St Anthony group halts local Catholic Church closure

A small group of Martinborough Catholics has forced the Church to cancel plans to deconsecrate the local church after taking its grievance to The Vatican in Rome.

The appeal for Vatican help against the Wellington Archbishop’s decision follows several years of effort by the Martinborough group to stop the church closing and selling off the iconic St Anthony of Padua church building on Princess Street _ using lack of money for earthquake strengthening as a pretext.

Cardinal John Dew withdrew the formal decree of deconsecration after the legal challenge to the church’s action by locals. 

But in a letter from Archbishop Paul Martin, standing in for Dew, the Wellington hierarchy made clear the church should not be strengthened aand should be permanently closed. 

It says local Catholics should attend services in Featherston and Masterton and suggests a mission centre be established in Martinborough instead. … Continue Reading

South Wairarapa Council in the poo.

Population growth and plant decrepitude have combined to shut off sewage access by planned new houses to Martinborough’s wastewater treatment plant _ after the Greater Wellington Regional Council issued a stop-and-desist Abatement Notice last August.

The notice warned South Wairarapa District Council (SWDC) that additional connections to the sewerage system “would further compromise the plant’s performance, increasing the risk to the environment, public health and safety.” 

The public health risk from previous discharges to the river is very low and independent specialists engaged by Greater Wellington “assessed the environmental risks as negligible,” SWDC said in a statement.

Mayor Martin Connelly said the abatement notice means “the council is obliged to pause applications for new connections to the plant, effective immediately.”  … Continue Reading

Future-proofing power lines , traffic flow

Oak trees versus power lines and wattles versus drivers _ the basis for tree action by Martinborough Golf Club to remove some obstacles before power lines are hit and drivers blind-sided.

The two oak trees at the club’s entrance had been extensively pruned, but continued to grow into the overhead power lines.

“There is now a significant risk of a tree becoming ‘live’ as they’re growing too close to the overhead lines,” it noted in a statement mid-month. Ithe club worked “with a qualified arborist and the line’s company to shut off the power to the Club and safely remove both trees.” 

Native tree replacements are to be planted in the vacant spaces and clear of the overhead lines. … Continue Reading

Pink Shirt “rage” Day 

Some of Martinborough’s community clearly didn’t get the memo that local District Council staff were wearing Pink Shirt Day regalia on May 19 _ literally showing their stand against bullying and intimidation.

The result? A load of anti-Pink Shirt Day abuse and intimidation for their efforts.

“Sadly, a number of our staff have been subject to nasty comments or abusive behaviour,”  they reported to “The Martinborough Star” in a memo.

“It’s not really fair to the receptionists, our librarians, planners, staff rescuing a

wandering animal or investigating a noise complaint, contractors fixing a road or leak – or

any of our team,” the group noted. There was also abuse from keyboard warriors on social media. … Continue Reading