A good turnout of locals for a cold Saturday morning during school holidays, including the attendance of 15 community groups, was a sign the Hāwea Community Association’s (HCA) fresh approach to meetings was a success.

The HCA hosted a ‘community connections’ event on Saturday (June 28) morning at the Lake Hāwea Community Centre, which included a free pancake breakfast.

HCA acting chair Cherilyn Walthew told the Wānaka App the organisation decided to try something different to attract people.

“We figured people might come along for a free breakfast - and they kind of did,” she said.

The meeting was “more about getting people out and involved in what is actually happening in Hāwea”, Cherilyn said, with display tables for groups set up around the Lake Hāwea Community Centre while the food hatch was open and cooks made and served breakfast.

Tanea Hawkins (left) learns more about Community Link from Kenzie Mastronardi.

Groups included everything from Hāwea’s community centre committee, the Lake Hāwea Stakeholders Group, local developers, Friends of Hāwea Flat School, Hāwea Playgroup, the Lake Hāwea Foreshore Group, and Community Link, through to the local cemetery trust and Moggy Rescue Squad.

The fire brigade turned up with VR (virtual reality) goggles to show people how to get out of a burning house; the Guardians of Lake Hāwea displayed information about their opposition to Contact Energy’s proposal to lower the lake level; and Winterstellar showed their plans for a Hāwea dark sky reserve.

The association holds regular community meetings throughout the year, including an AGM in October, but Cherilyn said most people who attend those meetings already volunteer with other local groups.

“We are usually preaching to the converted,” she said. 

“We want to expand to the rest of the town. The meetings don’t have to be formal meetings, and the easy way to tell people what you’re doing is to actually show them.”

Saturday’s event also gave the HCA an opportunity to tell people about the financial donations it has made over the past 12 months, which totalled $28,700. 

The donations included $5,000 to Community Link’s Cold Kids campaign, $1,500 to Hāwea Flat School for a mural, $5,000 to the Hāwea Food Forest for a new tunnel house, $2,000 to the Hāwea Playgroup’s new sandpit, $2,500 to the Lake Hāwea Fire Brigade for its participation in the annual Sky Tower challenge, $3,000 to Upper Clutha Tracks Trust towards the planned new Hāwea River Track, funding for planting and maintenance between Grandview and John Creek, and a donation to WAI Wānaka for a visit from the Otago University Marine Studies Aquavan.

“A lot of our money comes from our green waste [facility], [and] some from donations, some from subscriptions,” Cherilyn said.

“We want to encourage people to pay their subscriptions - which are only $20 annually. It goes towards good stuff.”

She said the HCA also wants to get more people involved in its activities. Interested people can contact the group directly ([email protected]) or via the HCA website.

Cherilyn said the success of the event means the HCA may take “a slightly different approach to the AGM” later this year.

“We need to facilitate events that are more appealing to people,” she said.

Cherilyn thanked Saturday’s event sponsors Fresh Choice Hāwea, Hāwea Store and Kitchen, and Pirate Pickles.

PHOTOS: HCA