Ngaio Crofton Downs Residents Association

The WREMO information page, with a link to register through Eventfinder is here The event is on our website – https://www.wremo.nz/news-and-events/calendar/ngaio-emergency-response-practice/

A new WCC initiative shows Wellington local election candidates answering questions in an online video format to help voters make a more informed voting decision this election.

All candidates were asked the same questions, and were videoed in the same setting at the Council Offices. You can watch all videos along with their candidate statements online at wellington.govt.nz/candidates. 

This is a mock up of what our NZ Heritage Plaque for our Ngaio Town Hall will look like. Cast in aluminium, Heritage Plaques are 450mm in diameter.

Our fundraising is well underway with over $900 donated or pledged – out of the total $1,700 we are looking for.

Donations can be made to the Ngaio Crofton Downs Residents Association account 12-3223-0086781-00, please use your name for particulars and “Centenary” as the reference. There is also a form on the home page of this site through which you can tell us of your pledge for a donation.

Please help us with this 100 year birthday present for Ngaio Town Hall.

KiwiRail’s rail grinder is scheduled to be in Wellington as part of their routine maintenance. This equipment is brought to the region every couple of years to help extend the lifespan of the rail infrastructure.

Kiwirail advise that “Throughout May and June, the rail grinder will be operating across the region to reprofile turnouts (where trains switch from one track to another) and newly laid rail.

Please note that the work will be conducted during nighttime hours when trains are not in operation. The grinder doesn’t work in one place for very long, but we do apologise in advance for any noise disturbance caused while we work at each site”.

Click here to view a short video of the rail grinder in action.

The Ngaio Crofton Downs Residents Association in conjunction with the Onslow Historical Society are celebrating 100 years since the opening of the Ngaio Town Hall in August 1925. We are hosting an Afternoon Tea on Sunday 3 August at 2pm. All Welcome.

The Council of the day didn’t have the money to fund the building of a public hall in Ngaio, so under pressure from the newly established Ngaio Progressive Association (the forerunner of today’s residents association) agreement was reached for a £5000 loan over 10 years to be repaid by an additional rates charge on Ngaio ratepayers.

The grand opening was on Saturday 1 August 1925 with a vaudeville concert and speeches from dignitaries including the Mayor, Charles Norwood.
Then the social and cultural life of Ngaio inhabitants and others really got underway and hasn’t stopped: fetes, fundraisers, dances, parties, weddings, films, lectures, sporting activities,musical events, concerts and shows.

Viv Chapple of the Joint Centenary Committee says “ The hall has formed a back note to people’s lives for a very long time. We’ve thought long and hard about how we can celebrate this achievement and so as well as the Afternoon Tea we are now fundraising to buy a Blue Plaque for the Hall. Blue Plaques are organised by Historic Places Aotearoa, and identify something special about the “place”.  Ngaio Town Hall is an ideal candidate to have the third plaque in Wellington after Randell Cottage in Thorndon and St Peter’s in Willis Street.  

We’re asking the hall’s community will get in behind the blue plaque, to recognise the Halls contribution to our community, by making a donation towards the cost of around $2500.

Donations should be made to the Ngaio Crofton Downs Residents Association account, number 12-3223-0086781-00. Please use Blue Plaque as the reference, and you can put your name in particulars.

See you at the Afternoon Tea, 3 August!”

This year we have already had some fun programmes under way, and one of them is working with Wellington City Council to encourage less use of cars around Ngaio and Crofton Downs. This programme promoted public transport or active modes such as walking or cycling.

The social bike tours to build confidence and skills to travel safely and efficiently by paihikara (bike), while getting to know the bike improvements in Ngaio were part of this programme.

We are also aiming to get as much input from our locals to make a map that shows interesting places to visit when walking and cycling around Ngaio and Crofton Downs. There is now a ‘new rider’ flyer available – follow this link to add your suggestions and ideas: Climate Action Info Hub. 

Ealry in this project we asked residents to fill in a survey, and had around 200 replies – so clearly a topic that many ewre prepared to get involved in.

Now its time for a final evaluation survey for this project, which will show us if there has been any change in habits. So again we are asking everyone to please jump onto a quick survey, to give the project team good evaluation data. Ngaio and Crofton Downs Post-Project Survey

Remember too, a responsive and enthusiastic community makes it easier for us to gain support to help make future projects happen.