Letters
Motorcycle noise
The crackle of a motorcycle exhaust rings out across the paddocks occasionally in the Bay and a loud whine reverberates back from the surrounding hills.
The motorcycle noise happens only occasionally and during reasonable hours, and it’s nowhere near as bad as the other normal rural noises we all just have to harden up and handle:
Chainsaws at dawn. Loud aircraft dumping chemicals on farms on weekend mornings. Builders who start work with power tools earlier than normal lazy people. Quad bikes and barking dogs before dawn. And the one I personally loathe: roosters who crow all night - evil rural creatures from hell.
The country is a noisy place, especially if we want to live up on a hill and have the magnificence of Golden Bay spread out before us. Sadly, just because we can see the view doesn’t mean everyone down there is going to be quiet for our benefit. No. That would be unreasonable. We must count ourselves fortunate that it is quiet sometimes and we should be jolly well thankful for that.
Go Hamish Harwood! A Golden Bay young achiever we can all be proud of. Check out www.hamishharwood.com and see for yourself. Let’s just hope he never buys a chainsaw or a rooster...
Black Pete
Bay Art
May I congratulate the team of eager beavers who were able to, in a matter of hours, unpack, position, hang, and identify each exhibit and produce a catalogue of exhibits in less than 18 hours. What an effort!. The opening of the 25th anniversary with a wonderful selection of canapes, wine, beer and soft drinks was a credit to all concerned.
The standard of works and display layout was superb. The addition of Young @Art indicates that our future young artists in Golden Bay show great talent, and promise that we will be well represented in art for future exhibitions.
Well done organisers; you deserve a merit award.
Reg Turner
This year’s Bay Art exhibition is another gorgeous display of the diversity and creativity we live around. I am constantly thrilled and in awe of the inspiring creativity that pours out of our region. Much appreciation and gratitude for all of the energy that has collected at Bay Art, from the creators of the beautiful artworks, to the GB Arts Council, curators, volunteers, and appreciators. Each art piece tells its own story. Gorgeous. The opening was a reminder of the wonderful energy of our beautiful community when we gather together. Huge appreciation to Rita and Elvira for putting together Young @Art, as a non-threatening environment for young people to display their creations. What a wonderful community we live in. I would love to see even more collective exhibitions of the creativity in Golden Bay. Appreciation for all of those who entered bits of themselves! I feel inspired!
Amira Mudfaery
Young@Art exhibition
We wish to thank everyone who supported us in making it happen and in setting up the successful Young@Art exhibition. It’s been a great process for us. We had a lot of positive responses to it from many people.
The enthusiasm in the eyes of the kids, hearing a boy saying proudly “This is my first exhibition and now I am going to work on a collection of art work” and parents coming up to us to tell their child had found the incentive to really finish his/her art work to be able to enter the exhibition has made it so worthwhile.
The joint exhibition with Bay Art worked well and at the opening it was great to see so many people, young and old, together admiring the diverse artwork of the young and old (2 ½ - 80 years) artists of the Bay. What an amazing community we are.
We are very happy with the artwork the kids/youth entered and this will be a growing yearly event. Thank you.
Elvira Pontier and Rita Scholten
Old library building
Sorry to read about the fire at what was the Takaka Library building and I hope it can be restored.
I too have very fond memories of being taken to the library every Friday night by my father Les Hitchcock in the early to mid 1950s. He used to take my sister, Pauline, and myself, where we would choose two books each and then proceed to the local grocery shop, Kirks, where we would each have a shilling or maybe it was sixpence to spend. My purchase of the week was usually a packet of peanuts. Then we would pile into the Morris 8 and head toward home - Puramahoi. Happy memories.
Lesley Mackley
Signage
I’m concerned about the barn signage on the Takaka Collingwood Road which is an attempt at humouring the serial drink driver. I am sure that any person who has been injured or indeed lost a loved one to the hideous event of a vehicle accident as a consequence of intoxicated driving would feel this sign is insensitive in the extreme. Such people would need no reminder of their suffering and loss and certainly not in such a ludicrous way suggesting that perhaps repeat drink driver offending is something we should have a little giggle about. Very poor form.
Paul Jowsey
TDC’s policy on poker machines
Joe Bell’s and Victoria Davis’s letters (GBW 21/10) regarding TDC’s policy on poker machines failed to address the facts and are misleading.
Fact 1: Prior to September 2010 there were no limits on the number of machines.
Fact 2: From 30 September 2010 the number of machine licences was limited to the number presently available.
From that time, anybody wanting a new or additional licence would have to get TDC consent. Given that TDC publicly decided that it was not in favour of additional machines, and a firm limit had been put in place, it is hard to come to any other conclusion than that numbers have been “capped”. Claims to the contrary are unfair and misleading.
Mr Bell and Ms Davis would have liked TDC to go a step further and impose a sinking lid so that as existing licences became available they were cancelled. TDC invited interested parties to make submissions and/or to present themselves on this whole matter to the council committee. Mr Bell made representations both in writing and orally. Ms Davis chose not to take up either opportunity, even though many others did, especially those arguing against a sinking lid.
After the proper and fair process was followed, the elected representatives made a democratic decision and that decision was to cap at the existing level. End of story.
Cr Trevor Norriss
Sealord Fireworks over the Aorere
Thank you mighty fizzgig for another whiz bang night
Your fireworks were stunning, a most fantastic sight.
As for your taniwha, what a wondrous beast
You really made the evening a fantastic fireworks feast.
Tessa Gillooly and guests
Warning to pet owners
Thank you to the organisers of last weekend’s fireworks event for their responsible warning to all pet owners.
If you are planning fireworks this year, there are some simple ways you can make it easier on your own and neighbours’ animals. Advise your neighbours of your plans, come to an agreement about when and how long your display will last, and stick to it. Locate the display as far as possible away from pets and stock.
As a pet owner there are also things you can do. Keep pets indoors, pull the curtains and stay with them. Drown out the noise with TV or stereo. Give them a place to hide if they wish. If they’re highly strung, consider using rescue remedy or a light sedative. Make sure they have current ID or a way of being returned to you if they run off.
Our animals are fearful of fireworks; they do not understand why they are being “shot at”. Please help make this Guy Fawkes a memorable one because of care and responsibility, rather than missing and injured pets.
Fay Brownlie, secretary, Golden Bay SPCA
Takaka sewage treatment plant
I am deeply concerned that the major extension proposed to the sewage treatment plant just outside the town will pollute the drinking water of Takaka residents.
Last Wednesday, the Tasman District Council gave the green light to a drilling company to locate the groundwater levels around the proposed plant. There is an obvious risk that the intended discharge of sewage to the ground, less than 300 metres from people’s homes, will pollute the groundwater around and travel to the waterwells of the nearby dwellings in Feary Crescent and Waitapu Road.
Unclear is how fast this pollution will travel. It could be one year, five years or even ten years’ time. But common sense tells us that the groundwater underneath the floodplain of Takaka is connected.
I personally saw TDC contractors burying large black pipes in the area. It looks like the council is putting in installations towards the proposed treatment plant before the resource consent hearing into the designation of the land for such purposes has even taken place.
The re-elected mayor Richard Kempthorne promised at the Takaka election meeting that a public meeting would be held in Takaka before any further steps were taken.
We need a meeting now. Will he keep his promise?
Rudolf Samper
Takaka’s drinking water was voted the best drinking water in the country three years ago, and Air New Zealand gives water from the Takaka aquifers to its flight passengers.
Yet the Tasman District Council’s proposal to discharge treated sewage to ground under 300 metres from people’s homes at the western end of town could pollute our wonderful water.
The council plans to treat the sewage from all the homes from Takaka right through to Tata Beach at the extended sewage plant and discharge it to ground on a floodplain. How ridiculous is that!
Even although the resource consent hearing on the proposed change in land designation has yet to be held, an access road to the proposed site has already been built and a large digger was seen burying what looked like big black sewage pipes last Wednesday afternoon. Council contractors are already drilling down at the site to test groundwater levels.
It makes the whole resource consent process a complete sham.
We hope our elected councillors will do what they can to stop this. Organising a public meeting, as promised by the mayor Richard Kempthorne at the election meeting, would be a start.
A Feary Crescent resident
(name withheld)
Whitebait - a day a week free of fishing
I have observed over the years that when there is an extended period of stormy weather on the west coast that these conditions are often followed by good runs of whitebait.
The whitebait are unable in these conditions to cross the surf, and bars to gain access into their home river systems. Eventually with the aid of currents, this whitebait ends up in Golden Bay, and within a few days Tasman Bay then Marlborough, and possibly the lower North Island. The point being that I think that these whitebait have no local source, but come from the west coast. Their fisheries only recover after the storms with the later breeders.
I dislike to see the main rivers here fished so systematically, and would like to see at least one day a week with the fisheries closed to allow for some reasonable number of fish to find protected habitats. Mid-season species of whitebait do not really have a window of opportunity to get to these habitats. I think we are fooling ourselves on the state of health of these fisheries when these runs of whitebait occur.
So I would like to challenge MAF to do an audit of breeding fish numbers in our district’s main rivers and to publish this and an estimate of the numbers of fish that would need to be in these rivers to sustain the fisheries. Perhaps an article in The Weekly on what happened to the grayling, which presumably was a mid-season species without a escape window of opportunism, could generate some sort of healthy debate.
David Rose
Nelson/Tasman amalgamation
This may be your last chance to have a say and stay fully informed about the investigation into the proposed merger/union/amalgamation of Nelson and Tasman councils. Submissions close 8 November.
Nothing fancy required - just put into a letter or email what you would like to see - whether that is for/against or what you would like to see, eg more delegatory power given back to smaller communities by way of their community boards. It’s difficult to know what to submit when we don’t quite know what we are submitting on; however, this is just step one and getting into the system will keep you involved every step of the way. It is best to say you would like to be heard on this submission (even if you don’t take that option when the time comes). Hearings will take place at Pohara between 15-17 December.
Just remember, whatever the outcome of these findings, the whole region goes to the vote on the recommendations - we do not have to accept them. Submissions may be posted to the Local Government Commission, PO Box 5362, Wellington, or emailed to info@lgc.govt.nz. Fax 04 494 0501.
Martine Bouillir
Launch of Young HANDS
All Golden Bay youth are invited to participate in H.A.N.D.S., our local employment and trading system. Starting now, children and young adults may join as Young HANDS. They can trade amongst themselves and with other members, and have their own market stalls, activities and events.
The whole community, including new and existing H.A.N.D.S. members, are invited to the launch of Young HANDS, on Sunday, 14 November. A kids’ HANDS market behind Takaka Infusion at noon will be followed by a new kids’ movie at the Village Theatre at 2pm.
This event provides the opportunity for children to set up their own free Young HANDS trading account with the consent and support of their parents or carers, who need to accompany children to the market and sign-up. A HANDS account enables children to learn skills in buying and selling, accounting, networking and community building.
Kids who want to join H.A.N.D.S. can come early to set up a stall. Bring garage sale stuff, crafts, baking, food, etc to sell to start your HANDS account. Kids who want to be paid in HANDS to entertain, play music or offer a workshop can contact Joanna.
Information: Laurence 525 8229 or Joanna 525 8448.
Golden Bay H.A.N.D.S. committee
Many thanks Golden Bay
Sustainable Building Alliance and both of us say a big thank you to Golden Bay for a great five years. We appreciate the generosity and the many kindnesses extended to us. It’s been enjoyable working with you towards sustainable housing here in the Bay as well as the wonderful art endeavors unique to this community.
At this time, due in part to the many challenges presented by TDC for economical housing, Michael has chosen to accept the invitation by Southern Institute of Technology in Invercargill to develop courses for Sustainable Building and Renewable Energy Technology as part of their curriculum. Spring will work with the Invercargill arts community to re-emerge her “Children’s Art for Peace” initiative as an international program from Southland.
We’re leaving the Bay for a while so it’s farewell to friends, acquaintances and business associates. We will see you some time in the near future for our Collingwood sustainable home build. Till then, we wish you all well! Kindest regards,
Michael and Spring Thomas
Pakawau Hall 75th anniversary
The Pakawau Hall committee would like to thank everyone who came to our 75th Anniversary and helped to make it the success it was. A special thank you to Rayzanne for their musical talent, and Paul Sangster, who was MC as well as on the drums; also thanks to the many people who helped in other ways. We raised $400 for the Joan Whiting Rest Home.
Joy Warren
