Letters 18 November
Pregnancy Campus
Pregnancy Campus - a natural environment providing full support to the pregnant woman. Offering warm, clean accomodation, organic food, trained professionals that support her birthing process and development, and home-birthing facilities all in a retreat-like setting. Pregnancy Campus - providing support after the birth as well.
Facilities located in natural, calm and secluded setting.
Pregnancy Campus purpose - giving woman and soon-to-be child the best possible start. Because it is proven that from the first moment and everything subsequent to it can either positively or negatively impact the child, Pregnancy Campus can help reduce the costs associated with pre-term birth and post-natal care.
Pregnancy Campus - designed for the pregnant woman in need who might otherwise have had health and social problems. Also for women desiring alternate birth option.
A few examples but not limited to: Women coming from a poorer society. Women escaping an alcoholic environment. Women who prefer an alternate method of giving birth.
Interested candidates should contact us as soon as they are pregnant. If so, please contact me on 525 8885.
Laura Gruher
Encouraging young voters to enrol
Nationwide only one young person in four is enrolled to vote. I think that reflects the fact that as a society we haven’t done a good job of automating that process or of interesting young people in the political process.
The Green Party has taken an initiative that may help and it would be great if you felt able to promote the cause of getting your readers and listeners to help encourage young people to enrol. We have established a website www.heykiwi.org.nz where people can check if they are enrolled and enrol if they are not. As a bonus they get to download (free and legally) music donated by a great range of Kiwi musicians.
We are required by law to identify on the site that we made it, but there is no overt party branding or anything like that, and I’m sure Damien [O’Connor] and Chris [Auchinvole] would support the cause of getting more young people enrolled and voting
Kevin Hague, Green Party MP
The 2011 General Election
There is real concern that tiny polls of 500 voters are driving the 2011 election.
It is a great pity if our democratic process is side-tracked by push-pull polling. The 22 per cent “don’t knows” will have a great influence on the final outcome.
Our votes are directly affected by our own experiences. As an elected Golden Bay Community Board member 1995-2010, when we had a central government issue we would take it up via our MP. During the 2008-11 Parliamentary Term the Board contacted the three current West Coast-Tasman MPs.
From this experience helpful, timely responses were invariably provided by Damien O’Connor and Kevin Hague. Chris Auchinvole’s defeatist reply to the proposed Joan Whiting closure was particularly disappointing. Fortunately, Kevin, Damien and others took the issue up with the Minister and funding was found to enable the rest home to continue until the new facility is built.
Chris Auchinvole’s support for the targeted rate on communities with community boards was also galling. Motueka and Golden Bay ratepayers are subject to TDC hourly charges of up to $336.00 through this rate. National changed the law to allow this punitive rate to be charged. Mr Auchinvole chaired the committee which recommended this.
Joe Bell
The wind of change that has drifted across the Arab nations, creating the “Arab Spring “ movement for democracy, is now manifesting as the movement being called “Occupy” or “The 99 movement”.
Having witnessed the protest at Wall Street, New York, and St Paul’s in London, and now hearing of the protest encampments occurring here at home, indicates how this “wind of protest”is spreading world wide.
This movement challenging the wealthy 1 per cent who own 99 per cent of world wealth will morph into challenging our political system where this same 1 per cent select the candidates who represent the political parties in our Western democracies.
This current General Election is a full of examples of manipulating the voting system, and political parties controlling candidates and electorates, making the term “ A Democratic Free Vote of Choice “ a nonsense.
The “100 Days” movement here in New Zealand, the UKIP Party in England, Scotland seeking independence from the United Kingdom, and the Euro -Zone under threat of collapse, and USA in a state of stagnation while their political parties are unable to move forward. Exciting times ahead. Yes, this wind of change may become a gale across the world. [abridged]
Reg Turner
Thank you
Through this column is a message to Harry Holmwood. Thanks so much for all the times you brought that awesome steam engine to town. We know it cost a lot of time and money and hope you realise how truly it has been enjoyed, by so many. So from Peter, Marie and Katelyn Whitaker and I’m sure many others many thanks for everything. Our thoughts are with you and your family at this time.
Marie Whitaker
The ETS and Farm Emissions
Albie Burgers asked (GBW Letters 11/11) why farm emissions of methane are not considered greenhouse-neutral, (as is the burning of wood for example). Answer: grass absorbs carbon in the form of carbon dioxide, which is eaten by livestock, but some is exhaled in the form of methane. Methane is - molecule-for-molecule - some 21 times as powerful at trapping infrared radiation as is carbon dioxide over a 100-year timescale, so the intake and outflow are not in balance in terms of greenhouse warming. Livestock do have a noticeable effect on our atmosphere.
A certain amount of atmospheric methane (about 715 parts per billion) is natural, caused by such things as termites, wildlife and forest fires. But since the industrial revolution humans have more than doubled this, including by cultivation of rice paddies and enhanced livestock numbers. Herds of a given size would be associated with a certain fixed level of methane - the amount will soon reach an equilibrium where the inflow of methane is balanced by its decay - but the problem is that this level may be too high for the well-being of our descendants, and anyway livestock numbers are increasing.
Purist scientists would like to deal with ALL sources of greenhouse gases, whereas a pragmatic approach would be to concentrate on the main problem (carbon dioxide) and its main cause (burning oil, gas and especially coal). We should leave farming and other land uses out of the picture because they account for only a small part of the problem, but consume most of the world’s organisational energy in devising ways to modify them.
Besides, it is idiocy to constrain food production in a world of 7 billion people and growing.
Piers Maclaren
I write in support of Albie Burgers “humble opinion” on the ETS as it relates to farm animals (GBW 11/11). (Actually I read recently that termites emit more methane worldwide annually than farm animals.)
When it comes to animal emissions long-term (full cycle), even the boffins admit that at this stage the science is not robust. So is it strong enough to start taxing farmers? Apparently our government thinks so.
For New Zealand to be the only country to include a climate change tax on farm animals, when dozens of other countries have considered it and decided it’s a bad idea, is difficult to understand. It’s actually a dumb disincentive on our No 1 earner.
ETS supporters want it forced on farm animals - and the sooner the better. All for what? A misguided “we’re saving the planet” warm fuzzy? If one has to poke borax at farmers why not concentrate on effluent and nitrates - the things that can be controlled?
India has around 112 million dairy animals. Imagine imposing a tax on each one. Here in New Zealand we have just four million. Maybe we, too, should look upon our national herd as something sacred, instead of kicking it at every opportunity.
Robin Manson
Election signs
There has been a concerted effort to deface National Party signs throughout the North Island and the top of the South Island. Strips of adhesive plastic with a printed message designed to appear as identical and part of the original sign as possible have been placed on the signs and removing the strip has left an ugly mark.
While we might tolerate imbeciles with spray cans, as seen on the sign just out of Takaka going towards Collingwood, this action on a national level is another thing altogether. Apart from being illegal, it is unfair. Yes, some of the signs in Golden Bay have been attacked and I’m sure people in Golden Bay will agree, no matter what their political leanings, that this is pretty dirty stuff and we don’t need to stoop to this level.
If anyone knows who was responsible in the Bay, please let me know. I’d like to have a chat with them.
Tony Sandall
The 2011 General Election
I note with interest the National Party candidate Chris Auchinvole failed to turn up at the candidates meeting on 2 November. That would be entirely consistent with Mr Auchinvole’s lack of commitment to Golden Bay.
I was a member of the Save Joan Whiting Group and, along with the other members and the Joan Whiting Trustees, was extremely disappointed with Mr Achinvole’s lack of interest and support in keeping Joan Whiting open. In complete contrast we received considerable assistance and support from the other two MPs involved, Damien O’Connor and Kevin Hague. Mr Auchinvole proved himself to be a waste of space.
Given the closeness of the electorate race, it is important that Green voters in Golden Bay endorse Damien O’Connor and give him their electorate vote, and Kevin Hague by giving him their party vote if they want Damien and Kevin returned to parliament as they clearly deserve.
I understand that Mr Hague is very relaxed about this approach.
Warwick Heal
To the person...
...who got his vehicle stuck at Barron’s Flat two weeks ago: we realise you were in a tricky situation, the solution to which involved the burglary of our garage to get tools to extract yourself. We thank you for leaving our place tidy and for not taking anything extra while you were there. But, given that you are presumably a hunter at heart and not a thief, we would appreciate the return of our forestry planting spade and our winch!
Also, a contribution towards the replacement of the two padlocks that you cut through would be much appreciated. You can send an anonymous note to 20 Labyrinth Lane telling us where to find the missing gear. Hope you had a good trip up to Barron’s Flat otherwise!
Piers and Jenny Maclaren
White Ribbon Day
Next Friday 25 November is White Ribbon Day. This is an international day, originating in Canada, which was male led, to make a stand against violence of any kind towards men, women and children. Wearing a white ribbon signifies a personal pledge that the wearer does not condone violence in any form.
This year the Community Workers will be facilitating the White Ribbon Stall on the Village Green on 25 November, between 9.30 and 10.30am to distribute ribbons and information. For the first time, a group of bikers will be visiting Golden Bay on their annual White Ribbon tour of New Zealand. The bikers visit many communities in New Zealand on a two-week tour leading up to White Ribbon Day, spreading the anti-violence message and we are thrilled they have added Golden Bay to their schedule this year.
This is an exciting opportunity to hear these men speak, to admire their bikes, and to show your support for the elimination of violence in all its forms. So please come along to the Village Green next Friday and join us as we spread the message. There will also be a free sausage sizzle.
Any offers of help to distribute ribbons and information on the day would be hugely appreciated, and white ribbons can also be picked up at the Community Centre.
Please help to remind people of this important message, that violence is not OK.
Emma Brazendale, Community Worker
Community help for Rototai cycle-walkway
If you’ve walked or biked the Rototai cycle-walkway beyond Boundary Road toward the beach, you’ve probably enjoyed its year-round blooming flowers, prize-winning mural, and colourful mosaic tiles by artist NgAng and local schoolchildren he taught mosaic-craft.
TDC own the cycle-walkway land, which was donated by the Blyth family. However, NgAng and Rototai Residents & Friends (RR+F) have voluntarily maintained it for several years, because TDC’s mowers and high-pressure herbicide sprays would destroy the plantings and art features.
A small group, RR+F welcome help with weedeater cord and fuel costs, and weeding assistance, so neighbours, townsfolk and visitors can keep enjoying the cycle-walkway’s beauty and off-road safety. Donations for cycle-walkway maintenance are gratefully accepted through online banking, account # 03 1711 0062915 00.
Wendy, Russ and Sabina for Rototai Residents + Friends
Motocross rider says thank you
Hi my name is Hamish Harwood and I have been representing Golden Bay around New Zealand and Australia and I’m the current Australian and New Zealand junior motocross champion. I would like to thank all the people from this community who helped me get to Australia in any way. I could not have done it without the help of these people. Thank you so much. The names of the these people have been printed in the public notice section of this paper.
Hamish Harwood
