Upper Hutt Is A Military City
When one looks at the changing nature of the Wellington Region, Upper Hutt sticks out most for all the recent and ongoing additions to the fabric of this city.
But it is really the rise and rise of the military presence that sets Upper Hutt apart from other cities and towns in NZ.
Trentham Military encampment is large and from its bowels every evening at 5pm sharp, a sole bugle rings out for all within its range to know the time of day.
The military and the Department of Defence occupy a lot of Upper Hutt's land, a number of buildings including a great share of the attractive former General Motors building and one right in the centre of the CBD, as well as a lot of residential properties with a number in the process of being constructed near the camp's Davis Park.
And the full force of the military presence is felt every ANZAC Day at 6am at the UH civic centre as a witness to the prominent dawn service that Upper Hutt stages.
The officers of the military usually turn up at the impressive UH Cossie Club after the ANZAC public service for a hearty breakfast along with hundreds of locals.
Just a five minutes walk from the Military Camp is NZ's largest prison. It is these two entities that create a lot of the wealth and commercial activities that is Upper Hutt.
STILL IN THE GAME
The Hurricanes fell short a few metres shy of the finishing line. An inspired Chief's team and three forward passes - with two of them perhaps not so - cost us the Super Rugby Pacific grand final at a packed out Sky Stadium against the Blues.
The weekend was not the best thing happening for Wellington as the Pulse went down in extra time to the Tactics in Christchurch to give up the lead in the netball championship and the Saints move up the basketball championship ladder was halted by the Bulls - also after extra time.
Well in 2024 Wellington in the best regarded domestic and Pacific sport championships still has done and is still doing very well and overall is almost certainly the leading province in NZ sport for 2024.
The Phoenix team stretched their season in the A-League right through to the semi finals. Wellington Firebirds (men) won crickets prestigious 4-day Plunket Shield for the 2023-24 season and the Wellington Blaze (women) won the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield for one-day cricket for yet another season.
DEMOCRACY FALLOUT, FAILING
One watches in horror as the democracy of the USA is all to quickly dismantling. The Supreme Court is the latest in a long line-up to go really rogue. After years of being tampered with politically.
Of course would-be dictator, corrupt and criminal villain Trump and Trumpism has opened up a festering wound that is probably too deep now to successfully patch up.
NZ has not got the American system of democracy thank goodness and has often been internationally ranked first or in the top three as the world's most democratic and least corrupt country in the world.
But there is cuttings at the edges of our democracy not the least displayed by the current Government. Examples are breaking election-gaining promises and even in the one they kept - tax cuts - by borrowing more than the defeated Labour-Green Govt has to cement in the financial shortfall of the tax reduction, and by going further in cutting out thousands of jobs in the public sector which also impacts on the private sector.
Do you volunteer or know someone who does?
It's NZ Volunteer Week (16-22 June) and we know there are real good sorts in your community.
Often these kind acts and regular volunteering efforts go unnoticed but let's put a stop to that.
Let us know below who is making a difference in your neighbourhood so we can all appreciate them for the great work that they do!
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