Letters
Beach erosion
Our memories of Pakawau and Totara Avenue go back 65+ years, so after reading Jill and Anne’s letters (GBW 4/2) we couldn’t help but shake our heads.
Many hectares of land at Pakawau and Totara Avenue have eroded over the years where sand dunes were the only protection. What happened to the paddocks where cows grazed and millet crops grew, plus the island with pine trees growing at the mouth of Waikato Inlet? No rocks to cause that erosion.
Having lived through the moods of the sea from 1984 to 2006 and witnessed a lot of this erosion, we know rocks move but are able to be replaced, but sand dunes completely disappear. We were very thankful for the safety of the rock wall during the many storms we experienced. Hopefully the sand will build up again in the future but only the sea and elements will control that.
Charles and Doreen McKay
Does Landon Carter want people to believe, from his latest letter (GBW 4/2), that Anne George supports council’s rock-removal plan because her own property is protected anyway - by submerged rocks which he is (at best) “almost certain” exist? If that’s his implication - and it certainly seems to be - I wish he’d simply say it, for the benefit of readers.
Like many people concerned to see Golden Bay’s environment restored, I want to understand the issues out at Pakawau. Clearly there are two schools of thought about coastal protection, and The GB Weekly provides an excellent forum for airing them both. It’s an unfair and uninformative debate, though, if one side descends to innuendo instead of stating its convictions plainly and backing them with evidence.
I don’t know Ms George or her property, but to brand her with a selfish, “I’m all right Jack” attitude surely gives her a right of rebuttal. If Mr Carter has a point he should state it openly, instead of forcing Ms George to shadow-box with his insinuations about her character and motives. Such tactics make his position less credible regardless of any merit it may have.
Lloyd Blythen
New art mural at Takaka playground
You can’t miss the new art mural taking shape with its bright colours and beautiful Arohanui, Golden Bay title. With its location being beside the Takaka playground and drawing our attention to the theme of Golden Bay, you would think of children playing, Golden Bay landscapes, family picnics, horse riding and blue penguins. Instead, I found myself confused with illustrations that were biased towards eastern religious themes and controversial world views. The representation of eastern religions and world views portrayed on the mural is displaying an individual group’s perspective on what Golden Bay represents.
What Golden Bay represents to most locals and tourists is its beauty and a rural community lifestyle. Religion is a personal perspective, we would therefore like the pictures that symbolise religions to be removed, including the satanic smiley face and other controversial world views. This mural should be representing our beautiful beaches, national parks, Pupu Springs, children playing and family activities. This is not a criticism towards the talented artists in Golden Bay, but just the false religious themes the Takaka playground mural emphasises.
Carol Baker, Teresa Brough, Jess Steer, Hazel Faulkner, Jessie Mitchell, Miriam Freeman, Pauline Arndt
Noisy feathered culprit
For three months now, myself and my neighbours have been complaining to TDC about a crowing rooster in our area. We have rung the local council office, visited them in person and spoken to the TDC compliance officer in Richmond who assured me that it contravened the TDC bylaws regarding keeping chickens in a residential area. He was going to”look into it” but still the rooster crows.
It’s about time the TDC got off its corporate backside and enforced some of its own bylaws. I am sure if this rooster was in their area it would have been silenced long ago.
Having had no luck through TDC, I plead with the owners of this rooster, which lives in the vicinity of the medical centre, to find him a nice home in the country where he can crow as much as he likes and not disturb anyone. I am not anti-animals. I just don’t like being woken at 4, 5, 6 or 7am by a rooster.
John Southwood
Response from Chris Choat, TDC communications: In response to the letter submitted by Mr Southwood regarding the rooster living in breach of bylaws in Commercial Street, the council has not forgotten the issue.
As discussed earlier with Mr Southwood the council needs to identify the home of the noisy feathered culprit. To date, the council’s compliance officers have been dealing with very approximate locations and have yet to identify the exact location.
To speed this process up, any assistance in identifying the address of the rooster would be greatly received. As Mr Southwood has suggested, if the situation dictates the council would assist in finding a more suitable location for the offender.
Any further information can be provided to the TDC’s Takaka Service Centre or by ringing 03 543 8400.
Ligar Bay baches
One of the reasons we love living in Golden Bay is the caring, compassionate nature of this community. This was most recently demonstrated by the multiple gestures of support, both practical and emotional, offered to Aorere Valley residents after the flood.
We are therefore bewildered and then outraged at what appears to be a complete failure of compassion, empathy and common decency in regard to the proposed eviction of the Ligar Bay “bach” owners.
What price an unimpeded sea view from your holiday house? Is it worth sacrificing the health and happiness of even one local who calls the “bach” and its gardens home? Have we forgotten the contributions made by long-standing members of our community like Lesley and Garth Bray over the past 21 years? How can we live with ourselves turning a blind eye, or worse, abetting the proposal that they be forced out of their home?
Also contributing to our strong feelings regarding this proposal, is the blatant disregard shown by the TDC toward yet another recommendation of the Golden Bay Community Board. We wonder if the community board is really so impotent, or has there been a sell-out? We are also disappointed that Martine Boullir thought it appropriate to give personal views on the matter rather than representing the people who gave her the vote of confidence to represent them.
Robin Palmer and Paul Winspear
Mardi Gras
I’d like to thank all the performers, supporters, stallholders, Commercial St foodies and the public for a well-attended 2011 Takaka Mardi Gras. It was a shame The Holy Finger couldn’t perform due to their drummer’s broken ankle. Hopefully they will be still together next year.
Please see the Public Notices for acknowledgement of the crew and other local contributors. All the small things add to the whole, making the event possible. Thank you.
Dave Myall, Mardi Gras organiser
