As I write this column, we are in uncharted waters at Level 2 of COVID 19 and shopping is a completely different proposition to anything in the past. At present, our businesses are open. To those who aren’t venturing out here are the options as I see it:
On our website – www.milfordshops.co.nz – we have a directory of most of our businesses and which of these services they provide.
Whatever you are doing this is the time to shop local and support our local businesses. Like most of us they will be doing it very tough, so if we have money to spend it is more important that we do that locally at this time.
The Milford Centre Plan 2015 – 2045
From the narrative of our Prime Minister in the past few weeks, we are going to have a lot more time spent at home. To those who are not aware of this plan, I suggest that if you want to know what is planned for Milford over the next 25 years, read the above plan and familiarise yourself with it. It’s on our website under ‘About Us, Our Future’.
The Vision Statement reads:
“A high quality and accessible centre expressing a strong local identity, with its own story and a friendly, relaxed community heart"
At a recent meeting held by Milford WEEPS about the water quality in the Wairau Estuary and Milford beach, one of the people in the audience commented that maybe it was his own fault that he didn’t know about how bad it was as he hadn’t got involved in any local organisations.
Well, this is so true! If he had been a member of the Milford Residents Association (MRA) – cost $10/member, $20/family – he would have been aware back in 2013/14, that local identity Peter Carter lead a group of all local organisations interested in the concept, on a ‘ground up’ plan of what they would like to see in Milford over a 30 year period.
The concept was so successful that council’s North/West planning team, who had a small gap in their schedule, were able to pick up the working group's ideas and transform them into the Milford Centre Plan (MCP) you see today – virtually unabridged.
The local board at the time applauded the nature of community leadership, and signed it off.
Within the plan are actions and which entity is to carry each out. Most of the actions the business association and MRA had to do in the first five years have been actioned, but many of council’s have not.
And this is where I come back to the point made by the gentleman in the WEEPS meeting. Because he was unaware of the Milford Centre Plan, he was also unaware that addressing the water quality in the estuary was one of the actions that had to be addressed in the first five years of the plan. And it had started – investigations found that it was not going to be a simple fix.
The Wairau Estuary boardwalk project is also in the first five years actions and again, the MRA and the business association have worked hard to ensure it comes to fruition. The plans are due to be adopted soon by the local board.
Other key points in the plan include:
This year the business association will be putting a submission to the local board that the following three key items area funded:
All these items are actions in the first five years of the plan and we’re in that fifth year now!
So check out your rates bill, think about how much of it has been spent in Milford over that last five years and if you are, like myself, unhappy with the lack of local spend, write a submission supporting the three items and reference it back to the Milford Centre Plan – a plan approved by our local board!
Winner of the Ultimate French High Tea promotion
The winner of our High Tea promotion, held in conjunction with Vive La France, was Lisa Struthers.
Lisa (front right) is pictured with Kirstin Curling (of House of Travel), Murray Hill (MBA Manager), Jaco Du Toit (Peugeot/Citroën North Shore). Thanks to House of Travel and Peugeot/Citroën North Shore for sponsoring the prize.
KEEP SAFE. LOOK AFTER ONE ANOTHER!
