Issue No. 550 - 22 December 2011
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Issue No. 550 - 22 December 2011 |
An action-packed week of events in Wanganui
The next day the action moves to Shelter View Jetsprint Track, off State Highway 4, for Round 2 of the NZ Jetsprint Championships. Gates open at 11.00am with racing finishing around 4.30pm. Tickets to the jetsprints make a great Christmas gift and are available from the Visitor Information Centre, Taupo Quay. If you can’t make the event on January 27, there's more action coming up with the UIM World Series Jetsprint Championship Final being held at Shelter View on the weekend of February 18-19. For more details click here. If you want your action on dry land then the Wanganui 4 Wheel Drive Club is hosting the 3rd Round of the NZ National Trials on December 31. Called the Cycom Classic Hits National Trial the entertainment value for spectators is awesome with action in the mud, hill climbs, and sidlings, all created to test the drivers’ and vehicles’ abilities. Bring your camera, hat and don’t forget the suncream for a great family day out. Food is available on site and'‘early bird' tickets can be purchased from Harrisons Hiremaster, Churton Street, Wanganui. The Cycom Classic Hits National Trial is being held just past the River Road turn-off on the Parapara (about 12minutes from town) and starts at 8.30am. These events have received funding from Wanganui District Council’s Impact Fund. The Impact Fund supports projects which will generate significant economic benefits to the Wanganui city and district. |
A message from Mayor Annette Main I have very much enjoyed my first full year as Mayor, in particular being able to share so many celebrations with so many of the groups, individuals, businesses and organisations which together ensure our district is a special place to live. We are very fortunate, through family history or personal choice, to live in this part of New Zealand and to be part of a diverse and vibrant community. A community with a history of manaakitanga, the tradition of welcome and hospitality to those who visit our place. I was immensely proud to see thousands of people lining the banks of the Whanganui River to welcome the USA Eagles rugby team as they shared in our traditional welcome. What very heart-warming memories they will have taken home with them. This is a time when families, friends and communities are able to spend more time together, to relax and to reflect on the year and it is a time when we can rediscover the simple pleasures of sharing food and company. I hope you are able to enjoy our wealth of beaches and parks and to spend some time on or alongside our awa, our river. For those looking for excitement, there are a number of annual events taking place during the summer season. The best known of these is the Boxing Day 'Cemetery Circuit', but there is also Jet Sprint and 4 Wheel Drive Championships. These and other events attract visitors from New Zealand and overseas every year as well as being an annual tradition for many local people. No matter what your preference, our district has much to offer, I would like to wish you all a happy and safe festive season, and encourage you to explore, discover and delight in all that surrounds us. |
Work to repair Mangamahu Road under way
Work is now under way to reinstate the road and despite recent poor weather, and rapidly fluctuating water levels in the Whangaehu River, the construction work at the Mangamahu Road site is progressing well. The road failure was cause by the natural erosion process of the Whangaehu River, continuously eroding away the toe of the embankment, which subsequently undermined the roadway and caused a significant under slip of its embankment, and undermined the existing retaining wall foundations.
The preferred design selected was to reconstruct the embankment and extend the existing retaining wall in both directions. In order to protect the embankment from further erosion, a layer of "rock armouring" was designed to be installed within the river and on the reconstructed embankment below the river’s nominal flood level. Inframax Construction has supplied the rock armouring, sourced mostly from its Fields Track quarries. Restrictions were placed as to which roads they could use to transport supplies to the site. Construction of the retaining wall element of the works is being carried out by I D Loaders, which is scheduled to start its element of the project prior to the Christmas break. Downer’s is undertaking the balance of the works, using a combination of Wanganui and Palmerston North based resources.
Planting on the far side of the river has already been undertaken and further planting and reshaping of the embankment adjacent to the retaining wall will be undertaken in March 2012. For more information on the project please contact Rui Leitao, Senior Roading Engineer, Wanganui District Council, phone 349 0001 or Rick Grobecker, Downer, phone 021467687. |
Sarjeant launches education blog
The Gallery Educators, Sietske Jansma and Andrea Gardner, are posting creative ideas and images of work by students. Check out the fantastic In the Garden exhibition which involved students from 16 Wanganui schools. Each class explored the garden theme using different mediums such as screen prints, sculpture, printmaking, painting, tissue collage, photography, silhouettes, and crayon and dye. Images of the work can be viewed on the blog. There are also ideas for things to make. The latest posts include instructions for creating a Christmas star and a paper bird. You can see more of the Sarjeant online by visiting the website at www.sarjeant.org.nz. The site includes information on exhibitions, education and items for sale from the Gallery shop, and you can take a virtual tour of the Gallery. The Sarjeant is also on Facebook where you can view items from the collection as well as find out about current exhibitions and events. |
Prohibited fishing area |
Pound opening hours The Pound in Ridgway Street will be closed for the afternoon on Friday, December 23, from 1.00pm. |
Liquor ban on New Year's Eve at Mowhanau Beach A liquor ban will be in force this New Year's Eve at Mowhanau Beach. The ban will be in place between 3.00pm on 31 December 2011 and 3.00am on 1 January 2012. The general ban area includes roads, domain, foreshore and public areas within the Mowhanau Village/Domain starting outside the Mowhanau Community Hall. More specifically it is the area bounded by the low water mark to the south-west; the Kai Iwi Stream to the north-west; the Mowhanau Stream to the south-east, including SO14957, SO18911, and Sec 71 of the Mowhanau Domain, including roadways and public thoroughfares of Sunset Parade, Waitangi Parade, Broadview Heights, Tangi Street and Mowhanau Drive up to a point adjacent the entrance to the Mowhanau Hall. |
Computer Clubhouse holiday hours The Computer Clubhouse will be open from December 12 to December 23, Monday to Friday, 1.00pm to 5.00pm and from January 16 to January 27, Monday to Friday, 1.00pm to 5.00pm.
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Use of sprinklersConsumers are advised that automatic garden sprinklers can be used by all residents (irrespective of whether their house number is an odd or even number) between the following times: 7pm to 9pm During the hours of daylight saving Hand-held hoses can be used at any time. |
Pensioner housing
The weekly rental is $91.50 for one person and $103.50 per week for couples. These self-contained units include carpets and drapes. The rental includes ground maintenance. Application forms are available either at the Property Office, Wanganui District Council, 101 Guyton Street, or on request. For further information contact Martha Hourigan, Wanganui District Council Property Group, phone 349 3183 or 027 201 2743, or email. |
Current Vacancies |
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As soon as the Christmas Day festivities are out of the way, there’s full-on action with three spectacular events to entertain the whole family.
Following a storm event in late 2009 a section of the Mangamahu Road 'fell out' which restricted the road to little more than a single vehicle width. 
Under its Road Maintenance Alliance (Alliance) contracts with Opus and Downer, Wanganui District Council reviewed a number of repair options, and sought funding from NZTA to undertake the works which are expected to total $1.2M when completed. 
Downers first task was to construct an access track down to river level, below the slip site. This track was extended 170m upstream and will form the base of the embankment foundation. Rock armouring work in the river is nearing an end and Downer will soon start constructing the embankment proper, into which the foundations of the retaining wall will be placed. 
The Sarjeant Gallery has added to its online presence with the launch of a new education blog. 
Council's Pensioner Units are for older people with limited means who are able to live independently. We have 16 separate complexes in various parts of the city.