Welcome

The Whitby Residents' Association (Inc) is the group that acts for Whitby residents on issues which affect the quality of life of all residents in our village.

Membership is open to all for only $10 per annum. Contact whitbyra@gmail.com for details and payment advice.

We are currently revising our village plan in conjunction with Porirua City Council and our community. A draft of the 2012 revise whill be available in Whitby Newsbrief February issue, and all residents will have the opportunity to comment and/or provide feedback on the ideas raised in that document. 

Other current issues of concern are the poor state of the existing village mall, due to empty shops and lack of maintenance... and the long term future of this building after the supermartket relocates to the new Duck Creek site; and proposed tree trimming regulations for residents whose land is classified as a site of significant urban revegetation. 

Whitby Resident Association 2013 Annual General Meeting

Notice is given that the Annual General Meeting of members will be held at the Conference Room of Whitby Lakes Retirement Village,  Newhaven Way, off Discovery Drive, Whitby at 7pm, on Thursday 21 February 2013.

The AGM will be followed by presentations from Mark Lash, Wellington Property Manager, Foodstuffs, and Mark Roche, Whitby New World Owner.  They will be covering everything you want to know about the  new Whitby Supermarket and associated area development.

The AGM agenda items are:-

1. Election of new Committee (minimum six).  Michael George and Lisa Webber have offered themselves for re election, and Saar Cohen-Ronen, Len Jakobsson, Sam Marshall, Hayden McKee, Geoff Mowday, Margaret Seconi, and Gary Sims have offered themselves as new committee members.  Further nominations are still open, but must be received a whitbyra@gmail.com not later than February 7, 2013.

2. Election of Chairman.  No nominations have been received to date for this position. Nominations close on February 7, 2013.

3. Amendment to WRA rules.  The meeting will vote on a proposed amendments to the rules, as developed by the interim group of members. A copy of these amendments can be obtained upon request.

4.  Consideration of such other matters as may be properly transacted at an AGM meeting.

2013 marks the Association's 40th anniversary, which heralds a 'changing of the guard' for the Association.  All residents are welcome to attend this meeting. However, only financial members will be able to vote at the AGM.  Membership may be obtained by sending $10 by internet transfer to account 01 0546 0064030 00 with your surname in the code box, or cheque to Whitby Residents Association, P O Box 58134, Whitby, Porirua 5245.

Please support your residents association. There are several pressing issues facing the association and the community currently, which need resident feedback and commmunity input.  By joining the association, you will be 'in the loop' for regular communications and advice of issues which effect our community. 

Local developments-December 2008

2 major resource consents are in progress for Whitby

1. The 18 house development on Flotilla Place, off Resolution Drive is being heard by a Resource Hearing Commissioner at present. WRA and several local residents presented their submissions verbally this week.

2. The Silverwood rural subdivision application for 19 houses, mainly on the hills behind James Cook Drive area but visible from much of Whitby. Submissions have to be with PCC on their forms by 13th January 2009.

Chairing local futures....

Thanks for the confidence a number of locals showed by electing me as the Chair of the Whitby Residents Association last week. I hope to be able to fill Jim Dearsly's shoes adequately !

There will of course be some differences in style and areas of focus. The WRA needs to concentrate on its Village Planning for the next 6-8 months and will need many people to respond to the survey that is published in Whitby Newsbrief this next week. We will also carry a much wider brief to engage with all those authorities who govern aspects of our life.

In the gun this week is.....the Wellington Harbourmaster ! Apparently he controls the activities of those highly noisy and polluting jet skiers on the Inlet ( I presume he has his own jet ski to catch them !). If we see a tug make an appearance we know he's not quite up with the state of play.

Village Plan survey out this week !

Watch out in the next edition of Whitby Newsbrief for the long awaited household survey- we hope all of you will fill it in and let us know your views on a large number of key topics

We can't plan unless we have plenty of data !

We will let you know via the Newsbrief what the findings are and how this may shape our futures.

It's time to cast those votes for people who will support Whitby

Over the next month you need to cast your votes for

1. Porirua City Council - Mayor and 5 Northern Ward councillors to be elected
We suggest Jenny Brash for Mayor, with John Green, Euon Murrell, Tim Sheppard and Keryn Martin as councillors

2. Greater Wellington Council 2 candidates from a choice of 3
Looks like Barbara Donaldson and Tracey Waters could have the knowledge and skills for this demanding job

3. Hutt Mana Charitable Trust 1 Trustee from 3 standing
WRA are supporting Robin Gunston for this (yes that's me) on basis of experience knowledge and a mandate for change

4. Porirua Community Trust
Tim Sheppard and Keryn Martin seemed switched on to the changes needed here, so let's give them a go

5. District Health Board- an important body, lots of choice here so room for old hand Margaret Faulkner and Coltyn Shaw on this group, well versed in Whitby's needs and those of children/Maori.


SO PLEASE VOTE BEFORE OCTOBER 13TH !!!!

Will Whitby be a desert by 2030 ?

If you want to see what happens when developers are left uncontrolled by Councils to do what they like with our environment you only need to look up to what used to be Silverwood Forest, now a parched wasteland soon to be covered with more gargantuan castles, raising yet more rates income for PCC ! Closer to home down on the once green pastures of the Golf Course the slash and burn, tree loppers employed by developer David Bradford have been demolishing our own carbon sink- watch this space for pictures.

IS THIS THE KIND OF ENVIRONMENT YOU WANT TO LIVE IN- DO YOU CARE ?
This is why we want a Village Plan that influences and controls such developments.