Pare Publisher February 2018

OUTCOME OF SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING CONCERNING 11 LEVELOFF RD
Held on Tuesday 12 Dec 2017 at Sanders House
The Paremoremo Residents and Ratepayers Association (PRRA) received an unsolicited offer last November
to buy part or all of our section at 11 Leveloff Road. We called a special general meeting to seek the
community's feedback as to what action we should be taking on your behalf.
It came as no surprise to us that the overwhelming response from the meeting was to keep the land. We
all had our reasons for supporting, or otherwise, the sale of our section, and I was proud to be part of a
community that respected its neighbors sufficiently to listen to, and hear, each other’s opinions - even if we
didn’t fully agree with their point of view. Some felt that land was the safest place to keep our community
investment. Some felt we should sell and do something with the money. Others felt we shouldn’t sell as we
didn’t have a “reason” to realise the asset. We were reminded why the Jonkers family gave us the section,
and others just didn’t want the land sold as they felt it represented more than money - it represented the
heart of our community.
The meeting did ask the committee to investigate the option of reshaping the section boundaries conditional
on us maintaining both the intrinsic and commercial value of the land to Pare’ community. We will be
looking into this and taking the findings back to the community for a decision.
Thanks to all who contributed to the discussion via Facebook, in written submission and/or in attendance
at the meeting. It’s great to be part of a community that feels it belongs to a place and cares enough to get
involved.
I think the following excerpt from John Marks note, which accompanied his proxy vote at the meeting,
summarises what we all feel about Pare’ and our section:
“……….. I value all that makes us special and in particular the remarkable truth that we remain an oasis
of green in a sprawling metropolis. Also that despite the diversity of wealth, housing and social status of
our residents we tend to act as one in our dedication to our suburb.
While we come and go to our big city lives - when we come home it's to cherished solitude, birds, dog
walks, sunsets, fishing, swimming and boating in the upper harbour, no streetlights, country footpaths,
safe streets, bush, trees, fresh air, independence and most of all friends and neighbors who share what
we value.
I imagine, like me, most residents have not visited the Leveloff Road property so it’s interesting that, like
me, so many have suddenly developed a protective interest in it.
I imagine, like me, it’s because it mysteriously embodies the spirit of Paremoremo… a small patch of
green surviving in an ugly sprawling world. In a few short days it has become our focus of kaitiakitanga
or guardianship of the land.
Before most of us were born another resident cherished the same values that we cherish now and left
his land to us to protect for future generations. He entrusted HIS dream to his fellow residents and in a
way anchored the spirit of Pare on this anonymous patch of green in the centre of our community.
The Residents’ Association, SusPare, and our community groups still represent this spirit, and thanks
to the dedication of a few people through two centuries we still have Paremoremo and all it stands for
and we still have tree planting days, Christmas parties, raft races and other community events, our own
newspaper, and we still value each other. We care enough to fight for our community and lifestyle.
I think we should keep the Leveloff road property as a green heart to our community not only because
it’s important to the spirit of Pare, but because it was important to the man who donated it…..”
This issue has done wonders for our membership (we tripled in size) and we are grateful for your attendance,
votes, support and subscriptions. The PRRA would love your input into how we can best look after our
¾ acre slice of Paredise and pay for its upkeep (rates etc). We also need to fence the property, and look
forward to your support when we have a couple of working bees later this summer.
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