Community coming together at Hannahs Bay Reserve, Rotorua

August 2010

For nearly a decade, Hannahs Bay Reserve on the southern shores of Lake Rotorua has drawn hundreds of people to it - no longer just as a place to walk dogs and play by the lake - but as a place to work together on the restoration of a wetland, community plantings and landscaping, and community gardens. A place to "build community".

A Strategic Plan has been formalised in April 2010, to guide the future of work together. The purpose is:
'To foster the emergence of our community as one that stewards natural resources, healthy communities and responsible caring citizens for the sake of future generations; mokopunatanga'. (See image and poem from Strategic Plan below).

Denise La Grouw helped initiate this work, and presented to the Bay of Plenty Community-led Development Forum in April. When Barbara MacLennan of Inspiring Communities caught up with her recently she mentioned some of the local community gardening activities which have eventuated from that event.

For example: "Kiri from Sunset Primary School and the Fordlands community approached us in terms of supporting them. So now we are working alongside them to develop a holistic program linking their young people (lots of boys especially) with environmental education, lifeskills and school garden/community garden/restoration activities. The young people themselves are doing the planning and research about costs, and helping apply for funding to bring their plan to life.

"We've also been asked to work alongside some Ohinemutu people (where the Forum was held) to support their focus on developing community gardens and restoration of their wetland areas and waterways. We're thinking together about a community workshop."

Images: Strategic community led planning for Hannahs Bay Reserve - a decade on.

From the cover of the Hannah's Bay Community Restoration Trust Strategic Plan 2010 - 2013:

With the strength gifted to us by generations
past, we work with Aroha with love.
This is about our chidlren, and the generations yet to come
It is about celebrating the unique diversity that exists
in all life.
It is about restoring communities, both ours
and the incredible communities of life
It is about our water, the blood that flows
around the earth

YOU matter.
Your Voice matters. Your Ideas matter
Your Action matters
and it matters most to our
youth, our children and generations yet to
come.

Our Future. Our Choice.