Southern View: December 18, 2018

6 Tuesday December 18 2018
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SOUTHERN VIEW
Local
News
Now
Fire rages, homes at risk
New library, park upgrade and leadership
•From page 5
WHILE HAMPSHIRE St has
had a chequered past – it’s
future is full of rejuvenation and
community spirit.
Recent years have seen the
opening of a new library, upgrades
at Wainoni Park and the
rise of Aranui Community Trust
Incorporated Society, which runs
the tool shed, a walking group,
community
lunches,
amongst a
range of other
services.
Rob
Davidson,
who is the
Rob Davidson
husband of
Mayor Lianne
Dalziel, has been chairman of
ACTIS for 18 years.
“I went to the recent Affirm
celebration and I sat there with
Sandy Kaa, our kaumatua and
looked around at all the positive
changes. I actually became quite
emotional,” he said.
“The people were just so engaged.”
Mr Davidson said the area had
managed to achieve so much in a
short period of time.
“There’s the new $6.5 million
community hall . . .the new
library and we’ve shifted the playground
from behind the shops,
there’s been community plantings
days, it’s really opened up now so
houses overlook it and it’s much
safer,” Mr Davidson said.
Hampshire St’s high deprivation
index and low income rates
meant ACTIS’s role in the community
was on-going.
“You have to continue your
support. You can’t go in and then
leave again . . . it’s the sort of
thing we’ve got to carry on.”
The community spirit would
see the area flourish in the future,
Mr Davidson said.
Murals have been painted on
the shop walls, courtesy of street
artists and students from Haeata
Community Campus
as part of an ongoing
campaign by the Aranui
neighbourhood policing
team to brighten up the
area.
Constable Jules
Atkinson said the
murals brought a
passion for art and the
community together.
“This project is about
uniting us all and engaging
with one another. We’ve found a
common interest and the locals
Silivelio Fasi
THEN AND NOW:
Hampshire St in
1968 and what it
looks like today.
love it,” she said.
Te Kupenga o Aranui youth
worker and mentor Silivelio
Fasi, 28, painted
one of the murals and
was raised in the area.
“One of the key
changes is the park.
When I was younger
there was an old half
court and that was
about it, now there’s a
flash basketball court
and a path. It’s a lot
more vibrant,” he said.
Fasi said the look of the
area was changing, which was
helping outward perception.
“There’s always been gang activity
and things. But at the same
time there’s a lot of kids having
a lot of fun. Biking up and down
the street, going to the shops and
sitting outside having a pie.”
Fasi said when you go down
Hampshire St everyone says
hello, gives the nod of a head or
the friendly eyebrow raise.
“When I was young, people
thought A-town was scary.
But I strongly believe there are
downsides to any community.
There has just been a magnifying
glass over Aranui.”
before
Paul and the team at
Somerfield Upholstery
Want to thank all their customers
for their support and wish them
A very Happy Christmas
& Prosperous 2019
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& Reopen on 18 th January 2019
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after
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Wishing you a fabulous
festive Christmas and
New Year Holiday
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now servicing
oXfoRd
I’m usually more about action than reflection but this year I’m really
looking forward to a Christmas break with my family and twin daughters.
We’ve just finished a busy November with 31 written sales for the month.
As the market tends to wind down over the Christmas holidays, now is
the perfect time to think about putting your house on the market in the
new year. If you’d like to talk all things real estate, please give me call.
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