ThePresident’sReporttothe2018AnnualGeneralMeeting,15thOctober2018ThisreportbrieflyoutlinesthemainAssociationactivitiesfor2017-2018.EstablishingtheNewtownFestivalTrustTheAGMlastyearapprovedtransferringtheNewtownFestivalanditsassetsfromourAssociationtotheNewtownFestivalTrust.ThisprocesswascompletedinDecember2017,whenallsixFestivalTrusteeshadbeenappointed.TheFestivalinMarchwasagainverysuccessful,andwelookforwardtoitscontinuingformanyyearstocome.WestillhaveacloserelationshipbecausekeyFestivalpersonnelarealsoinvolvedwiththeAssociation,includingmeasFestivalAdministratorandMartinHanleyasFestivalDirector,butatanorganisationalleveltheyarenowcompletelyindependent.BecauseofthisweareproposingthatthisAGMapproveschangestotheAssociationRules,whichremovethecurrentreferencestotheNewtownFestival.MeettheCandidatesMeetingInNovemberwehadasecondMeettheCandidatesMeetingatStAnne’sHall.Thefirst,inSeptember,hadbeenfortheParliamentaryElection,atwhichPaulEaglewaselectedasMPforRongotai–congratulationsPaul!ThissecondonewasforthesubsequentBy-ElectionfortheWellingtonCityCouncilSouthernWardseatthatPaulhadheld.Thankyoutoallthecandidateswhoparticipated,toPatrickMorganforchairingitsowell,andtoallthememberswhohelpedinvariouswaystomakethisasuccessfulevent.TheCandidatewhowassuccessfulintheElectionwasFleurFitzsimons,andwehavewelcomedFleurasoneofourtwolocalwardCouncilors.ProtestattheclosureofNewtownKiwibankandPostOfficeAlsoinNovemberwewereshockedtohearthatNZPostandKiwibankweregoingtoclosetheNewtownPostShop.Kiwibankwastoclosecompletely,infavourofastand-alonebranchinKilbirnie,andthePostOfficewastobereplacedbyapostalagency.AnumberoflocalresidentsmountedaspiritedprotestandorganisedapetitiontotheMinisterofStateEnterprises,theHonWinstonPeters.Thiswasn’tinitselfanAssociationinitiative,butwewerepleasedtoprovidesupport,writelettersandpresentthePetitiononbehalfofthecommunity.WewerealsosupportedbyMPPaulEagleandbytheMayor,JustinLester.Thanksandcongratulationsareowedtotheenergyandcommitmentofthehardworkinggroupwhoorganiseditall.Sadly,ultimatelytheprotestandpetitionwereineffectiveandthePostShopdulyclosedinJune.NewtownNeighbours’NightThisevent,onMarch16th2018,wasourcontributiontoNeighboursDayandfollowedthepatternestablishedin2017ofinvitingallNewtown‘neighbours’toanearlyeveningBBQandarangeofactivitiesatNewtownPark.WewereofficiallythehostsbutweoweagreatdealtoRayTuffin(thenWCCCommunityLiaisonOfficerforNewtown),whohelpedgreatlywiththeorganising.IalsowanttothankourAssociationmembersandthemanyotherhelpersfromtheSalvationArmy,StTom’s,theCityMission,BikesinSchools,AccessibleGolf,theFireServiceandelsewhere.Theypreparedandcooked

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food,didfacepaintingforchildren,andorganisedactivities.ThanksalsototheRockAcademy,SendamRawkestraandtheMightyUkesforthemusicalentertainment.SubmissionsWehavemadesubmissionsontheWellingtonCityCouncil10YearPlan,andalsoTrafficResolutions–BusStopChangesatWellingtonHospital,TrafficResolutions–Residentialelectricvehicle(EV)chargingstations,andtheAlcoholControlBy-Law.WealsomadesubmissionstotheDistrictLicensingCommitteeabouttheproposedhoursforalicenserenewalattheZooBar(outcome-thehourswererestricted)andagainstthegrantingofanoff-licenseatpremisesinRiddifordSt(outcome–theapplicationwaswithdrawn).OurTownNewtownProject–CommunityFacilitiesUpgradeJanePatterson(AssociationTreasurer)andIhavecontinuedtorepresenttheResidents’Associationonthesteeringgroupforthisproject,alongwiththeNewtownCommunityandCulturalCentreTrustandtheWellingtonCityCouncil.TheinitialstagedrewtoacloseinMarch2018,withthepublishingofareportontheresultsofthecommunityengagement.TherewasthenaprocesstoengagearchitectswhowouldcontinuetoworkwiththecommunityondesignsforupgradingtheNewtownCommunityandCulturalCentre,NetworkNewtownandtheNewtownHallinDaniellSt.WSPOpuswerechosen,andhaveproduceddraftdesignswhichareavailableforcommentbeforeproceedingtothefinaldesignstage.ConstructionisexpectedtobegininJuly2019.Wecontinuetoholdfunds(fromagrantfromWCC)inourAssociation’s‘Project’bankaccount,whicharegraduallybeingspentoncostsforpublicworkshops.BloomCollectiveOneoftheneedsexpressedconsistentlythroughtheOurTownNewtowncommunityengagementwasforspacesforartisticandmusicalactivities.RayTuffinputalotofeffortintotryingtoidentifyplaceswherethiscouldhappen.ThiscametopasswhenthedeveloperswhoboughttheformerSalvationArmypropertiesallowedthepremisesat20RintoulSt,whichhadbeentheFamilyStore,tobeusedbyanumberofartistsandmusicianswhocametogetherunderthebanneroftheBloomCollective.Thisisonlyatemporarysolutionhoweverasthepremiseswillbedemolishedfordevelopmentinamatterofmonths,soanyideasaboutanotherfuturehomearewelcome.OurAssociationhasprovidedan‘umbrella’fortheCollectiveinapplyingforagrantfromWCCforsetupcostsandsupplies,whichwassuccessful.Weareholdingthisinour02account,anddisbursingasrequired.KiaOraNewtownTheWellingtonCityCouncilbaseKiaOraNewtown,at6ConstableSt,continuestobeanaccessiblepointofcontactbetweenlocalsandtheCouncil.RayTuffin,thefirstWCCCommunityLiaisonOfficerforNewtown,didanexcellentjobofgatheringdataaboutNewtown’sneeds,whichwasthenusedtoinformtheprovisionofservices.WeareverypleasedthatacontractorhasbeenemployedspecificallytokeepNewtown’sstreetsandenvironscleanandtidy;thisismuchappreciated.RaywasalsoinstrumentalinestablishingconnectionsbetweenthedifferentcommunitysupportagenciesinNewtown.RayhasmovedonfromKiaOra,buthehasn’tmovedfarasheisnowtheRongotaiElectorateCommunityEngagementOfficer,workingwithMPPaulEagle.HisplaceintheWCCCommunityTeamhasbeentakenbyJaredCorston,whoiscontinuingthegoodwork.WearegratefultoWCCCEOKevinLaveryforestablishingthisposition,andtoJennyRains,SophieParsons,andtherestoftheWCCCommunityTeamfortheircontinuingsupport.

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MonthlyMeetingsAswellasthespecificactivitiesabovewehavecontinuedwithregularmonthlymeetingsonthethirdMondayofeverymonthfromFebruarytoNovember,whichhavecoveredalotofsubjects.WellingtonCityCouncilSupportWeareverygratefulfortheResidents’Associationoperatinggrantthatunderpinsouractivities.Lessmoneyhasbeenavailablefortheoperatinggrantthisyear,butapplicationsforothergrantsforthecommunitygardensandotherprojectshavebeensuccessful.ConclusionIhavenowbeenPresidentforthreeyears,andhavecontinuedtofinditaveryinterestingandsatisfyingactivity.IamverygratefultoeveryonewhohasassistedtheAssociation,byhelpingwithevents,respondingtoemails,contributingtosubmissions,attendingmeetings,andinmanyotherways.MyparticularthankstoJanePatterson,ourTreasurer,toSteveCosgrovefortakingnotesatourmeetings,andtoKevinLethbridgeforkeepingthemembershiprecords.MartinHanleyisaregularsourceofadviceandassistance,thankyouMartin.RhonaCarsonPresident.14thOctober2018