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Homage to a favourite son

December 9, 2024 February 2024 Comments Off on Homage to a favourite son

Last month First Church and the wider Martinborough community lost a favourite son – Robert (Bob) Sedcole Bargh after a fine innings of 94 years.

The church and adjacent hall were both full to bursting – happy testimony to a large and vigorous family and to strong and enduring friendships.

Among other widespread accomplishments Bob had a great love of music and was a dab hand at the piano and organ. This affinity was put to use at First Church when he agreed to fill in for then pianist Barbara Evans who had just passed away. That was 10 years ago. 

Bob’s engagement came in the usual forthright way: “I’m happy to play your hymns but I’d like it noted that I’m an atheist.” Years of paying attention to Rev. Jim Veitch and arguing the toss with him or anyone else up to the task changed that.  … Continue Reading

EVENTS  – December 2024

December 9, 2024 February 2024 Comments Off on EVENTS  – December 2024

Martinborough Christmas Parade

WHAT: Santa’s Return from Exile

WHEN: Sunday 15 December

WHERE: Jellicoe St; The Square

TIME: 4:30 p.m. … Continue Reading

Council rates, spending up … but it’s not yet fixing water, wastewater issues

December 9, 2024 February 2024 Comments Off on Council rates, spending up … but it’s not yet fixing water, wastewater issues

By Martin Freeth

South Wairarapa District Council increased its rates take by $5 million last year _ but very little of that extra money went into operating and upgrading wastewater and town water supply systems.

The jump in rates income was used mainly to support increases in SWDC’s operational spending on community facilities and services – including parks and reserves, swimming pools, libraries and public buildings – and spending on planning and regulatory activities. The latter arise from the Council’s statutory obligations in respect of spatial planning, building consents, public health and “wellbeing.”

Last year, ended 30 June 2024, saw ratepayers make a total of $26.2 million in cash payments to SWDC – an increase from the previous year’s rates take of $21.1 million. That’s a 24% jump during a year when South Wairarapa’s ratepayer numbers rose only 2% (to 7,404 rating units at 30 June.)

The numbers are reported in SWDC’s financial statements and annual report for 2024 which were publicly released on 21 November after being formally adopted by the Council. The adoption was slightly late because of a auditing delay within Audit New Zealand, which has apologized publicly.

The Statement of Income and Spending for 2023-24 shows SWDC’s total expenditure was $34.6 million, up 3.2% from the previous year. But within the total, spending in the areas of community facilities and services, and planning and regulatory activities jumped by 14%. 

SWDC spent $1.7 million more in these two areas compared with the previous year. … Continue Reading

Martinborough Golf Club has tumbled down

February 13, 2024 February 2024, Sports Comments Off on Martinborough Golf Club has tumbled down

Martinborough golf’s clubhouse: down and on the way out.

The demolition of the Martinborough Golf Club is complete. In the last days prior to Christmas a fully-insulated pole shed, much like a top end farm outbuilding, was erected to act as both office and temporary clubhouse.

New septic tanks, internet connectivity, power, water, and Porticom loos were installed.

On December 29 the windows of the old clubhouse were removed for recycling and transported to a new home at Tora. “It is so good to be able to reuse this material,” says Neil Bramley from Tora. “These will become my new glasshouse.” 

The next step was for a certified removalist to clear the asbestos. When completed, an independent surveyor assessed the site and pronounced it safe to proceed. The building site was fenced in readiness for Holmes Construction to establish the new clubhouse site.

Holmes Construction started work on January 23 within the fenced-in area. Barring weather events, the completion date is set for November 26, 2024.

“The new design will be a very strong building at over 150 percent of the Building Code,” says John Thomson who is managing the project. “We are thrilled to be working with Holmes Construction. They are a very ethical firm and provide a lot of support for community projects.

“We are also working to a very tight budget. However, we have been able to contain some of the costs through credited operators who are providing a lot of their time voluntarily. That is one of the benefits of a small but very supportive community.

The building is planned to be multipurpose, catering for community use as meeting venues or for functions, as well as acting as a Civil Defence hub.

“With water on the premises, space for parking, and plenty of room for tents, the Golf Club is ideally placed to function should there be an earthquake or other calamity. The other bonus of this particular site,” says John, “is that it is above the flood plain.” … Continue Reading

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Sports

Martinborough golf by a hank – of wool

  We start at the end of the month, when the annual Baabraa Trophy between Martinborough and Eketahuna was fought out on a glorious Sunday in Martinborough. A field of 70 played a stableford round and the average stableford points for the two clubs were calculated. Eketahuna scored an average …

Lady golfers show Rosebowl winning ways

September has been an up and down month weatherwise for golfers, some beautiful early spring days followed by cold and rain. Thankfully for the important days the weather has mostly come to the party. Early in the month the Cotter Rosebowl was successfully defended at Carterton by Martinborough’s team of …

Stunning first 4 – 1 win for Marty Women’s FC

By All-knowing Football Reporter It was always going to happen. After a few draws, some losses the newly-formed MWFC won their first game. An impressive and resounding victory. It started with ‘The Fox in the Box,’ the striker who plays in the traditional Number 9 role of marauding the penalty …

Regular Features

From the Mayor

By Martin Connelly Water services have been a political football for some time. We associate …

EVENTS

Wellington Heritage Festival WHEN: October 26 – November 17  WHERE: * Wellington Region – 140 …

How Well Do We Know People in Our Community?

By Lyle Griffiths Pforzheim in Southern Germany was where Thomas Röckinger lived with his family, …

LETTER OF THE MONTH

Could ZERO growth be the answer?   So, Martinborough’s sewage woes continue, and have seriously …

THE STAR BOOK REVIEW

    By Brenda Channer – Martinborough Bookshop “Costanza” by Rachel Blackmore This is a …

THE STAR  BOOK  REVIEW  

By Brenda Channer –  Martinborough Bookshop “All the Colours of the Dark” by Chris Whittaker. …

EVENTS – October 2024

Discover Te Muna  WHEN:     Saturday, Sunday, October 19 – 20  TIME:      …

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