2151 days ago

Piling are in at HAC

Annette Lambly-Robinson Reporter from Whangārei Leader

A significant milestone in the building of Whangarei's Hundertwasser Art Centre was marked last week with the completion of the piling.

Seventy five hollow steel tubes have been sunk into the ground at depths of between 28-35 metres to create the piles. These were then excavated before the remaining holes were filled with steel and concrete to form the piles.

Trust chairman Grant Faber said the piles all reach down to the bedrock which lies beneath the town basin.
"The piles are the feet that will anchor the building to the ground but the connection is symbolic too. Hundertwasser's vision for the site is now physically connected to where the centre will soon stand," Faber said.
" Everyone has been pleasantly surprised with how smoothly it has gone."
The next stage in construction is to form and pour the concrete bond beams which link all the piles together before installing sub-surface services and then the concrete slab early in the new year.
The centre is due to be completed late 2020.

More messages from your neighbours
23 days ago
20 hours ago

Six tips for improving security around your home

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

1) Improve outdoor lighting
Ensure that streets, driveways, and front yards are well-lit. Motion-sensor lights around homes deter trespassers by reducing hiding spots and illuminating their movements.

2) Trim your trees
Overgrown shrubs and trees provide cover for intruders. Keeping them well-trimmed around windows and doors improves visibility and reduces potential hiding spots.

3) Secure Entry Points
Ensure doors, windows, and gates are always closed when you are away from the house. Upgrade to more secure locks, deadbolts, or even smart locks for added protection.

4) Add a security camera
Place security cameras in the main entry points to your home. Doorbell cameras are also relatively cheap and a great way to keep track of who is visiting your home when you aren't there.

5) Start a Neighborhood Watch Program
You could reach out to members on Neighbourly to form a group of neighbors who can regularly keep an eye out for suspicious activity and report it. You could also check with Neighbourhood Support to see what is existing in your area.

6) Introduce yourself to your neighbours
The closer you are to your neighbors, the more likely they’ll notice when something unusual or suspicious is happening around your property

Feel free to share anything that you do around your area to deter crime.

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4 days ago

Walking your dog or your dog walking you in Tikipunga

Kristi Neighbourly Lead from Tikipunga

Here are two great places to take your pooch out and about in Tikipunga - Beasley Park and the Hatea River walk.

Beasley Park, Tikipunga
Beasley Park is a suburban park close to Beazley Crescent. It is a calm place to play off-leash with a good variety of shade, sun, slopes and flat spaces. It is a quiet neighbourhood park with an interesting central waterway to explore.

Hātea River Walk
The Hatea River walkway is a dog-friendly place for on-leash exploring, with a forested walkway passing through several parks and suburbs starting from Otuihau/Whangārei Falls in Tikipunga and leading all the way to the central city at Riverside (about 6 kilometres)
There are well-established pathways (your dog must stay on leash and stick to the paths). Expect lots of passing foot-traffic - including kids.
Take a picnic, a ball, or other park activities. You will need to take rubbish home with you.