ANZ North Shore and West Business Banking—28 February 2018

ANZ continued their fantastic support as a group of North Shore and West Business Banking executives came out to help with track maintenance and weed control.

The group arrived before 8:30 and included Alison, Allan, Amanda, Anita, Ella, Frances, Fredrick, Joseph, Keith, Kirsten, Kylie, Sandy, Shrenik and Sophia.  Seven of the group of fourteen had been out to CUE Haven last year and it was great to see old friends and meet new ones.

Also joining us was our friend Alan who came along to help out.

We got acquainted over morning tea and Mahrukh gave a talk about the CUE Haven project and our plans for the future.  Thomas then described the plan for the day and gave a safety briefing.

The work for the day included continuing remediation work on a section of track near the top of the property, working on the approaches to the new wetlands bridge and also some weed control at the entrance to the property, around the cottage and along the tracks.

Because of the size of the group and the variety of tasks we wanted to tackle, we broke into three teams.

Alan took a group up to the top of the property to widen and improve an old section of track which had seen a lot of wear and tear and also had some drainage issues.  They dug out and levelled the track and installed new drainage ditches and drain pipes.

The biggest job was the widening work and that required a lot of digging.

The team studied the layout of the track and how water had been draining in the area and installed new drain pipes to better manage the flow.

And they came up with an ingenious way to keep leaves and debris from blocking the drain pipes.

In just a few hours this hard working the team make a huge improvement to widen the track, level it and improve the drainage.  Future teams will continue with the track remediation work and frame the widened tracks with the side retaining boards.

Meanwhile, Thomas and his team continued the work on the wetlands bridge – improving the steps approaching each end of the bridge and putting in side walls to prevent erosion.

The bridge is in an area where we have been planting a lot of memorial trees and we have been wanting to turn the area into a place where people can come and relax in a quiet and attractive space.  Plus, a lot of the visitors to the area will be older and need a smooth, straight path in order for them to feel safe and comfortable.

The team started out by studying the work that had been done so far to see how to continue the approach.

They then went to work, digging out the track sides to make room for the side boards.

They decided to relocate some steps to make the approach easier and measured and cut the new side boards.

And did a lot of checking to make sure that everything was straight and level.

And also did a lot of hammering and nailing to get everything securely in place.

The result of the team’s efforts is a great improvement in the appearance and ease of use of the track.  Future teams will finish off the last of the retaining walls and cover the track with a layer of metal to make it safe for walking in all weather.

The third group worked on trimming vegetation that had grown out over the driveway, weeded around the cottage and trimmed along one of the walking tracks.

Thanks to this team’s efforts the entry to CUE Haven is spruced up and looking great for the upcoming Open days.

Each of the teams accomplished an amazing amount and after a few hours of hard work, we all headed back to the cottage for a relaxing lunch.

Our many thanks to our friend Alan for coming out today to help out.  Alan, we really appreciate your support and expertise and look forward to having you back to lead future teams.

And a huge thank you to the hard working ANZ team.  The tag line on some of the t shirts today was all about lending a helping hand.

Having someone to help can make anything easier and we are truly grateful for your efforts and achievements.  You all accomplished a lot and have made a significant contribution to the CUE Haven landscape.  The track improvements have made the walking track network easier and more comfortable to walk and the place is looking good.  Thanks for your help and continued support!

We very much look forward to having you back with your family and friends for a more leisurely visit.

THANK YOU!!