the highest levels of emotional wellbeing and satisfaction with life. Stress levels were lower than anywhere else in NZ.
    The Quality of Life survey measures and evaluates the perceptions of overall quality of life for 12 local authorities in New Zealand. The purpose of the survey is to give councils and national agencies information that will enable to them to actively improve the quality of life that people experience.
    The survey covered health and well-being, community, crime and safety, education and work, the built environment, culture and identity and democracy.
    Other results for Rodney included the perception that there is the lowest presence of unsafe people in the community, and the highest involvement in community or voluntary groups. They also had the highest rating for a sense of community with others.
    Not surprisingly Rodney residents appear to be the most satisfied in the country with their work/life balance and the amount of free time they enjoy.
    Despite the rich quality of life, perceptions were low around our cultural diversity and arts, there was less pride in the look and feel of our towns and villages, and Rodney residents had the lowest score in the country for accessibility to public transport.
    The scores around understanding Council processes were also low, yet Rodney had one of the highest scores for people wanting to have more of a say in what their Council did. Residents also had the least confidence in their Council’s decision making processes.
    This is the third time the survey has been undertaken since 1999 and this year included Auckland, Waitakere, Manukau, North Shore, Rodney, Hamilton, Tauranga, Porirua, Lower Hutt, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin councils.
    The survey is jointly funded by participating councils and the Ministry of Social Development.
    The respondents were selected from electoral rolls and interviewed between July and November 2006 by an independent research company TNS.

A&P attractions aimed at youth (January 30th, '07)

    The Helensville A&P Show on Saturday, February 24 has a host of new attractions designed especially to appeal to children and teenagers - but which will likely be a hit with the “oldies” as well.
    Thrill-seekers will be able to take to the hills in an all-new Adventure Paradise area, which will include a Red Alert Paintball Games paintball course, Kids On Quads four wheelers, the Rock Up rock wall climbing and the Scouting New Zealand National Mudslide.
    A special new feature this year will be the RD1 Junior Farmer Competition, in which contestants from local schools will compete in a range of farming-type activities - sure to provide a degree of humour to the Show!
    New attractions in the carnival area to complement the usual range of sideshows include the Sunnyfield Railway and Racing Lawnmowers.
    On the entertainment front it's an almost entirely new lineup for the 105th annual show, which is the largest event on Helensville's calendar.
    These include performances by the Groove Diggers Band, local group the Hot Salsa Dancers, Okinawa Shorin Ryu Karate, Cherry the Clown, Tony the Magician and Fairy Katrina.
    The Relish the Taste food and wine marquee will once again host chef demonstrations using the exhibitors' products, with samples to try and recipes available. Also in the hospitality area will be a licensed bar.
    All the usual animals will be on show, including miniature donkeys, Clydesdale horses, goats, alpacas, poultry, cattle, sheep and other farm livestock. The Genesis Energy Equestrian Section will have a full complement of events.
    The trade display area has been reworked this year and will host more than 100 exhibitors. Displays will include everything from energy efficiency to farm bikes to fine jewellery. The Helensville & District Historical Society will be displaying the history of the Helensville War Memorial Hall, which recently celebrated 50 years.
After last year's record crowds, organisers expect a flow-on effect which should again see good numbers through the gates.
    Wheelchair access toilet facilities and Eftpos cash out facilities available on the grounds. Once again free parking is available, with access from Stewart Street and tractor rides to ferry people from the parking areas to where the action is.

Doctors at home in new medical centre (January 30th, '07)

    Helensville's doctors are settling in well into their brand-new practice building in Commercial Road.
    They took up residence in the new, $2 million purpose-built facility on December 18.
    Included in the practice rooms are four doctors' consulting rooms, four clinical/nursing rooms, a small operating theatre, an ambulance bay and administration offices.
    Comments from patients and staff are all extremely positive and it seems everyone is enjoying the new environment very much.
And the team will be expanding soon too, with a new doctor, Raksh Dogra, joining the practice in early February.
    Te Ha Nursing Services and other health related community services will also operate from the new premises, and of course the Helensville Birthing Centre is still housed on the same site and fully operational.
    Whero Nahi, Kaumatua for Hau Ora Wai Awhina, and a member of the Helensville District Health Trust, conducted a formal Maori blessing of the new building on December 8.
    An official opening will take place in next month, once the renovation of the old practice building has been completed. This renovation project, being generously funded by the ASB Community Trust Fund, began on January 15.

Lions donate $20,000 to medical centre (January 30th, '07)

    The Lions Club of Helensville has donated $20,000 to the new Helensville Medical Centre.
    Pictured above (from left) are Lions Club of Helensville President Bronwyn Alexander, District 202G Lloyd Morgan Trustee Ed Hayhoe, and Diane Kidd, accepting the cheque on behalf of the Helensville District Health Trust.
    The money came from raffle proceeds, the sale of Lions Christmas Cakes, and advertising from the bi-annual phone book. This was matched by a generous dollar-for-dollar contribution from the Lloyd Morgan Lions Clubs Charitable Trust, bringing the total donated to $20,000.
    The Lions Club of Helensville will receive a gold plaque and naming rights to the ‘Lions Walk’ which joins the new facility to the existing Birthing Unit.

Call out for DJs for local radio station (January 30th, '07)

    Helensville radio station Holiday FM - run, and financed by local man Paul Napier - is on the lookout for budding DJs to help out with the station, and also anyone with surplus computer equipment they can donate to help run the station.
    "I finance this project entirely myself as we do not have any paying advertisers. The equipment I have is getting a little tired and beginning to fail - as some of the listeners may know when I'm off air for a day or two," says Paul.
    Broadcasting on the 106.8fm frequency, the station will soon be moving into the old Aquatic Park radio studio that operated from the poolside during the 1980's. Paul is currently painting and sprucing the place up.
    "I'm truly grateful to the Kaipara Cruising & Fishing Club who have hosted me these last couple of years. Without them there would be no local service," he says.
Anyone interested in presenting their own regular music-based format should contact Paul, who says he would be happy to provide training for live radio.
    "I would like to find local people to present a primetime morning programme and an afternoon music programme when we move so we have a face to the station."
    "Aquatic Park would like to start a youth station (Splash FM) from the same site, meaning both age groups in Parakai and Helensville are catered for. Both stations would complement each other," says Paul.
    Holiday FM runs a computer-based programme, so there are no news feeds or immediate community information. Listeners are invited to submit announcements, but they must give them to Paul at least a week in advance so he can record them and load into the computers. There are no live presentation facilites as yet.
    Paul can be contact on 027 272 6108 or email holidayfm@mail.com.