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.

12 Street Meetings to be held on Village Plan

Between now and end September there will be at least 12 street meetings held around Whitby where you can air your views about the future of our great village. Watch this space for details.

What Residents are interested in

From the WRA meeting in May came the following suggestions for the issues and topics we should concentrate on in the Whitby Village Plan:

* Youth
* Educational facilities
* Recreation, eg Pool and facilities for older people
* Public transport
* Shops/shopping
* Walkways
* Limits on further housing and look at more varied housing types esp high density cheaper types
* Different types of business
* Effects of global warming especially on Inlet
* Self sufficiency in energy- generating our own ?
* Traffic esp SH58 and connections to Transmission Gully
* Traffic management systems in Whitby
* Reserves and play facilities

Have you got other ideas- post them here before July 15th please

Funding help from Porirua City Council

At a meeting with all the Residents Associations last week Porirua City Council announced some $1.2 million of funding in the 2008 financial year for a range of Village activities. Whitby's Village Plan is getting some $5000 of assistance which we plan to use for a survey of all residents. Watch this space.

Who are Whitby Resident's Association

We are a group of local residents, formed into an Incorporated Society that acts for your interests as Whitby residents. We keep an eye of developments that may affect us all , particularly those of Porirua City Council and Wellington Regional Council, which affetc sthe rates we all pay.

Membership is by household and costs only $10 per annum. The more mebers we have the more we get listened to by Councils and other statutory bodies.

The present Chairman is Mr Jim Dearsley , contact jim.dearsly@xtra.co.nz