Scenic Soundscape is excited to announce the release of our first live session, filmed at the breathtaking Ōrua-pouanui – Baring Head Lighthouse! Explore the captivating stories of this land, set to the vibrant sounds of Bruce. Please subscribe if you want to follow the Scenic Soundscape Journey. Aroha NuiRead More →
The Eastern Bays Community Resilience Expo was a great success but had a lower turnout than we hoped for. We hope to change that. If you attended, or even if you didn’t – we would like to hear from you. Please complete the following form as much as you can, we want your opinions and ideas on where to go next and what to next time. Thank you! If you want a reminder, the Expo details are here. If you are interested in details, a report on organising the event is available , and also my analysis of what to do in future (both are sharedRead More →
A request from the Historical Society of Eastbourne: We’re currently working on a digital photo sequence to be screened at the Eastern Bays Community Resilience Expo on 24th March, depicting extreme weather events, bushfires and other natural disasters that have affected the Eastern Bays in past decades. In our archive collection we have many historical photos of such events, but we’d like to include more recent images as well, covering the last 25 years – especially of storms, flooding and slips, and the damage they’ve caused. So if you have any digital photos that would fit the bill, and wouldn’t mind sharing them, Ali Carew would be very grateful! Please emailRead More →
Information for exhibitors About expo and individual registration – Exhibitor information and registration Sunday 24 March Enter the school from 7:30am or 8:30am (as notified) from Oroua St gates where you’ll be checked off and then follow the directions of the friendly marshals. You will be given a row number where you will set up your stall. Outside rows will be filled in the order of arrival. Indoor stalls have allocated positions. You will be directed to drop off as close to your stall site as possible, but as space is restricted – be prepared to carry your own materials from the field* to yourRead More →
The event runs from 10am to 3pm on Sunday 24 March. Access to the site for emergency services will be from 7:30am, other groups from 8:30am. All exhibitors must be clear by 4:30pm unless other arrangements have been made. If you are just planning to attend, public information and registration is here. Confirmed stakeholder exhibitors include WREMO, FENZ, HCC, WFA, WE*, CAB, Neighbourhood Support and more There is no charge to non-profit exhibit0rs. There is also no charge to commercial exhibitors but we ask you offer a suitable spot prize or service to encourage the community to attend. You can make a donation instead ifRead More →
The event has come and gone! Thanks to all who contributed and/or came along! A report on this will be published in tye future – if you would like toget this update, or indeed any updates about the community/ from the community board – you can subscribe to our newsletters here. Are you ready? Do you have a plan? What will you do in an emergency? Will you be safe? Who will you contact and how? This expo is intended to activate and support our community to become safer and more resilient as an individual, family / whanau and community / kāinga. It’s FREE! ItRead More →
Submission on Adaption to Climate Change A small local group of people who have an interest in adaptation to climate change has been preparing a submission to the Parliamentary Committee for the Environment, which is conducting an inquiry into the issue of community-led retreat and options for it. The latest Eastern Bays Climate Change Network news email has more detail and a link to the draft submission.Read More →
As expected, the ECB has had a busy start to the year. I acknowledge the ongoing support and incredible work ethic from Board members Frank Vickers (Deputy Chair), Murray Gibbons, Emily Keddell, Bruce Spedding and Tui Lewis. Point Howard slip: The Point Howard Residents Association, led by Allison Gandy, plays a significant role in liaising with Council and Wellington Water and communicating with residents following the significant slip event on 14 March. This demonstrates the importance of active, well-connected resident associations in the Eastern Bays and is a reminder of how vulnerable many areas of Eastbourne residents can be. The ECB’s Bruce Spedding continues to focusRead More →
(originally published in the Eastbourne Herald February 2023). More information on Eastbourne Civil Defence and Emergency Preparedness. As demonstrated so graphically in the latest weather events, the official emergency and support services may not be able to respond to every issue and will have to prioritise. This is especially true of the Eastern Bays as we are easily isolated and represent a small part of Hutt City. This means communities like ours will have to pitch in and look after each other. The most important thing is to keep up to date and informed. The failure of virtually all forms of communication and power haveRead More →
Report from Eastbourne and Bays Climate Response Meeting 16/11/22 The climate network is off to a great start. We now have 63 members, a wealth of information and projects set up to carry on into the new year. At the first meeting only a month ago a number of people volunteered to gather information or form a group to work on a particular issue. Here’s what happened!!! (this report is also available for download) Eastbourne Community Board – the creation of this network was facilitated by the EastbourneCommunity Board which will host the website, manage the contact list and pay some costs such as theRead More →
GROUP REPORTS FROM CLIMATE MEETING Find out more about the Climate Response Network We had a really positive inaugural meeting of the Eastern Bays Climate Network. It was great to see so many people engaging with people they had never met and the enthusiasm for positive action. I have attached the full list of ideas so those who were unable to come can see what was canvassed so far. If there is anything on the list you would like to become involved in let me know and maybe other groups will develop. * Meeting Wednesday November 16 St Ronan’s Hall – after that we may not meetRead More →
The recent Climate Change Response meeting featured presentations including one by Belinda Storey talking about the impact on insurance of climate change. This topic is also covered by this item / podcast and worth a listen. Emma Vitz, an actuary who specialises in natural perils and climate-based risk, talks to The Detail about the work she does, and how this crucial, global industry is approaching the known-unknowns of climate change. Read More →
At the recent Eastern Bays Climate Change Response meeting Belinda Storey of Climate Sigma spoke about the impacts of climate change on insurance, and what insurance providers response tell us about what to expect. This article in Stuff – Homes to start losing access to insurance within 15 years – report, is just one of many that are now appearing in the media, telling us about what to expect in the future. Radio NZ also features a warning – Building in flood-prone locations needs to stop, insurer IAG says If you want to stay informed on this issue with respect to the Eastern bays youRead More →
On Wednesday 3rd August 2022 we hosted an information meeting to get a community perspective on how climate change and specifically sea level rise will impact the Eastern Bays, and start the discussion on how to respond. With an attandance of over 100 locals, councillors and officers the evening featured a range of information, some global but mostly looking at the local impacts. It included insights into how risks are viewed and may be managed, how we must respond to what is inevitable as well as act to restrict the extremity of what could happen. We had 4 presentations from experts covering various aspects ofRead More →
Ministry of Environment have released the National adaptation plan which aims to support all New Zealanders to adapt, live and thrive in a more damaging climate. Included in the information is Climate change and communities:what the national adaptation plan means for you – The plan outlines a programme of work to support communities to better understand the climate impacts that affect them and adapt to build their resilience. The Eastern Bays Climate Response Network is our way of responding to this challenge. This was initiated at a meeting hosted by the Eastbourne Community Board and featured expert speakers on the various areas of critical interestRead More →
ECB in conjunction with HCC and Eastbourne Library are trialing an electronic noticeboard to provide an alternative information source for those who don’t use social networks. This trial is running in the window of the library and contains a series of screens with community information, including some information which will update automatically such as weather forecasts. Projects, events, services and other information will be featured, and we are keen to get feedback on what the community would find useful. Send us your thoughts here.Read More →
Sea level rise is a real issue for Eastbourne – the recently released mapping system highlights not only the levels of sea level rise we can expect, but also the compounding effect of geololgical sinking, we are going down while the sea is coming up. TVNZ news report (Eastbourne features in second video) The Searise mapping system can be accessed here Read More →
In 2014 the Eastbourne Community Board conducted a survey of Eastbourne and the Bays to gauge the wellbeing and satisfaction of the residents and to identify issues of importance to the community. The information gathered in the survey could then be used to guide the Board in representations to Hutt City Council and to provide data that could be referred to in the event of any regional amalgamation. The data from the survey could be used by individuals, community groups and businesses to make Eastbourne’s voice heard in a larger government structure. Questions in the survey were designed to find out the priority residents placedRead More →
You may have seen or heard that the NZ SeaRise: Te Tai Pari O Aotearoa programme has released location specific sea level rise projections out to the year 2300 for every 2 km of the coast of Aotearoa New Zealand. Following delays due to covid and also waiting while HCC group consulted and gathered info on what’s actually being done locally the Eastbourne Community Board will be initiating / organizing community meetings so that we can understand future sea level rise scenarios for Eastbourne and the Bays and work together to respond. Eastbourners are a capable, resilient lot. We love where we live. We canRead More →
Eastbourne has dramatic weather being situated adjacent to Wellington Harbour and Cook Strait. Access via the coastal road can be closed by high seas and it’s important to check conditions when the weather is bad. The coast road out to Pencarrow can also be dangerous in storm conditions. The communities are squashed into the hills, so flooding can also occur, and strong winds are always possible. The harbour must be treated with respect, with rapid and dramatic weather changes always possible, so always check the forecast and tides, and make sure to be safely prepared when venturing out onto the water. Centerport has wind metersRead More →
Resilience Expo Digital Display Rotation (Eastbourne Library inside & outside) - click anywhere to close.