Updated rating valuations delayed till April

New rating valuations for South Wairarapa property owners have been delayed for two months and will sent from April 17 _ because of workload levels at Quotable Value (QV).

Revaluations for all South Wairarapa properties were due this month but the Office of the Valuer General granted an extension to QV for “factors” which include “Covid 19, changing regulatory requirements, and the complexity of the rural sector,” a statement from South Wairarapa District Council noted.

“The new values will be based on the most likely selling price if the property had sold on the valuation date, which was 1 September 2023, and will be used to help inform rates commencing in the 2024/2025 rating year,” it said.

QV’s national revaluation  manager Tim Gibson said the extra time “will help ensure greater accuracy.”

“It has been delayed … because we still need to thoroughly review a number of values within the district.”

The new valuations are expected to be based on Capital Value rather than the previously-used Land Value basis. 

Gibson said the valuations “are solely used for the purpose of determining the equitable share of rates are (sic) distributed fairly across property owners of the district _ and are not intended to be used as market valuations.”

Owners who dispute their new rating valuation will have till May 24 to lodge an objection with QV.

Gibson notes that “your local council are not responsible for the new rating valuations.”

Many ratepayers reportedly still expect double-digit rate demands from council for 2024-25.

Little things – with big impact

February is here and 2024 is in full swing. It has been a festive and bustling wine village over the summer holidays!

Thanks to all those who commented or reached out to comment on a solution that has had a big impact during the holiday period. The coffee fix chalkboard was a simple solution to an ongoing conversation to support our visitors in knowing where to get their coffee and we seemed to hit a winner!

No fancy app or online requirement just a simple chalkboard sign. It proved that sometimes simple is best. This a message we often come back to time and time again here at Martinborough Business Association _ along with stick to your knitting. 

We know what we do well, Martinborough is a tourist destination built around its world-class wine which is accompanied by great food, award-winning olive oil, gin, chocolate _  the list goes on and on.

The Martinborough Business Association is excited about the potential that 2024 holds for local businesses through tourism, both domestically and internationally. With its unique charm, exceptional producers, accredited dark sky and a passionate community driving it all Martinborough is set to shine on the global tourism stage.

The association encourages businesses to embrace this opportunity, collaborate, and collectively work towards making Martinborough a premier destination.

Here’s to an exciting year ahead.

First church News

So, another ecclesiastical year has bitten the dust with the new one well under way. 2023 at First Church was deemed to be a success – whether judged by the performance of the dedicated team responsible for church admin, the credit balance from fundraising activities or even the quality and venue of each Sunday’s choral cacophony. 

The efforts and delivery of our pianist/organist Bob Bargh deserves special note (literally and figuratively!)

Firstly, on account of the continuing dexterity of his venerable playing fingers given their (and his) age of 94, and then for his willingness to turn up rain or shine and deliver every week at the keyboards. We the congregation respond by singing or shouting as lustily as we dare, even if the psalmic melody we hear is a complete mystery.

Church attendance without music would be a drab affair and as rank amateurs we don’t do too badly. Due to their familiarity the organ – assisted Christmas carols verged on the professional (not confessional!).

As you know Sunday services are normally conducted in the community hall adjacent to the church. This is in keeping with the relative informality of these occasions (minus any clapping or shouting) because lively conversations both before and after the service are the First Church way and are evidence of its tight communal spirit.

It is a well-known fact of contemporary church life that congregations are dwindling in size and tending towards the geriatric. You could say that this just confirms that age and wisdom go together!  … Continue Reading

Greytown Music Group diary dates

The Greytown Music Group Concert Series 2024 is ready to roll.

Ed and Juliet Cooke, organisers of the annual Greytown Music Group concert series, are pleased and excited to have this year’s concerts settled, and brochures sent to the printer. 

Juliet says “it is wonderful to have old favourites back, especially Donald Armstrong’s Amici Ensemble, this year a string quintet, and to finish with, the Kugels Klezmer Group.” 

Ed adds “As a violinist myself, my favourite for the year will be Andrew Beer, down from Auckland with harpist Ingrid Bauer.” 

Concert dates are as follows: 

Sunday 7 April: Karen Batten’s Amiki Trio – Karen on flute, soprano Barbara Paterson, and pianist Rachel Thomson. Their programme will include works by Delibes, Corigliano,Ravel, Reinecke and Schubert. 

Sunday 28 April: Amici Ensemble – this time made up of violinists Donald Armstrong and Malavika Gopal, Andrew Thomson, and Alexander McFarlane on viola, and cellist Andrew Joyce, playing Mozart and Brahms string quintets. 

Sunday 26 May: Duo Enharmonics – Beth Chen and Nicole Chao – a piano duo combination. playing Bach, Schubert, Ravel, John Psathas, Rachmaninov and Strauss. Look them up on YouTube if you haven’t heard them play. 

Saturday 22 June: Andrew Beer and Ingrid Bauer, violin and harp – programme includes works by Piazzolla, Debussy, Saint-Saens, and Kenneth Young. 

Sunday 22 September: NZTrio: “Triptych 2, Untrodden Ways” – Mendelssohn, Jelleyman/Bach, Higdon and Babadjanian. 

Sunday 13 October: The Kugels Klezmer group, led by Debbie Rawson and Ross Harris – they were very popular here two years ago, with wild and haunting tunes of traditional Klezmer combined with original works by composer Ross Harris. 

All concerts are at 57 Wood St, Greytown, at 4.00 p.m. 

Note that the June concert is on a Saturday, but the rest are on Sundays. 

Contact the Cookes if you would like a concert brochure emailed to you:  efjacooke@gmail.com

or phone 06 304 9497.