Press Release – Date: 5/11/2015

Community groups call on residents of Paparangi, Woodridge Newlands, and Johnsonville to “Sign Your Support” to establish a new Community Board.

Two Northern Wellington Residents groups (JCA and NPPA) today announced the launch of a campaign to attract 2000 signatures in support of an application to formally establish a new Johnsonville-Newlands Community Board.

Since announcing plans to apply for a Community Board on 9th June, surrounding suburbs have been consulted and boundaries have been finalised. Suburbs included in the proposed new Johnsonville-Newlands Community Board application are Newlands, Paparangi, Woodridge & Johnsonville. Residents from these suburbs will be covered by the proposed new Board, and all voters registered in that zone are urged to “Sign your Support” to the application now.

Establishment of a new Community Board is aimed at increasing effective representation at Wellington City Council for the people resident within the Community, and improving democracy at the Community level. Amid the challenges of rapid new residential development (and medium density re-development) of the area, a Community Board is needed to coordinate and lead community-led solutions for WCC, so that the environment and quality of life for this community is maintained as demands on infrastructure continue grow at record rates.

Under Schedule 6 of the Local Government Act, a community-initiated proposal to establish a Community is required for WCC to consider a resolution to establish a new Community Board. A petition with the signed support of at least 10% of all registered voters living within the Community is required in support of the application.

Full details, benefits, “Q&A” and boundaries for the proposed new Community Board are available on a website www.NewCommunityBoard.co.NZ and on Facebook. (This FAQ is also available on the “downloads” page of this website).

Residents are encouraged to become fully informed.

“Its time for our four suburbs’ to take charge of their own future, and creating a new Community Board the best chance to achieve that”. Says Community Board application co-ordinator and JCA President, Graeme Sawyer. “Our people love their Community, but they know it has not been treated well by the powers-that-be in years gone by. The huge and ongoing growth we have underway right now will badly erode our quality of life, unless we put this mechanism in place to ensure our needs are better understood, and met, by WCC in the future”.

Residents of Newlands, Paparangi, Woodridge & Johnsonville can sign their support for the proposal at community events and local retailers over the next two months. “The number of supporters we need to attach for our application is huge, so we need people to be proactive, and hunt down places where they can sign it” says Sawyer. “It’s a tiny thing for people to do, but we expect the benefits to our Community over time will be substantial”.

Volunteers will attend stands at many community fairs and events over the next two months to gather signatures of residents from within these four suburbs. Supporters are asked to sign early, and to encourage their friends & families to do the same. Events in the coming week where residents may “sign your support” include: Saturday 7 November – Johnsonville Mall (9am-5:30pm) – Paparangi School Gala (10:00am – 3:00pm) Sunday 7 November – Johnsonville School Community Market – 7:00am – 3:00pm) – St Brigids School Fair (10:00am – 3:00pm)

Organisers hope to submit their application to WCC in February 2016, and it is hoped that the first Community Board Election will be held at the Local Body Election in October 2016.

Contact: Graeme Sawyer, President, Johnsonville Community Association Inc. Ph 027 444 1748 Email JCAinc2@gmail.com

The proposed new Johnsonville – Newlands Community board includes Woodridge and Paparangi, as outlined in this Map.

All residents of these suburbs are urged to actively seek out the opportunity to sign our petition in support of establishment of the new Johnsonville – Newlands Community Board, at public stands and displays at events and in shopping centres throughout the summer of 2015-2016.

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JCA say that the massive loss of parks and greenspace over the last 2 years MUST STOP!

Please, help fight the conversion of Alex Moore Park land to carparks. What can you do? – write or phone your Councillor, to the Mayor, and tell them they must find alternative car parking options that don’t sacrifice flat, playable public areas .