The recycling programme which is being run by NCDRA and the Ngaio Union Church is undergoing some change that we want everyone to be aware of.

Due to the major work being carried out on the church buildings, the church is currently not available for collections. We will however have a car parked at the site if the weather permits, at the normal time of 10.00am to 12 noon, Saturday 5 March (first Saturday of the Month) and will be taking your collections from there.

We do suggest that your items are sorted at home, just to reduce any congestion at the collection.

Sorting plastic lids

The processor of the recycled plastic lids has also changed to Aotearoa NZ Made and along with this change we now only collect plastics which are labelled 2 or 5, and these must be separated. We have separate containers for each plastic type.

Any lids which are not clearly marked with the recycling number, will unfortunately need to be sent to rubbish in your household collection.

Some good news for batteries – Wellington City Council are trialing a scheme for recycling household batteries. Unfortunately, despite verbal support for our activities, the Council did not include us in the collection points and supporting publicity. However for a short time at least, we are able to take household batteries without asking for a Koha to cover costs, and we will take these to a collection point on behalf of our members.

KiwiRail has received approval for the Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington Ferry Terminal Redevelopment project to be considered under the COVID-19 (Fast Track) Act 2020 Consenting process. This provides an alternative consenting pathway for the resource consent, but the proposed redevelopment still had to meet the environmental tests and other Resource Management Act (RMA) requirements.

In order to be considered under the Act, KiwiRail had to demonstrate the project met criteria for referral on issues like employment creation, sustainable management and recovery from the economic and social impacts of COVID-19.

Kiwirail have also announced that selection of the design consortium to prepare the final designs the ferry terminals in Waitohi Picton and Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington. The consortium is made up of two engineering consultancies, WSP and Jacobs. It will take the existing concept design through to final design, ahead of construction starting later this year.

Kiwirail are planning to lodge consent in the next few months.You may see some early works starting around the Kaiwharawhara terminal as it undertakes minor works, and relocates utility services that might need moving in preparation for the main construction.

It is outside of our immediate area, but Khandallah Pool is well used by residents of Ngaio and Crofton Downs, so the Council Decision to rebuild the pool will provide us with a community asset.

At the February meeting of Wellington City Council’s Pūroro Rangaranga Social, Cultural and Economic Committee the full rebuild, including heating of the main pool and installation of a new spa, was approved, with a total cost of $8.05 million.

“This was a decision that had to be weighed up carefully and in the final outcome was made for the Onslow suburbs and all Wellington residents as a whole and will prove to be an investment that will contribute to fitness and more children actively engaged and trained in the life aquatic,” said Mayor Andy Foster.

The budget is scheduled to commence in 2023/24. Council officers will report back in May 2022 on the scheduling for further design work, which is to include community input, and for construction.

The Sustainability Trust has advised that recycling of plastic caps will be changing, as The Tiny Plastic Factory has stopped taking them while it works on a new circular economy solution for plastics in the economy . They have now secured a new collection partnership with Aotearoa NZ Made Ltd. There are a couple of key changes to the plastic bottle cap recycling programme.  Metal items remain the same.

However only plastics 2 and 5 are accepted and they must be sorted.

Saturday 5 February will therefore be the last time that we can accept unsorted plastic lids – if you can seperate them this week even better.

At future collections we will only have seperate buckets for type 2 plastic lids, and for type 5 plastic lids.

Our recycling days are starting again this Saturday 5 February. From 10am to noon, bring your recycling items to the Ngaio Union Church for recycling.

You will need a vaccine pass to come into the collection area.

Last year for only about half of the year, we took over 250kg of recycling to the Wellington Sustainability Trust. We are aiming for over 500kg this year.

Items that we accept include:

• Plastic lids – The Tiny Plastic Factory recycles these – we need to be careful about what goes into the plastic lid collection. All items need to be stamped type 2, 4 or 5 because of the recycling process. Also no thermal seals or waxy paper inserts please.
• Metal Lids – these go to McAuley Metals, and include for eg Crown caps, metal screw tops, sparkling wine wires, metal jar lids, Ring-pull caps.
• Razors etc – The Trust is a drop off point for the Gillette and Terracycle Recycling programme
• Oral care – The Trust is a drop off point for the Colgate and Terraycle Oral Care Recycling programme. Make sure all excess product is removed, and that recycling is dry
• Batteries – The Sustainability Trust has to charge $5/kg for batteries, so a koha with your drop off is greatly appreciated.
• Curtains – The Wellington Curtain Bank upcycles pre-loved curtains for those who need them. Must be mould free.
• Wool – unwanted and untangled balls of wool are sent to Crafty Volunteers, who knit, crochet and sew for charity
• Bread bag tags,
• Rubber bands from delivered Dominion Posts

We originally also collected pens – unfortunately, the Trust is now unable to accept pens for recycling as the recycler has closed that option.

We are alsoe pleased to use our recycling days as a drop-in collection station for Ngaio Union Church‘s programme to help restock DCM’s Foodbank. Covid has significantly increased the number of food parcels it distributes each week so all the support it can get is really appreciated.

Bring non-perishable food or basic toiletries to Ngaio Union Church with your recycling. Items most needed include ready meals, soup, tinned fish, biscuits and crackers, tinned fruit, shampoo and conditioner, toilet paper – but any non-perishable food or basic toiletries are very welcome.

Unfortunately, under the Red covid response, we have decided to not have our Ngaio Community Picnic in 2022. The restrictions on crowd numbers, spacing, and area fencing have made this impractical to organise and run.

The picnic is normally an annual highlight and fantastic opportunity to show our community spirit, so we are incredibly disappointed with this decision, but certainly support efforts to slow the spread of the Covid-19 virus.

Our picnic will be on again in 2022.

We are still working on the programme, but please pencil Sunday 13 March 2022 into your diaries, from 12 noon to 3pm.

Covid got in our way last year, but we are planning a full programme next march, with plenty of fun for the kids, entertainment, and a good time to meet other local residents.

More information will be posted on this site, and emailed to members in our newsletter.

This Saturday is first of the month, so our Ngaio Crofton Downs Going Carbon Neutral recycling day will be on, at The Ngaio Union Church, Kenya St.

On Saturday, we will be operating at level Orange under the Covid Traffic light system. Therefore you must have a  My Vaccine Pass to enter the Church Hall. (Children under the age of 12 years do not need a My Vaccine Pass).

You will be asked to show your My Vaccine Pass when you arrive at the venue.

We are working with the Sustainability Trust to collect the items below:

• Plastic lids of type 2,4 or 5.
• Metal Lids including for eg Crown caps, metal screw tops, sparkling wine wires, metal jar lids, Ring-pull caps.
• Razors etc
• Oral care waste and packaging – pleaseake sure all excess product is removed, and that recycling is dry
• Curtains – for the Wellington Curtain Bank – must be mould free.
• Wool – unwanted and untangled balls of wool which are  sent to Crafty Volunteers.
• Bread bag tags,
• Dominion Post rubber bands

For more information on what we accept for recycling – information is at our website, here: Ngaio Crofton Downs Recycling. We recommend sorting your recycling at home, to minimise time spent at the recycling venue- although we welcome opportunities for a chat.

DCM We act as a drop off point for groceries and donations for DCM, which supports those who are marginalised in our city.  Some of the items most needed are ready meals, soup, tinned fish, biscuits and crackers, tinned fruit, shampoo and conditioner, toilet paper – but any non-perishable food or basic toiletries are very welcome.

Community Fruit – we do collect jars for community fruit, but they do have plenty at the moment. Please keep suitable jars at home for our next collection.

Thanks to everyone who entered our photo competition, in conjunction with the AGM on 17 November. We had a total of 34 photos entered.

Everyone who entered will receive an email over the next couple of days, confirming your free membership to our Association for the next year.

Below are the winners as judged by our local photographer, Colin McDiarmid, with his comment on each. Colin said that the standard of images continues to rise and passes on his congratulations to the winners. Thanks to Colin, who can be found at http://www.colin.co.nz/.

Click on each image for the full size version, and to see all entries, visit our photo album – at Photos

Category – Weather

Winner – A stop on the way to The Crows Nest Dick Johnson, Dick Johnson

The dog in the foreground adds to the interest in this image of a stunning day with a view that we do not all get to see.

Commended – Shepherd’s Warning for Ngaio, Colin Morris

Evocative dawn shot which gets you thinking.

Category – Gardens

Winner – P Moore, Ornithogalum

Great variation in textures, providing visual interest

Commended – callyc9

Lovely close up with selective focus in the right place

Category – Pets/ wildlife

Winner – Cathy Box

Colin called this shot the absolute overall winner!. Lovely “painterly” quality – I would hang this on my wall!

Commended – Jess Maccagno, Tupi

Strong directional sidelight and the catchlights in the eyes make this image “pop”.

Commended – Colin Morris, At Home in Ngaio

The wind fluffing up the feathers of the Kereru adds visual interest to this image.