It was a long journey to get the $3.8 million Governors Bay jetty rebuilt after it was badly damaged by the February 22, 2011 earthquake.
“I think we are all really pleased with what we have achieved, and I’m really glad to see people using the jetty. That’s what it’s all about,” said Governors Bay Jetty Trust secretary and founding member Louisa Eades.
Eades has received a civic award for her years of hard work.
“I’m more of a back room sort of person, but it was a real honour. I knew it was a really good thing for the jetty and the award wasn’t really about me. It was about everybody who’s helped,” she said.
Raised in the United Kingdom, Eades moved to New Zealand in 1998.
She has lived in Governors Bay since 2015 with her husband Mike and three children.
As Eades’ children grew older, she had planned to volunteer in her spare time.
“I saw people who were on the PTA and volunteered for the community, and I always thought I should do something for the community someday.”
The city council revealed in February 2015 it would not fund the rebuild of the jetty due to an estimated cost of $7.8 million.
Eades had only been living in Governors Bay for a few weeks, but she was motivated to preserve what she felt was an iconic landmark of her new home.
“I just thought there’s no way they can’t rebuild it, and just the thought of it disintegrating, that’s what kept me going.”
Believing the jetty could be repaired for much less, disappointed locals formed the jetty trust to raise money for the rebuild and to continue lobbying for a funding partnership with the city council.
“I don’t think they thought we would do it,” said Eades.
“I think they were just giving us the option to make a deputation.”
The trust went on to form a partnership with the city council, and became responsible for fundraising half of the rebuild cost.
At first, Eades only volunteered to fill out some forms.
“It ended up turning into a huge undertaking,” she said.
Eades has worked as a technical writer since she moved to New Zealand, specialising in employment agreements and health and safety.
She believes these skills have aided her in publicising fundraising efforts online, writing for the trust’s website and communicating with potential donors.
“Communication skills are really important in engaging people and keeping things interesting,” she said.
As part of a small organisation with limited funding, Eades had to use her skills to get the trust’s message out.
“We had pretty much no advertising budget, but you would be amazed by how many people from all over the world have lived here, or had family here, who have been on that jetty.”
Eades has played a lead role in organising the trust’s various fundraising initiatives, such as art auctions, selling timber from the old jetty and selling donor plaques for the new jetty.
Speaking on behalf of the trust has presented personal challenges for Eades.
“I have had to sort of quell my fear of public speaking.”
After fulfilling her obligations to the trust, her full-time job and her family, she has no time left for hobbies.
“The jetty is my hobby,” she said. “Let’s just say my garden needs some attention.”
Alongside the other trust members, Eades has learned how to problem solve when difficulties arise.
“Every time there was a barrier, instead of just giving up we actually sat down and we would brainstorm and come up with ways around it.”
Acquiring a building contractor was an issue on two occasions.
The trust bought the jetty from the city council for $1 so it could oversee construction after building contractors said they would only deal with the official owner.
Another major obstacle was convincing the city council to grant the trust a loan so they could meet their half of the rebuild cost on schedule and construction could start.
The loan was agreed to in March 2022.
“That was a real turning point for us,” said Eades.
The jetty reopened in September, after more than eight years of work.
“Relief was the biggest thing I felt, but also really just happiness, elation,” said Eades.
Her work at the trust is far from over. There is still money to raise to pay back the remaining $350,000 of the city council’s loan to the trust.
“I’m expecting it to be at least another couple years of busyness.”
Eades hopes many visitors will come use the jetty over the next hundred years to make the work of the trust truly worthwhile.
