08 May 2008

Events / Projects / Happenings :

1. Garden Party -- to commemorate Kaiapoi being awarded the 2007 KNZB Best Town Award ( Cat. B )

His worship the mayor Ron Keating, District Councillors, Community Board Members, family, friends and members of the community attended a garden party on the 9th of March 2008 to celebrate Kaiapoi being awarded KNZB Best Town Award ( cat. b ) 2007.

A commemorative plaque was unveiled by mayor Ron Keating, a commemorative golden elm tree was planted by the mayor's wife Shona Keating and Kaiapoi Beautiful Towns Committee presented the KNZB Best Town Award Trophy to the people of Kaiapoi.

It will be permanently on display in the Kaiapoi information centre for all to treasure.

2. Eighty special flags with the Keep New Zealand Beautiful logo on will fly all through Kaiapoi.

These flags will state "Kaiapoi , Best Town in New Zealand".

3. World Environment Day project - 2nd to 8th of June 2008

We will plant seventy trees ( 35 natives & 35 exotics ) during the week as part of stage two of our beautification of the Glenvale Reserve bordering the northern motorway. We have received $6,470 community funding from the Ministry for the Environment towards this approved beautification project.

This is a world wide event and will receive a lot of media exposure.

New Zealand is hosting this year's important United Nations event in Wellington. The official press statement from Trevor Mallard's Office gave full details of the various World Environment Day approved projects.

4. Promotion of Keep New Zealand Beautiful .

KNZB is regularly being promoted throughout Zone 5.

Community groups are being encouraged to participate in anti-litter campaigns. In Kaiapoi the local walking club actively participates in Clean Up New Zealand Week. Very recently a local church group of mothers (coffee group) and their children went out armed with brushes, shovels, gloves and the official green KNZB rubbish bags to clean up the town of Kaiapoi.

This gained front page attention in the local paper, Northern Outlook, North Canterbury's best-read paper .The article was supported with a photo of the group picking up glass etc in a local park.

Also the KNZB stamps are being widely promoted and sold in the Waimakariri District.

5. Coast guard mural

I am working closely with the Coast guard to organise a special mural on a large wall of the Coast guard building.

This will avoid possible future tagging and beautfy the area.