Next, as a regular at Bunnythorpe community meetings, I am excited the community hall will be completed before Christmas so we will be able to hold our next meeting in the new building.
The hall is to be blessed this Friday with an official opening in the next few weeks, Covid permitting.
A residents' community hall is also included in stage 3 of the council's Papaioea Place social housing development. Construction of this stage will start shortly with the Papaioea Place blessing also held this Friday.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern unveiled the first 18 units of stage 2 in July, and completion of this stage will bring the total number of specially designed accessible units with 4-star Lifemark certification to 78.
Housing continues to be a focus for the council. Last week, we approved recommendations for the former Terrace End Bowling Club site to be confirmed for housing. The next step will be for housing options to come to the council for approval.
This project is being progressed at speed to help alleviate the housing shortage.
Covid continues to loom large, and I spent most of Super Saturday visiting many of the pop-up vaccination sites, and it was great to see the community getting on board. I would especially like to acknowledge Te Wakahuia Trust and the work it is doing alongside the DHB.
The trust was at the Highbury Shopping Centre with a sausage sizzle on Super Vax Saturday, putting people at ease and offering further encouragement for the steady stream of people coming in to get the jab.
Trust members were also at a Colquhoun Park pop-up site where many young people playing and watching softball came and got vaccinated when their games were over.
To remove Covid uncertainty and the threat of illness requiring hospitalisation, there is only one choice to make and that is to get the jab. If you are unsure about vaccination, please get your information from qualified and trustworthy sources – not from social media rabbit holes.
• Susan Baty is a Palmerston North city councillor.
