The Kāpiti Coast District Council will make the most of quieter roads during the school holidays to make improvements to Rimu Road. For two weeks, from Monday 15 April until Friday 26 April between 7.30am and 5pm, the Council’s contractors will carry out repair and resurfacing works on the section of Rimu Road between Ihakara Street and Raumati Road. A detour will be in place to reduce the amount of through traffic moving through the worksite.

Group Manager Infrastructure Services Sean Mallon says these important works will help keep this busy road up to scratch.

“We’ll replace the existing surface with a new asphalt surface to repair wear and tear and help keep this busy road waterproof.”

Mr Mallon says he’s aware it’s a busy road, connecting Paraparaumu to Raumati, so Council and the contractors carrying out the work will doing everything possible to minimise disruption.

“We’ll carry out the work in stages during the school holidays while the roads are quieter. We’ll start at the southern end of Rimu Road (near Raumati Road), moving north to finish just south of the businesses near the Ihakara Street intersection. We need to keep access open for these businesses, so this part of the road will be resurfaced at a later date to minimise disruption for them.”

To carry out the work efficiently and safely, Council will reduce the amount of traffic using this section of road, by having two types of traffic management in place:

• A detour will be in place to direct through traffic to use the alternative route, via Ihakara Street, the main road (old SH1) and Raumati Road.

• Stop/go will be in place to let residents, buses, pedestrians, cyclists and business customers through.

Signage will be in place, and traffic managers on site will direct people as they approach, depending on where they’re going.

“Managing traffic on this busy road will be complex, so there are likely to be delays, but we’ll do everything to keep them to a minimum. Please follow the direction of staff on site or ask for direction if you’re unsure, and avoid the area if possible.”

Sarah Frater teaches fruit tree pest management at community garden party

Codling moth in your apples? Leaf curl on your peaches? A rare chance to workshop with fruit tree master Sarah Frater is coming up on 28 April in Raumati South, as part of Kāpiti Coast District Council’s community garden parties programme.

Sarah will be at MOA community orchard for a free workshop that includes pest and disease management. MOA community orchard provides a chance to examine which trees are doing best in local sandy conditions, and discuss common issues. Sarah will look at seasonal pruning, which rootstocks are best for various soil types and locations, which varieties of tree make compatible pollinators, and which types do best in local conditions.

Sarah supplied most of the trees for the Jeep Rd orchard that was first planted in 2011. The orchard is now coming to fruition with good crops of plums, peaches, and apples. But pests like codling moth and pear slug are an ongoing issue, says orchard co-ordinator Cree Hatfield.

“There’s been a lot of codling moth in the orchard, so we’ll certainly be asking Sarah about how to manage that. We’re thrilled for this chance to benefit from Sarah’s wisdom gained over decades of working with fruit trees, without having to travel to her Edible Gardens Nursery near Palmerston North.”

Watering has also proved an issue with establishing the trees, especially in dry summers. The orchard group will be on hand to share waterwise techniques like deep pipe watering, creating mulch pockets, and providing effective shelter.

The workshop is part of the Council’s Community Garden Parties series that celebrates local knowledge on waterwise gardening, food growing, and community building through free workshops, activities, and festivities. From zucchini sizzles to wheelbarrow races, fruit tree pruning demonstrations to pou whenua making to wildplay, the parties will be happening in seven gardens across Kāpiti throughout April.

For more information on the programme, see https://www.kapiticoast.govt.nz/Our-District/on-to-it/community-garden-parties

ends

© Scoop Media