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CHRISTMAS NEWSLETTER 2023

Nomination form pdf for Omori Kuratau Ratepayers

Omori Kuratau Ratepayers President's Report – Christmas Newsletter 2023

Greetings to you all Welcome to our last newsletter of the year and your committee’s best wishes for Xmas and 2024! Despite the news that the Waikato Regional Council decided not to initiate a review of the resource consent which defines the levels at which Mercury can manage the lake levels, we remain on high alert to do whatever we can to manage the erosion of our lake shore. The lake is quite high at the moment, as I write this, just 38cm below the maximum allowed in the resource consent. Work continues on making the beach and reserve as friendly as possible. The major damage to Omori Road has been repaired and repairs are underway to the footpath further down the road. Important news about our health and safety. We now have four new AED’s (defibrillators) installed around the village; • close to the notice board at the shop • at the community centre, relocated to the hall wall close to the road • on the toilet blocks at the Kuratau river mouth and the Kuratau ramp and • at the end of the steps close to the entrance to Floating Rock. Thanks to the Omori/Western Lake Taupo Lake First Response Charitable Trust and the Omori Kuratau Ratepayers Association who have funded these important facilities. With the new FENZ First Response team well into their training, we are now planning to replace our local first response vehicle and facilities to best support them and the community. You can read more on this in the Trust report .. and thank you all for responding to our recent request for your views on a TDC proposal to change the process of collecting refuse, it was very pleasing to get your input (some 450 responses!) and pass that on to TDC. I will be standing down as President at our AGM in January 2024 so this is my opportunity to thank you all for your support of OKRA in its endeavours to maintain and improve our village environment. My best wishes to you all, Peter Peter Britnell President OKRA   Wow another year has flown past! It has been great to be able to get back into the swing of things! The hall has had a busy year with the normal events all being able to be held our thanks to all those people who have supported Mahjong, Crafts, Indoor Bowls, Yoga, Quiz nights and Pot Lucks. Our Labour Weekend Market, although slightly smaller due to World Cup Rugby, was another great success and we look forward to a busy summer season. Dates for your calendar – Christmas Eve Carols Sunday 24th Dec – come along for an old fashioned Carols sing-a-long at 6pm. We are very lucky to have Taupo Brass in attendance this year. please bring a gold coin donation. Colour Fun Run - Thursday 28th Dec (please note change of date) – 1.30pm registration with 2pm staggered start – Entry is $2 per person and there will be lots of fun to be had. If you don’t want to participate we would love a few more volunteers – get to throw water and/or paint and have a lot of laughs along the way. The Fishing Competition is back again – with online registrations opening on Monday 18th Dec (closing on Friday 29th Dec), physical registrations will be open on Sunday 31st Dec from 2-4pm in the Hall. Fishing days are Monday 1st and Tuesday 2nd Jan with prize giving being at 6pm on Tuesday 2nd January. There are great prizes and heaps of spot prizes up for grabs. Thanks to Turangi Marine as our major sponsor along with Building Central, AME Electrical, Sporting Life and Mitre10 Mega Whanganui, Crediflex, FairTrade Plumbing as class sponsors. Please keep an eye on our Facebook page “Omori Kuratau Community” and web site for further information. www.facebook.com/omorikuratau If you would like to be included in our bi-annual newsletter please feel free to send us an email at: omorikuratau@gmail.com and we will add you to our list. Thank you to the Committee for their support this year and also the support shown from locals and Trust Friends, that continue to support the hall in many ways. We wish all a very Merry Xmas and happy New Year and let’s all do our bit to stay safe and enjoy a summer in a magic part of New Zealand. Raewyn Beattie OKCT Chairperson Over King's Birthday weekend, the D2 Trustees bulldozed a track in their block from the corner of the Whiowhio Reserve to the river.  We asked TDC what they knew about this and they said they would follow up. The latest information is that the Trustees have held a meeting to review their application and to consider downsizing or not to proceed with the development. The Trustees are to discuss this further and TDC will let us know the outcome. It will be good to get some momentum on the application. The KOPS 16th AGM is at 10:00am on January 4th 2024 in the Omori Community Hall and anyone is welcome to attend. Dave Huxley-Jones KOPS Secretary/Treasurer Dear Community Members … As we gear up for the festive season, I hope this newsletter finds you in good spirits and ready for the celebrations ahead. With Christmas and New Year just around the corner, it's a joyous time for us to come together, but it's also a time to stay vigilant, especially with the upcoming fire season and the El Niño weather pattern on our radar. Fire Season Update and Firework Safety As we head into the holidays, it's crucial to remain mindful of fire safety. The El Niño weather pattern continues to be a significant factor, bringing drier and warmer conditions to our region. This increases the risk of wildfires. Please remember to exercise caution and adhere to local regulations when using fireworks during the celebrations. Always have a designated area, keep a bucket of water nearby, and supervise children around fireworks. Let's enjoy the festivities while keeping safety a top priority. New Fire Truck - A Game-Changing Upgrade In other remarkable news, our Fire Brigade has recently acquired a new fire truck. This addition marks a significant upgrade in our firefighting capabilities. With enhanced features and improved technology, this fire truck will enable us to serve our community more efficiently and effectively during emergencies. Welcoming Our Six New Skilled Rural Firefighters! We're thrilled to welcome six skilled individuals to our firefighting team! These dedicated members have undergone rigorous training, acquiring valuable skills crucial for ensuring our community's safety. Their training encompassed a range of firefighting techniques, including fire suppression, emergency response, and rescue operations. Their commitment and expertise significantly strengthen our firefighting force, enhancing our capability to protect and serve the Southern Lakes community. Welcome to the Southern Lakes Fire Brigade family! First Response Capability Strengthened Southern Lakes First Response capability has taken a massive leap forward. We now have 5 additional First Responders, bolstering our emergency response team. What's more exciting is that we have plans to train 7 more individuals early in the new year. This means a stronger, more efficient response when emergencies strike. New First Response Vehicle Our community's safety is of utmost importance to us, and we're committed to enhancing our emergency response capabilities. To achieve this goal, we've launched a crucial fundraising campaign aimed at acquiring a new First Response vehicle. The acquisition of this vehicle is vital to bolstering our ability to respond swiftly and effectively during emergencies. The cost of purchasing and equipping such a vehicle is substantial, and we rely on the support of our generous community members to make this possible. Your donations, no matter the size, will make a significant difference. Every dollar contributes directly to the acquisition of this life-saving vehicle, ensuring a faster and more efficient response to emergencies in our region. Your support and generosity will directly impact the safety and well-being of our community members. Together, let's make Southern Lakes an even safer place for everyone. Thank you for your support. Continuing Tradition: Christmas Day Santa We're excited to continue a beloved tradition that brings joy and support to our community in a special way. Join us as we uphold the cherished tradition of our Christmas Day Santa and present delivery, a heartwarming event that not only spreads cheer but also supports an essential cause. Event Details: 🎅 Date: December 25th, Christmas Day 🎁 Time: from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM 📍 Location: Your street! For years, our community has come together on Christmas Day, carrying on this tradition of sharing gifts and goodwill. This year our Christmas Santa will also be a fundraiser towards acquiring a new First Response vehicle for our Southern Lakes community. How the Christmas Present Drop-off Works: A Guide for Newcomers 1. Dropping Off Presents at Omori Store: Parents or community members who wish to participate in the gift-giving can drop their presents into Omori Store leading up to Christmas Day, no later than 4pm on 24 December please. Names and addresses are vital to ensure the present reaches its intended recipient and if a number of gifts for the same address please pop in a clearly labelled bag. 2. The Special Delivery with Santa: On Christmas Day, our team of dedicated volunteers, along with Santa, will take all the collected presents and embark on a heartwarming journey throughout our community. We'll travel around our streets and Santa will personally deliver the presents to the lucky person. Expect plenty of noise and laughter. Volunteers will be running the streets along with the Emergency Service vehicles with donation buckets too, for those who wish to donate. Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year filled with warmth, happiness, and most importantly, safety. Warm regards, The Southern Lakes Fire Brigade The Past In 2014 the generosity of our communities, Pukawa, Omori, Kuratau and Whareroa, made it possible for the Trust to buy a 2011 4WD Ute for our First Responders, Will Shirer, Kathy and Fraser Lake. This vehicle enabled them to get safely to help sick and injured folk in our community and support them until St John was able to get here from Turangi or Taupo. We are all indebted to our First Responders for their amazing service, they have worked with unstinting kindness and knowledge for so many years. Fraser has been our sole First Responder for the last year and this is no longer fair for Fraser, nor possible for him to continue.  The Present Volunteers were sought from the community to join the Southern Lakes Volunteer Fire Brigade to become First Responders and undertake St John training. There has been an amazing response and five people have already completed the training, with seven more planning to do the training by March 2024. As these volunteers will operate under FENZ (Fire and Emergency New Zealand) they need a vehicle with the FENZ equipment (communication system, sirens etc).   You may wonder why the existing First Response vehicle would not be suitable, firstly it will be 13 years old next year and the cost to refit it will be in the vicinity of $7000. This is not a long term or viable option.   In the interim, First Responders will use the old Smoke Chaser over the busy summer holiday period until we have a suitable vehicle. Busy, yes usually over 100 call-outs. The Near Future Our community needs to buy a new 4WD vehicle (similar to the one pictured ) so First Response can serve the whole community, including the surrounding rural area. The cost - will be $90,000 fully fitted out and ready for service The timing - we are aiming for March 2024 The how - Community groups will be helping and funding will be sought from outside Trusts, but most importantly we are reaching out to our community to raise the money through your generous donations.  This vehicle is for you, your families and friends as ‘if First Response can’t get to you, they can’t help you’ HELP US TO HELP YOU Our Bank Account details are: First Response Trust 02 0560 0153240 000 Please put your name in Payee and FR Vehicle in the Reference section. Your donations are TAX DEDUCTIBLE, so email the Trust’s Treasurer Robbie Naysmith at robbieenaysmith@gmail.com so she can organise a Tax Receipt  This is exciting, let’s do it Have a wonderful Christmas and 2024  Kevin O’Hara Chairperson Omori/Western Lake Taupo First Response Trust  At the time of writing, with over half of December to go, and only 6 rats left to catch, I know we will have taken out our 5000th rat by the end of the month. Unfortunately I do not yet know which line and which trapper will be credited with this very special milestone! What I do know is that the Omori/Kuratau community has given us so much encouragement and positive support, both verbal and financial, for our trapping programme which is now in its 14th year. It is this encouragement which has assured the success of the programme and on behalf of our trapping team of 17 trappers, I can’t thank you all enough. As part of our programme we also have a fluid system of community traps which means we place rat, mustelid and possum traps where locals and visitors have spotted predators and we encourage you all to become involved and let me know where they have been spotted. A simple phone call to me at 0274 475 150 (ring or text) is all that is needed. If you would like to take part in our trapping programme please also let me know as new volunteers will always be welcomed! I would also like to thank cat lovers for placing their cats in catteries over the holidays as the large number of rabbits in the area encourages cats to go distance-hunting which often means they are almost impossible to find when you leave the area to go home and they are left behind and very quickly go feral with adverse effects for our birds. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you need further information and/or would like to become involved in any way. Have a wonderful Christmas and New Year and enjoy the birds. Very kind regards Russell Shaw, OKPMG Co-ordinator, 180 Omori Road, Phone/Text: 0274 475 150 email: sspub@reap.org.nz

Omori Kuratau Charitable Trust (Community Hall) Christmas 2023 Report

Southern Lakes Fire Brigade Report

Omori Kuratau Omori Preservation Society Christmas 2023 Report

Omori/Western Lake Taupo First Response Charitable Trust

Omori Kuratau Pest Managment Group Christmas 2023 Report