Letters 25 November
Spraying in Takaka
The wording of the recent petition is: We the undersigned request that either organic sprays or a hot water system be used for vegetation control along all roadsides, reserves and culverts in rural areas in the Golden Bay district.
TDC transportation netowrk engineer Selwyn Steddman’s response to the petition.
Thank you for your petition regarding the roadside spraying of vegetation.
Council staff have given due consideration to your petition. However, there are two issues that we believe outweigh your request.
Firstly, roadside spraying is included in council’s maintenance contract. The contract is not due to be renewed until 2014 and council could incur financial penalty if the contract is altered. Similarly, council has paid for consent through the Resource Management Act to spray roadside vegetation. Changing our method of weed control would cost more in resource consent fees and would be financially unattractive.
Furthermore, organic sprays and steam are not ideal in rural situations as organic sprays require repeat applications to achieve what can be achieved with one weedicide application and steam control has not been practical in rural settings.
TDC acknowledges that for many different reasons some property owners do not want the vegetation in front of their property sprayed. Therefore council has set up a “no spray” database and anyone can apply for a “no spray” permit. However, such a permit does include the requirement that the property owner maintains the area to a certain standard. There is no charge for the permit but the permit must be renewed every year.
You also need to be aware that council is not the only operator who sprays roadside vegetation in the Golden Bay area. The New Zealand Transport Agency also sprays the vegetation on the side of the state highway.
Spraying in Takaka
Last week two men from the company who does the weed spraying in Takaka township came into our tea house to let me know that the weed spray used in Takaka CBD is an organic spray. Thank you for letting me know and I’m very pleased to hear that.
Ute Kleine
General Election 2011
The theory that espouses the solution to the low wage/working poor issue as being that workers on low wages need to up-skill and then they could move into “more productive sectors” is only feasible if the low-waged jobs in question are dispensable. Otherwise it is simply a fob off.
Many jobs involved in our food supply command pitifully low wages.
Because I don’t think we’ve worked out how to live without eating yet—if we are not going to do these jobs anymore—I guess people in other countries are. Are we happy about these jobs leaving our country? Outsourcing them overseas like we have done with many or our clothing production jobs (and others)?
I don’t think many New Zealanders would actively vote to lose our local food production.
Low wage earners are now supplemented by government welfare. Voting to have this issue addressed not only raises people’s living standards whom are performing a valuable service for us all, it also supports retaining local productivity/self sufficiency, boosts the economy—when more people are paid more, greater numbers are spending more—and it is likely to remove some welfare expenditure.
I hope that voters really engage with this issue, and vote accordingly. It would be good to see the working poor problem addressed and I believe many positive spin offs will be enjoyed when it is.
Stephanie Wilson
General Election 2011
Oh, were the creative amendments to the local National Party billboards an act of vandalism (GBW letters, 18/11)? I thought the newly added slogans (eg “Drill it! Mine it! Sell it!”) were just an attempt at greater truth in advertising.
National’s push to surround our coastlines with foreign-owned oil wells (even after recent experience shows us New Zealand is ill-equipped to handle even a minor oil spill); National’s recent attempt to introduce mining in our most protected conservation lands and national parks; National’s support for dirty lignite mega-mines -- these are the true acts of vandalism.
Vote wisely this Saturday.
Rebecca Reider
General Election 2011
Unlike MP Kevin Hague (GBW Letters, 18/11), I am pleased that most “young people” are proposing not to vote this week.
The age of 18, and even 21, is too young for a person to have had the experience of life in general, and of the actions of politicians in particular, needed to form a well-founded decision on who should govern us.
It takes years of observation of politicians, economics, and society to equip one to make even the beginnings of a realistic assessment of which party is likely to do most for the common good. Sometimes one may regretfully decide that one’s vote must merely go to the party that is likely to do the least harm.
It is illegal not to enrol but it is permitted to refrain from voting. I congratulate those young people who have had the wisdom to recognise their own temporary limitations and have chosen not to vote this year. In a few years’ time they will be among our more thoughtful voters.
Robert Kennedy
General Election 2011
I must take issue with both Joe Bell and Warwick Heal and their criticism of Chris Auchinvole in the Joan Whiting affair (GBW 18/11). What they said is quite wrong and totally misleading. I have 21 emails saved on my computer to prove it. I became involved when I wrote to the Prime Minister on 13 September about the problem. It was copied to Chris Auchinvole and the Minister of Health, Tony Ryall.
On 22 September, just over a week later, Chris announced that as a result of an agreement between the MOH and the Nelson/Marlborough DHB; Joan Whiting would stay open until residents could be transferred to the new facility.
I know from my contacts that Chris spent much of that week in Tony Ryall’s office. So let’s stick to the facts and give credit where credit is due. Damien O’Connor and Kevin Hague don’t deserve any credit at all.
Tony Sandall
Flood risk in Takaka
After visiting the presentation from TDC last week with regard to flooding in the Takaka area, my concerns are yet again aroused regarding the location of the combined medical facility.
I appreciate that cost-wise the Central Takaka site has an advantage but, and it is a big but, the access to that site in a flood is impossible to all but a small number of residents and no doctor can get access to it.
Bridgers Hollow has always been a very dangerous place in times of flooding and I agree that the stopbank currently in place alleviates that risk, but the papers presented by council emphasise that it is illegal and we have no guarantee that it will remain in place.
Medical emergencies can be dealt with by helicopter but floods do not always go away quickly, and there will always semi-urgent cases. Is there no way that we can at least retain the medical centre in town which is the preferred choice of so many people?
Also I am far from being convinced that those with limited mobility or who cannot drive will be able to get to the proposed facility at will.
Ann Lewis
Response from Linda Sanders, spokesperson for the Golden Bay Community Health Te Hauora O Mohua Trust: The Integrated Family Health Centre is a service (not just a building) that will provide an integrated approach to health care from a unified team that functions from one location. The benefits of such an approach will become obvious once the service begins.
The hospital site is not perfect (no option is) but it is what we have to work with. There are alternative routes to the hospital/health centre if one access is blocked.
While the hospital site will not be as convenient for the small minority of people who walk or mobility scooter to the current medical centre, it will make little difference to the vast majority of people across Golden Bay who currently drive to the medical centre. The service will be looking at how to cater for those with mobility issues.
General Election 2011
I can understand Mr Heal’s concerns regarding our current representative Chris Auchinvole (GBW letters, 18/11). But we have to remember that Mr Auchinvole didn’t get in because he was better than Damien O’Connor. But Damien lost because the electorate was sick of him. I heard this over and over when I was campaigning on the Coast.
Under MMP, voters don’t need to have a member of one of the two parties as their representative. What voters need, is someone who isn’t constrained by large party’s policies.Someone that has passion and isn’t afraid to stand up and support their constituents. Someone who is willing to give the time to listen to people’s concerns.
Labour has made a deal with the Green Party, where they ask their supporters to give their candidacy vote to Damien O’Connor.
I am asking voters to seriously consider giving me their candidacy vote. Because if I become their representative, besides making myself accessible to all voters, I will be championing a fairer tax system (Tobin’s Tax) for all. Which would remove personal income tax, as well as GST.
This country can survive the brewing storm from the Northern Hemisphere. But we have to start now. Vote for true representation.
Steven Wilkinson
Tribute to Harry Holmwood
I was saddened to hear of Harry Holmwood’s recent passing although I only knew him through GB Collectable Vehicle Club and council meetings.
We relate to people by what they do in the community. For hundreds of adults and children this will mean missing Harry steaming along at the front of the Santa Parade and leading the Grand Parade at our A & P Show as he has done for as long as I can remember. That’s a pretty good contribution contribution in my book. RIP Harry.
Dave Myall
Flag bunting needed
Next year the Golden Bay Boys’ & Girls’ Agricultural Show will need bunting to mark off the horse arenas. We were thinking of all that magnificent Rugby World Cup Flag bunting that is too good to throw out, and would like to offer a home for any that is now surplus. We would look after it carefully and use it each year at the show.
If you have some that you would like to see used in this way then please contact Andrea Ward 525 9388 or 027 415 0763, Clarissa Gray 525 6269 or 027 211 2535, or myself on 027 384 8165. Many thanks.
Jill Pearson
Nelson Council’s Maori seat
I am not the “Laurie Tuff” who wrote the letter “Nelson Council’s Maori Seat” (GBW Letters 11/11).
For the 44-and-a-half years my name has always been, and still is:
Laurelee Duff
Flag bunting available
Christmas is almost upon us again and it would be fantastic if Golden Bay would get into the spirit of things with some festive decoration. Many people got in behind going “red and black” in support of the Crusaders. The Rugby World Cup was supported well with car flags and specialty bunting flags.
The same company that supplied the Rugby World Cup flags has come up with a special Christmas theme set of flags that you can use year after year. Once again they are 10 metres long and have 7 designs repeated 5 times across the string for $25.
If you would like to purchase a string or two for your business, workplace or home then please contact me at Feel Good Food on 525 8193 to order. Orders need to be in by Tuesday 29 November for delivery early December.
Cheryl Elsey
