Everything Kāpiti
Ngā Pitopito kōrero mai i te Kaunihera o Kāpiti
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Kia ora Kāpiti
Christmas is so close you can almost hear the jingle of sleigh bells but there's still plenty going on in our district.
In this week's edition we update you on our major stormwater upgrade; put a spotlight on common weeds that could be hiding in your garden; reveal the top five most read books from our libraries, and much more!
We'll be taking a break for the next two weeks. Your next edition of Everything Kāpiti will land in your inbox on Tuesday 10 January 2023.
Stay safe and have a great holiday period. Meri Kirihimete Kāpiti.
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 What's new this week
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Season's greetings from Mayor Holborow
It’s Christmas week and many of you are about to take some well-deserved time off to relax with family and friends. Summer is a time when Kāpiti really comes to life. We encourage you to visit our public spaces, use our services safely, and celebrate the things that makes our rohe great.
Thank you to those working during the festive season. You’ll be helping not just our community but the influx of visitors enjoying our beautiful beaches, traversing our tracks and trails, and playing in our parks and pools.
While our service centres and libraries are closed from 24 December until 4 January, our pools are open every day except Christmas Day and our critical services will continue to be maintained. We also have provisions in place to keep you safe and protect our natural environment.
If we all take care of each other and our wonderful district, it'll be a fun and safe Kāpiti summer for everyone.
Meri Kirihimete
Janet Holborrow, Mayor of Kāpiti
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 Your Council
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Holiday opening hours
Looking at visiting one of our service centres, swimming pools, libraries or transfer stations over Christmas and New Year? Make sure you check our website for the most up-to-date public holidays opening hours.
Important dates to note:
- all our service centres and libraries will close at 3pm on Friday 23 December and will open again on Wednesday 4 January
- all aquatics spaces are closed Christmas Day
- Ōtaki Pool is closed on New Year's Day
- our refuse and recycling centres are closed Christmas and New Year's Day.
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Reminder: Ōtaki Gorge Rd closed at Blue Bluff
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We'd like to remind outdoors enthusiasts that due to continued instability, access to the Ōtaki Forks and Tararua Forest Park, via Ōtaki Gorge Rd, is closed.
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The slip site at the area known as Blue Bluff, 13km from SH1, is still showing signs of movement and is unsafe to cross.
We know the continued closure is frustrating, but safety comes first.
We're in the process of developing possible options for the road and aim to present them to Councillors in early 2023.
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 Work updates
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Tracking progress at the Paraparaumu Transport Hub upgrade
There's been plenty happening at the Paraparaumu Transport Hub and this week we join Project Manager Matt Brown for a look behind the scenes of the project.
With the first stage nearly complete, our crews are taking a break from Friday 23 December. They’ll be back to work on the section near Kāpiti Lights on Monday 9 January.
The upgraded transport hub will transform the town centre. It’ll improve people’s public transport experience and connections around our retail area.
Please take extra care moving around the area while work is underway.
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Te Uruhi granted resource consent
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An independent hearing panel has granted resource consent to build and operate the Te Uruhi biosecurity and visitor centre.
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In line with Council’s decision on 24 November, staff are preparing a report covering up-to-date data to inform Councillors’ decision on whether to proceed with the project.
The report is due to be presented to Council in early 2023 and more information will be available then.
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Stormwater upgrade set to surge into action
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January marks the start of a major upgrade of the Paraparaumu stormwater network.
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We’re installing a larger stormwater pipe in stages from Iver Trask Place to part way along Amohia Street. It’s part of the plan to reduce flooding within the Amohia and Ruahine Street catchment areas and help prepare the district to live with more water due to climate change.
Beginning in Iver Trask Place, work will progress from the Wharemaukū Stream outfall to Rimu Road, then along towards Kāpiti Road and Amohia Street.
Traffic management will be in place around the work area.
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 Hot tip
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Is this a weed or is it welcome?
Planning to spend some of these long summer evenings getting stuck into the garden? Unfortunately, warmer weather often brings unwelcome weeds that need managing.
We catch up with Andy McKay, our Team Leader of Environment and Ecological Services to get some top tips on some common pest species you might come across – and what to do if they're lurking in your garden!
We also visit the gardens of some passionate weed warriors, like Holly (pictured), to see some pest management strategies in play.
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Look before you or your dog take a dip
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As the weather and our river temperatures rise, toxic algae can become an issue in the Waikanae and Ōtaki Rivers.
Our furry four-legged family members are most at risk, yet they love the smell and taste of it!
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Even a small amount can be fatal to a dog. Protect your pooch when you’re near our rivers and never let them scavenge at the river’s edge.
Know what to look for:
- brown or black velvety mats that grow on rocks in the riverbed
- mats that come loose from the riverbed and wash up on the banks or form floating ‘rafts’ in shallow areas
- exposed mats drying out and turning a light brown or white colour that may also produce a strong musty odour.
Keep an eye on our Facebook page for updates.
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Get prepared and keep safe this summer
If you're leaving our beautiful district this summer to catch up with whanau and friends or to take a break, make sure you pack a bag with essential supplies.
COVID-19 is still hanging about and we have a lot of natural hazards across the motu. Remember earthquakes, floods, landslides, severe weather, tsunami, volcanic activity, and other hazards can happen at any time, and often without warning.
Slip, slop, slap and RAT tests aside, if you're heading to a coastal area, familiarise yourself with the local tsunami evacuation zones using the interactive map on getready.govt.nz and remember, if it's long or strong, get gone!
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 Our people and communities
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Happy (sustainable) Christmas!
Christmas is great, but it can also result in heaps of discarded packaging and food waste.
Try some of these tips to reduce your post-Christmas rubbish pile:
- make wreaths and decorations out of fresh foliage or shells
- wrap presents in scarves that become part of the gift or use recyclable paper
- give an experience or donation rather than a 'thing', create homemade gifts, or buy local
- plan your festive meal in advance to avoid over catering and make food from scratch to cut down packaging
- wrap without sellotape and avoid glitter and tinsel which shed micro plastics into the environment
Our waterways and landfill will thank you for it!
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Top shelf reading in Kāpiti
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Local book worms have kept our libraries team busy this year with almost 420,000 items loaned.
It's great to see such avid readers in our region, both young and old.
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For the first time, a kid's book has topped our annual most read list:
- The meltdown (Wimpy Kid series) by Jeff Kinney
- Blue moon: a Jack Reacher novel by Lee Child
- In a house of lies by Ian Rankin
- Better off dead by Lee Child
- Liar by Lesley Pearse
Make sure you visit one of our libraries by 23 December to get your holiday reading sorted and maybe try one from the favourites list above.
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 Everything (Kāpiti) is better with friends
Would you like to share the Everything Kāpiti newsletter with friends? Forward it to a friend and they'll be able to sign up too.
Or share the sign-up page directly. We look forward to welcoming them to the whānau.
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 #ShareYourKapiti
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We want to see your Kāpiti snaps!
Do you have beautiful Kāpiti Coast photos? If so, follow us on Instagram and use the hashtag #shareyourkapiti for the chance to feature in Everything Kāpiti. If you don't use social media, you can upload your images to our website, at #ShareYourKapiti. Get sharing!
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