Local News from Peter Dunne

Welcome to this Ohariu page, designed to keep you in touch with UnitedFuture activities in Ohariu.
Each month I will update the local activities I have been involved in that month, as well as commenting on some of the issues making news in our community.

If you would like more information about UnitedFuture activities in Ohariu, please contact me and I will be pleased to let you know what is happening, and would welcome your involvement:
peterj.dunnke@par2liamejnt.gosvt.nzi .

Here are some the local activities I have been involved in recently:

During April 2010

• Hosting the highly successful first national gathering for residents associations Parliament, subsequently described by one local body politician as sending a ‘shock wave’ through local government
• Attending separate celebrations to mark 30 years of service to the Newlands Child Care Centre by Maxine Choat, and the 60th wedding anniversary of Johnsonville identities Ernie and Betty Black
• Meeting the principal of the Wellington Activity Centre in Kiawharawhara regarding the future of activity centres and subsequently being able to assure no cuts to Activity Centre funding will be made in the upcoming Budget
• Visiting the Salvation Army in Johnsonville and the Johnsonville and Newlands Foodbanks
• Speaking at the Wellington Tamil Puthandu celebrations in Tawa
• Accompanying the Police on a late-night weekend patrol of the Courtenay Place area and visiting the Wellington Hospital Emergency Department to observe the effects of excessive alcohol use by young people
• Opening a new classroom and staff room at Maungaraki School
• Presenting prizes at the Johnsonville Bowling Club’s end of season closing
• Attending the Johnsonville RSA’s ANZAC Day service
• Attending the Maungaraki Community Association’s AGM
• Meeting the Principals of Newlands, Bellevue and Newlands Intermediate Schools to discuss National Standards
• Holding electorate clinics in Tawa, Maungaraki and Johnsonville, and calling on constituents in Crofton Downs, Chartwell, and Korokoro

During March 2010

• Accompanying the Prime Minister on a visit to Challenge 2000, the highly regarded and innovative youth at risk facility in Johnsonville that I have been associated with since the 1980s
• Hosting kindergarten kids from Johnsonville West Kindergarten to a picnic in Parliament grounds
• Chairing the first meeting for the year of the Northern Wellington Voluntary Service Awards Committee to begin planning for this year’s Awards, to be made in August
• Visiting Churton Park and Tawa Schools for meetings with the principals, and making presentations at Newlands Intermediate’s end-of term presentations
• Celebrating Race Relations Day at an ethnic Pot Luck dinner in Johnsonville and being guest of honour at Mabuhay Association’s Cultural Festival
• Attending Churton Park Community Association’s AGM
• Attending school galas at Ngaio, Johnsonville, Cashmere Avenue and Bellevue Schools, and at Newlands Tamariki and Maungaraki Playcentres
• Opening a new classroom suite at Johnsonville Main School, and assisting at the opening of Khandallah School’s new IT suite
• Presenting a community award to Bruce and Dawn Patterson for their service to the Grenada Village Community over many years
• Holding electorate clinics in Johnsonville, Maungaraki, Newlands and Tawa

During January-February 2010

• Attending the opening of Bowen Early Childhood Education Centre’s new facility (I had been involved in helping them relocate from their former site at Bowen Hospital)
• Opening the new facilities for the Knowledge Shop, an innovative local professional education programme, in Johnsonville
• Chairing the first meeting for the year of the Northern Wellington Festival Organising Committee to review the successful 2009 Festival and to begin planning for the 2010 Festival over the first weekend of December
• Visiting Maungaraki and Normandale Schools for meetings with the principals
• Working with the Grenada Village Community Association over proposals to set up a 27 acre car storage yard adjacent to Grenada Village
• Holding electorate clinics in Johnsonville, Maungaraki and Newlands

During November-December 2009

• Attending Khandallah, St Bridgets, Raroa Intermediate and Rudolf Steiner Schools annual galas; Normandale School’s 40th birthday celebrations; and Tawa and Newlands Colleges’ Senior Prizegivings, and visiting Crofton Downs School
• Participating in Khandallah Arts and Theatre Society’s 50th anniversary function
• Presenting Challenge 2000’s Kitty McKinley with a Community Champions Award
• Addressing the Annual Meeting of Wellstop, the sex abuse prevention agency
• Attending the Grenada Village Community Association Annual General Meeting and attending its Children’s Christmas Party;
• Playing Santa Claus at the Churton Park Community Association’s Christmas Party, and at the Wellington North Parents’ Centre’s Christmas function
• Being Santa’s elf in the Northern Wellington Festival’s Christmas Parade and attending the Khandallah Village Fair
• Being involved in Johnsonville RSA’s “Box of Fluffies” presentation to the Police
• Attending Tawa Volunteer Fire Brigade’s Gold Star presentation evening
• Participating in a public meeting on civil defence in Johnsonville
• Opening a new courtyard for the Redwood Club in Tawa
• Holding electorate clinics in Newlands, Tawa, Johnsonville and Maungaraki
• Hosting the launch at Parliament of plans for Wellington’s Great Harbour Cycle Way
• Hosting the annual Christmas Carols service at Parliament

During October 2009

• Continuing my programme of visits to local businesses, community organisations and early childhood education centres
• Attending Challenge 2000’s 21st anniversary celebrations
• Attending local Diwali Festival events
• Braving a bitterly cold day to attend St Benedict’s School annual fair
• Chairing meetings of the Northern Wellington Festival Organising Committee regarding arrangements for this year’s Festival, to be held on the weekend of 5-6 December
• Opening the new veranda extensions at Churton Park Kindergarten
• Continuing meetings with local ethnic community leaders regarding their involvement in local events and activities
• Attending the launch of local sculptor Martyn Turner’s new exhibition

During September 2009

• Visiting Churton Park Anglican Church’s Soul Active Day for young community workers
• Attending Tawa’s Community Pot Luck Dinner, and the local Malaysian Society’s Merdeka Day celebrations
• As patron (for the last 21 years) of the North Wellington Football Club, making the presentations at the Club’s annual prize giving
• Hosting international students from Onslow College, legal studies students from Tawa College and Tawa Probus Club on visits to Parliament
• Taking part in Tawa’s Spring Festival Day
• Presenting awards to community education workers in Newlands as part of Adult Learners’ Week
• As patron of the Johnsonville Bowling Club opening the club’s 102nd season
• Attending Maungaraki and Newlands Intermediate Schools’ annual musical productions and the end of term concert at the Raroa Music Centre
• Chairing meetings of the Northern Wellington Festival Organising Committee regarding arrangements for this year’s Festival, to be held on the weekend of 5-6 December
• Meeting with local ethnic community leaders regarding their involvement in local events and activities

During August 2009

• Continuing to work with Horokiwi residents and the New Zealand Transport Agency over NZTA’s plans to close off the right hand turn from State Highway 2 into Horokiwi. (NZTA has now agreed to put its plans on hold until this process is complete.)
• Finalising arrangements for this year’s North Wellington Voluntary Service Awards being be presented at the end of August.
• Attending a lively annual general meeting of the Newlands Paparangi Progressive Association.
• Hosting a Gold Star Awards evening at Parliament on behalf of the Newlands Volunteer Fire Brigade
• Visiting the Bellevue and Brian Webb Kindergartens, and attending Tawa College’s annual musical production.
• Working with the New Zealand Resilience Trust on local emergency preparedness, and attending the Trust’s annual general meeting.
• Chairing meetings of the Northern Wellington Festival Organising Committee regarding arrangements for this year’s Festival, to be held on the weekend of 5-6 December
• Meeting with local ethnic community leaders regarding their involvement in local events and activities

During July 2009

• Spending an evening on patrol with the Lower Hutt Police
• Co-chairing with the Mayor the second public meeting on deficiencies in Wellington’s current civil defence, and ongoing discussions with civil defence volunteers, the City Council and the media regarding the issue, including a visit to National Civil Defence Headquarters
• Chairing a second public meeting with Horokiwi residents and the New Zealand Transport Agency over NZTA’s plans to close off the right hand turn from State Highway 2 into Horokiwi
• Chairing a meeting of the North Wellington Voluntary Service Awards Committee regarding arrangements for this year’s North Wellington Voluntary Service Awards to be presented at the end of August
• Addressing the Western Hutt Rotary Club and the annual meeting of the Newlands Volunteer Fire Brigade
• Visiting Cashmere Avenue, Khandallah and St Benedict’s Schools, Maungaraki School’s Science Fair, the Wellington Gifted Education Centre, and the Wellington Free Kindergarten Association
• Attending the 20th birthday of Tawa’s Redwood Club which I had jointly opened with the then Minister of Social Welfare in 1987
• Addressing the Wellington Federation of Progressive Associations on the subject of Wellington becoming a supercity
• Meeting with Glenside residents regarding the proposed Westchester Drive extension
• Attending a Pot Luck dinner for local ethnic groups at the Johnsonville Community Centre
• Speaking at the farewells for the principal and associate principal of Churton Park School
• Meeting with local community education providers at Newlands and Onslow Colleges to discuss the impacts of reductions in funding for adult community education from the start of 2010.