Simon Henderson looks at highlights from the West Harbour Community Board.
Funds for foundry art project
The West Harbour Community Board has provided the remaining balance of the board’s discretionary fund for this year towards an art project run by the Port Chalmers Foundry Society. $1919.05 will go towards a programme called A Sense of Place that will involve pupils at Ravensbourne, Pūrākaunui, St Leonards and Port Chalmers schools creating a diorama that illustrates the history of Port Chalmers and the Stevenson Cook/Sims building.
Society co-chairwoman Kris Smith said children would be able to see their work exhibited alongside established artists at an exhibition called Rivets and Steel taking place at Pea Sea Art in October.
Pea Sea Art artist Robert Scott said the children’s art pieces would eventually be installed in the Sims Building.
"It is all about the kids reconnecting and learning about the stories and history of the area, and that will inspire the art."
Busy public forum
The West Harbour Community Board saw a wide range of community issues discussed during a busy public forum.
- An update on the Halo Project was provided by Source to Sea project manager Jennifer Lawn, who said since the project to eradicate pests and improve the natural landscape began in 2009, more than 136,000 flora had been planted, and this year the project was aiming to introduce a further 90,000 plants to the area.
- Melanie Button provided an update on attending the Get2Go adventure race held on Great Barrier Island, for which the board provided $500 towards her trip.
- Jill Jackman presented a petition regarding asking for the board to help with maintaining a community garden and track on a patch of land owned by the Dunedin City Council near Borlases Rd.
- Port Chalmers local Jacque Ruston made a plea for a fence to be installed at the Port Chalmers Centennial Gardens to improve safety for pets and young children as the gardens were next to SH88 at the entrance to Port Chalmers. She also asked for some improvements to the gardens to encourage more to enjoy the area, and for bike racks to be installed in anticipation of completion of the cycle-walkway linking Dunedin to Port Chalmers.
- Harbourside Junior Football Club president Carolyn Timms asked for help obtaining funding for new sports tops for the junior football team.
- The Aramoana League secretary John Davis and vice-president Paul Munro thanked the community board and the Dunedin City Council for the improvements to the Aramoana Playground. The playground had been popular and many had enjoyed it over the summer months. This however had led to some issues with car parking, and the league was suggesting a car park inside the ground to the left of the gate to allow about 12 to 15 cars to minimise the number of cars which would park on the side of the road.
