Foxton96
Tukapua Tours coach on last community bus service run 24/6/2016
THE LAST HURRAH: Snapped moments after leaving the Bath St. stop used for the Friday 'Day Out In Town' community bus service that runs via Shannon, Foxton, Foxton Beach and Waitarere Beach, the Tukapua Tours 1982 Hino BG100 coach (ex NZRRS No. 6128) operated by George Tukapua captured on Friday, 24 June 2026, on the 2pm homebound trip on the last day day for this now aging coach operating the service.
The Tukapua Tours coach had been a pioneer of this service through the Te Horowhenua Trust since its inception in 2013 and started with a 3 month trial run which finished on 29 November 2013 and was revived on a permanent basis on Friday, 14 November 2014.
In a front page story in the Horowhenua Chronicle of 10 June 2016, it was publicised that the Horowhenua District Council said it was dissolving the Te Horowhenua Trust. The HDC citing that bringing the operation of the Horowhenua Library Trust and community services in-house was to optimise services, co-ordination and cost efficiencies, the overall aim being to improve the level and quality of services offered by the Council.
From Friday, 1 July 2016, the service will be subsidised by the Horizons Regional Council using a as yet unknown bus.
DAY OUT IN TOWN BUS TIMETABLE CHANGE
Thursday, 16 June 2016
Horowhenua's popular Day Out in Town Bus is to begin its loop of the District earlier in the day each Friday.
From Friday 1 July the bus's scheduled stops will be brought forward by 15 minutes, now departing from Te Takere in Levin at 9.15am. The bus will continue to travel via Shannon, Foxton Beach, Foxton and Waitarere Beach, before arriving back in Levin at 10.45am. It will then depart from Te Takere for the return loop at 1.45pm.
New timetables are available from Council's Levin office and service centres at the Foxton and Shannon community libraries, as well as from the visitor information centre at Te Takere.
The fare remains at $2 per passenger, providing affordable and reliable travel between the Horowhenua communities. The service will not operate on public holidays.
The Day Out in Town Bus service will be operated by Horizons Regional Council from July. Since 2014 it had been operated through Te Horowhenua Trust, funded by third party sources including New Zealand Lotteries, Infinity Foundation and Pub Charity.
New timetable is:
- 9.15am Levin: Bath Street bus stop outside Te Takere
- 9.30am Shannon: Ballance Street bus stop
- 10.00am Foxton Beach: Community Centre, Seabury Avenue
- 10.10am Foxton: Main Street bus stop by de Molen windmill
- 10.25am Waitarere Beach: Outside Four Square
- 10.45am Levin: Bath Street bus stop outside Te Takere
- 1.45pm Levin: Bath Street bus stop outside Te Takere
- 2.00pm Shannon: Ballance Street bus stop
- 2.30pm Foxton Beach: Community Centre, Seabury Avenue
- 2.40pm Foxton: Main Street bus stop by de Molen windmill
- 2.55pm Waitarere Beach: Outside Four Square
- 3.15pm Levin: Bath Street bus stop outside Te Takere
COUNCIL TO BRING LIBRARY AND COMMUNITY SERVICES IN-HOUSE
Thursday, 9 June 2016
The Horowhenua District Council is to bring in-house all library and community services currently delivered by Te Horowhenua Trust, to optimise services, coordination and cost efficiencies.
This will take effect from 1 July 2016 to coincide with the end date of the service contract with the Trust, and comes as a result of a comprehensive review of community services in Horowhenua, completed in March.
The review was not solely on library and community services delivered by the Trust; but also Council's aquatic services, community service centres, and community development services including grants, events and recreation. It involved focus group discussions with eight community organisations including Te Horowhenua Trust.
Council's Chief Executive David Clapperton says the overall aim is to improve cost efficiencies, service coordination, as well as to increase the level, quantity, reach and accessibility of services.
"There is a need to create sustainable and cost-effective services that our community can afford," he said.
"Bringing the library and community services in-house will not only present cost-savings and opportunities for further savings, but also allow for improved service coordination, integration and delivery, as well as expanding reach and range of programmes."
Some other objectives are to enhance the library offerings in Foxton, Shannon and Tokomaru; increase district-wide programmes for local history, lifelong learning, literacy and digital literacy; increase opportunities for volunteers; to increase opportunities for library access; and also build the partnerships with schools and school libraries to strengthen community resources.
"For the community and anyone engaged with Te Takere, everything will continue like business as usual," Mr Clapperton said.
Horowhenua District Council is the only council in New Zealand that does not directly manage its library services.
"Council in-house library service provision is the norm in New Zealand and there has been a national trend away from operating Council-controlled organisations," Mr Clapperton said.
"We need to consider how we best meet community expectations in an affordable and sustainable way. We want our residents and ratepayers to be proud of Horowhenua's community services, and Council strives to deliver quality services that are efficient, effective and appropriate to both the current and anticipated future community needs and aspirations.
"The review highlighted many successes that come out of Te Takere and it recommended more community hubs like Te Takere be set up throughout our district, so this is not happening because they are not doing a great job. However, we have a restricted budget and to provide more services in our district within this restricted budget we need to rethink how we do things.
"Bringing the broader range of community services in house will allow for improved service coordination, integration and delivery as well as expanding reach and range of programming including the operationalisation of Te Awahou- Nieuwe Stroom in Foxton."
Mr Clapperton said in addition to optimising Library and Community Services, savings made from the transfer will also provide the resources required to progress other operational recommendations from the Review including:
- Expanding aquatics programming to include rehabilitation programming
- Increasing community participation and engagement through community based planning
- Operationalising Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom in Foxton
- Greater reach across the district for community development activities and community events.- Horowhenua District Council news
In 1981 NZRRS recieved 15 Hino BG100 coaches with NZMB bodies. 10 of these had C41F bodies and 5 C45F bodies. A number later received airconditioning including all the C45F vehicles.
TUKAPUA TOURS HINO BG100 HISTORY:
- New Zealand Railways Road Services No. 6128 KO2760 7/9/82
- New Zealand Railways Road Services No. 1071 1O71IC 16/10/89 (Auckland C45FA bodywork)
- Whangarei Bus Services Ltd No. 1071 1O71IC 15/7/91.
- Palmerston North Coach Line Ltd No. 411 1O71IC 6/10/94.
- Tukapua Tours Ltd, Levin, No. ? 1O7IC 5/7/04
Tukapua Tours coach on last community bus service run 24/6/2016
THE LAST HURRAH: Snapped moments after leaving the Bath St. stop used for the Friday 'Day Out In Town' community bus service that runs via Shannon, Foxton, Foxton Beach and Waitarere Beach, the Tukapua Tours 1982 Hino BG100 coach (ex NZRRS No. 6128) operated by George Tukapua captured on Friday, 24 June 2026, on the 2pm homebound trip on the last day day for this now aging coach operating the service.
The Tukapua Tours coach had been a pioneer of this service through the Te Horowhenua Trust since its inception in 2013 and started with a 3 month trial run which finished on 29 November 2013 and was revived on a permanent basis on Friday, 14 November 2014.
In a front page story in the Horowhenua Chronicle of 10 June 2016, it was publicised that the Horowhenua District Council said it was dissolving the Te Horowhenua Trust. The HDC citing that bringing the operation of the Horowhenua Library Trust and community services in-house was to optimise services, co-ordination and cost efficiencies, the overall aim being to improve the level and quality of services offered by the Council.
From Friday, 1 July 2016, the service will be subsidised by the Horizons Regional Council using a as yet unknown bus.
DAY OUT IN TOWN BUS TIMETABLE CHANGE
Thursday, 16 June 2016
Horowhenua's popular Day Out in Town Bus is to begin its loop of the District earlier in the day each Friday.
From Friday 1 July the bus's scheduled stops will be brought forward by 15 minutes, now departing from Te Takere in Levin at 9.15am. The bus will continue to travel via Shannon, Foxton Beach, Foxton and Waitarere Beach, before arriving back in Levin at 10.45am. It will then depart from Te Takere for the return loop at 1.45pm.
New timetables are available from Council's Levin office and service centres at the Foxton and Shannon community libraries, as well as from the visitor information centre at Te Takere.
The fare remains at $2 per passenger, providing affordable and reliable travel between the Horowhenua communities. The service will not operate on public holidays.
The Day Out in Town Bus service will be operated by Horizons Regional Council from July. Since 2014 it had been operated through Te Horowhenua Trust, funded by third party sources including New Zealand Lotteries, Infinity Foundation and Pub Charity.
New timetable is:
- 9.15am Levin: Bath Street bus stop outside Te Takere
- 9.30am Shannon: Ballance Street bus stop
- 10.00am Foxton Beach: Community Centre, Seabury Avenue
- 10.10am Foxton: Main Street bus stop by de Molen windmill
- 10.25am Waitarere Beach: Outside Four Square
- 10.45am Levin: Bath Street bus stop outside Te Takere
- 1.45pm Levin: Bath Street bus stop outside Te Takere
- 2.00pm Shannon: Ballance Street bus stop
- 2.30pm Foxton Beach: Community Centre, Seabury Avenue
- 2.40pm Foxton: Main Street bus stop by de Molen windmill
- 2.55pm Waitarere Beach: Outside Four Square
- 3.15pm Levin: Bath Street bus stop outside Te Takere
COUNCIL TO BRING LIBRARY AND COMMUNITY SERVICES IN-HOUSE
Thursday, 9 June 2016
The Horowhenua District Council is to bring in-house all library and community services currently delivered by Te Horowhenua Trust, to optimise services, coordination and cost efficiencies.
This will take effect from 1 July 2016 to coincide with the end date of the service contract with the Trust, and comes as a result of a comprehensive review of community services in Horowhenua, completed in March.
The review was not solely on library and community services delivered by the Trust; but also Council's aquatic services, community service centres, and community development services including grants, events and recreation. It involved focus group discussions with eight community organisations including Te Horowhenua Trust.
Council's Chief Executive David Clapperton says the overall aim is to improve cost efficiencies, service coordination, as well as to increase the level, quantity, reach and accessibility of services.
"There is a need to create sustainable and cost-effective services that our community can afford," he said.
"Bringing the library and community services in-house will not only present cost-savings and opportunities for further savings, but also allow for improved service coordination, integration and delivery, as well as expanding reach and range of programmes."
Some other objectives are to enhance the library offerings in Foxton, Shannon and Tokomaru; increase district-wide programmes for local history, lifelong learning, literacy and digital literacy; increase opportunities for volunteers; to increase opportunities for library access; and also build the partnerships with schools and school libraries to strengthen community resources.
"For the community and anyone engaged with Te Takere, everything will continue like business as usual," Mr Clapperton said.
Horowhenua District Council is the only council in New Zealand that does not directly manage its library services.
"Council in-house library service provision is the norm in New Zealand and there has been a national trend away from operating Council-controlled organisations," Mr Clapperton said.
"We need to consider how we best meet community expectations in an affordable and sustainable way. We want our residents and ratepayers to be proud of Horowhenua's community services, and Council strives to deliver quality services that are efficient, effective and appropriate to both the current and anticipated future community needs and aspirations.
"The review highlighted many successes that come out of Te Takere and it recommended more community hubs like Te Takere be set up throughout our district, so this is not happening because they are not doing a great job. However, we have a restricted budget and to provide more services in our district within this restricted budget we need to rethink how we do things.
"Bringing the broader range of community services in house will allow for improved service coordination, integration and delivery as well as expanding reach and range of programming including the operationalisation of Te Awahou- Nieuwe Stroom in Foxton."
Mr Clapperton said in addition to optimising Library and Community Services, savings made from the transfer will also provide the resources required to progress other operational recommendations from the Review including:
- Expanding aquatics programming to include rehabilitation programming
- Increasing community participation and engagement through community based planning
- Operationalising Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom in Foxton
- Greater reach across the district for community development activities and community events.- Horowhenua District Council news
In 1981 NZRRS recieved 15 Hino BG100 coaches with NZMB bodies. 10 of these had C41F bodies and 5 C45F bodies. A number later received airconditioning including all the C45F vehicles.
TUKAPUA TOURS HINO BG100 HISTORY:
- New Zealand Railways Road Services No. 6128 KO2760 7/9/82
- New Zealand Railways Road Services No. 1071 1O71IC 16/10/89 (Auckland C45FA bodywork)
- Whangarei Bus Services Ltd No. 1071 1O71IC 15/7/91.
- Palmerston North Coach Line Ltd No. 411 1O71IC 6/10/94.
- Tukapua Tours Ltd, Levin, No. ? 1O7IC 5/7/04