Silt Recovery Taskforce wins national award
Hawke’s Bay’s Silt Recovery Taskforce has received the Collaboration Excellence Award at the Association of Local Government Information Management (ALGIM) Awards.
The old Hawke’s Bay Farmers’ Co-op Association garage in Hastings has become home to a new mural celebrating the activities that happened in the building.
The artwork, painted by Brandon Blair of Crimson Flower Ltd., is part of Hastings District Council’s central city vibrancy enhancements.
Located at 206 Queen St West, the artwork tells the story of the Hawke’s Bay Farmers’ Co-op Association garage, and some of the people who worked there.
The Association started selling cars in 1912 from their Napier garage and at A&P shows. They were agents for Overaland and Hupmobile, then added Buicks to the range in 1914.
Records from 1925 showed the Association had a building on the corner of Market and Queen Streets – a retail store, offices and machinery story (which burned down in 1929) and was replaced by the building that sits on the corner today.
Next door was a large warehouse, which no longer stands today, the back of which was occupied by the Co-p for implement storage and a workshop. In 1925, the Association revealed plans to build a garage on this site to sell and service Buicks.
By 1929, the Hawke’s Bay Farmers Co-op Association garage was advertising its General Motors dealership connection with new Buicks and Chevrolets for sale. These American cars were shipped to New Zealand as parts, and assembled in Petone, Wellington.
The Hawke’s Bay Farmers Association ceased to exist by the 1990s and the former garage building went into various private ownerships.
Hastings District Council public spaces planning manager Rachel Stuart says the mural is an exciting addition to the enhancements that are being carried out to revitalise the city centre.
“It’s a wonderful snapshot of a piece of our history as a city, which honours our rural contribution, that has also added some colour and interest to this part of Queen Street,” Stuart says.
Hastings District Council took ownership of the building in 2019 and will soon be consulting with the community on the future uses of the site that will contribute to the vibrancy of the city.
'Common sense' cuts to government red tape will make it easier for New Zealand to deliver safe food to more markets.
Balclutha farmer Renae Martin remembers the moment she fell in love with cows.
Academic freedom is a privilege and it's put at risk when people abuse it.
All eyes are on milk production in New Zealand and its impact on global dairy prices in the coming months.
Claims that some Southland farmers were invoiced up to $4000 for winter grazing compliance checks despite not breaching rules are being rejected by Environment Southland.
According to the most recent Rabobank Rural Confidence Survey, farmer confidence has inched higher, reaching its second highest reading in the last decade.
OPINION: For years, the ironically named Dr Mike Joy has used his position at Victoria University to wage an activist-style…
OPINION: A mate of yours truly has had an absolute gutsful of the activist group SAFE.