The grant was the largest of eight awarded to Porirua organisations, which received a combined $462,876.01.

Corinna School received $44,000 towards playground repairs, while Porirua Rowing Club was awarded $40,000 for skiffs, sculls and oars.

Toa Waka Ama received $25,500 towards an outrigger canoe and Whitby Tennis Club received $23,000 towards replacing lighting.

Porirua Community Arts was awarded $11,954 for event costs.

Ngāti Toa Tennis Club received $11,437.76 towards equipment, court hire and upgrades to its front door and deck, while Porirua City Tag NZTFI Module received $6,984.25 towards ground hire.

Across the wider Wellington region, NZCT distributed $1,099,345.35 in the funding round.

NZCT distributes proceeds from Class 4 gaming machines to community organisations.

Porirua gaming venues contributing to the funding system include Legends Sports Bar, The Mariner in Titahi Bay and The Sandbar in Mana.

New Zealand Blood Service will open the centre at 3 Heriot Drive, Todd Park, behind the Porirua Shopping Centre, from noon on 5 October.

It will be the Wellington region’s second permanent donor centre, joining the existing Newtown facility.

The Porirua centre will operate five days a week, with around 215 plasma donation appointments and 75 whole-blood appointments available each week.

Up to 25 local, regional and national New Zealand Blood Service staff will be based at the facility.

Donor Relations Team Leader Sarah Field said Porirua’s mobile blood drives had received strong support over many years.

“We’re incredibly excited to be opening our doors in Porirua. Our mobile blood drives in the city have always been really well supported, so we already know there’s a fantastic community of donors here who want to help others.”

The permanent centre means donors will no longer have to wait for mobile blood drives, while plasma donation will become available locally for the first time.

Demand for plasma is growing by around 10% a year.

“And for the first time, people can donate plasma right here in Porirua. Demand for plasma is growing by around 10% year on year, so having donor centres like this, with dedicated capacity for plasma donation, is increasingly important,” Field said.

Plasma makes up more than half of blood and is used to produce up to 11 life-saving products.

Between July 2025 and July 2026, plasma-derived medicines were used to treat nearly 20,000 New Zealanders.

Unlike whole blood donations, plasma can be donated as often as every two weeks because red blood cells and platelets are returned to the donor during the process.

Around 90,000 people live within a 15-minute drive of the new centre, which has 20 dedicated donor car parks.

The centre will open from 7.15am to 3pm on Mondays and Fridays and from noon to 8pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

A blessing for the new facility will be held on Monday morning before it opens to the public.

A new 6,000-seat stand opposite the existing grandstand has been given a rough cost estimate of around $20 million, including associated infrastructure such as parking.

The estimate was presented by Porirua City Council officials at a council briefing earlier this month and reported by Local Democracy Reporting.

If built, the new stand would roughly double the capacity of Jerry Collins Stadium from around 6,000 to 12,000 spectators, creating a significantly larger venue for major sporting fixtures and events in Porirua.

Jerry Collins Stadium is already home to Northern United Rugby Football Club and hosts Wellington Phoenix women’s matches.

The Wellington Regional Spaces and Places Strategy 2025 encourages a regional approach to investment in sporting facilities, including making better use of existing venues before building new ones.

The second stand proposal is still at an early stage and no decision has been made to proceed.

Further work would be required to establish the full cost and scope of the project. Council staff have indicated that either a business case or an initial feasibility assessment would be needed before councillors considered including the project in the city’s next Long-term Plan.

The eventual cost would also depend on what was included in the stand, with options such as corporate facilities and dedicated food-service areas potentially affecting the final price.

A 12,000-capacity Jerry Collins Stadium would give Porirua a much larger venue for regional sporting events while building on an existing facility with strong links to the city’s sporting community.

The restrictions came into force at 12.01am on Sunday, 27 September, coinciding with the start of daylight saving.

Under Level 1, sprinklers and irrigation systems can be used every second day according to a property’s street number.

Even-numbered properties can use them on even-numbered days, while odd-numbered properties can use them on odd-numbered days.

Sprinkler and irrigation use is limited to between 6am and 8am and 7pm and 9pm.

Handheld watering devices, including hoses, can be used on any day and at any time as long as they are not left unattended.

Tiaki Wai, the region’s new water services provider, said summer restrictions routinely begin with daylight saving.

Chief Operating Officer Charles Barker said managing water use early in the season could help reduce pressure on the region’s supply.

“Using water wisely now helps reduce the risk of tighter restrictions later if there is a long, hot, dry summer. Alternate-day restrictions help spread the demand across the network and reduce pressure on the supply.

“What we can do is manage the available water carefully to make sure we all have enough to get through summer and keep working to tackle the leaks from our ageing water network.”

The Wellington region relies on water from the Orongorongo, Te Awa Kairangi/Hutt and Wainuiomata rivers, along with storage in the Macaskill Lakes and Waiwhetū aquifer.

Tiaki Wai is working with Earth Sciences New Zealand to assess whether forecast El Niño conditions could result in a hotter and drier summer.

Barker said restrictions could move to Level 2 if conditions became very dry.

Level 2 would ban sprinklers and irrigation systems, although households would still be able to use handheld watering devices, including hoses.

The region has not needed restrictions above Level 2 during the past decade.

Tiaki Wai plans to publish regular information through summer showing water consumption, expected peak demand and the risk of tighter restrictions.

Residents are also being encouraged to repair leaks, take shorter showers and use water-efficient gardening methods such as deep watering and mulch.

Five familiar members are returning for another year, while Golden Thai Massage Therapy in Tawa joins the Directory as a new member.

The returning Porirua News Business Directory members are:

• Lukes TreeWalkers
• Flex Electrical
• Little Adventurers’ Early Learning Centre
• Lexus Landscaping
• The Pink Flower Truck

Together, they cover a range of services people across Porirua and Tawa use throughout the year.

Lukes TreeWalkers provides professional tree care, including tree removal, pruning, hedge trimming and stump grinding.

Lexus Landscaping helps homeowners create and improve outdoor spaces through landscaping, retaining walls, decks, fencing and other property work.

For families, Little Adventurers’ Early Learning Centre provides early childhood education and care from its Heriot Drive centre in Porirua.

Flex Electrical provides residential and commercial electrical services, along with solar installations, across the wider Wellington region.

Whitby-based The Pink Flower Truck provides fresh flowers and arrangements for birthdays, anniversaries, celebrations, condolences and other occasions.

Joining them in the Business Directory for the first time is Golden Thai Massage Therapy.

Based at Unit 5, 182 Main Road in Tawa, Golden Thai Massage Therapy offers traditional Thai massage, oil massage and deep-tissue massage, providing another option for people looking to relax and unwind.

The continued involvement of returning members, alongside new businesses joining the Directory, helps Porirua News keep community news free and accessible for people across Porirua and Tawa.

The Porirua News Business Directory gives readers a practical place to find businesses providing everything from childcare and electrical work to landscaping, flowers, tree care and health and wellbeing services.

More familiar businesses will be welcomed back as the series continues, alongside new businesses joining the Directory.

The Comic and Pop Culture Expo brought collectors, local sellers, artists, gamers and families together for five hours of browsing, trading and entertainment at Kai Tahi.

Now in its second year, WELLY-X has developed into a family-friendly event covering everything from comics and anime to movies, gaming, toys and collectibles.

Market stalls were packed with interesting finds, including comic books, figures, vintage toys, collectibles, memorabilia and locally created items.

There was also plenty happening away from the stalls.

Tabletop games were available upstairs for visitors wanting to sit down and try something new, Union Tattoo offered flash tattoos, and a Squishmallows swap session was held during the afternoon.

The expo gave local artists, collectors and sellers an opportunity to showcase their work and collections while meeting other people with similar interests.

With the event falling at the beginning of the school holidays, it also provided families with another activity in the Porirua City Centre.

Kai Tahi’s range of eateries remained open throughout the expo, giving visitors plenty of food and drink options while they explored the stalls and activities.

The combination of comics, gaming, collectibles, food and activities created a lively day at the harbourside venue, with plenty for both serious collectors and people simply looking for something different to do.

“I’m fuming,” Baker said.

“For six years, we have been pushed to confront how local government should be organised across the Wellington region. This Government turned up the pressure, told us the status quo wasn’t good enough and gave us a very tight timeframe to develop alternatives. So we did.

“Our four councils put forward a credible proposal after hundreds of hours of work and significant cost to ratepayers. You cannot spend months telling councils to be brave and work together, then lose your nerve when they do exactly that.”

Porirua City Council joined Wellington City Council, Hutt City Council and South Wairarapa District Council in supporting a proposal for a region-wide unitary authority.

Baker said the councils had engaged in good faith with the Government and their communities while responding to pressure for major structural change.

“It is difficult to reconcile this loss of nerve with a Government that demands greater efficiency from councils, threatens rates caps and continues to impose additional costs on local government.

“At a time when households are under real cost-of-living pressure, ratepayers are entitled to ask what has been achieved by putting councils through an expensive, time-consuming process only to send us back to the starting line.”

Labour’s Kāpiti candidate Sophie Handford, whose electorate includes Whitby, Paremata, Plimmerton and Camborne in northern Porirua, also criticised the delay and its cost to councils.

“Kāpiti Coast District Council and Porirua City Council were given just months to undertake significant work, commit staff time and spend ratepayer resources responding to a deadline imposed by the Government,” Handford said.

“Now, after councils have done the work National demanded of them, the Government has abandoned its own timetable and pushed the process beyond the election.”

Handford said the change raised questions about the Government’s handling of the process.

“For a Government that repeatedly talks about fiscal discipline, this is a real failure of planning and follow-through.

“People in Kāpiti and Porirua deserve a Government that treats their councils’ time and ratepayer money with respect. Decisions about the future of local government should be handled carefully and transparently, not through a rushed process that is changed after councils have already done the work.”

The Government announced on Thursday that none of the 18 Head Start proposals submitted nationally would move into detailed design at this stage.

Cabinet will instead consider the proposals in early 2027.

The Government had launched Head Start in May, giving councils three months to develop and submit proposals. In August, it said Cabinet would decide in September which proposals would progress to detailed design.

Local Government Minister Simon Watts said the overall quality of the proposals was high but more work was required before Cabinet could make final decisions.

“While the overall quality of proposals was high, none came with the unanimous view of the region, and some needed further analysis before they can progress. These are important gaps we must fill in prior to making final decisions.”

The Government identified representation, streamlined governance and the transfer and delivery of regional functions as areas requiring further development.

Rather than asking councils to undertake more detailed work immediately, officials will work through those issues over the coming months.

Baker also warned that any reform involving Greater Wellington Regional Council needed to clearly address what would happen to its responsibilities.

“I do not want Greater Wellington’s responsibilities simply dumped on Porirua and other city and district councils.”

She said major structural reform required central government to make difficult decisions, pointing to the creation of Auckland Council as an example.

“Wellington deserves the same clarity. Reform requires political courage from both sides of the central-local government relationship.

“Councils have stepped up. Porirua has stepped up. We have done what was asked of us. The Government should not walk away now. It needs to decide what it believes in and have the courage to back it.”

RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop said the Government remained committed to local government reform and officials had been asked to provide further advice before a recommended package went to Cabinet.

The Government still expects proposals endorsed by Cabinet to be developed and considered for final approval during 2027, with any Head Start changes intended to be in place before the 2028 local elections.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand received multiple calls around 9.20am.

Two crews from Porirua and a specialist rural firefighting team were sent to the park.

A Fire and Emergency spokesperson said crews initially had difficulty reaching the fire because of the location.

The blaze was extinguished by 11am. It is not clear what started the fire.

Waihora Park is a sports and recreation reserve in Waitangirua and forms a connection with Belmont Regional Park.

The second-hand shop and recycling centre at 20 Broken Hill Road collects unwanted furniture, household goods, clothing, electronics, sporting equipment and other reusable items.

Some goods are sold through the shop, while others are reused within the community or recycled rather than being sent to landfill.

Trash Palace says donated items have supported a wide range of organisations and projects across Porirua and the wider Wellington region.

Bicycles have been supplied to Green Bikes Trust, while dictionaries have gone to Arohata Women’s Prison to support education and literacy.

Items have also been supplied to Bush Sprouts Nature School for outdoor education programmes.

Reusable mugs have gone to Victoria University of Wellington to support its No Disposables on Campus campaign, while Trash Palace has worked with local schools on e-waste collection and sustainability education.

The organisation says finding new uses for unwanted goods means donated items can sometimes have a second, third or even fourth life.

“Our goal has always been simple: take things that might be considered trash and give them another chance to become someone’s treasure,” the Trash Palace team said.

Trash Palace says its work relies on people and businesses donating goods they no longer need, allowing items to be reused, resold, repurposed or recycled.

The anniversary comes as Porirua prepares for major changes to waste services at Spicer.

Resource consents to operate Spicer Landfill expire in 2030 and Porirua City Council is considering what will replace the existing landfill operation.

In May, the Council adopted a public refuse transfer station as its interim preferred option for further investigation.

Under that option, residents and small businesses would still be able to drop rubbish at Spicer, but the waste would be transported to another landfill rather than buried on site.

Trash Palace would remain operating at Spicer under the preferred option, along with recycling and green waste services.

The proposal will undergo further consultation through Porirua’s 2027–37 Long-term Plan process before a final decision is made.

For Trash Palace, the focus remains on keeping usable goods in circulation and finding another use for items that might otherwise be thrown away.

The Queens begin their 2026 Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa campaign against the Northern Kāhu at 3pm on 27 September.

Leger-Walker is due to join the Queens after completing her rookie WNBA season with the Connecticut Sun, bringing one of New Zealand basketball’s highest-profile players to Porirua for the domestic season.

The Tall Ferns guard will also line up alongside her older sister Krystal Leger-Walker as part of a 13-player Queens roster featuring a strong mix of New Zealand and international players.

Leger-Walker completed her college career with UCLA before being selected by Connecticut with the 18th pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft.

She has averaged 7.2 points, 3.7 assists and 2.4 rebounds during her rookie season with the Sun.

Basketball New Zealand chief executive Belinda Edwards said Leger-Walker’s return was significant for the domestic competition.

“Having Charlisse playing in Tauihi is hugely exciting for the competition and for basketball fans around New Zealand,” Edwards said.

“She has competed at the highest levels of the game, and now our fans will have the opportunity to watch her here at home.”

The Queens will play six regular-season home games at Te Rauparaha Arena.

After Sunday’s opener against the Kāhu, they host Mainland Pouākai on 4 October, Tauranga Whai on 16 October, Southern Hoiho on 1 November, Whai again on 15 November and Hoiho on 22 November.

Leger-Walker’s decision to join the Queens will also give her the opportunity to play professionally alongside her sister in New Zealand.

The Queens roster includes Tall Ferns Penina Davidson and Stella Beck, along with Briarley Rogers, Grace Hunter and Nahala Toeleiu.

The wider Tauihi season begins on Friday, 25 September, when defending champions Tauranga Whai host Northern Kāhu.

The 30-game regular season runs across 10 rounds and finishes on 29 November. The semifinals will be played on 5 and 6 December, with the championship game on 13 December.

Every Tauihi game will be shown live on Sky Sport in New Zealand.

For Porirua supporters, Leger-Walker is expected to take the court for the Queens when their season begins against the Kāhu at Te Rauparaha Arena on Sunday afternoon.