Building The Centre of Canine Excellence

A major capital undertaking in the Auckland Exhibition centre's drive to produce a Canine Centre of Excellence was to construct the bund along the neighbour's Eastern boundary & to plant out with suitable natives. This project was funded by the TC Charitable Trusts and set out to enhance our venue and to provide suitable screening from our neighbours.

The bund project started in mid winter, and with the able assistance from Colin Lowry contractors we constructed a truck turning area on what will be the new car-park & proceeded to beg borrow or steal suitably approved fill material. To build a bund of this length & height we needed 3000 cubic metres of material transported in 360 truckloads and 80 truck trailers, and suitably compacted. Over the winter months this material was difficult to source, but as the construction season approached in October we were able to source more. We had our own topsoil stored, & mulch from felled trees on the property to complete the final touches, & the actual bund construction was completed in mid December 2006.

The AEC property committee sent out an SOS for volunteers to assist in the plant-out of over 200 native Toi-Toi's, to cover the top with mulch and to grass seed the side batters. Whilst we were aware of just how busy people are on the Saturday before Christmas, we just had to drive this date to ensure the bund was completed in all its phases by 7th January 2007.

There were many people who cross-posted my request for volunteers & club secretaries were emailed and phoned accordingly. The instructions were to come armed with a spade, rake & wheelbarrow at 10.00 AM on the 23rd December.

The pictures on the previous page complete the story. Members from all the disciplines arrived, suitably dressed & "armed" and in a matter of 30 minutes the bund was planted out. We had obtained Toi-Toi's, grown especially for Department of Conservation planting, in that they are a very hardy variety and grown in special plastic containers for the root structure shaped like a single spade dig, to assist in planting. These plants had to be transported up from Blenheim.

The mulch and grass seed was spread accordingly. We then all retired to the amenities building for a snack and & the bar fridge just happened to be unlocked.

The fencing contract for the fence running along our side of the bund is completed & we have now re-aligned our obedience area for future use. This fence will clearly define the areas of "no-go" and our patrons are requested to observe this, as the bund now is out of bounds. There is some additional native tree planting required in the next planting season.

This construction project saw our Custodian, Dave Watson, become quite adept with the digger. There is a picture showing Dave at the controls, & I am told that he only lowered the bucket of mulch onto the trailer once with additional force, such force that will no doubt ensure that this trailer will struggle with its next WOF.

I was buoyed by the support of the members who turned up to assist, & it tells me that the support at the grassroots level for Ardmore is very much alive and kicking.

On behalf of the AEC committee I would like to thank all of those people who turned and take this opportunity of wishing all the compliments of the season.

R T Greer AEC Chair.
January 2007