As the year ends, we’ve reflected on the stories that got the biggest reactions from our community. Here’s 10 top performers from across our website and social media channels, in no particular order. Enjoy!

We opened Te Papa o Moroa – South Wairarapa’s wheels park

South Wairarapa’s wheels park opened in October, two months ahead of schedule! Officially named Te Papa Ora o Mōroa (or Papa Ora for short), this vibrant new space in Greytown is located at 4-6 Pierce Street and is a hub for skaters, scooters, BMX riders and families alike. Papa Ora was designed and engineered by world-leaders in ground breaking park designs, Convic.

The project was a community effort, with the park utilising high-quality concrete from local contractors, Gray Bros Contractors Ltd. Bringing this destination park to Greytown was a two-decade journey. Check out the popular Facebook post and find out more about the project on our website.

Happy retirement to our local government legend, Christine

Many of you will know the lovely Christine, who has for many years been the friendly face on reception here at South Wairarapa District Council. However, like all good things, they must come to an end, and after 36 years of service, Christine is hanging up her headset and retiring. Christine’s esteemed Council career began in 1989. She worked at Featherston Library for 12 years, before joining the Council’s Martinborough office and becoming the district’s encyclopaedia, helping residents and visitors alike on the reception desk.

Christine says the most rewarding part of her role has been the special relationships she has formed with the many locals during their interactions with the Council. “It has been a pleasure to serve you,” she said in the Facebook post and LinkedIn post we shared about her retirement. Check them out to read some heart-warming tributes to a true local government legend!

E mihi ana to Tora locals for cleaning up our coastline

One of our most popular posts on Facebook was a story about a dedicated group of volunteers from Awhea Coastal Trust, who spent the day combing the beaches and roadside areas in Tora, collecting a staggering 290 kilograms of litter and discarded items! Among the haul were tyres, a mattress, glass bottles, metal and plastics. This passionate crew isn’t new to the mission. They’re part of a growing movement of residents who regularly take time out of their lives to preserve the pristine environment that makes Tora so special. Check out the post here.

A new Council, a new Māori ward – and a high voter turnout!

In October we ushered in a new chapter when Mayor Fran Wilde, Councillors and Community Board members were sworn in at a special ceremony at ANZAC Hall in Featherston. Mayor Wilde said her ambition for South Wairarapa District Council was to be “the most energised, effective and user-friendly council in the motu – accessible, responsive and timely. And visionary because we must have big ambitions”.

South Wairarapa had the fourth highest voter turnout in the motu (country) with 59.13%, which translated to 5,598 votes, including special votes. The district voted to retain its Māori Ward in the binding poll held in the 2025 Local Government Elections. Read about the Council’s swearing in and see the posts on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Learning the stories (and pronunciation) of our place names

During Te Wiki o te reo Māori in September, we thought it would be pārekareka (fun) to look at the stories behind the names of some of our significant places in South Wairarapa. People enjoyed discovering the tales of the names Wairarapa, Remutaka, Ngā Rā a Kupe (Kupe’s Sail), and Pae tū Mōkai (Featherston) on Facebook, and practising correct te reo Māori pronunciation of eight local place names on Instagram.

Enhancing South Wairarapa’s coastal resilience with Ecoreef

Launched as a world-first trial at Cape Palliser in 2022, Ecoreef has proven to be a game-changer in the fight against coastal erosion. Installed at Whatarangi and Turners Bay, this innovative reef system has reduced road damage and repair costs caused by swells and severe weather – and has helped keep our coastal communities connected.

With positive results here in South Wairarapa, Ecoreef has now been used in other parts of the country, and we’re hoping to extend the reef along more of our rugged coastline. Check out the Facebook post, LinkedIn post, or read the full story on our website.

Featherston’s Joy Cowley Playground refreshed

Parts of Featherston’s beloved Joy Cowley Playground reopened in August following a refurbishment themed around some of Joy Cowley’s much-loved books. The upgrade addressed several health and safety issues, including the removal of unsafe structures and relocating the flying fox to a safer area. And the famous tractor was given a fresh-up. Some of the new features included improved accessibility, hidden Greedy Cat items to discover, and a safer soft pour surface. Find out more about the upgrade on our website or visit Facebook.

Desludging the Martinborough Wastewater Treatment Plant

Heaps of sludge – 660 tonnes – was removed from the Martinborough Wastewater Treatment Plant earlier this year. This may not be the most pleasant smelling story, but it was our most popular post of the year on LinkedIn. The successful desludging project led to the lifting of an abatement notice, which meant the plant again met compliance requirements, reducing environmental and public health risks. Read the full story on our website.

Massive illegal dumping site cleaned up

Over 26 tonnes of illegally dumped waste was cleared from a site along the South Wairarapa coast at an enormous cost to the Council and ratepayers. The work took place between May and June and was carried out with the assistance of the Environmental Protection Authority, the police and specialist contractors, who abseiled down to the illegal dumping site due to its inaccessible location, along Cape Palliser Road on the edge of a forestry block. It was cleared on an urgent recommendation from the Environmental Protection Authority and cost ratepayers $145,000. The site is now permanently blocked off with security cameras in place to monitor it. The full story is on our website.

Equipping our community to respond to emergencies

South Wairarapa is now better placed to respond to emergency events, thanks to new AEDs and emergency resource containers. We worked with Wellington Free Ambulance to upgrade or newly install 13 life-saving AEDs across the district. An AED, or Automatic External Defibrillator, is a small device that gives a safe electric shock to someone having a sudden cardiac arrest, significantly increasing their chance of survival. See Facebook or Instagram to find out where the latest AEDs were installed.

And in the first half of this year, the rural Tora, Ngāwi, and Lake Ferry communities were gifted shipping containers with a starter kit of essential supplies and equipment to help them in the aftermath of disasters when they may be cut off from emergency services. These were donated by the Wairarapa Recovery Office. Along with the shipping containers of supplies, resources including water tanks, AEDs, and solar and battery back-ups were also donated to some community halls and marae to better equip them as key community touchpoints following an emergency event.