Author: Mike Swain

Puhoi Rural Fire Brigade Report: August 1013

25/08/2013
Puhoi Fire Brigade Report for the Forum Meeting.
The current workload is light, which seems to be consistent with most of the other rural brigades under the Auckland Council Rural Fire Authority. As with other years specialist training is in full swing during winter and is happening most weekends- 2 more crew have now done USAR (urban search and rescue) training to ‘Orange Card’ status- the highest a rural fire fighter can obtain- we now have 7 crew at that level. We certainly had a wary eye on the earthquakes in Wellington the other day!
We have been called out to land the Westpac helicopter a couple of times lately and it certainly is an impressive machine and its ability to save lives by getting patients to hospital in the quickest possible time is with out question. Any donations made to Westpac is very worthwhile.
We have also done some flooding calls and I have dealt with ‘smoke nuisance’ calls too- yes it is an open season for fires but the smoke from your fire is not allowed to become a nuisance to your neighbours- please have some consideration in regards to this.
Currently we have a crew of 11 and as always we would welcome any person, male or female,16 years and older to come along and  join- the main criteria is a pulse and a heartbeat and the ability to be able to respond to the station, at normal road speed and within the road rules, in around 5 minutes or less.
The Fire Station project continues with our Expressions of Interest to build a Fire Station generating 7 enquiries from various builders. Currently the Fire Station Committee is dealing with 4 of those builders in regards to design,etc. As it’s a moving target at this stage we haven’t got a fixed or finalized design to share with the community yet-but once we do settle on something then we will introduce it to the community for feedback. Clearly the Resource Consent and the Building Code dictate the majority of the design criteria. We hope to be building late this year or early next year.
We now have access to the property and the house at 52 Ahuroa Road so you will start to see some activity there.
The Council has asked that we advertise the house for removal, as well as the tin shed and so if anyone is interested in either one or both of them then please contact me. The water tank is for sale too.
And thanks heaps to Ross Tohlopf for mowing the section for us as we start to tidy it up.
Apparently there was some discussion at the last forum meeting re the ability for the Brigade to be fully functional without a water tanker at our station.
A tanker is a bonus but not a prerequisite to a fire brigade. As explained at an earlier forum meeting there were several reasons the tanker was not repaired and therefore removed from the station- age of tanker, repair costs, and strategic location to name a couple. Auckland Rural Fire consider Puhoi as not requiring one at this point in time and they make the rules and have the cheque book!!
Most brigade’s DON’T have tankers, Ahuroa, Kaukapakapa, Muriwai, Waitakere, Karekare to name a few fellow rural brigades. Warkworth, Wellsford, Helensville, to name a few NZ Fire Service Brigades. Our nearest tanker is Silverdale and then Matakana.
Our fire appliance carries 1300 litres of water and as we are always backed up by Silverdale or Warkworth then obviously their respective appliances carry water too. Any significant fire then a tanker would be responded in the first instance anyway. Every house in Puhoi has a water tank as well that we can access if need be.
So as much as we would have liked to keep our tanker, the decision wasn’t ours to make in the end ( Auckland Council fund us and all our vehicles) and we will adapt as need be to ensure we can continue to protect the community the best we can.
Further to the above,our existing Medical ute is about to be replaced with a much more modern ute that is equipped with a ‘Fire Fogger’ unit on the back so it has fire fighting capabilities as well as doubling for first response/medical purposes. This ‘Fire Fogger’ unit is the FIRST one in NZ and Puhoi is to get it so we are pretty excited about that- the new technology will allow us to put out fires with the minimum amount of water and the test video’s certainly look impressive in regards to that. We hope to get this by late October, so if anyone wants to buy our old 4wd,Mazda Bounty ute, one careful owner then let me know.( sorry lights and sirens will be removed!)
So until next time, stay safe and thank you for your support.
If you require the brigade then always ring 111 and ask for fire.
CFO Russell Green
021 655461
russell.green@capricorn.coop

Rodney Neighbourhood Support

August 2013
Hello to you all
A big thank you to those who have forwarded the much requested updated NHS lists. There is still some confusion as to where NHS is currently situated and how to contact me?  Officially we are located and operate from the Orewa Police Station.  If you have changed your e-mail address or joined the world of instant communication, please forward these changes to me.
My contact details are as follows:
Main station Orewa (Police)
4264555-the watch house staff will forward a message
My mobile phone no.
021 2583737
E-mail
rodneyns@quicksilver.net.nz

The Power of Communities – a free workshop with Jim Diers: 22 August in Wellsford

On behalf of Rodney Local Board, you are invited to attend a free, interactive workshop with Jim Diers, an international presenter who has worked extensively with rural communities on community development.

Click Here for a flyer showing all the details     Please pass this on to the networks that would be interested and RSVP to Sue.dodds@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz by Friday 16 August if you want to attend.

Puhoi Community Forum Minutes July 2013

Po Box 404199 Puhoi
Committee Meeting Held At Puhoi Sports Club
Date 30th July 2013
Chairman – D Hay

PRESENT: S Tisdall, S Hackett, A Cranna-Powell, P Manton, J Turner, JR Williams, L Anderson, P Straka, J Simons, T Koops, B Titford, S Titford, T Schulz-Golland, N Atkinson, D Hay, H Everts, G Sorensen.
D Hay was not nominated to the Committee at the AGM.  Under Clause 10 of the constitution Committee vacancies can be filled when necessary and D Hay was therefore nominated by
P Straka and 2nd G Sorensen as an independent member.  All agreed.
APOLOGIES:  R Cunliffe, P Endemann, R Green
MINUTES OF LAST MEETING: Circulated. Moved P Straka   2nd S Tisdall
MATTERS ARISING: Hanging wire: The hanging wire was on Puhoi Rd, not Ahuroa Rd.
Footpath between Bridge and Library should read “drain” not “creek” on boundary between Puhoi Store and P Straka.
CORRESPONDENCE IN:
1.  NAG: presentation to be given in August 27th meeting
2. Draft Unitary Plan: acknowledgement of Forum submission.
3. SEA workshop
4. B Scroggins requests permission to erect election billboard on private land. D Hay to respond.
5. Speeding through the village. H Everts
6. Horse riding in PM Park.
CORRESPONDENCE OUT:
TREASURERS REPORT: Proposed payment of $23.30 to G. Sorensen for stationery. 2nd D Hay
GROUP REPORTS:
a) Local Board. J Turner reported that applications for the present round of Council funding for Community projects can be done on line until 12th August 2013.  The allocation of funds for traffic management would be an appropriate purpose.  Refer to K Hammond.
b) Puhoi Memorial Park:  Arthur Dunn Memorial seat.  T Koops researched project and presented illustrations.  2 seats have been purchased by Val Dunn and will be positioned September/October 2013. D. Hancock of Auckland Council offered to liaise with Auckland Council if requested to do so by PCF.
c) Park Advisory Committee: Will meet in August, TBC.  D. Hay to attend
d) Motorway: The presentation of the route shown at the Farmers Market indicated an off-ramp going north and an on-ramp going south for local use.  J Simons advised that final agreement was still some way off.
e) Puhoi Business Group: This group meets under the Matakana Coast and Country umbrella.
    Next meeting August 2nd.  J Turner congratulated S Tisdall for initiative to date.
f) Centennial Hall: No report
g) Sports Club: Reports 3 games played so far on newly drained grounds.  Centre of ground is still very boggy.  J Turner to follow up.
h) Puhoi Rural Fire Force (PRFF): J Williams queried the fact that the local force no longer have a water tanker and was advised that the fire trucks carry their own water.
i) Library: AGM on Tuesday, 13th August 7pm.  The Centennial celebrations will include photographic display.  Any photos loaned would be greatly appreciated.
j) Church and Cemetery: Two funerals this week. No report
k) Farmers market: More volunteers would be welcomed.
l) Auckland Council Unitary Plan: Nothing to report
m) Landcare: Planting day well supported.  Further day planned 1 September 10 am. J Williams to promote through community newsletter. Bio security team visit was positive.
n) Historical Society: ongoing need for a community notice board tabled. Suitable site is ongoing discussion.
o) 150th celebrations.  AGM August 31st 2013 to wind up.  Finances to be distributed at that meeting.  D Hay will write letters to thank all community groups involved in the celebrations.
GENERAL BUSINESS:
1.  Horse riding in the Park.
In reply to correspondence received and after discussion, Park Management Plan Clause 14, should be changed to read as follows:
“…and that access to paddocks where stock are being grazed at any one time is not permitted during lambing, and that at all other times dogs are leashed and horses are under control when on paddocks that are being grazed”.
R Tolhopf is happy with this change.  Horse riding group’s letter of June 12th 2013 can therefore be answered as follows:
# Access to all parts of the Park is fine, except for paddocks where lambing is in progress.  I also suggested to Maree that horses not use the loop walking track.
#The flat land adjacent to the yards is available for training horses, provided that equipment used is stored in or adjacent to the shelter when not in actual use.
# That mutually-beneficial projects be undertaken as appropriate.
Moved that the Forum formally accept this change in the Grazing Licence, and the agreement between horse riding group and Forum be accepted.
Moved H Everts 2nd J Williams
2.  Speeding through the village.
H. Everts correspondence as circulated. A number of solutions were proposed, including speed bumps, S Bends and crossings.  There is a need for a “Critical Information Report” which involves the installation of speed counters to ascertain traffic flow and speed before any further action can be taken.  D Hay to collate reports on time, date and registration numbers of cars/trucks involved in traffic incidents.
MEETING CLOSED:  9.25 pm
NEXT MEETING:        27th August
CHAIRMAN: P Straka

Bohemian Tour

In June 2014 I (Judith Williams – Ed) will be joining Barry Brown, who has organised a number of tours to Bohemia in order to
visit the home locations  of the Bohemian settlers. We depart Auckland on 3 June 2014 for a 13 night tour which will
take us to Bohemia, Prague, Berlin, River Rhine, and Hamburg. In Hamburg we see the departure point of the emigrants to New Zealand.
Travel is in a 9 seater mini-bus, which enables us to take our time and explore the Bohemian locations at our leisure.
Of special interest is a visit to an open air museum where we visit farm houses from the 1600s.The cost is
$6495 (plus Taxes and Levies ) which covers your return airfare Auckland-Germany-Auckland. All accommodation on tour, sightseeing
entry fees, transport, and breakfasts. The only other cost while on tour is lunch and evening meal.
The tour is arranged with Air New Zealand  Holidays,P.O. Box 1643, Palmerston Nth.

If you would like a brochure which gives the actual itinerary, and more details please send an Email to selwyn.brown@airnz.co.nz and ask for the Bohemian Tour.

Judith Williams

Can You Help Us Preserve The Memory?

Puhoi 150th anniversary committee member Adrian Anderson, whom many of you will have got to know for his enthusiasm,efficiency and general usefulness in the lead-up to and during the recent sesquicentennial celebrations, is now one of the people helping our Puhoi Historical Society to fundraise for a proposed new museum (details to be released, hopefully, in late September)
In the meantime, Adrian is preparing a DVD of the sesqui, including the lead-up period, to be prepared for sale as a fundraiser, not to mention a very welcome souvenir of a wonderful time in our lives as Bohemian descendants and Puhoi community members.
He already has access to some professional video and photographic material, but there are gaps in his records. Below are the main areas of need.

  • Now! What this email is all about (DVD set) material still required.
  • Obviously your ( Judith Williams’s) photos you are downloading for me.
  • Any stills from the 28th June TV1 breakfast broadcast and if possible a short video
  • Video of Fred Rauner playing in the Hall 28th June if possible please.
  • Images of the German visitors in February who attended the re-enactment
  •  Images of the February 2013 farmers market with the German visitors
  • Local dance group video or some stills
  • Stills of the 29th June & 30th June outdoor images only please
  • Any stills from the book launch 28th June

I will also check with the Cheese Factory if they have any photos we can use. What about other businesses like Puhoi Cottage? They had someone at the TV1 event. Looking back now I should have taken some photos of the traffic control children.

If you can put this request out in your next community newsletter that would be great thank you, and get them to send material to me or I can collect on a weekly basis from the Puhoi Historical Society archives room or their mail box  PO Box 404 224 in Puhoi. (please label it clearly : for Adrian Anderson)

Two Bohemian Rhapsodies

Associate Canterbury University Professor of Music Roger Buckton and Puhoi historian and journalist Judith Williams have published two books to mark the Bohemian settlement’s 150th anniversary in June this year.

Bohemian Journey, a Musical Heritage in Colonial New Zealand and It Takes a Whole Village – The People of Puhoi 1963 -2013 were launched at the village’s sesquicentennial celebrations.

Roger, a former Puhoi resident, has written about his time recording the folk music brought to Puhoi by its German dialect – speaking immigrants from Bohemia, once part of the Austrian Empire, now part of the modern Czech Republic.

He tells of his experiences getting to know the Puhoi Band, its dudelsack bagpipers, accordionists and fiddlers, and of his later travels to Europe to have a dudelsack of his own made and of learning to play it by Czech masters.

His personal journey is then placed in the broader context of the European folk music tradition.

Scholarly but entertaining, it brings together under one cover much that has been known and researched about Puhoi and its musicians, plus some material which will be new to readers.

He has also prepared CDs from the original 1993 and 1996 cassettes, Die Booei Musikgruppe, and Accordionists of Puhoi.

An 1863 Bohemian pioneering Pittner family descendant and resident of almost 40years in the village of her ancestors, Judith has undertaken in her book to add the last two generations to the well-documented early settlement history of her home.

This was the period which has seen the almost 100 percent Bohemian -descended population overtaken by residents from almost 20 different national and ethnic origins.

With a foreword by Dr Claudia Orange, Te Papa Museum historian and Bohemian Schollum family descendant, it uses interviews with these mainly newcomers to recall the events of the past 50 years which have created the modern Puhoi.

Roger’s book, published by Steele Roberts, Wellington, retails for $30 plus postage and the CDs cost $20 each. These will be available from the Puhoi Historical Society.

Judith’s book sells for $36 plus postage and may be ordered direct from her at PO Box 404 151 Puhoi 0951.

Community Forum Meeting June 2013: Minutes

MINUTES OF COMMITTEE MEETING HELD AT PUHOI SPORTS CLUB

24th June 2013 at 7.45pm.
CHAIR – HANS EVERTS

PRESENT: R Green, B & S Titford, G Sorensen, B & B Marcroft, P Straka, J Williams,
H Everts, S Tisdall, R Cunliffe, G Murphy, M Swain, J Neel, T Koops, R Hern, J Dahl,
P Manton, M Drury, P Beecroft, A Cranna-Powell.

APOLOGIES: J Turner, D Hay

MINUTES OF LAST MEETING: Minutes were confirmed. (S Tisdall, R Green)

MATTERS ARISING:
Website: Mike Swain reported 278 [Errata: over 4000 -Mike] visits in May. The website will be linked to Facebook. Any further groups who wish to be included should send an email to Mike for their inclusion.

Traffic Safety: Julie Woods looked at the recently-completed traffic marking. She advised that the police should be the first port of call re speeding and safety-related matters within the village.

Hanging wire: The one at the end of Krippner Road was revealed to be a Telecom wire that has now been tightened and repaired.

CORRESPONDENCE IN/OUT: as circulated by email.

TREASURERS REPORT: Tabled as per AGM

GROUP REPORTS:
H Everts asked for each Group representative to share with the Committee one initiative of the Group during the coming year that they would like the Forum to know about, plus one initiative that they (the Group) would like the Forum to undertake. This will help the Forum to shape the Agenda for the next 12 months.

a) Local Board: no report
b) Historical Society: S Tisdall reported that they had been working very hard on getting the Museum ready for an influx of visitors this weekend for the 150th celebrations, as well as getting information up to date in the records room. There will be a sales area in the playgroup room, accessed through the Museum this weekend (no eftpos). The museum will be open 6am on Friday morning to accommodate the Breakast Show. If you need to get warm I will be making tea/coffee plus a biscuit at $1 a cup towards the building fund. We are running two raffles – funds to go towards the new Museum. Drawn 30/6/13 at the end of the afternoon. Any help with this venture would be appreciated. We are still looking for a suitable site within the village. On Sunday after Mass at 9.30am the old school bell, which has recently been returned to Puhoi, will be rung by a descendant (Kelvin Schedewy). Everyone is welcome to gather around to acknowledge the settlers and to unveil the new plaque’s honouring Maori, Capt Krippner’s input, and the families who first came. Prayers and a wreath will be laid, then another descendant (Margaret Hosting nee Bayer) will place the time capsule, for future generations to open, providing a window on the past. The capsule will contain a number of things pertinent to the current celebrations and put next to the 1988 capsule. Initiative – looking to the Forum for ongoing support in finding the Museum a new home.
c) Memorial Park: see General Business
d) Community Hall: The working bee was attended by committee members. The roof will need repair this year. The usual fundraising events are scheduled, e.g. concert.
e) Sports Club: Simon is standing down as President but remaining as coach.
f) Rural Fire Force: Numbers are down to 11. There will be fundraising for the new Fire Station. No initiative is presented at this stage as the building is initiative in itself.
g) Community Response/neighbourhood watch: no report.
h) Puhoi horse riding group: see General Business
i) Library: Lynette Anderson will be the contact representative, although this will be a rotating role. The centenary of the building is coming up in August 2013. A photographic display is planned. A wine and cheese evening will be for invited guests only with regard to the size of the library. The committee wants to commemorate the supporters of the library by the placing of a memorial seat outside the library, the difficulty being that this would have to be placed within the 10 meter boundary. The initiative requested would be support from the Forum for the placement of the seat on the river bank.
j) Church & Cemetery: Refurbishments are now completed and ready for the 150th celebrations. There is a funeral on Friday which may pose traffic issues to coincide with the village celebrations. No initiative as such to report.
k) Farmers Market: Would like to have the market well supported each month. An initiative would be the “Local Nationalities” event recently held so successfully to become an annual event.
l) Waiwera Valley Assoc: Rock and Roll dance 14th or 21st of September. Open to all. This will put on the website. H Everts welcomed the WVA to the Forum.
m) Business group: Sue Tisdall reported that the Matakana Coast & Country initiative over the past six months has seen a lot of work in the background. A lot of time and effort is going into the building of a comprehensive website that will take people into the areas they want to visit and take a close look, yet still be able to look around the whole area of Waiwera to Te Hana. They are working on branding for the region to keep it uniform and focusing on the five senses … See …Smell…Taste…Hear…Touch. What to do, what to see, visit, how the look and feel etc. So it is quite involved to make it work for the whole region. In mid July she hopes to get together interested business people, big and small, in the Puhoi/Waiwera area for a networking opportunity and also to introduce them to the work the executive committee has been doing.
n) Structure Plan: Matters are in abeyance until the Draft Auckland Plan returns for formal consideration in September.
o) Landcare: Planting Day was well attended. The exercise was a good one and Peter Straka’s tractor was very much appreciated. The Bio security people are being kept informed.
p) Advisory Board: The next meeting will be held in August.
q) Logging on Krippner Rd: All is Quiet on the Western Front.
r) 150th Celebrations committee: Judith has been very helpful in keeping us all informed. The Disco has until 6pm 25/6/13 to muster the numbers, otherwise this event will be cancelled. Hans put the following motion: “The Puhoi Community Forum expresses its gratitude to those whose dedicated work over many months has made the Sesquicentennial Celebrations possible. We wish the Planning Committee and all participating organisations and individuals (both Bohemian descendants and others) a very satisfying and successful weekend of celebration”. Seconded: S Tisdall, passed.
s) Motorway Access: John Simons reported a reference item in NZ Herald June 20 2013 concerning the effects of earthworks on Puhoi scenic reserve presented by Auckland Council. This report appears to be based on wrong information. This matter is ongoing and he will report on any developments.

GENERAL BUSINESS:
Memorial Park and horse riding: For a background report, see email from Hans, dated 21.6.13. During discussion, the following points were raised:
We need to accommodate a range of Park users.
R. Green urged the Forum not to be too bound by formal rules in developing Park use. P Manton urged at the same time that previous uses of the Park should not be lost by the lack of a formal agreement, especially since it is getting more difficult to ride on the road verge, which has led to the need for a designated riding area.
The current lease is between the Forum and Council, and between the Forum and the sublessee.
R Hern acknowledged that R Tolhopf has rior rights as the sublessee, but thought that he would be flexible in accommodating horse riders.
The Management Plan, as a Council documents, outlines the specific structure concerning the multiple uses of the River Park. H Everts will circulate the Management Plan and a copy of the current leases.
Further discussion needs to take place on how this all fits together.
It is particularly important that we are seen to be using the Park – a “use it or lose it”.

Yards: The weather has delayed the building of the yards. The estimated cost is $3461+GST. There is no facility at present for the loading of cattle. 18 month old cattle have time constraints to be off the land.

Tracks and Trails: see email noted above.

Judith Williams promoted her book and invited all to the launch this weekend.

Footpath between bridge and library: John Simons noted that there is a drain that runs under the road that picks up water from the creek on the boundary between the Puhoi Store and Peter Straka which discharges into Puhoi River, just beyond the library. Some 15 years ago the contours and the subsidence similar to the present situation was reported to council (RDC).
At that time rocks were placed next to the outfall, and earth fill used to level off the grassed area. The inlet pipe is partially blocked and surface water may well be percolating alongside the pipe to the river and contributing to collapse of the river bank and the resulting subsidence. Note fibre optic cable manhole placed so as to avoid this subsidence.

MEETING CLOSED: 9PM

NEXT MEETING: Tuesday July 30th.
CHAIRMAN: Derek Hay

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