Community garden 

On Sunday 25^th March a group of gardeners participated in our latest workshop ‘Getting a Garden Started.’ The focus was on demonstrating simple ways to start your own garden as there is nothing quite like picking freshly grown produce and cooking it for dinner. Preparation of beds, planting and maintenance were covered and the community garden now has a fresh new bed planted with broad beans, cauliflower, winter lettuce and spring onions …be sure to look out for these over the coming months at the larder and thank you to everyone who attended.

Coming up in the garden on Sunday 8^th April from 10am – noon is our first harvest celebration. Along with fresh harvests to sample from the garden, there will be baking and preserves and activities for the kids. The garden has now been underway for 6 months and the harvest celebration is a great opportunity to come down and see what the community has achieved in this time.  … Continue Reading

Councillor Comment

Street Naming:

The Martinborough Ward Councillors, along with Martinborough Community Board and the Maori Standing Committee, are seeking names for proposed or yet to be proposed new streets or roads in our district. It is very important that we have as many names as possible so that anyone proposing a new subdivision or a new road, has a selection of names and their meanings/relevance, to chose from.

It is also important to remember our heritage when submitting your selection. The list will then be provided to Council for their approval.   If you come up with any names, these can be advised by phone or email to a Community Board member, Pip or myself.

Consultation Document:

I am sorry to keep on about this, but by now everyone will have a copy of the Council Long Term Plan Consultation Document – It is important that everyone read this and fill out and return the questionnaire on the last 2 pages.  This will give Council your direction on the following topics and enable Councillors to make informed decisions regarding our future. … Continue Reading

Did you know

DUE TO net fishing the Maui Dolphin number is now down to 110, a huge reduction from a surveyed estimate of 30,000 in 1970. These dolphins live around twenty years  during which time they only produce two or three young. Even  with  net bans it will take  two hundred years for the population to recover from its current threatened extinction.

SIXTEEN POINT THREE million cups of coffee are consumed every day in Australia. Some of the beans are supplied by the thirty Australian coffee plantations which have over 8500,000 coffee trees

‘IN THIRTY YEARS of healthcare I have always addressed my patients as ‘Good boy’ or ‘Good girl’ or even sometimes even as ‘gorgeous’. This has always been well received – Nottingham Vet  John Oleshko 

ALMOST 60% of Spain’s electricity is provided by wind power. In Denmark  over 42% of the electricity comes from wind turbines. Meanwhile the  UK Royal Society fro the Protection of Birds (yes such an organisation does exist) surveys have shown that  wind farms have negligible  impact on birds.

‘POLITNESS is the art of choosing among your thoughts’ –Germaine de Grain. … Continue Reading

Everybody Welcome

In 1998 Hau Ariki Marae officially opened its Meeting House and other buildings for the well-being of the Maori community of Martinborough and the general public of New Zealand. The marae has hosted many functions that have included tangihanga (funerals), wananga (learning / educational forums) for primary, secondary and tertiary education institutions, local authority meetings, iwi and whanau meetings, community events (such as MADCAPS Martinborough), and celebrations ranging from Matariki (Maori New Year) to social functions

On Thursday 17^th, Friday 18^th Saturday 19^th and Sunday 20^th May … Continue Reading