Recent Announcements
New playground opened in Stebbings Valley
The new Play Area, built by WCC in the Korimako Reserve, Rochdale Drive, has awaited transfer and vesting of the Reserve from the developer to Wellington City Council before it could be completed and opened. The transfer took place in July and, on 9 August 2024, it was opened by Mayor Tory Whanau.
Short speeches by Tory Whanau and Brian Sheppard (for CPCA) noted the significance of this play area as the first recreational facility for the rapidly-growing housing development of the northern area of Churton Park. This opening also illustrated the cooperation between residents, businesses and the Council in helping to make Churton Park such a great place to live.
Brian noted that there is still much to be done, and that CPCA will continue to advocate for the provision of toilet facilities at this and other play areas. A more usable commuter footpath access across the steep gully of Stebbings Stream from the established housing areas in Melksham Drive would be a very valuable enhancement.
There was great interest in CPCA organising a community fun day to introduce this play area to local families when the warmer weather of summer approaches. CPCA will welcome support in making this a memorable day.
The opening was attended by Northern Ward City Councillors Tony Randle and Ben McNulty, MP Greg O’Connor, WCC staff, Guy Callender (Director of Best Farm, the developer of Churton Park), Marie Joubert (Collective First National), Brian Sheppard, Rod Stainer and Richard Whinam (CPCA) and other local residents.
Upgrade work is also nearing completion in Burbank reserve which will significantly increase its appeal to local residents. Although the re-grassing is not yet complete, the picture below shows local children are already enjoying this refreshed facility.
Posted 12 August 2024
CPCA Submission on WCC Long Term Plan
A submission has been prepared on this plan and will be presented to the Hearings Committee.
The following main points are the subject of the Submission:
Three Waters
Rubbish and recycling
Selling airport shares
Parking fee charges
Fireworks
Khandallah pool
Wadestown Community Centre
Larger CP Community Centre
Comments on Thorndon Quay and cycleways
Read the full oral submission here: LTP 2024-2034
Posted 22 May 2024
News from the 2024 Annual General Meeting
The CPCA AGM was held on 23 April 2024, attended by 31 people. Draft minutes of the meeting, subject to confirmation at next year’s AGM, are being prepared for posting on this website.
The meeting elected Brian Sheppard as President. He has held this position from 2016 to 2020 and since 2021.
Changes to the Executive Committee reflect two long-serving committee members (John Tiley and Brian Vincent) being unavailable this year and the election of Rod Stainer as Honorary Secretary - a role that became vacant in 2020 and had been filled by the President.
The AGM elected the following people as CPCA’s officers for 2024:
President ; Brian Sheppard
Vice President: Kevin Arlidge
Honorary Secretary: Rod Stainer
Honorary Treasurer: Priya Baskaran
Executive Committee:
Floyd Norman, Rachel Qi, Graham Thomas
Honorary Auditor: Richard Whinam
A link to the AGM Draft minutes is here. 2024 AGM draft minutes
Posted 10 May 2024
Notice of CPCA 2024 Annual General Meeting
The AGM of the Churton Park Community Association (Inc) will be held on Tuesday 23 April 2024 at 7.30pm in the Amesbury Hall 40 Amesbury Drive.
Guest speaker Anita Benbrook
Anita is a plant biodiversity specialist in Wellington City Council’s Urban Ecology section. She is the manager of the Council’s restoration planting programme, which involves restoring and connecting areas from coastal dunes to bush reserves
She will give a brief overview of the plant restoration work in our local reserves and explain how this relates to management plans and track networks.
Formal business
Members who have paid subscriptions for 2024 will consider the audited 2023 accounts and election of the President, Vice President, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer and Honorary Auditor. An Executive Committee will also be elected to manage the Association’s work in 2024.
During the AGM, reports will be tabled of CPCA’s work over the past year.
If you are interested in joining the committee, so as to play your part in this community, please contact Brian Sheppard at secretary@churtonpark.org.nz or by phone 021 082 48465 for further information.
Posted 24 March 2024
Burbank Cres Play area renewal
WCC is planning a refresh of the Burbank Crescent play area and is seeking feedback on its draft design
Key features of the proposed design include
Mainly natural materials for the equipment, to keep within the reserve setting of this play area.
A main module that has various climbing opportunities such as nets and monkey bars, alongside slides that are incorporated into the structure.
A swing set, with basket swing for multiple users and an infant and belt seat swing as well.
A small carousel and bee rocker.
A picnic table and rubbish bin, while refurbishing the existing bench seats.
New safety surfacing with rubber tiles under the more accessible equipment and compliant bark under the main module. A new path with connect the renewal site to the existing path.
Any feedback on the draft design should be sent to playgrounds@wcc.govt.nz by 5pm on Monday 8 April
Further details and images are available on the WCC website.
https://www.letstalk.wellington.govt.nz/burbank-play-area-renewal
Posted 23 March 2024
Changes coming up for Westchester Drive/Middleton Road roundabout
Wellington City Council is considering some traffic calming changes for the Middleton Road-Westchester Drive roundabout, which Waka Kotahi’s Road to Zero programme has identified as high-risk.
The proposed changes include:
· Converting the approach to the roundabout to single lane
· Installing speed cushions on the approach roads to the roundabout
· Installation of cycle handrails on the traffic islands
· Installation of ramps for better access around the roundabout
· Installing flexi post separators
· Making changes to existing road markings to accommodate the proposed changes.
What to expect:
WCC advises that “We have just completed the development phase and currently in the plan phase, we are expecting the construction to be completed by June 2024 (depending on the availability of the contractors). The physical work is estimated to take 20days.
The Council’s Transport and Infrastructure Section is prepared to receive questions or concerns from the community. The reference is SR-919082
This link will take you to the detailed plans
Posted 16 March 2024
CPCA case for a larger Community Centre in Churton Park.
The CPCA committee have prepared a submission on the WCC Facilities Network Plan, making the case for a larger Community Centre.
When the centre was opened in 2013, it was recognised that it was smaller than the ideal size. Occupancy and population growth in Churton Park and adjacent suburbs has shown that the size now is much less than it should be, as well as having no allowance for future population growth.
The full submission is available here: Submission
The Annual General Meeting of the Churton Park Community Assn (Inc)
will be held on Thursday 13 April 2023 commencing at 7.30 pm in the Amesbury Hall 48 Amesbury Drive Churton Park
Please come to our AGM to hear about the Association’s work in the past year and discus projects, opportunities and challenges in the year ahead. All are welcome.
Guest speaker
Daran Ponter (Greater Wellington Regional Council Chair) will talk about management of our waterways and roles and responsibilities of the regional and city councils.
Formal business
Members who have paid subscriptions for 2023 will consider the audited 2022 accounts and election of the President, Vice President, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer and Honorary Auditor. An Executive Committee will also be elected to manage the Association’s work in 2023.
Fresh ideas
We need fresh ideas and drive to rebuild the momentum that was lost with the Covid-19 pandemic.
We need new elected Committee members and others in less-formal roles that support specific activities.
The changes to our lives after the pandemic have made it difficult for many to give time to support their community but every little helps. If you have an interest, even in just a small part of CPCA’s work or in something that needs to be done to help our community, please talk to us and let’s find ways of helping each other.
Contact Brian Sheppard secretary@churtonpark.org.nz or by phone
021 082 48465 for further information.
Posted 26 March 2023
A larger Community Centre – Your opportunity
Please help CPCA make its case to Wellington City Council for a larger community centre and to comment on other community needs.
Wellington City Council has invited Wellingtonians, to provide their thoughts, through its Community Facilities Network Plan, on community needs.
https://www.letstalk.wellington.govt.nz/wellingtons-community-facilities
Closing date is 29 November.
CPCA will make the case for a larger community centre though the ‘Specific community facility survey’. This is one of three surveys:
• Community Facilities Survey (for all community facilities)
• A specific community facility survey; and
• A public toilet survey
Your voice on this and any of these other topics is important and so we encourage you to contribute.
Many thanks
Brian Sheppard – CPCA President. 6 November 2022
New Maximum Building Height – Churton Park
The draft District Plan, now open for consultation, allows for placing 6-storey (22m tall) buildings within the area around our Village Centre. This is on the basis the area has easy access to rapid transit public transport. That access is a requirement of the National Policy Statement on urban development (May 2022).
This link shows a map of the extent
Any views on such apartment height (or any aspect of the plan) may be submitted to Wellington City Council under the consultation process (see WCC website).
Submissions close 5.00pm 12 September.
References:
National Policy Statement on Urban Development, May 2022
Clean Up Churton Park day - Sat 17 September.
Every year during Clean Up Week, Kiwis get out in their local community to pick up litter.
This year, CPCA is coordinating a clean-up day for Churton Park on Saturday 17 September, focussing on litter in Lakewood and Churton Park Reserves. We would welcome your help here or in any other public areas of Churton Park that need a little tender loving care. We hope you can also bring along family or friends too.
How it works
Brian Sheppard is coordinating the day’s work and has arranged for WCC to provide some rubbish bags and to remove the litter afterwards. Please contact him to discuss where and when you would be available.
For the two large reserves, we will cover the main paths:
Lakewood Reserve from the entrances at:
Westchester Drive, opposite Amesbury Drive,
Westchester Drive opposite Waverton Terrace and
Lakewood Avenue Tennis Club entrance
Churton Park Reserve from entrances at:
Halswater Drive and Abilene Crescent
If you would like to work here or somewhere else, please let Brian know. In this way, we can share the work evenly and make a big impact on Churton Park.
The event will run between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., with people sparing what time they can during that period.
Thank you on behalf of the Churton Park Community Association and all who live and work in Churton Park. I look forward to seeing you on 17th.
Best wishes
Brian Sheppard - CPCA President
Contact: secretary@churtonpark.org.nz or, on the day, 021 082 48465
News from the Annual General Meeting
The draft minutes of the AGM are available on the page AGM Documents
The AGM was held on Monday 11 July, with a smaller attendance than usual because of illness. There were no City or Regional Councillors, but the local MP Greg O'Connor was in attendance. The AGM was later than the usual March date because of sickness.
The guest speaker was Liam Hodgetts, the WCC Chief Planning Officer. LIam gave a presentation on the development of Upper Stebbings and Glenside West.
In his presentation he indicated that the option of a road connection from Tawa to Churton Park is not off the table. He also indicated the next steps in the District Scheme process. The Plan will be open for formal submissions between 18 July and 9 September. He emphasised that the formal submissions will be considered by a panel of Commissioners who are independent of the political process. So if there is an issue that you want to be considered in this way, make sure that you make your submission by the due date.
You can view the presentation Liam Hodgetts presentation
The formal part of the meeting commenced with the confirmation of the minutes of the 2021 AGM held on 24 March 2021.
The minutes are available here Minutes of 2021 AGM
CPCA President Brian Sheppard presented his Annual Report. In it he stressed that 2021 was a year of transition with Brian again in the the role of President. The work plan for the year was handicapped by Covid restrictions, with many planned events and activities having to be cancelled. Looking forward the aim of CPCA is to rebuild community links, and to that end is planning with community partners for some outdoor events. You can read the full report here.
The treasurer presented the Audited Financial statement for the year ended 31 December 2021. She noted that income from subscriptions and donations was well down on the previous year, and that a real effort must be made this year to build up membership and interest in the activities of CPCA.
The Financial statement can be read here 2021 Financial Statement
Election of Committee.
The following were elected to the Committee.
President: Brian Sheppard
Vice President: Brian Vincent
Secretary: Brian Sheppard
Treasurer: Priya Baskaran
Committee: Dayandra Hettige, John Tiley, Kevin Arlidge, Rachel Qi and Vijay Chandrashekar
Auditor: Richard Whinam
Brian Sheppard indicated he would welcome others who wished to be co-opted to the committee, which would spread the workload.
Annual General Meeting coming up soon
The Annual Meeting of the Churton Park Community Assn (Inc) will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 11 July 2022 in the Amesbury Hall.
Following the election of the committee by financial members, the guest speaker is Liam Hodgetts the WCC Chief Planning Officer.
There will be a report on the Association's activities over the last year, and suggestions for future activities are welcomed.
Membership subscriptions can be paid by direct credit to account 12-3223-0079397-00 with your identification details.
Further details of the AGM and membership details are given in the latest CPCA Gazette which can be downloaded here.July 2022 CP Gazette
If you would be interested please contact the President, Brian Sheppard by email secretary@churtonpark.org.nz
Financial statement for year ended 31.12.21Posted 25.4.22
No stopping proposal for Lakewood Ave Posted 13 April 2022
Wellington City Council have advertised this proposal TR 55-22 for the addition of lengths of no stopping yellow lines along parts of Lakewood Avenue.
The full document and map are shown below, as well as information should any resident want to make a submission.
If you would like to provide WCC with specific feedback, which will be added to the Traffic Resolution following consultation and made public in full, you can do so by filling out an online submission form, downloading a printable submission form on https://www.letstalk.wellington.govt.nz/
or emailing WCC at trfeedback@wcc.govt.nz
Please note if you are giving feedback the consultation period opens at 9.00 am Monday 11 April 2022 and finishes at 5.00 pm Sunday 8 May 2022.
Covid fears delay CPCA’s AGM.Posted 25 February 2022
At this time of year, residents expect to receive a Churton Park Gazette, advising them of a date and agenda for CPCA’s AGM. Regrettably, this year’s AGM has been put on hold while there is significant fear of COVID19 spreading from a public meeting.
Under the current COVID response level, attendance would be limited to those with vaccine passports, wearing masks. The number of attendees would be capped and minimum seat spacing requirements followed.
Even with those precautions, our tentative enquiries indicate that here is still a reluctance, both by the community and potential guest speakers, to attend indoor community meetings such as this. We understand that other organisations that normally hold their AGM at this time of year, have reached the same conclusion.
We will therefore hold back the Gazette until we can give notice of the AGM.
Thanking you for your continued support.
Brian Sheppard
CPCA President
New track now open. Posted Thursday 9 Dec 2021
Following the construction of two bridges, the track from the Stebbings Dam Recreation Area to Rochdale Drive is now open. This provides an alternative route for pedestrians and cyclists from Westchester Drive to Rochdale Drive and Stebbings Valley. More work will be required to bring it up to an acceptable standard.
Further information on the page Walking Tracks
Johnsonville-Moorefield Roads Intersection Safety Improvements Posted Wednesday 3 Nov 2021
Wellington City Council wants to hear from you about your experience of the safety and accessibility of the Johnsonville-Moorefields Road intersection
The roundabout services an average of 40,000 vehicles on a weekday and has a high crash rate, predominantly due to a failure by drivers to give way.
The survey
WCC is asking people to take a quick survey to provide their view on risks at the intersection, potential improvements, and ways to provide better pedestrian access and cycling provisions.
We would appreciate it if you could complete the quick survey on the WCC webpage at
If you are unable to complete the survey online, a paper copy can be found at Johnsonville Library, 34 Moorefield Road, Johnsonville. The survey form can be sent freepost back to the Council.
The survey closes on Tuesday 9 November 2021.
CPCA Christmas community events cancelled
Posted Monday 25 October 2021
In light of Government's precautions to limit the spread of COVID-19, CPCA has reluctantly had to cancel this year's Children’s Christmas party and Community Carols events.
We know that this will be disappointing to so many families but we look forward to a brighter future in 2022, when vaccination levels in the community allow the Government to ease these restrictions.
Help us to help you Posted Monday 25 October 2021
Churton Park Community Association (CPCA) has a committee that manages its work programme, but the team is too small to make the progress that our community deserves.
CPCA promotes the interests and concerns of Churton Park residents in discussions with the City and Regional Council. We work with local businesses, other community groups and our Member of Parliament. We also help to extend the spirit of neighbourliness as our suburb grows.
For this, we need people who share our interest in addressing matters that affect the suburb to spare a little of their time. Together, we make a difference.
If you would like to join the team, whether as Committee member or just to help us with a particular activity, please contact CPCA President, Brian Sheppard, at secretary@churtonpark.org.nz
The Committee meets at the Churton Park Community Centre, 7:30 p.m. on the first Monday of each month to develop and manage our work programme.
We look forward to hearing from you
Brian Sheppard – CPCA President
A word from the webmaster Posted Mon 20 September 2021
Thank you for visiting the site of the Churton Park Community Association.
The site has just been transitioned to New Google sites, so things will look a bit different. There are also still a few gremlins which I need to chase down, and some of the information needs to be updated and expanded.
To navigate to the pages on a small screen, use the "hamburger" icon in the top left corner (three stacked parallel lines) which will expand the page directory.
Check out some of the new material, including the section on walking tracks in Churton Park and the photo gallery.
Also note that this is a "secure" site (see padlock symbol in browser bar).
Come back again to see how it looks.
John Morrison Webmaster Churton Park Community Assn.
Have you had your Covid-19 vaccinations yet? posted 26 Sept 2021
Churton Park has escaped the worst of the problems so far but that is little consolation to those who have lost family members and friends, or whose health and livelihood have been compromised. We can neither afford to be complacent nor to be misled by the mischievous messages that circulate on social media.
New Zealanders are fortunate to have a single source of verified information, in many languages, through the Government’s ‘Unite against COVID-19’ website https://covid19.govt.nz.
If English is not your first language, please check the button at the top of the COVID19 website to access to the information in another language.
Please take time to check it out regularly for the latest information and follow its advice on what to do to stay safe. This includes:
Getting your free vaccination,
when to wear a face mask,
locations of interest,
alert boundary maps, and
work and business safety.
Let’s all do our bit and keep each other safe
posted 16 Apr 2021, 11:14
The Committee
CPCA has a strong executive committee for 2021. Members elected at the AGM held their first meeting on 12 April so let me introduce them. They are:
Alison Craig, Brian Vincent, Dayandra Hettige, John Holloway*, John Tiley, Priya Baskaran, Vijay Chandrashekar and Wade Martelletti*
* Co-opted at this meeting
Avinash Shrivastava is a committee member ex officio and Richard Whinam was elected as Hon Auditor
Some familiar names are missing, but they are not lost to CPCA as they have all offered their experience and skills as needed.
Planning the year ahead
We want people of Churton Park to be able to enjoy a range of community events and activities, regardless of who organises them. When our aims are the same, we can help each other to promote and deliver them. In that way, the whole community can benefit.
Halswater Drive kea crossing
CPCA and other community representatives have met with WCC to renew efforts to remove the uncertainty for pedestrians and motorists of the road rules that apply to this crossing point. WCC recognises the problem and hope to be able to offer a solution soon.
Buses
A question was raised at the AGM on GWRC’s progress in delivering a Real Time Information Board at the Churton Park village stop for buses to Wellington. We have now received advice that the work is programmed for installation this month.
Best wishes to you all
Brian Sheppard – CPCA President