Chairman’s Report
Focus Paihia Community Charitable Trust
11 November 2020
So the years continue to flash by and what a year 19/20 has been, so many highs
and so many “not so highs”, that said Paihia can be very proud of the position we
currently find ourselves in, the winter has been steady and I think it is fair to say that
most would feel things have gone better for local businesses and therefore
employment than many would have expected at the end of March this year.
That said we are by no means out of the woods and should not rest on our laurels at
all. My personal opinion is next winter will be the test, that said should we have
unrestricted travel with Australia by early next year we should be able to continue as
we have previously.
Waitangi Mountain Bike Park
New Website – Launched in Dec 2019 – Ride Waitangi – includes listings of mtb
friendly accommodation, dining and other recreational activities available in the Bay
as well as all the Park info.
WAIROA BAY TRACK – Opened on 20 December 2019, includes 2 x Kauri Dieback
Hygiene Stations – native forest, amazing views.Surfaced the full length of track.
Thanks to Broadspectrum for metal, Promax Plastics for culverts. And PGF!
OVERFLOW PARKING – Developed to accommodate busy holidays & events.
EVENT SECURED (not!) – Secured major event with Cycling NZ – NATIONAL
SECONDARY SCHOOLS MOUNTAIN BIKING CHAMPS in conjunction with Sport
Northland, scheduled for October 2020. Sport Northland pulled out of organising the
event due to Covid.
COVID CLOSURES – Closed Park on 25 March for first time ever – Covid Level 4
Opened Grade 2 tracks under Covid Level 3 on 2 May
Whole park open at Level 2 on 15 May
NGAWARI NUI – The Big Easy – Opened 30 May 2020. 3km cross country loop,
surfaced full length. Thanks to Broadspectrum for donation metal.
‘500 Year Storm’ in July 2020 – Slips, treefall and flooding – some tracks waist
deep in water! 47 Slips cleared by volunteers (by hand!)
PARK MAINTENANCE VOLUNTEERS – A handful of regular volunteers work with
Tiff maintaining the mtb tracks which includes work such as slip clearance,
drainage, tread repairs, building/repairing track structures and general trail grooming,
contributing 500+ hours between them each year. Our top ranking WMBP volunteer
without doubt is PETER SECCOMBE, closely followed ANGUS ROSS, MIKE
MOTTLE and PETE RICHARDS. This handful of crew are Tiff’s ‘rocks’ and Waitangi
would not have the reputation as one of the most well maintained MTB parks in NZ
without the support of this hardy crew. We can not thank them enough for their time
and efforts.
NEW JOBS – Register to Ride Systems Manager employed – Taunaha Smith
Bathroom Cleaner contracted – Henare Rapana
The WMBP Team! Huge thanks to Roger, Chris, Taunaha, Jonny & Georgie Martin.
I also wish to acknowledge Tiffs tireless efforts in making this park such a success.
Never did the Trust ever expect no International tourists coming to the BOI, this park
has and will continue to be a fantastic drawcard for domestic tourists that are now so
vitally important. Their spend overflows into so many other businesses in Paihia and
surrounding towns, thank you Tiff.
Murals
In addition to the mural on the Bluff we now have two more murals, the Kokako
Mural driven by Stella Kake-Schmid which has now been extended by Trevor and
Gill from Flying Fish, great work to all involved.
In addition to these two Stella also arranged for a mural on the traffic light box with
the kiwi on it, such a huge improvement than just a plain box stuck in Horotutu – Our
Place.
These murals have been painted by Erika Pearce, a great NZ artist.
Additional Water Fountains –
Additional drinking, water bottle refilling and dog drinking stations have been
installed along the waterfront at,
● Lucy Williams Park
● The kids playground opposite Davis Crescent
● Next to Bay Beach Hire
● The toilets in Te Haumi
This project was driven by Brita Marti and supported by Bruce Gordon, Skip and
plumbing services supplied at great rates by Owen from Total Plumbing. There were
a bunch of extra helpers for the concrete pour outside Bay Beach Hire, thank you to
all involved.
Paihia School Shade Sails
You may recall last year FOCUS PAIHIA received a very generous $10k donation
from a member of our community, with the wish that the money go toward something
that benefits local and visiting children. We can now report that the money has been
contributed toward the completion of the shade sail project over the PAIHIA
SCHOOL playgrounds. Our donor has seen the end product and is pleased the
money went to such a useful and worthwhile project in the community. We agree,
the school grounds are used not just by the school whanau, but the whole
community, and will be of benefit for years to come.
KARIN, chairperson of the PAIHIA SCHOOL PTA at the time writes…”this has been
a long time coming project, much needed by the tamariki at Paihia School and the
community at large. On behalf of the entire Paihia School community, we would like
to thank the following organisations for supporting this project with their financial,
professional and unconditional voluntary support”.
● Focus Paihia
● Pub Charity NZ
● David Reid Homes Northland
● Bay of Islands ITM
● Croft Poles
● Admiral View Lodge & Motel
“We would also like to thank all the Paihia School PTA members for their
volunteering time fundraising, cleaning, baking and smiles, without their efforts this
project could not have been achieved”.
Kaipatiki Ecohub Insulation
The Community Shed is home of the PAIHIA REPAIR CAFE and also the base
for BAY BUSH ACTION trap making.
It was awesome to be able to support these great groups and make the area that
they work in a little more enjoyable by insulating the building.
Playground Rubbish Sign
This is a project initiated by Diane Henare to try and encourage people to tidy up the
area they are in. She asked the kids at Paihia School to design the sign, you will see
the result on the playground by the beach. It is awesome, and congratulations to
Azure Oxley Takimoana-Wharemate for such a wonderful sign, there is a real talent
displayed there. We think maybe a few more are in order around the area, thought
please?
Third annual Art, Cultural and Sports grant
This is the third year that Focus Paihia has made this fund available. It is a
contestable fund and always has more applications than funds available, it is with
great pleasure I can confirm the following groups were recipients this year;
● PAIHIA FOOTBALL CLUB to help toward the purchase of new goal nets, and
flags,
● TAI KOTUKU for the purchase of safety equipment for the waka,
● PAIHIA SEA SCOUTS to help toward the purchase of a safety rib, and
● SAILABILITY NORTHLAND for two boat covers
Great to have Bella a Capella along this evening to perform shortly who were
recipients towards their international competition costs in our first year.
Maintenance
Another fantastic maintenance working bee in September once again arranged and
organised by Heinz Marti, thank you Heinz.
It is so important to stay on top of all these projects and keep everything well
maintained, without Heinz and all of those that turn out to these working bees we
would not have a chance, thank you one and all for your help. Following these bees
the town certainly has a very crisp smart look about it for the beginning of the
season. I would also like to thank and acknowledge all those that provide the
amazing morning tea….. awesome.
Also, thanks to Terri Dent for the rejuvenation of the footpath flag trail and Rae
Smyth for the bird boards upgrade.
Op Shop
The Op Shop continues to be the engine room of Focus Paihia. The shop has had
it’s best ever year financially thanks to the very efficient management of Kath
Williams, Gill Secombe, Sandy Cook-Jenson and the team of volunteers who
support them. The Op shop is ENTIRELY volunteer run and without the support of
these wonderful people Paihia just wouldn’t be the same, thank you one and all for
all your efforts. Having purchased the building in the middle of this year, security of
tenure for the future of the shop is guaranteed and will continue to grow in value for
the Paihia community as a great cornerstone investment and asset.
It is fair to say that after the border closures and lockdown completion of the sale
looked tricky at best, but I would like to acknowledge both Qiuchee and Nina Wong,
the vendors in this transaction for supporting the process and helping the Trust get
the deal over the line.
The purchase was actually of 3 shops, 2.5 of which became the Op shop and we
have rented the spare area to Sharon Hansard who has moved her business Alix
into this space, we wish her all the best and with such a great fit out it really has
turned what what was a very scruffy and unused area of the mall into great area for
locals to enjoy, be proud of and visitors to enjoy.
Kath informed me this week that the team would welcome a few more volunteers as
a few of the team have operations all coming up at once with the delays during
lockdown so if anyone is keen to join this wonderful group please call into the shop
and catch up with Kath or Sandy. Gill is currently having a break for medical reasons
as well so we also wish her a speedy recovery.
The shop now has a dedicated area for furniture sales, selling is not the issue, things
are selling in record time, the issue is keeping enough stock, so if you have any
furniture that you are replacing let the team know, it all helps go towards Paihia
projects.
Town Custodians
I would like to acknowledge Vern, Nola, Henare, Victoria and the rest of the
custodian team for the amazing job they do keeping our town looking pristine, it was,
until the shutdown, a very busy summer, and despite the current climate we believe
this summer will be the same. With that in mind we have been working with FNDC
staff over the last couple of months putting a plan in place and this week we have
had verbal confirmation that FNDC is renewing the Town Custodian contract this
season. It is critical that we maintain the high standard set by the custodians going
forward, they will be operating 4 days a week up until Xmas then 7 days a week until
Waitangi Day then 4 days a week through until Easter. If you do see the team out
and about over the summer please let them know how much we appreciate their
efforts.
I would also like to pay special thanks to Vern and Nola, these two wonderful people
go above and beyond the call of duty, Nola not only has to keep an eye on the
accounts AND Vern, she also volunteers for the Op Shop. Vern never stops all year
round, I’m sure you have seen him out and about even when the Custodians are not
on duty. Thank you both.
Community Volunteer of the Year
This is a new initiative spearheaded by our coordinator Sarah Townsend. We think it
is an awesome idea to acknowledge the amazing people in our community. The
challenge however is that there are so many great volunteers, and we had some
truly awesome nominations this year. Stella will discuss this with more detail later in
the evening.
Anonymous Donor
Last year we informed you about an outstanding member of our community who now
makes regular donations to the Trust.
This truly generous person has continued this year, you know who you are, we thank
you, it is this kind of generosity that makes this community such a special place.
Funds donated this year are intended to be used on Paihia Waterfront Development
PPP’s.
Please join me in thanking this remarkably charitable person.
Our Challenges
While it is fantastic how well things are going in general and exciting times are ahead
it is important we acknowledge the challenges that we also face.
Covid-19 and the uncertainty that brings, it cannot be underestimated, NZ finds itself
in an enviable position on the world stage but we must be vigilant with our planning
and also keep an eye on those around us in the community. Undoubtedly we will
know of those who are struggling, let’s ensure we are there if a neighbour or
someone we know needs some support.
The Trust faces financial challenges from Covid-19, as most businesses in the Bay
of Islands do, with the Village Green management fees now reduced to almost zero,
Trustees are looking at other possibilities for supplementing this loss of income.
By far our greatest challenge and one that is not new, is a lack of drivers for small
PPP’s and also the increased bureaucratic requirements to enable PPP’s to start let
alone be completed. This has resulted in less of these being undertaken,
consequently less projects are visible. Larger projects also require a longer lead in
time, some even years to get underway, the WMBP for eg.
A great example of how this can work is a call was put out to the community asking
for ideas, one of the ideas put forward was a seat at Waitangi, Paul Van de Water
put his hand up to get that done, just this afternoon Paul called to say it was in place
and Skip our trusty concrete guy has already arranged to have the conc poured on
Friday…. awesome job team…. more of this please.
With the upcoming waterfront development the Trust believes there are great
opportunities for PPP’s here and could be considered during the community design
phase of the project regarding the promenade area, keep this in mind Paihia.
As Trustees we have struggled to find a Trustee to represent youth, we have in the
past offered it to senior students at Kerikeri High and Bay College but this hasn’t
worked out, we are calling again for nominations for a Trustee to join the Board who
has a focus on Youth. It is important to remember the obligation is for all of Paihia
and surrounding areas, but of course to be a voice for youth.
FNDC Liaison
I would like to thank and acknowledge Cr Kelly Stratford who has agreed to meet
with the Trust once a month during our monthly meetings to keep communications
open between FNDC and Focus Paihia. Kelly has already arranged for a
presentation last month by the Trust to all FNDC Councillors and Senior staff to
ensure there is an understanding of what Paihia has done and continues to do to
make this town an exceptional place to live, work and visit.
Thanks for making your already very busy schedule available to us Kelly.
New CCTV Cameras
The Trust has been working with Senior Sergeant Peter Robinson from the KK
Police to create a proposal to go to the Proceeds of Crimes Fund to replace and
extend the cameras the trust installed in Paihia approx 8yrs ago. These are now
outdated and with new technology available we are keen to upgrade the system.
Peter has been instrumental in helping with this application and we should have the
final decision this month.
The new system will include
● Opua intersection (NEW)
● Te Haumi Dr Intersection (NEW)
● Cnr Kings Rd and Marsden Rd
● Half way down Kings Rd opposite the bars (NEW)
● Cnr Williams and Selwyn Rds outside the ASB (NEW)
● Paihia Fire Station (NEW)
● Cnr Williams and Marsden Rd
● Haruru Falls/Yorke Rd
● Cnr Puketona and Haruru Falls Rd outside ITM (NEW)
● Entrance to Watea (NEW)
These cameras will be able to be viewed live by the police so should a member of
the public phone 111 certain police officers will be able to look live at what is
happening on their smartphones, the system will also notify police in real time if a
stolen car is driven anywhere in this area.
Thanks to Pete Robinson for all his help and to those members of the public who
have offered to allow us to tap into their wifi to make this happen.
Paihia Historic Legacy Society
Focus Paihia was invited by members of the Williams family and the community to
prepare for Paihia’s 2023 Bicentennial commemorations. The Paihia Historical
Legacy Society held its first inaugural meeting in Paihia on Sat 7th Nov 2020. It will
focus on a key purpose of why it has been set up which is to educate and advance
knowledge by increasing public understanding of the formative Pakeha-Maori
relationships established at Paihia through the work of members of the Church
Missionary Society (CMS) at Paihia and adjacent areas, during the period 1823 and
1840 in particular, contributing to a shared understanding between Maori and
Pakeha New Zealanders of the meaning, significance and importance of the Treaty
of Waitangi 1840, and the context in which it was created.
Keep an eye out for updates in the Focus Paihia newsletter and please contact the
Paihia Historical Legacy Society if you would like to put forward ideas or present
projects for Paihia’s 2023 Bicentennial commemorations.
The Trustees of Focus Paihia would like to acknowledge the great effort and work
put in by members of the Williams family and this group to make 2023 a year for the
Bay of Islands to truly celebrate and remember, thank you to all involved.
FYI;
The St Paul’s Anglican or Stone Church that was developed to celebrate the 100th
anniversary by the way was the Stone church on Marsden Rd, a true legacy project.
Focus Trustees
I would also like to acknowledge and thank the Trustees of Focus Paihia,
Geoff Williams, founding member
Ngati Kawa Taituha, Maori Rep
Roger Dold, Business Rep
Marty Robinson – Historical rep
Chris Williams – Treasurer
Stella Schmid – Environmental
Sarah Townsend – Co-ordinator
As mentioned last year it is a very busy Trust these days and these people make
their time available whenever requested, not just once a month at Board meetings
but constantly throughout the month in order to keep the wheels of the Trust turning.
Thank you for all that you do.
As always I would like to save the final thanks but certainly not the least to everyone
here and those who couldn’t attend, the people of Paihia. You are an outstanding
bunch of people who give so tirelessly of your time and energy. We are on the cusp
of one of the largest changes this town has ever made, The Paihia Waterfront
Development. The Focus Paihia Board are keen to support this project, look what
this town has achieved on a shoestring budget, we now have almost $13m to spend,
($1.7m of that on the promenade area for the community to design) if we all pull
together and work as a team and community just imagine what we can achieve. I
look forward to providing a full update on this project later this evening. I remain as
always so very proud to be a part of this community.
Thank you Paihia, one and all.
He waka eke noa – we’re all in this together
Grant Harnish
Chair
Focus Paihia
