The name is almost sleep inducing. The Wangapeka repairs and maintenance sub-committee. Yawn. Despite the long winded name, it is currently enjoying a renaissance. Thanks to the efforts of Glenn Harley and Board secretary Tim Leyland a whole lot of new energy has arrived. Over Queens Birthday weekend the committee met and decided to press ahead with planning some major developments as well as some minor fixits. Fixits? Maybe that is a better name for the committee?
First off, Keith Rowan has started drawing up plans for Mike’s tool shed to be converted into three equal size bedrooms for use by volunteers. Glen, a Christchurch based and qualified builder is keen to give a hand with this.
And then there is the electricity supply, a perennial problem at Wangapeka as the circuits regularly trip out in winter just when more heating is required. Tim is researching the cost of bringing extra lines and another transformer to the property.
Both these projects are “capital” rather than “maintenance” and funding is not yet sorted. But planning in itself does not cost much and you have to start somewhere. These initiatives will be reported on again as they unfold.
Wait there is more. Major improvements have been made at Skydancer hut thanks to the generosity of a donor and now some more improvements are planned to finish off the job. This involves bringing in a gas fitter, moving the long drop and some other minor works.
Finally there are some problematic trees at Wangapeka. An offer has been made to help fund the felling of some pines that are currently leaning on or threatening the big old beech tree. Land caretaker Patrick is going to make an inventory of problematic trees, take some photos and talk to an arborist.
