OCTOBER 2018 Ratepayers’ Quarterly Update Bright nights at Festival of Lights

You’ll want to come more than once to this season’s TSB Festival of Lights, ’s leading lights festival! Our premier community event The shows run from soul, hip-hop And we’re excited to welcome starts in on Sunday and electronica to country, rock, folk a new festival hub to greet you 16 December in conjunction with – and more! The festival is a great upon arrival at Pukekura Park, Christmas at the Bowl, and runs opportunity to explore different at the Fillis Street main gate through to Sunday 3 February. musical genres and find some new entrance, as well as Light Bites on There’ll be more lighting favourite acts at unforgettable selected nights with its array of installations than ever evenings of entertainment. delicious food. before and an entertainment We’ve also got Summer Scene back Keep an eye out for your programme to wow you. with family favourites and some TSB Festival of Lights programme Bring your picnic blankets and new events to entertain kids and in your letterbox in early sand-chairs for the evening inspire their creativity. There are also December. We’ll also have a entertainment, featuring performers activities especially for the senior new sparkly website with all from around the country – including members of our community, so be of the programme’s details at a lot of home-grown talent! sure to join in! festivaloflights.co.nz.

From to Okato, where’s your favourite green treasure? We all love our walkways, parks, streams and rivers, and NPDC wants to know where your favourite green space is and how we should be planning for its future. NPDC already has in place management plans for our big green spaces such as Pukekura Park and Lake Mangamahoe but now we need a management plan for 93 of our other green treasures, totalling about 300 hectares. Fill in our quick online survey before Wednesday 31 October and you’ll be in with a chance to win a $200 Palmers Garden Centre voucher! The survey is online at newplymouthnz.com/HaveYourSay and also at our customer service centres in Waitara, Bell Block and Inglewood.

newplymouthnz.com NewPlymouthDistrictCouncil @NPDCouncil Forestry venture a win-win Above: Forestry workers and members of the Ngāti Maruwharanui iwi gather for iwi and NPDC at the Te Upoko o Te Whenua Marae to celebrate the success of the joint venture.

A 30-year partnership between NPDC and Ngāti Maruwharanui iwi is reaping rewards for the whole district with the success of a joint forestry venture.

The trees were harvested from prosperous communities and this “The agreement started with the about six hectares in Tarata venture shows how we can help Inglewood District Council in the 1980s recently and have netted a healthy that happen by planning our future,” and was completed in unison with the profit for both sides. says NPDC Chief Financial Officer NPDC,” says Mr Peri. The joint venture began with Ngāti Alan Bird. “This agreement we had with the Maruwharanui providing the land “This venture is a win-win for council has strengthened our and NPDC supplying funding and everyone involved.” relationship and also enhanced our resources. Te Upoko o Te Whenua Marae Chair integrity as an entity to do business NPDC’s agreed share of the return Nathan Peri said the harvest fulfilled with.” was 60 per cent, which has brought a 30-year vision of the iwi kaumātua NPDC manages 333 hectares of the district about $170,000. and the funds would help secure the commercial forestry on NPDC land and “The success of our district is built on future of the marae at Tarata. joint ventures with other land owners.

Investing in RETREAT our community

NPDC is helping out our community partners with TARANAKI FUTURES cash from the Community Investment Fund. We’re giving $25,000 over five years for We’re giving $25,000 over three years for Taranaki Retreat Trust. The funding is Taranaki Futures. The funding will go to We are investing nearly for the support team for the suicide- the Accelerator Programme, which gives $200,000 to assist our prevention charity, which provides a year 12 and 13 students the chance to strategic partners and lend a place for those dealing with tragedy find the right careers for them through hand to community services. or life-challenges. mentors including working with NPDC.

newplymouthnz.com NewPlymouthDistrictCouncil @NPDCouncil