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Puhoi Community Forum Inc.
Meeting Dates: In this meeting we discuss
general business and ongoing business. PCF’s CONTACT NUMBERS:
LATEST NEWSLETTER PUHOI COMMUNITY FORUM INCORPORATED NEWSLETTER 46 NOVEMBER 2006 PO Box 199 Nov. Chair: M. Standbrook LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Dear forum members and Puhoi residents, The silly season, as far as end-of-year busyness is concerned, is well underway, and school exams, prize-givings, end-of-year club functions, carol planning, Santa parades and the rush to get building projects finished make it hard to think beyond Christmas. Included in Puhoi’s pre-Christmas busyness are a lot of roadworks, in the village and on State Highway I, so please take care, even if just to avoid a $200 speeding fine which could be better used on buying Christmas presents. However, as the Puhoi Community Forum goes into recess over January except for urgent business, the committee needs to keep an eye on coming events. There is a big Puhoi ‘open day’ opportunity coming up on January 13 centred on the pub’s woodchopping competitions, now becoming a popular annual event. Clubs and organisations can showcase themselves, if they wish, and put out stalls and stage events to promote themselves, fundraise and generally have fun. And the duck race is apparently still on. The Rodney District Council has arranged some pre-Christmas entertainment for us, too, by scheduling a November 22 hearing of those submissions we wrote last year on Papillon Investments Ltd’s application for a private plan change to allow a large number of houses to be built, possibly fronting onto the road into our village. As a reporter, and therefore an observer, I often used to feel a session in the district council chambers was better value than a theatre ticket – and it was free. This time, as a Puhoi resident, my future will be involved, as will yours, and I am outraged that someone would try to foist this kind of obviously unsuitable development on our village, a village unique in New Zealand. Crowds of Puhoi people are needed to attend the hearing and morally support our speakers. So, see you ‘in court’. JUDITH WILLIAMS COMMUNITY BRIEFS DEALING TO SPEEDSTERS Following community concern about traffic speed on Puhoi roads forum committee and road safety group member Ken Crockett has set up a meeting with Rodney District Council transportation director and local resident Murray Noone. Ken will ask about the possibility of introducing a number of traffic ‘calming’ solutions such as speed bumps, while the group is also preparing a petition asking for the reduction of speed limits on village approaches. CLEAN SWEEP Though there are still some areas to complete, Museum renovations are basically ready for a proposed official January opening day, the Puhoi Historical Society says. The new look collection concentrates on artefacts from the decades of Puhoi settlement from 1863 to the 1930s. The time line, with text and photos, has been refreshed and displays in the old convent school now focus on Puhoi’s logging days, music, folk culture and church history. The museum and archives room will be open daily from Christmas to Easter from 1-4pm. COUNCIL BUCKS FOR BIGGER BANG The Rodney District Council has approved an $800 grant to buy the forum a laser copier on which to print its monthly newsletters and do other business. IT’S POLAR IN PUHOI TOO Santa has booked December 15 for his first visit to Puhoi this year, arriving at the sports club at 6pm, followed by a buffet dinner at $15 a head and a sausage sizzle. The club’s big Christmas Raffle on sale now will be drawn that evening. “Parents, you know the gift drill,” says Sharon Hallett, mysteriously. Newcomers with children who don’t know what that means can find out by phoning her on 4220834. Santa will be back again in the village on December 22 at 5pm, when the pub is putting on a lolly scramble, happy hour, nibbles, raffles and other goodies for the Big Kids. Now, isn’t Santa kind to visit us twice. VENITE ADOREMUS Christmas celebrations at the Puhoi Church will begin on December 24 at 8.30pm with raise-the-roof carols and continue at 9pm with Mass. Everybody is welcome to join in. GARDENER SOUGHT Who would like to pick up the job of organising the Christmas Eve donkey walk to the church in time for 8.30 pm carols? Our Sunday School teacher Angelique de Jong, the usual organiser, will be away on holiday this year. The job might suit a gardener willing to be paid in donkey do. Call Angelique on 4220794 to find out what it involves. FARMING IT OUT Rural Women NZ’s Women in Agribusiness, an organisation to assist those new to farming or landownership gain hands-on knowledge and skills, as well as support and friendship, is having a Christmas outing to Puhoi on December 6 including a little tour of the historic village, lunch at the Art of Cheese café and a 2007 programme planning meeting. Any woman interested in the organisation who would like to join us that day can contact RWNZ regional development officer Judith Williams at 4220181. HEARTS AFLAME Congratulations, Russell Green, on your new role as Puhoi Rural Fire Force chief. Russell, who now wears the fire force’s Level One uniform as evidence, says the volunteers will be ready for callouts before Christmas. SPECIAL NOTICE On Wednesday, November 22, at 9am the Rodney District Council will commence hearing submissions on the Puhoi Residential Forest Park - Proposed Plan Change 98. The request for a private plan change to the Operative Rodney District Plan 1993 by Terra Nova Planning Ltd on behalf of Papillon Investments Ltd is to introduce new zoning provisions over land currently zoned rural, fronting onto Puhoi Road. The purpose of the proposed change is to facilitate development of a rural ‘hamlet’ to allow for 40 or 63 house sites under two different options. Seven submissions in support and 99 in opposition have been received by the district council, which has recommended the proposed plan change be rejected. The hearing is open to all submitters, although those wishing to speak to their submissions must already have notified the council of this wish. Larry Mitchell has been approved as the spokesman for the PCF, which opposes the proposed plan change. FROM THE FORUM’S NOVEMBER 6 COMMITTEE MEETING 1.WEBSITE AND COMMUNICATIONS GROUP NEWS Please note
the new forum website address,
www.puhoinz.com [*See below] In view of this progress the forum’s little communications group has now disbanded, as the point about the importance of keeping in touch with each other and letting the community know about forum decisions has been noted and actioned. Future such work should now be able to be done by the relevant Puhoi organisations and their leaders. Thank you all who have been involved in this group for your labours in this area – it is very much appreciated. 2. The community is invited to a small pre-Christmas social in the sports club after the final forum committee meeting of the year, which starts at 7.30pm on December 4. Please bring a plate and a drink. 3. Northern Gateway Alliance has been invited to the forum’s December 4 meeting to explain road safety changes to be made in the Titfords Bridge vicinity of the highway north of the ALPURT motorway end. 4.The community walk proposed for the new national and Puhoi walkway stretches to be led by Arthur Dunn this November has been postponed. 5. The business group now has 14 members and is planning a reprint of the Puhoi information brochure. 6. The wharf group has its plans for the first stage of the project drafted and is seeking quotes for the work. 7. David Dodsworth expressed disappointment at the lack of progress on the part of the RDC with providing a ‘template’ for Puhoi structure planning, supposed to have already started. Lack of council staff for the work is the problem, says Dave. FOR SALE: TWO BLACK WETHER HOGGET WEEDEATERS, $50 EACH OR $80 THE PAIR, phone 4220 181 WHAT’S ON IN PUHOI: December 4 Final PCF meeting, and social, sports club, 7.30pm December 6 Puhoi Hall community street party. December 15 Santa comes to the sports club, 6pm December 22 Santa arrives at the pub, 5pm December 24 Carols at the church, 8.30pm, Holy Mass, 9pm January 13 Puhoi Axemen’s annual woodchop carnival and country day January 27-February 6: Art exhibition, Puhoi Hall Newsletter editor: Judith Williams, bohemia@infogen.net.nz
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