Letters to Editor 2 October
Integrated health services
Contrary to the view of your correspondent Jackie McGrath (GBW 25/9), the integrated health service will not be stepping away from publicly funded health services. Rather the publicly funded component of services, which comes mainly through the community hospital, will be able to be combined with the fees that residents currently pay for general practice and rest home services. The integration of these funding streams is one of the components in establishing a long-term, financially viable health service arrangement for the Bay. There is no intention of extra ongoing expense to the community in the new arrangement.
Peter Burton, for the Integrated Management Group
I had occasion to stop by our community hospital this dark, rainy morning. As usual, I was struck by its substantiality and extent; the beauty of the grounds. Lights were on inside and there seemed to be a quiet hum of efficiency and cosiness. The rural surrounds make it the most un-hospital hospital I know. It was built of brick about 16 years ago, then threatened with closure soon thereafter. Now it’s threatened again.
Most of us won’t understand much of social service organisation or the machinations of government. We won’t understand the agendas of steering groups, special rapporteurs, management committees, health trusts, heads of boards. Our commonsense, though, may cause us to wonder what is really wrong with our health services in the Bay? Why do we have to be offended with another trendy PR term: green fields? Why only one predetermined option, really? And who’s in whose pocket? Could not the flat, dry farmland contiguous to the hospital be re-zoned and acquired, if future expansion of the hospital were needed?
Development for development’s sake. Never mind conservation of limited resources and living within our and future generations’ means.
Peter Bridgwater
Am I missing something Carolyn? (GBW Letters 25/9) If nurses do not provide or have a key stake in existing services then I question who on earth does? Nurses are the heart and soul of our health system and to ignore and exclude them is to diminish the effectiveness of the future health system.
My elderly mother is a high consumer of all three health services of integration and I always want and demand the very best for her and would expect those to whom I entrust her care to receive recognition and recompense reflective of the services provided.
If we remain silent and allow a repetition of the slashing of wages and conditions such as has occurred at the Jack Inglis Friendship Hospital, Motueka, we will without doubt lose this quality care. Twenty-two of thirty-seven nurses chose not to work at this hospital. Surely the echo of this mass exodus rings as loudly in your ear as it does in mine.
Come on Golden Bay those who have served us over so many years need us now. We must find a collective voice as urged by Jackie McGrath and fight for the wonderful nurses and caregivers of Golden Bay.
Heather Cole
Cycling
On Wednesday 16 September around 9am, as I was cycling eastward over Bird’s Hill, a car struck my bicycle from behind, ripping a hole in my pannier and ramming my carrier into my wheel. No injuries were sustained (except for the aforementioned rip and psychological trauma). The driver, who kindly got out of his car to apologise, stated that the oncoming traffic had not given him enough room to pass safely. Readers: here we have this rather familiar situation: two cars coming from opposite directions, and a cyclist.
Yes, it is a pain in the arse to slow our car down for all those pesky cyclists and pedestrians and horseriders on a motorway that was built for cars in the first place. We need a nice walk/cycle/horseriding path to get them all out of the way. Yes, we do. But at the moment, we don’t.
Here in Golden Bay where the roads do not accommodate two cars side-by-side plus a cyclist, plus a pedestrian, and definitely not plus a horse, let’s make it a practice to only pass when there is no oncoming traffic. Let’s give them the same consideration as another vehicle.
Michel Rose von Dreger
Important book
The last Weekly mentioned that the library has a copy of the book Right Relationship: Building a Whole Earth Economy by Peter Brown and Geoffrey Garver. I have read this book and recommend it for those concerned and interested in where our civilisation and society are heading, or in environmental, economic and political issues. What I found of particular interest was the argument that we need to get into balance with the earth’s resources and that this requires a fundamental re-assessment of current economics and the building of institutions that will achieve this. Although the book has a broad brush, the ideas are important to the future of our country and to Golden Bay.
Don Mead
Second-hand children’s clothing and toy sale
Golden Bay Toy Library’s famous (in Takaka anyway) second-hand sale is on again. We will be having our six-monthly second-hand clothing, book and toy sale on Saturday 7 November at the Senior Citizens’ Hall starting at 9am. Our aim is to help people sell items quickly and also grab a bargain or two. It’s open for anyone to sell any items from babies to teenagers. You drop off your named and priced items, and we sell them on the day for only $5 all up, (not per item). So spend a couple of hours over the next few weeks having a sort out and make yourself a few dollars. Anything from trikes to T-shirts! For further information phone me on 525 6116.
Fleur Murray, for Golden Bay Toy Library
Amalgamation petition
I urge everyone to sign the petition (available at ITM and the Wholemeal) requesting a review of council amalgamation options. This review will take place by the Local Government Commissioner and we will be able to vote on what option we want in the end.
The advantage for Golden Bay is that this review process would show our need for more autonomy and make suggestions for the implementation of increased powers for our community board. The last Local Government Commissioner did recommend that the community boards be given more powers, but no great surprise, that recommendation was ignored by TDC.
Let’s make some positive changes for our local government instead of spending untold energy fighting the TDC’s misguided initiatives that disadvantage Golden Bay.
Victoria Davis
Signage
To all the visitor industry readers who would like to join me in addressing the TDC’s inadequate direction signage for tourist activites and accommodation, please feel free to contact me by email relax@songofthetui.co.nz or phone 524 8717. Thank you for your support,
Reg Turner
The GB Weekly to stop publishing...
But only in the week of Friday 16 October. Please note that the Weekly is having a break in that week.
So there will be a paper next week on Friday 9 October. Then a week off. Then we’ll be back to usual for Friday 23 October: deadline (noon on Tuesday 20 October) and delivery (Friday 23 October).
Marg Braggins, manager
Word-Fest
I’d like to express my gratitude to all those who made Word-Fest a success this year. To all the accommodating businesses prepared to display poetry postings and/or provide venues for events, including Lollokiki, The Mussel Inn, Village Theatre and the Takaka Playhouse. Particular thanks to Paddy Brennan (Fresh FM), Tish Potter (Takaka Memorial Library), araLyn and her Word Play team, Philly Hall (MONZA Gallery), Black Pete (graphics), Dave Myall (support), the Curbside Cabaret crew, Rebecca Reider (Poetry “Slam”) and Marg and Neil (The GB Weekly) for their great support, and all the poets prepared to have their works “postered” while Dean Raybould made them look awesome. Thank you all for going that extra mile.
Of course none of it could have happened without the Golden Bay Arts Council for having the vehicle and funding for Word-Fest, and everyone who supported, attended and contributed to the various happenings. I hope you’ve been inspired, entertained and enjoyed the words on offer and maybe even thought of a new way of expressing them.
Spread the Word…
Nic Wooding
Pause for Peace
Through you we ask everyone, whatever we are doing, to Pause for Peace for a minute or two at 3.30pm on Saturday 3 October.
St Cuthbert’s Collingwood church bell, and Dave and Naoko’s Japanese bell at Clifton, will be rung at this time, coinciding with the ringing of the Christchurch Peace Bell.
Celebrate the first World March to circle the earth calling for the end of war and nuclear weapons, and the elimination of violence of all kinds (physical, economic, racial, religious, cultural, sexual and psychological).
The World March, after an earlier blessing on the Chathams, will be launched in Wellington today October 2, Gandhi’s birthday. It will end in the Andes Mountains (Punta de Vacas, Aconcagua, Argentina) on 2 January 2010, having travelling through 90 countries over all six continents.
www.fusecreative.co.nz/worldmarch
Helen Kingston
(for GB Quakers and Peace Group)
Correction
Karen Brookes’ letter was wrongly printed last week. The first paragraph should have read:
“Regarding Paul Marcussen’s letter (GBW 11/9): I forwarded to the engineering dept of TDC photos I took during the rains of July. Councillor Riley has done likewise.”
The GB Weekly apologises for rewording it.
