We want your views on the proposed temporary closure of parts of Cannons Creek Park for redevelopment work Consultation is now open on a temporary closure of parts of Cannons Creek Park to allow for the area to be redeveloped including stormwater and wastewater upgrades The proposed park upgrade is part of Te Rā Nui – Eastern Porirua Development Project work – a partnership between Porirua City Council we want the community’s feedback on proposed easements and temporary closures of the park and a part of Bothamley Park in order to do the work The temporary closures are expected to be for about 18 months As the park is a popular location for sports the Council is working with the sports clubs affected to provide space when the fields are out of action The redevelopment design incorporates feedback received from engagement led by Te Rā Nui in 2021 and 2022 and further community workshops held last year The plan is to construct a wetland at the northern end of Cannons Creek Park where it meets Bothamley Park There will also be stormwater and wastewater upgrades carried out to improve the wastewater network and water quality in Kenepuru Stream catchment and Te Awarua-o-Porirua Harbour Other upgrades include a new shared path network landscape planting and new park furniture to enhance the park for users Porirua Mayor Anita Baker says she is pleased to see the project get to this point “This redevelopment will make the park more resilient and turn it into an even more usable space I am really looking forward to seeing the finished result.” The project is funded by Kāinga Ora and if granted approval work is planned to begin this summer on the wetland development Copies of the proposal can be found at all Porirua City libraries and at our Customer Service Centre at 16 Cobham Court You can also view the proposal online by visiting haveyoursay.poriruacity.govt.nz Submissions close Sunday 11 August Website intended for a New Zealand health professional readership zshahtahmasebi@nzdoctor.co.nz Porirua Union & Community Health Service is bringing health to the heart of the community The medicine at Porirua Union & Community Health Service is challenging and complex but the team’s success stories make it worthwhile the general practice serves a community that is 90 per cent highneeds – its patients have multiple comorbidities and not a lot of spare cash is driven to make healthcare more accessible to the community The practice sees patients who can’t pay for free brings in specialists for diabetes and cardiology to avoid trips to the hospital and organises regular walking groups and community meetings Specialist GP Sarah Leilua shares stories of the patient who lost so much weight from the walking group that she could come off her diabetes medicine as well as the visiting paediatric nurse specialist who has massively reduced the rate of childhood eczema PUCHS started life inside an old three-bedroom house with a solo GP at the helm Dr Betty has been working there for the past 15 years picking up locum shifts after he returned to Wellington from Australia in the early 2000s After a massive fundraising effort and a change of ownership to become a community-owned not-for-profit a new purpose-built medical centre was built between 2010 and 2011 which has a large reception and 13 consulting rooms just a couple of kilometres from the Porirua city centre and 25km from central Wellington Building the new practice is Dr Betty’s proudest moment to date “It was huge and totally changed our service delivery,” he says PUCHS is overseen by a board of trustees and comes under Tū Ora Compass Health PHO which provides it with Very Low Cost Access funding and capitation patients will be charged $20 per appointment PUCHS will still see any patient even if they can’t pay then and there paying off any debts over time is possible This makes the practice very dependent on the VLCA and capitation funding streams to make ends meet but it must be done to look after the patients when community health worker Teau Marama drives patients without transport to Wellington Regional Hospital to ensure they get to their appointments “We all know the current funding model isn’t fit for purpose,” Dr Betty adds which Dr Betty says is becoming a real issue and he wonders if there’s an AI tool that could help manage it “There’s been a noticeable upswing in results – lots of test results and hospital letters it seems the hospitals are discharging them sooner than before.” PUCHS was one of the first VLCA practices to become a healthcare home especially when the COVID-19 pandemic hit two years later The team was already conducting daily stand up meetings running GP phone triage and had standardised the clinical rooms so practitioners could move seamlessly between them PUCHS offers both booked and on-the-day appointments and the patient portal Manage My Health is used to manage repeat prescriptions Patients can ring the clinic or Healthline after hours; otherwise a roster of locum GPs provides care between 10pm and 8am at Kenepuru Community Hospital PUCHS has closed its books to enrolling new patients The practice population is currently 7000: 50 per cent are Pasifika 25 per cent are Māori and 6 per cent are New Zealand European There are high refugee numbers from Colombia Cambodia and the Middle East and a good number of Community Services Card holders The practice’s catchment area includes the wider Porirua area PUCHS provides telehealth for the few patients who moved away – up to Ōtaki and Levin – but chose to stay with the practice “We only do it for patients we know well due to their complex histories,” Dr Betty says relationships and continuity of care are paramount for patients That complexity manifests as a high concentration of diabetes Dr Leilua often worries about her patients after she has gone home wondering if they turned up to their specialist appointments Some flat out refuse to do what you tell them.” But that’s where health coach Uili Te’o comes in – if they miss an appointment they work it out that this must be pretty important,” Mr Te’o says language – and how the practice can help them which runs across eight-week blocks in the summer and members receive a certificate for their participation but about the connections made along the way The impact on patients has been marked – Dr Leilua’s earlier story about the patient’s weight loss is just one example “It has such a positive impact on whānau mental health and socialisation especially for those who might feel isolated or are elderly,” she says the group continues with monthly meetings at a local church hall throughout winter Further links with Cannons Creek School mean practice staff can borrow the school van to transport members to and from activities These group sessions also serve as an opportunity to share important health education and messages This idea was borne after PUCHS attempted to host an evening session on gout at the clinic a couple of years ago It didn’t go so well – only the staff turned up “But it was good learning that this wasn’t the setting for us; that people probably don’t want to come to the clinic we took health education to the walking group,” says Dr Leilua There’s never a day when people aren’t laughing at PUCHS She has lived in Porirua for a long time and started at the practice as a nurse “You get to work with an awesome group of passionate people – the level of care we provide is exceptional and we have a really cool culture at the clinic of whānau,” Ms Millar says saying the practice will always stop to celebrate its successes big or small – as well as its melting pot of cultures – with a shared morning tea or lunch a community health worker and a cultural worker who works specifically with the practice’s refugee population PUCHS loves its role as a teaching practice – currently it has two practice-employed registrars and takes on other training of health professionals Its eight nurses all champion a different area from diabetes and respiratory to immunisation The nurse-led youth clinic is a relatively new initiative that provides free healthcare for young people up to age 24 and connects them to other relevant services The pilot programme for health improvement practitioners and health coaches was run at PUCHS and the practice became one of the first to introduce the scheme officially these roles have developed significantly over time to meet the needs of PUCHS patients better Community health worker Ms Marama was the practice’s receptionist over 30 years ago but her community knowledge made her a real asset in connecting with patients Dr Leilua shares the unfortunate story of a patient who passed away in hospital but Teau jumped on her networks and was able to find a brother who lived locally.” especially after two long-serving GPs retired last year with Ms Millar saying it’s been a struggle to fill those senior positions But the practice lives and breathes its commitment to bring health to its patients with specialists and allied health professionals visiting the clinic regularly a cardiologist and heart failure specialist “The aim is to bring as much knowledge to the people and the clinic and they don’t have to travel,” says Ms Millar A team of University of Otago researchers are also currently attached to the practice looking at diabetes – Porirua has three times the national average people with diabetes Zahra Shahtahmasebi is an Auckland journalist We're publishing this article as a FREE READ so it is FREE to read and EASY to share more widely. Please support us and our journalism – subscribe here One of the benefits of subscribing is you will also be able to share your thoughts about what you read with others in our Comment Stream You can also take notes on what you read with Capture Hall discusses the evaluation of thyroid nodules which primarily aims to determine the likelihood of malignancy He then reviews the treatment of thyroid nodules and thyroid cancer New Zealand Doctor Rata Aotearoa Online is intended for a New Zealand health professional readership. Use of this site implies acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Statement New Zealand Doctor Rata Aotearoa Online is not a consumer medical advice service Consumers should seek advice from a health professional and not act in reliance on any statement contained in the information provided An affordabe housing project in New Zealand has been launched in an effort to support Pacific community members in getting onto the housing ladder and multigenerational homes in eastern Porirua The houses have been designed to cater to the needs of Pasifika families Census 2023 data found almost 70 percent of Cannons Creek residents (in the heart of eastern Porirua) Central Pacific Collective (CPC) chief executive Fa'amatuainu Tino Pereira said this initiative hopes to change that "This is not a development that's just about the houses it is inherently about the people living their lives in these homes," he said "Our Whare Our Fale celebrates the Pasifika community's sacred relationships - their obligations and commitments to each other through extended family - and their deep connections to who they are their genealogies and their responsibilities to generations to come." The project is strongly supported by the New Zealand government with the appropriation managed by the Ministry for Pacific Peoples A total of $115 million was awarded in Budget 2022 providing a significant long-term boost to the social and economic life of Porirua and the wider Wellington region An ex-gang member and youth worker is using hand-carved canoes to help young people to reconnect with who they are Many say young people are the leaders of tomorrow Dr Will Flavell disagrees: "Our young people are the leaders of now." Project Ikuna offers Auckland businesses with jobs at risk of automation and technological advancements the chance to upskill their Pacific workers Researchers are calling for more kaupapa Māori targeted public health interventions following the study's findings Pacific RSS Follow RNZ News Tory Whanau launches Golden Mile project yesterday Become a Wellington.Scoop Supporter » Louis (left) and Kaisa Onosai of the Scrubcutting Men with some of the planting along Cannons Creek Stream Planting season is close to completion in Porirua with work on track to get 165,000 streamside plants in the ground by the end of September Work by Porirua City Council’s riparian team aided by local contractors and other partners has seen plants go in the ground throughout the city from the harbour’s edge to the Belmont hills Earlier this month the team worked with contractors the Scrubcutting Men to get 6000 plants in the ground along the Cannons Creek Stream in Belmont Regional Park with bush on either side and blackberry bushes up to 3 metres high a helicopter was used to fly the seedlings in More than 18,000 seedlings were delivered to various hard-to-access parts of the Belmont hills “Planting native plants near our waterways helps to improve freshwater quality and the overall health of Te Awarua-o-Porirua Harbour,” says Manager Council-run community planting days at Cannons Creek Lake Belmont Regional Park and Battle Hill have let members of the public join in the important mahi combined with community groups organising their own planting days A community education programme partners with local schools to help tamariki to understand the importance of streamside planting and take ownership of the work teachers and parent helpers from 34 schools across Wellington and Porirua have helped plant over winter 16 rural landowners have signalled their support to allow streamside planting along waterways that run through their properties The work is part of a long-term planting programme to improve the water quality and biodiversity of our streams and harbour Find out more: poriruacity.govt.nz/streamside-planting Calliope Park in Cannons Creek will be renamed Matahourua Park at the request of Ngāti Toa The renaming will be in line with the April renaming of Calliope Crescent to Matahourua Crescent – the name was gifted by Ngāti Toa to better reflect the history and heritage of people living in Porirua Ngāti Toa advised the Porirua City Council the name Calliope is culturally insensitive as it is the name of the 26-gun frigate which held Te Rauparaha - Ngāti Toa's chief – captive without charge for 18-24 months Matahourua is the name of the waka that Kupe used when he discovered Aotearoa The recommendation to proceed with the renaming was made at a meeting of the council's Te Puna Kōrero Committee yesterday The reason it comes months after renaming the Crescent is that renaming a park is a different process The council received 12 submissions about the park - five in support and seven against Chief executive Wendy Walker said that some submitters suggested alternative names for the park and that these would be kept as options to consider when other new things are named around the city She said name changes were not made lightly and that Ngāti Toa had advised that Calliope was their top priority for change 'The team have nailed it – it’s a strategy that everyone can understand.' Moera Tuilaepa-Taylor is already making a difference as the head of the Pacific news team at Radio New Zealand — the first Pacific person appointed to that role Here she talks to Dale about why she became a journalist and why it’s important to have more Māori and Pacific journos telling our stories I wonder if we might start our conversation with you telling us something about your background — which Mum came first with her older brother Faresa Auega in 1967 But then Dad got a job at Todd Motors in Porirua and we moved out to Cannons Creek You can get some flak from people who have their own ideas about how rough Cannons Creek is When I started my job with Radio New Zealand You live in Cannons Creek?” And I’d play along with that reaction by saying: “Yes but things are so much better now that we’re allowed to carry sticks to protect ourselves!” Everyone in our street were kinda on the same page because they were immigrant families or Māori who’d moved into the city So our community was a cultural melting pot — and I loved it I still have friends who grew up with us in our street So Sāmoan was my first language and I didn’t speak English until I went to primary school my parents spoke English with a Sāmoan accent So that reaction was quite an eye-opener for me Cannons Creek was an eye-opener for my husband Richard I haven’t seen so many brown people in my life So you told him: “Get used to it or hit the road The fact that you’re still there together suggests it’s just right for the whole family Even though you’ve made your life in New Zealand you have really strong ties with Sāmoa — and any bad news from there When the epidemic broke out in Auckland this winter there was always a concern that it would reach into the Pacific — especially with the memory of how devastating the influenza epidemic was for Sāmoa A lot of people can remember the stories they heard from their grandparents and great-grandparents about that terrible ‘flu I remember my grandmother talking about it about seeing the dead bodies when she was little vaccinations are really a major issue in the developing nations those vaccinations are crucial in saving lives and in stopping the epidemic spreading any further Moera’s parents Feagaimali’i and Aigafealofani Tuilaepa with their first grandchild Melesisi (who’s now at Otago University) Fifty or so years ago when you mum and dad came from Sāmoa who weren’t well-disposed to Pacific immigrants Did your folks cop any of that prejudice and suspicion and Māori — and us kids were a really tightknit group And my mother didn’t ever talk about the difficulties or challenges she had when she first came to New Zealand But I do remember her saying how important it was to be educated and to hold on to our language we knew that the person in trouble might easily be our aunty or uncle we’d just be hoping that we weren’t pulled over by them I’m sure my mother did see racism when she was here in Aotearoa but it wasn’t something she spoke about when we were growing up Dad’s English wasn’t that great because the friends that he hung out with were Sāmoan we’d be the ones translating and paying for things for our dad I’ve got cuzzies who’re in the Mongrel Mob I remember the first time Richard met a gang member We were at a service station at Cannons Creek I went in to pay for the petrol while he was putting the petrol in the car Then this car pulls up and a really big Mongrel Mob guy gets out Guys I grew up with at Glenview Primary School here you are now holding down an important job within Radio New Zealand And one reason it’s important is that we still don’t have enough Pasifika journalists We still don’t have enough Pacific voices in the media I wonder what attracted you to this line of work My sister always said I was a natural nosey parker as a kid She reckons I’m really in the best position to do the work that I do — and that’s asking questions But really it was Tapu Misa’s article in 1987 in North & South that resonated with me It was so awesome to see a Pacific woman in a major mainstream magazine She really inspired me to get into journalism And it was so funny when I actually met her years later Her story resonated with so many friends who I know are still in the media And it was that article that had them saying: “Yeah I want a job where I can tell our stories.” I’ve appreciated the chance to work alongside her And with Gary Wilson and with Derek Fox back in the day with Mana Māori Media and Mana magazine They’re all conscious that too many of our Māori and Pasifika stories are still being told by Pākehā So we’ve always been encouraging our people to play a bigger part in the media Just step us through how you came to be doing what you do as a radio journalist I did media studies at Whitireia Polytechnic It was called Parumoana Community College in those days But then I discovered radio and instantly loved it I got the opportunity to work at RNZ in the operators pool Operators are the ones who compile the programmes for RNZ and put the programmes to air So I worked in the general operators pool for a year and a bit Then a job came up with RNZ International where I got to focus on the Pacific and helped make programmes for Pacific communities I took the Manukau Institute’s Pacific journalism course The friends I made on that course are still friends today We do encourage young Māori and Pacific students to train for the media I see too few Pasifika students among those doing media courses What we need are Pasifika journalists telling our own stories As more Pasifika people are integrated into Aotearoa life there’s still a few who want to do journalism Or indulge in the media just through social media Because we’re short of journalists who know there’s some bad stuff going on in our communities and that deserves attention But there are amazing and positive things going on But too seldom do those achievements catch the attention of the media Those stories don’t filter out nearly enough And they won’t while so few Māori and Pasifika journos are there within the media and in a position to tell those stories I’ve been very pleased to see significant changes in attitudes and appointments at RNZ The moves must’ve been encouraging for you and your colleagues When I came into this job, the only person I knew was Elma Maua who was always trying get more Pasifika voices on to mainstream media. But my chance came when Carol Hirschfeld told me I should apply for the manager’s role because “it’s really important that this is driven by a Pacific person from now on.” Māni Dunlop who became the head of Māori news And Leilani Momoisea who heads the RNZ social engagement team It’s been great to see more Māori and Pacific in management positions at RNZ This year I hired Koro Vaka’uta as RNZ Pacific’s news editor He’s Tongan-Māori and the first Pacific or Māori in this position Increasing the diversity within our team is really important to me — our staff should reflect the communities we report on We now have seven Pacific reporters on our team who each bring language skills and links to their Pacific communities and are able to tell stories through a Pacific lens Domestic violence is still a massive issue in the Pacific region and some of the Pacific communities whether people want to take ownership of that or not I did volunteer work for the Porirua Women’s Refuge for a long time so I saw a lot of the stuff that goes on there There are a good many women in NGOs in the region doing fantastic work And it’s been important to tell their stories Climate change is a real fear in the region Every time my mother goes back to Sāmoa she sees the water rising higher and coming closer She can see how much change there’s been since her childhood You can get imprisoned if you write the wrong stuff in some Pacific regions to get the real story when some governments are insisting on PR pieces is a real privilege because we can broadcast stories that are critical and can get to the bottom of an issue — whereas our colleagues in the region don’t have that luxury They sometimes face threats and intimidation and I thank you very much for what you’ve been sharing I’m inviting you to look beyond your work and let us know what other interests you have and I feel blessed that I’ve been able to do that Another passion of mine is doing voluntary work I first did that in Brazil where I was a support worker for a centre for kids whose parents couldn’t afford after-school care I was supposed to write a newsletter but I ended up helping in other areas And the work in Brazil led me on to doing work for Women’s Refuge in Porirua I also taught ESOL (English for speakers of other languages) And I helped with Literacy Aotearoa for a bit There are so many people who have slipped through the education system in this country and can’t read But I’m in awe of how they’ve been able to adapt enough to survive and hold down jobs I do stuff for the Cancer Society in Wellington Plus looking after my two dogs and my husband I want to acknowledge the work you’ve done over the years It’s been really important and I’ve loved it (This interview has been edited for length and clarity.) © E-Tangata, 2019 If you like our focus on Māori and Pasifika stories so we need the support of our readers to keep going If you support our kaupapa and want to see us continue please consider making a one-off donation or contributing $5 or $10 a month Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed Sign up for our email newsletter and get the latest E-Tangata stories sent straight to your inbox E-Tangata is an online Sunday magazine specialising in stories that reflect the experiences of Māori and Pasifika in Aotearoa We welcome submissions or inquiries to:editor@e-tangata.co.nz You can support E-Tangata’s kaupapa by contributing through PressPatron we can tell more Māori and Pacific stories © 2014 - 2025 E-Tangata The breathtaking views and bush-clad valleys of Belmont Regional Park make it a favourite open space for picnics Construction vehicles may be on tracks from Monday to Friday 9 October 2024 to 30 April 2025 Contractors are completing stream works for the Transmission Gully Project Please avoid the yellow areas shown on the map if possible Always keep out of construction areas marked in red on the map For questions or concerns about these works, contact 0800TGINFO or info.tg@ventia.com Belmont Regional Park offers walks over rolling hills through bush-clad valleys and across farmland.  Follow the code for walking and hiking in our regional parks and forests A short walk in the area the Friends of Maara Roa are replanting after a fire swept through in 2003 Along the walk there are lovely views across and down Cannons Creek Starting from either the Cannons Creeks shops or Waihora Crescent you will see theregenerating bush planted by Friends of Maara Roa stunning views over Transmission Gully andPorirua Inlet Dogs are welcome on this trail both on and off-lead meanders through previously farmed areas in the park There are stunning views over Transmission Gully and towards the Porirua inlet at the high points This winding uphill mountain bike and walking track starting from Stratton Street Woolshed links the upper Korokoro Valley with Old Coach Road on the ridge above Find out more at Find Your Wild This day trip traverses the valleys and ridge tops of the eastern side of the park The views are tremendous and there are also a  variety of historic features to discover Find out more at Find Your Wild See more Walking and hiking With its wide open spaces and challenging forest tracks Belmont Regional Park draws mountain bikers from all over the region and beyond Primarily an uphill trail (but can be ridden downhill for an easier option) A nice gentle gradient (hence the name!) for climbing It ends at Old Coach Road where you can access the downhill trails Bull Run the downhill mountain bike track Electric Avenue (302) is temporarily closed for a total rebuild The track will be closed for an estimated 8 weeks Please follow all signs in the park for your safety ride up through Waitangirua Farm past WWII ammunition bunkers passing more historic bunkers and descending towards Belmont Road Take the right fork towards Boulder Hill then follow the signposted track along a stream and back to Hill Road ride up a zigzag track on the valley's south side to a farm road Take the track's right-hand fork to go through farmland and manuka forest before descending the north side of the Dry Creek valley back to the carpark This is the main northern entrance to the Belmont Regional Park. There is a 200m altitude difference between the ends of this track though the overall grade is much less. For most of its length the track surface is gravel and hard-packed clay turn off State Highway 58 (Haywards Hill Road) and go up Belmont Road to where the seal ends This is a narrow road - barely one lane - so watch out for traffic in the other direction Belmont Road continues up the hill in the form of a farm road. The southern end of Belmont Road is at an intersection with Hill Road and Duck Creek This rewarding half day mountain bike ride traverses the length of Belmont Regional Park Starting at the Dry Creek Haywards entrance the track rises to Boulder Hill (442m) and runs over undulating farmland to the Airstrip The track then descends into the Korokoro Valley and exits at Cornish St in Petone Along the way is a diverse range of landforms and vegetation Return via the Hutt River Trail or via the train from Petone railway station strong lace-up footwear and sufficient food and drink for your ride See more Mountain biking Stratton Street and Dry Creek valleys if on a lead. Please pick up droppings You will find dog bins at Cornish and Oakleigh Street entrance Some parts of the park do not allow dogs such as the farmland Check out the information under walking and hiking to see which tracks dogs are welcome on.  See more Dog walking There are several tracks available in Belmont Regional Park for horse riding Remember that these tracks are multi use - so watch out for walkers and mountain bike riders You need to have a horse riding permit to ride in Belmont Regional Park Apply online  The main access points for horse riding are Stratton Street and Dry Creek entrances both of which have toilets and parking for horse floats. Horse riders can also enter from Horokiwi 2 hours/4 km return. Easy/medium grade Park your horse float in the gravelled car park on the right just past the green park sign at the Stratton Street entrance Cross the road and follow the farm track up to Belmont Trig then take the signposted Horokiwi bridleway Return the same way or detour via the rolling hills running parallel to the road Park your horsefloat as above and ride beside the road up to the carpark near the entrance to the ranger's house Enter the pine forest through the horse gate and take the left hand fork Follow the stream then climb gradually up towards Middle Ridge Pass through the gate near the ridge top and pick up the farm track to the junction with Middle Ridge track Turn left at this junction to return to Stratton Street turn right and ride up to Cannons Head to get good views over the Porirua and Wellington Harbours 1 hour/2 km return. Medium/hard grade Start at the woolshed but bear right to take the vehicle track up the middle of the block then ride downhill along the edge of the block 1 hour/various distances. Medium/hard grade Park your horsefloat as above and ride through Cottle Park Reserve to Normandale Road Turn left and continue along Normandale Road to Old Coach Road.  Take the second (easier) track left off Old Coach Road down to the Stratton Street valley Turn left to return to the carpark or go right and do the Middle Ridge loop (see above) The track just above the main Dry Creek car park will take you up to Buchanans Road then continue along the marked track to Boulder Hill but this requires descending a narrow track through bush then climbing to a pylon service track The Loop Track is about the same distance as the return ride to Boulder Hill Drop down from the end of Horokiwi Road to a stream then ride up a steep track to Belmont Trig.  Or extend your ride from Stratton Street to Belmont Trig See more Horse riding come camping at Dry Creek in Belmont Regional Park We do not take bookings so just turn up and find a spot Pay and register by filling in the envelope provided at the Iron Ranger (the box that the money is deposited into) just in front of the toilet block Display the receipt portion (orange) of the envelope on your vehicle dash PayWave cards and cash are accepted at Dry Creek The Park Ranger will make random checks.  Find it via Hebden Crescent, near the State Highway 2 and State Highway 58 (Haywards Hill) intersection.  There are no powered sites. If you require a powered site Kaitoke Regional Park campground has a limited number.  Campervans and caravans can be parked anywhere in the designated camping area Please be considerate of others and be mindful where you park There is no dumping station at Dry Creek.  Adult rates apply for unsupervised 14-16 year olds Fires are not permitted at Belmont Regional Park including the Dry Creek camping area Please respect other campers and always keep the noise levels down Amplified music should be off by 9pm and no loud noise after 10pm Dogs are welcome in the park (except farmland areas) and the campground You need to make sure your dog is always under control which means they cannot wander through other campsites Keep your neighbours and other park users in mind and pick up your dog's droppings During summer when the campground is busy Park Rangers can require dogs to be on a lead Alcohol may be consumed responsibly by those over the age of 18 Underage drinking is not permitted in the park Drunken and disorderly behaviour is not permitted and will result in eviction and trespassing from the park For non-emergences and to contact the park ranger please call the Greater Wellington contact centre on 0800 496 734  Summer hours (1 Oct - 31 March): Opens at 5am and closes at 9pm Winter hours (1 April - 30 Sept): Opens at 6am and closes at 6pm Ensure these times work with your requirements (such as ferry departure times) before staying See more Camping You will find picnic tables and toilets at Dry Creek, in the Stratton Street valley Other popular sites within easy walking distance include Korokoro Dam and Baked Beans Bend You are welcome to bring your portable gas barbecue or stove There are a variety of areas available for group activities and events, particularly at the Dry Creek and Stratton Street park entrances. The Stratton Street woolshed classroom is available to book for group meetings, events and other activities. Please contact the park ranger at BusinessSupportHuttValley@gw.govt.nz for more information See more Picnics So much of the work done in the regional parks wouldn't be possible without the help of people in our communities If you want to contribute to the care of Belmont Regional Park Volunteering in our parks See more Volunteering There are lots of good places to fly drones or UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) in our parks and reserves and there are some places where they should not be flown you need to be aware of New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) rules and fly your drone safely.  Suggested areas suitable for flying UAVs include: Six key rules all drone users should know: Drones must not be flown in the following places: A permit is not required for recreational flying, but is required if you intend to fly for commercial purposes. Details of the CAA rules are found on their website See more Flying drones/UAVs a restored park house nestled in regenerating native bush just inside the Belmont Regional Park entrance on Hill Road with easy access to walking and mountain biking tracks Boulder Field House features a sunny outlook over Belmont Regional Park and is approximately 25 minutes from downtown Wellington or 15 minutes from downtown Lower Hutt It has three bedrooms (two queen beds and two singles) Find out more See more Stay in a cottage Located in the hill between Porirua and the Hutt Valley the park features the historic Korokoro Dam World War II ammunition stores and the original main coach road from Wellington Climb to the trig at 456 metres above sea level to enjoy sweeping views over Porirua Harbour the Lower Hutt and the remnants of ancient boulder block fields.  "Our visitors love the wide open spaces and sweeping panoramas It’s like visiting the country just five minutes from the city." Bruce Forster, Belmont Ranger See more about The Woolshed venue hire Take the 145 bus from Melling Station to Hill Road (Mon-Sat) Plan your route from the Hutt River Trail or Hutt Valley train line with the Hutt Valley cycle map Belmont is our largest park and has the most entrances so you can access it from wherever is closest to you From Lower Hutt - Park up at Oakleigh Street and walk to experience the beautiful Korokoro Dam From Upper Hutt - Dry Creek has a great camping spot From Porirua - The Cannons Creek entrance provides you walking access to fantastic viewing points over the Transmission Gully motorway construction Girl enjoying our inflatable at Cannons Creek Pool For 50 years Porirua City youngsters have learned to swim at Cannons Creek pool and the tradition continues today This month the pool turns 50 and a community focussed celebration to mark the milestone is being held next weekend Pool and Business Improvement Manager Phil Waggott says Cannons Creek Pool opened in January 1968 and for 30 years it was the only public pool in Porirua until the Arena Aquatic Centre opened in January 1998 “The pool has gone through many changes over the years but Learn to Swim classes has been its main priority,” Phil says “You would be hard pressed to find a local Porirua resident who didn’t go to Cannons Creek Pool to learn to swim The pool today still carries on this tradition through the Dash Swim School and most Porirua schools come to the pool for their swimming lessons.”  Phil says in the last seven years the pool has had a major facelift and it looks brand new again with new pool surroundings and a full upgrade of the plant room “To celebrate the pool’s 50th we’re having a community day on Saturday 27 January and Housing New Zealand has jumped on board to partner with us.”   From 8am to 12 noon there will be a sponsored swim to raise money that will fund free Learn to Swim lessons for local tamariki who otherwise would be unable to take lessons Then from 12 noon to 5pm there will be free access to the pool with a DJ and inflatables adding to the enjoyment Also from 11am to 1pm Housing New Zealand has organised Kenny McFadden to run basketball drills and games in the Cage Food trucks will also be in site to keep everyone’s energies up “Mayor Mike Tana is looking forward to joining in the fun and will be at the event from 11am – 2pm so come on down and enjoy join in the fun!” Cannons Creek branch librarian reads to some of her library regulars Above: Brandon Intermediate students Mayala Parau Jak Ruatapu and Marley Fretton help install a fish ‘ladder’ in Kenepuru Stream Cannons Creek students from Brandon Intermediate are helping young whitebait in Bothamley Park grow to maturity and flourish Spring marks the annual run of whitebait species back into rivers across New Zealand these Porirua students are out helping migrating native fish get upstream - ensuring some of the juveniles can make their journey to adulthood can stop the fish making their way to good habitats Jak Ruatapu and Marley Fretton worked with fish passage experts Tim Olley and Kelly Hughes baffles and ramps to help the fish wiggle and climb to make their way up the Kenepuru Stream in Bothamley Park The Bothamley Park restoration project is being led by Porirua City Council and Deputy Mayor Izzy Ford says it’s great to see local students involved “We live in an urban area and sometimes infrastructure like bridges and pipes pose challenges for our natural habitat  If we can get the fish up these little minor barriers we open up huge areas for the fish to breed and make it easier for species to exist and provide more habitats for them to access.” Five sites feeding into or within Kenepuru Stream have had modifications done to make it easier for fish to get through Clr Ford says Brandon Intermediate students gave a presentation to the Council last month about their concerns for Cannons Creek Lake and how they wanted to turn it into a Tuna (eel) sanctuary “So this project seemed a great opportunity to get the students involved,” Clr Ford said Brandon Intermediate student Mayala Parau said he enjoyed learning about the whitebait during an education programme with Healthy Harbours Porirua and it was now about putting their ideas into action with experts “It’s cool to learn how to help fish move up and down the stream by installing ramps with mussel rope to help them climb There are actually five species of whitebait and some of them are threatened The works at Bothamley Park will help some of them get to a safe place to grow up.” Next month’s Measina Festival will showcase live theatre music and dance from some of New Zealand’s most talented Pasifika artists Held at Pātaka Art + Museum from 7 to 9 December the annual festival of contemporary Pacific dance and theatre has a stunning line up of performances An exciting part of this year’s festival is the debut performance based on the much-loved children’s story Watercress Tuna and the Children of Champion Street The iconic tale tells of a tuna with a magic throat that leaps out of his stream and visits children in Champion Street He gives each an article of clothing for dancing come together and kanikani or dance all day and all night Le Moana’s Tupe Lualua has devised a performance to bring the story to life with around 70 Cannons Creek School students taking to the stage Le Moana dancers and choreographers Tehau Winitana Oriwa Mitchell and Sophia Uele have worked with students to bring the story to life and Jim Richards and Bridgette Murphy from the Rangiwahia Environmental Arts Centre created the large-scale tuna puppet Porirua singing sensations Le ART will narrate the story through song Author Patricia Grace says she finds the prospect of the theatre and dance enactment of one of her stories by the children of Porirua “What a wonderful event this will be for Porirua children and all of Porirua,” she says Porirua City Deputy Mayor Izzy Ford agrees “This is an awesome opportunity for Porirua Pātaka and the greater Wellington region to support locally nurtured talent “With Tupe Lualua working her magic and directing Watercress Tuna it’s an amazing collaboration between local dancers singers and school kids that allows Porirua to showcase its diversity.” There are only two performances of Watercress Tuna. Book now at www.measinafestival.org Following in the footsteps of the recent street name shift from Calliope to Matahourua Crescent the nearby park in Cannons Creek is proposed to have the same change Ngāti Toa has requested Calliope Park be changed as the name is culturally offensive to mana whenua The proposal to change the name of Calliope Crescent was first put to Council during Māori Language Week in 2021 after which there were ongoing discussions with Ngāti Toa about the renaming Ngāti Toa gifted Council the name Matahourua a more fitting name that reflects the heritage and the history of the people living here Calliope Crescent was officially renamed Matahourua Crescent last month Changing a park name follows a different process than renaming a street so that is underway now – with the proposal open for public feedback until 24 June Calliope was a 26-gun frigate that held Te Rauparaha captive on board following his arrest in 1846 by Governor Grey was instrumental in the journey of the iwi from Kawhia in the 1820s to Porirua in search of a more secure and prosperous life He was interred without charge on the Calliope for 18–24 months Matahourua is the name of Kupe’s ocean-going twin-hulled waka that he used when he discovered Aotearoa It is said that it was Kupe’s wife Kurumarotini who saw a large land mass shrouded in cloud and called “He Ao If you’d like to provide feedback on the proposed park name change go to our website here, or email your feedback to [email protected] before 24 June Students from Cannons Creek School did some volunteer planting work at Cannons Creek Lake recently and this year Porirua City Council aims to get 165,000 streamside plants in the ground to further enhance the health of our local waterways Improving freshwater quality is something everyone wants and planting native plants near our waterways is something we can do to benefit Te Awarua-o-Porirua Harbour Porirua City Council is working in partnership with Ngāti Toa on a 20-year streamside planting programme to restore the mauri of our streams and harbour for future generations sedges and grasses have already gone in the ground in the first two years of the project with the goal to plant more than 600,000 by 2026 “This major project can only work when we get passionate and dedicated residents on board to help advocate for their local environment and encourage others to care about what’s going on in their own backyard,” Porirua Mayor Anita Baker says This year’s planting programme will be a mix of community planting days schools and volunteer groups having planting sessions as well as Council staff working with rural landowners to plant in key locations around Porirua Community planting days planned for this year begin with a session of planting at Cannons Creek Lake Reserve on Saturday A second planting day will be held in late June at Belmont Regional Park to coincide with Matariki and a third at the end of July at Battle Hill “Taking part in a community planting day is a great hands-on way for our residents to know they are making a difference for their local environment,” says Porirua City Council Manager Harbour and Resource Recovery Nigel Clarke “Last year we had more than 180 volunteers helping out across Porirua Check out the Streamside Planting Programme page on our website for more information about what’s happening this year: poriruacity.govt.nz/streamside-planting Cannons Creek School has never asked parents for voluntary school donations It's disappointed they haven't been scrapped Cannons Creek School principal Ruth O'Neill says she's disappointed the Government did not scrap voluntary school donations in last week's Budget It doesn't ask parents for school donations because it knows many can't afford them The $150 per pupil payment Labour promised would replace the school donation system would have given O'Neill an extra $25,500 a year for activities and resources for her 170 pupils "I've been the principal here for 16 years we could have gone to all sorts of places." Cannons Creek School relies on the private sector and grants to make up the shortfall between the cost of providing an education and what parents can afford "My office manager does a lot of requests for grants and things like that for things like swimming," O'Neill said Last October Education Minister Chris Hipkins said the move to scrap school donations would be in the Government's first Budget In February he said the issue was "Budget sensitive" so couldn't discuss it with an estimated cost of $70 million a year was not part of the Government's education funding in the Budget O'Neill said it was disappointing Labour didn't follow through on its education manifesto promise announced last July.Today in Parliament in response to questions from Opposition education spokeswoman Nikki Kaye Hipkins said the policy was considered but "Budget 2018 had to accommodate the largest cost pressures due to population growth in several decades "That does not mean that we are not going to deliver on those commitments." Hipkins said it would be considered in subsequent Budgets Kaye told the Herald the Government had to be clear with parents about if and when school donations would be scrapped According to Riana Hautapu and Paula MacEwan It is the giving and receiving of an experience or physical transaction between people donated food and footwear in her front yard Nearby charity shops who know about The Koha Table also donate goods the result is a community driven kaupapa and it’s getting community buy-in with three others operating in Titahi Bay and Waitangirua Justine Murray visits Riana’s home on the launch of The Koha Table See terms of use for easy access to all your favourite programmes Police have cordoned off parts of Bothamley Park in Porirua after a body was found in a stream this morning The sudden death of a man at Porirua in the Wellington region is not being treated as suspicious The man's body was found in a stream near Cannons Creek in Porirua this morning Police were called to Bothamley Park near Champion St at 7.55am today Champion St between Mepham Place and Windley St was closed and cordons were put up in parts of Bothamley Park Police at first appealed for information about what had happened they said the body had been removed from the scene and the cordons had been lifted "Police are providing support to the man's family The death will be referred to the coroner." elected members and a number of residents from Matahourua Crescent at the unveiling of the new street name Porirua’s Calliope Crescent has officially changed to Matahourua Crescent became official at a ceremony on Wednesday (18 May) Calliope is considered culturally offensive to mana whenua Ngāti Toa because of the history of the vessel it is named after Te Rauparaha was a paramount chief of Ngāti Toa and was instrumental in the journey of the iwi from Kawhia in the 1820s to Porirua in search of a more secure and prosperous life after which there were ongoing discussions with Ngāti Toa about the change was the name of the vessel which brought Kupe to Aotearoa Kupe was the first Polynesian to discover Aotearoa a small blessing ceremony took place on Wednesday with representatives from Ngāti Toa elected members and a number of residents from Matahourua Crescent “It’s in keeping with where the road is situated particularly by people that come from the Pacific,” said Ngāti Toa kaumatua Dr Taku Parai “We decided that Matahourua reflects the people of the isles and we thought the naming of the street after his vessel was appropriate.” Porirua Mayor Anita Baker thanked everyone who worked to make this happen and says that the new name is more representative of the diverse community in Porirua “I’m especially grateful to Ngāti Toa for gifting us the name and I’m heartened that this name change will reflect and respect the heritage of our community here,” she said Porirua City Council has officially approved the name change of Calliope Crescent in Cannons Creek to Matahourua Crescent to reflect that the name was culturally offensive to Ngāti Toa The decision was made at a meeting of Council’s Te Puna Kōrero committee today and since then there have been ongoing discussions with Ngāti Toa about the proposed change Calliope is considered culturally offensive because of the history of the vessel it is named after Calliope was a 26-gun frigate that held Te Rauparaha captive on board after his arrest in 1846 by Governor Grey Matahourua is the name gifted by Ngāti Toa to replace Calliope and was the name of the vessel which brought Kupe to Aotearoa Kupe coming from the Pacific and we thought the naming of the street after his vessel was appropriate.” Porirua Mayor Anita Baker supported the change as the new name is more representative of the diverse community in Porirua the owners and tenants in Calliope Crescent has been positive and I’m heartened that this change will reflect and respect the heritage of our community here,” she said and residents will be notified of the proposed timeframes for the change and supported with this change of address A blessing ceremony with residents and Ngāti Toa will also take place in the future to mark the change of address Porirua City Council will be reviewing its wider street naming policy at a later date The Pacific Night Market is on every month on a Friday evening Porirua City Council is supporting a monthly Friday night Pacific Night Market to run in Cannons Creek and the next one will be on Friday 12 April 5.30-8.30pm at Te Akapuanga Cook Islands Hall Ola Kamataga – Beginning of Life 2024-2027 The strategy represents a partnership between Council and Pacific people in Porirua and is intended to improve the already-strong relationships Council has with this community The majority of the Pacific population in the Wellington region is concentrated in Porirua where Pacific people make up more than 26 per cent of the population “We’ve already had a positive response to the first night markets which provide an opportunity for the community to come together and local stallholders to sell their products,” says Porirua Mayor Anita Baker “The market reflects the vision of this strategy to celebrate the success of our Pacific people living in Porirua.” The markets support the four focus areas of Ola Kamataga – which aim to celebrate value and empower Pacific communities while providing opportunities and pathways for business and entrepreneurship to thrive visitors will have the chance to see what is included in Council’s Long-term Plan which is open for consultation until 26 April Check out our Facebook event listings or poriruacity.govt.nz/pacific-night-markets to see the Pacific Night Market dates for the rest of the year Rotary District Governor unveils the plaque for the new CAB satellite office in eastern Porirua The Citizen’s Advice Bureau (CAB) has launched an eastern Porirua service to make it easier for residents in Cannons Creek and Waitangirua to use their services The Porirua East CAB service will initially be open every Wednesday afternoon and will move very soon to two afternoons each week This will give residents free advice and information on their rights and offer support to help them get the best outcomes Fundraising by the Porirua Rotary group made this new service possible enabling the CAB to purchase laptops and printers and engage experts to arrange the necessary IT support “This is great news for eastern Porirua as the CAB’s free service is often a lifeline for people who need advice on their rights and obligations especially when they are in a sticky situation and don’t know who to turn to,” says Porirua Mayor Anita Baker independent information and advice to anyone that walks through their doors and they also work to influence social policy The major driver for opening an eastern Porirua CAB service is that access to transport is a roadblock for many of the residents Eastern Porirua has low levels of car ownership (19 per cent of households are without a car) and the cost of transport can create a barrier to accessing CAB’s services that are available in the Porirua CBD “The CAB location at 219 Bedford Street will be convenient for our residents in Cannons Creek and Waitangirua The premises are close to local shops and amenities like health centres which many people in the area use regularly,” says Mayor Baker She is also calling on locals to get in touch and volunteer at the eastern Porirua CAB office “There are many ways that you can help your community out at the CAB English is their second language and filling in forms or navigating official information online can be daunting we want people to be helped in their preferred language so please get in touch with the CAB and find out how you can help.” Local iwi have welcomed a name change for a Porirua street removing reference to a frigate which held a revered ancestor captive A ceremony was held in the suburb of Cannons Creek this morning for the change to Matahourua Crescent It was previously called Calliope Crescent after the British frigate which held paramount chief Te Rauparaha captive for months without trial Mana Whenua Ngāti Toa gifted the name Matahourua which was the name of the waka Kupe sailed from the Pacific to Aotearoa Kaumatua Dr Taku Parai said it was a nod to the makeup of Cannons Creek "We decided that Matahourua reflects the people of the isles and we thought the naming of the street after his vessel was appropriate." Porirua Mayor Anita Baker thanked the iwi and those who led the change "I'm especially grateful to Ngāti Toa for gifting us the name and I'm heartened that this name change will reflect and respect the heritage of our community here," she said Te Ao Māori RSS the new Environmental Cadetship Programme in eastern Porirua will help local residents gain new qualifications and on-the-job training with more than 100,000 native plants planted through Bothamley and Cannons Creek parks under the programme The Environmental Cadetship Programme is a collaboration of Te Rā Nui – Eastern Porirua Development partners (Kāinga Ora Porirua City Council and Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira) along with local jobs and skills providers Le Fale “This programme will see around 30 local residents gain qualifications and training to support them into current and future employment while significantly improving the local environment something the whole community can benefit from,” says Te Rā Nui Project Director Le Fale Jobs and Skills Hub and Mahi Toa will be referring around 10 local residents to the programme who will then be supported by the Porirua City Council Parks team and local iwi business Rāranga Building Careers to earn NZQA qualifications and on-the-job training “Te Rā Nui has always been so much more than building warmer drier homes for eastern Porirua,” says Will “It’s about working in partnership to also help enhance things like education so our local residents can live their best lives.” The recent removal of non-indigenous pine trees from both Bothamley and Cannons Creek parks provided an opportunity to create a local cadetship programme to help revegetate both areas with a range of native plants primarily sourced from the local Porirua City Council nursery “The revegetation work undertaken by the local cadets will significantly improve the local environment something the community has felt very strongly about since the formation of the large-scale project,” says Will There are still spaces available in the cadetship programme If anyone in eastern Porirua is interested in learning more about being a part of the Environmental Cadetship Programme we encourage them to reach out to Le Fale – Jobs and Skills Hub “Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira enthusiastically supports the upskilling of our people and enhancement of the mana and wellbeing of our taiao This initiative accomplishes both and is an example of what’s possible when we work together residential development in Porirua was detrimental to our environment and this is an opportunity to remedy those harms and set an example of how to do better for both people and place,” says Helmut Modlik Chief Executive Te Rūnanga o Tao Rangatira Porirua Mayor Anita Baker says the cadetship programme is already an all-round success story – for the Te Rā Nui partnership "The programme provides training and employment for local residents and uses plants from the Porirua City Council Sievers Grove Nursery in eastern Porirua One of the cadets has already moved into a full-time role with the Parks team in Porirua City which is a fantastic outcome," she says WelCom visits Holy Family Parish in Porirua East The area was developed following the second world war The village of Porirua became the site of a new city after the government acted on an urgent need for new housing Work began and more than 2,700 state houses were built Many immigrant families from Pacific Island countries made Porirua their new home Earliest human habitation in the area dates back to 1450 AD A succession of Māori tribes lived around the twin inlets of Porirua Harbour.  Today the area is home to many whānau – Māori 1842: Fr Michael Borjo sm first parish priest for whole Wellington district walked bush tracks over hills to serve widespread Wellington parish district including Porirua Marist priests tended small community from Porirua Basin.  1878: First Catholic church in area built as small wooden church in Pāuatahanui Consecrated by Bishop Redwood as Church of The Sacred Heart of Jesus Re-opened by Archbishop Redwood and renamed St Joseph’s in 1894 travelled on horseback over Hayward Hills tracks 1887: After building of psychiatric hospital in Porirua Catholic church erected on land in Kenepuru Drive donated by wife of proprietor of Porirua Hotel.  1903: The church was dedicated to Sacred Heart and blessed by Archbishop Redwood For nearly 50 years it was the only church for Catholics living in Porirua The church is now on Bishop Viard College grounds and since 1999 it has been the church for Te Ngākau Tapu 1922: Johnsonville parish established taking in Porirua and Pāuatahanui built first Catholic school in area for children of Porirua 1940: Parish of Plimmerton established for Plimmerton huge growth and housing development in Porirua 1953: St Francis Xavier School prefab buildings opened behind Sacred Heart Church Brigidine Sisters commuted from Johnsonville to teach at school separate parish from Tawa and Linden.  used as Mass centre until Holy Family Church opened 1959: Brigidine Sisters came to live in parish army building bought from Trentham Camp for church hall 1965: First parish celebration in new Holy Family Church 1968: Bishop Viard College founded by Cardinal Peter McKeefry Staffed by Assumptionist Fathers and Brigidine Sisters School consisted of two institutions on same site for boys and girls 1973: Little Sisters of the Assumption took up residence in parish one Sister had been commuting daily from Petone since 1969 1975: Bishop Viard College single co-educational unit 1976–1979: Fr Thomas Williams parish priest of Holy Family Parish later Archbishop of Wellington and Cardinal 1984: Catholic population around Waitangirua and Ascot Park grew St John of the Cross officially opened by Cardinal Thomas Williams 2001: Missionary Sisters of Charity began mission in Porirua.  2019: Missionaries of Faith formally welcomed to Parish Now have pastoral care of Holy Family Parish Holy Family Parish is centred at Holy Family Church and Holy Family School on Mungavin Ave with St John of the Cross Church in Ascot Park and Bishop Viard College in Kenepuru Drive The parish leadership team includes Missionaries of Faith parish priest Fr Andrew Antonio and assistants Fr Ramesh Songa and Fr Peter Timoteo The Missionary Sisters of Charity have a quiet and gentle presence in the parish Their mission began in Porirua in August 2001 ‘to care for the most vulnerable and assist with the Sacramental Programme’ based on the priorities and directions from the Wellington Archdiocesan Synod 2017 and in consultation with the parishioners is built around four core pillars: liturgy and eucharist; spirituality and formation; evangelisation and mission; and planning and structure ‘It is Christ who tells us how his Church should live these days We find our way of being the Church by listening deeply to the Gospel and living the spirituality of the Holy Family We want to be a Church which is a true community where all feel they are brothers and sisters in Christ Our plan is to be a Church which serves all people helping them to a life which is truly human is best described as being rich in everything except money It is rich in the many different cultures that make up our congregation Holy Family Parish is currently trying to raise funds to renew the church’s front canopy in need of repair.  When it was originally constructed Fr Tom Duffy employed parishioners who were qualified carpenters to build the 550-seat church The church cost £17,000 and was blessed and opened by Bishop Owen Snedden in 1965 At the time it was considered one of the most economical new churches built in New Zealand Fr Andrew is also using parishioners who are qualified carpenters to fix the canopy ‘Our current goal to complete the project is $50,000 bringing us almost halfway towards our target A second collection at Masses is helping towards the fundraising and parishioners have been invited to discuss how their family group and community can help raise the remaining necessary funds ‘The parish is looking for ideas and offers to help reach the $50,000 target and invites you to let us know your ideas and offers to help.’ donations can be made to: Holy Family Parish The Brigidine Sisters founded Holy Family School in 1960 to serve the Catholic community of the Holy Family Parish in Porirua East The Sisters and the Assumptionist Fathers staffed the school.  our roll of 215 children in 10 classes are mainly Pacifika students The school focuses on six ‘Phenomenals’: Grit These invite us to do the best we can in all situations while showing care We speak about our Phenomenals in our classes and our staff award tokens to students in the playground and at assemblies for these behaviours At the end of term the ‘top squad’ or ‘buddy class’ is awarded lunch and a movie afternoon.  Our school has a close connection with Holy Family Parish Students delight in attending Mass and are amazed at how much better our singing sounds in the church Fr Isaac and Fr Peter for their care as they watch over us We work hard to make connections with our ‘aiga (wider family) In 2019 we were recognised nationally by winning the ‘Excellence in Engaging’ category of Prime Minister’s Education Awards for the The Family So’otaga programme The Family So’otaga (Samoan for ‘connection’) has been a huge success in improving student achievement and parents’ engagement with their children’s education Our So’otaga team ensures students and ‘aiga have the support they need to get to school the supplies they need and are there to listen Our school Blessing Mass last month welcomed new staff and students and was well attended by ‘aiga it was a joy to be back in our parish church and hear our students’ wonderful singing there again Our healthy and vibrant school community is proud to be a Catholic School where as some Year 1 and 2 students recently said: ‘We share’ The future is bright for us at Holy Family School.  Porirua is situated on a hill overlooking the city centre and the harbour The college is named after Philippe Joseph Viard (1809 a French priest and first Bishop of the Catholic Dioceseof Wellington The college was founded in 1968 as two separate colleges on the one site as Viard Girls College and Viard Boys College The co-institutional design didn’t last long and by the early 1970s the two had combined to form the one Bishop Viard College The Assumptionist Fathers and Brigidine Sisters led the college for its first 25 years Sr Anne Phibbs csb was the last religious principal led the adaptation of the college name to Bishop Viard College in the early 2000s to ensure its history was not lost on current students The diverse student population base features Whānau Māori from across the motu as well as those who whakapapa to most islands across the Pacific and several nations in South-East Asia and South America After much change at the college in recent years the strength of the community the college serves is the one steadfast element With over 85 per cent of students coming from Porirua East the college is re-establishing itself as the home of Catholic Education from the wider Porirua basin The four contributing Catholic primary schools – Holy Family Porirua East; St Theresa’s Tītahi Bay – are all thriving and that strength is beginning to flow into Bishop Viard College Bishop Viard College has a strong history of successes in various sporting codes cultural exchange and entrepreneurial developments Having Te Pariha o Te Ngākau Tapu and the Tu Hono Marae Māori Cultural Centre on the same campus is a huge asset that the college staff are starting to tap into There are plans for a formal arrangement of collaboration underway That collaboration and the varied connections the college has to the wider Porirua community ensure our college values of Faith developed and lived out on a daily basis.  www.viard.school.nz newly appointed Chief Executive of Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand is a former student of Bishop Viard College and grew up as a member of Holy Family Parish Mena is pictured with family members Manuel Antonio at the recent powhīri in Porirua welcoming her to Caritas.  ‘Growing up in Holy Family Parish epitomised the name much as if this new land was a new village away from the villages left behind in Samoa.’ ‘I remember the day our parish priest Tom Williams was named Archbishop It was a jubilant time with the newspaper Kapi Mana there taking photos and us kids swarming Fr Williams The fascination with Tom and the likes of Rex Begley and Fr Robert was they all spoke Samoan too This was the true connector to a church community that was forming a new home and family away from their own in Samoa.’ founded by St Mother Teresa of Kolkata to ‘work with the poorest of the poor’ have been living among the people of in Porirua since 2001 Their mission involves caring for the most vulnerable and assisting with the Sacramental programme Their presence touches the lives of many – the schools and offering spiritual nourishment to people in the wider community who have lost their way Sr Oliva (leader) and Sr Zelia assisted with the recent Sacramental programme of Confirmation and Holy Communion for over 40 candidates.  Over 40 young people received the Sacrament of First Holy Communion at Holy Family Church on Sunday 22 May 2022 with the girls and women adorned in their shiny white dresses and the boys looking smart in their white shirts and black trousers Editor: Annette Scullion Ph: 04 496 1712
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welcomads@xtra.co.n Faaolataga Leasi looks at the new street name honouring her late husband To acknowledge the contribution that the late Reverend Perema Leasi made within eastern Porirua Ixion Lane has been renamed to Perema Leasi Lane A small blessing was held on Monday 2 August to open the new laneway "Naming this street for him is a small token but one that will ensure that his memory and the work he did in this part of Porirua will forever be commemorated," says Porirua City Mayor Anita Baker Reverend Perema Leasi was the solo minister at Christ the King Pacific Islands Presbyterian Church in Porirua he wanted the best for his community and was a strong advocate for both youth and better housing in eastern Porirua He spoke out about the need for social housing and organised vigils to support social housing being built on vacant land. His work helped to bring 53 new homes to Castor Crescent and 14 to Champion Street, ensuring families and fanau like Toni and her children live in warmer and drier homes "Reverend Perema Leasi was a very good friend to the Porirua project team and Kāinga Ora" says Will Pennington Project Director for the Porirua Development "It feels very fitting to be acknowledging him through a laneway that is in the heart of the Porirua Development" the late reverend was a pivotal member of the community organising numerous events that brought the community together to celebrate culture "Reverend Leasi deservedly earned a Queen’s Service Medal and was a true community servant his integrity and selfless work is something we should all aspire to," says Mayor Baker A fire 30m by 30m is covering multiple shops at the Cannon Creek shopping centre in Porirua A large fire at a shopping centre in the Wellington region that is well involved has prompted a large firefighting response The fire is 30m by 30m and is covering across multiple shops at the Cannon Creek shopping centre on Warspite Avenue and Bedford Street in Porirua Fire Emergency New Zealand recieved multiple calls at 10.53pm on Sunday night and now has 11 appliances on scene There does not appear to be anybody in the buildings affected a Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesperson said Kia ora and welcome to New Zealand Doctor Rata Aotearoa Not a subscriber? Unlock this article by subscribing here. Wellington Water say their crews responded to the broken wastewater pipe in Cannons Creek, Porirua on Sunday. The pipe has caused untreated sewage to enter the Kenepuru Stream in Bothamley Park, which flows into Porirua Stream at Mepham Place. Ngāti Toa Rangatira kaumātua Taku Pārai says it’s a way for Ngāti Toa Rangatira to not only look after the environment but also the people who may be affected by the burst pipe. A spokesperson for Wellington Water says they are “working as fast as possible towards a robust and long-term solution to minimise the immediate environmental impact on the Kenepuru stream and any further residual impact downstream. As of now, pumps and hoses are fully set up onsite.” “The rāhui has been placed, a practice that our ancestors instituted to restore life to our rivers, lands, and moana. “When a breach has happened like this, or anything else, we need to ensure our processes are adhered to. They are there to look after the taiao. We have a role to play, first and foremost.” “With the damage, raw sewage is spilling out via a small stream and flowing to our big river, Te Awarua o Porirua.” The location of the rupture makes access difficult, and health and safety concerns make a repair complex. Porirua deputy mayor Kylie Wihapi admits it won’t be an easy fix. “It’s probably going to take a couple of weeks, and it’s probably not going to be a very fast fix. So what they have done is set up a couple of traps, to trap the wastewater and at the moment it’s not going into the harbour.” Wihapi says the council supports the stand by Ngāti Toa Rangatira. “We completely support Ngāti Toa and the rāhui and we hope that our community respects that.” The burst pipe is part of an old and fragile infrastructure system that has suffered from a lack of investment by the local council over decades. That’s left the Porirua City Council with an enormous water infrastructure bill, with Wihapi signalling a massive 17.5% rates rise that will hit the pockets of local ratepayers. “The council has committed to over a billion dollars worth of spending for our three waters and at the moment we are going through our long-term plan process, where we will be spending over 60% of our rates alone on water.” Pārai says with developments going on all over New Zealand, local councils should be engaging with iwi. “Where there is growth, there is a need to upsize all the infrastructure to meet that demand. In the meantime, what’s carrying that load is the old network and what we know is the old network throughout the motu is not up to standard.” “From a Ngāti Toa perspective, we have been talking about this for years.” Wellington Water has acknowledged the impact on the environment and says “Managing our wastewater networks to improve water quality and to give effect to Te Mana o te Wai remains at the forefront of our work.” A geotechnical report is underway and Wellington Water expect to release their findings around what lead to the incident on Friday. gives it his all during a haka at the opening this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read Dr Bryan Betty: "We have an acute shortage of trained GPs and nurses with rates below international benchmarks." Photo / Supplied What we need most in 2024 is investment to make general practice sustainable along with development of the primary care workforce to meet the growing demand for health care in the community – because that’s where people want and need it I cannot stress enough to our new government how urgent this is because the biggest improvements in population health and the greatest value for health dollars comes from people having convenient access to high-quality general practice and primary care About 1000 rural and urban general practices employ more than 5000 specialist GPs and approximately 10,000 practice nurses as well as allied health roles such as physiotherapists pharmacists and counsellors to deliver more than 20.5 million primary care consultations annually highly skilled general practice teams and primary care providers manage a range of health needs from acute emergencies to chronic lifelong conditions such as diabetes and heart disease in the community This requires understanding myriad health conditions liaising with specialists and offering much-valued comfort and support New Zealanders continually cite access to their doctor and nurse at their local medical centre as one of their highest priories International studies show access to a high-quality continuous primary care is a key determinant of long-term health A recent Norwegian study shows having the same GP for more than 10 years leads to fewer ED attendances and hospital admissions better overall health and a longer life compared with those who don’t A strong primary care sector is good for our health system and our people problems for primary care have built in plain sight for decades and are reaching crisis point It’s estimated 30% of practices have closed books had to close its books for the first time six months ago because of GP and nurse shortages Anyone who has had trouble signing up to a practice or waited 3-4 weeks for an appointment will know the anxiety this causes There are two key problems – workforce shortages and financial instability We have an acute shortage of trained GPs and nurses and we aren’t training enough replacements There’s also a gnarly pay parity issue for our nurses who complete the same training as hospital nurses but earn less causing recruitment and retention problems that cripple service delivery Funding for general practice hasn’t kept up with the increasing complexity and demand of patients Many practices are facing viability issues they cannot employ enough staff (if they can find them) and can’t afford to develop services to address community need These problems are felt even more sharply in our rural and remote communities The lack of capacity means people often can’t access medical care in the community when they need it driving extended wait times in emergency departments and clogged hospitals Much of the solution lies in finalising health system reform Primary Health Organisations (PHOs) work behind the scenes so you may not know what they do I describe them as the “vital glue” linking up all parts of the health system to help create better care pathways while also elevating the voice of frontline services to key decision-makers well-functioning health system that’s there for you when and where you need it The reform has left the future of PHOs unclear but I consider them critical and look forward to shaping their role in partnership with the government Ministry of Health and other national health agencies People who commit fraud have more than just motive and opportunity in common.