News in brief
Cabaret in the Cave 2011, Sunday 20 February
2pm: Gather at Aorere Goldfields for a Pot Luck Tea Party - transport offered from the Devil’s Boots. Music from Pikikirana Echo and we will have the fundraising raffle draw - be in to win $2,250 of prizes! Tickets available from GB Organics, Kuketa Designs and the Friday and Saturday Markets. All proceeds will pay the performers involved.
3:15pm: We will commence our walk up to the cave...let’s see what creatures await us along the way...
4:30pm: By this time we will be seated in the historic Ballroom Cave, a wonderful natural theatre, to be entertained by a variety show - featuring a splendid selection of local talent... songs, stories, sound bites, dance, theatre and more...
IMPORTANT: Bring a picnic blanket, sun protection, warm clothes for the cave (it’s cool in there!) and good walking shoes (it’s a one-hour walk each way!)
For the Tea Party: bring a thermos of tea, cups, a plate of snacks to share...and sun umbrellas!
DRESS UP - PIONEER THEME!
ALL WECOME - FREE EVENT!
Volunteers who are available to come to the dress rehearsal 13 February, to help us on the day, are required for various jobs. Anyone wishing to be involved, please contact us on 525 8771.
Submitted
Poetree release
Local performance poet and author Rebecca “Redwood” Reider will release her first studio album, Poetree, this Saturday 12 February in a special concert at the Dangerous Kitchen, beginning at 5.30pm.
Recorded in Golden Bay, the CD is her first to be released under the new name Redwood. It features 78 minutes of poetry set to a diverse range of music, including the Australian string trio The String Contingent, guitar collaborations with Carmen Salvador (Chile) and Karen Hunter (NZ), didjeridoo and flute compositions by Diwata (AJ) Hickling, who also did the audio production on the album, and the sounds of several Golden Bay locals including Hera Livingsong, araLyn Doiron, David Dwyer, and Tenzin Kalden.
The subject matter ranges from intimate to political, from spiritual revolution to the wonders of compost, selected from Redwood’s best-loved performance poems. Saturday’s free concert will include pieces from the album performed along with the contributing musicians.
Submitted
Blooming Sister
The Blooming Sister is a gathering for women held at the Treefield Events Park in Wainui Bay.
One of the organisers, Sybilla Feint, says that the gathering is “a week of lush nurturing, creativity, nature, play, and deep connection. Crafts such as sculpture, body casting, felting and painting, as well as dance, song and walks into magnificent places fill the week, along with peaceful and nurturing rest time, hot tubs, pampering, self-exploration, and sharing circles. Beautiful meals are provided by a cook who nurtures with healthy food. Camping is in tents, or marae-style in canvas structures in a tree-filled setting a few minutes from the ocean.”
She added: “The Blooming Sister is a time where I can remove myself from my busy daily life and have time out for myself in a loving space and connect with other women.”
The event will be held on 24 to 28 February. For more information, email: bloomingsister@gmail.com or phone Sybilla on 525 7138.
Submitted
Police seek information on cannabis growers
As the cannabis-growing season comes to a head, police in the Tasman District are calling on the public to be on the lookout for growers tending their plants.
Detective Sergeant Brett Greer said police were asking the public to be aware of vehicles in remote areas that seemed out of place, or people heading into the bush who do not quite fit the tramping and hunting mould.
Nelson, Marlborough and the West Coast attract a lot of cannabis growers, and each year thousands of cannabis plants are recovered from the bush. Last year, in excess of 13,500 plants were found and recovered. This represents a significant impact to the growers and this year police are determined to increase the amount recovered.
Detective Sergeant Greer said if people spotted anything out of place, or had information about someone growing cannabis they could call their local police station.
“Ideally we want a description of the location, date and time, and if possible vehicle registration numbers. Over the next couple of months there will be increased activity by growers as their plants near harvest time.”
Anonymous information can also be given to Crimestoppers, Ph 0800 555 111.
Community Board meeting
The possibility of providing reticulated water for Takaka town has resurfaced.
At Tuesday’s Golden Bay Community Board meeting TDC’s engineering services committee chair Cr Trevor Norriss and TDC utilities asset manager Jeff Cuthbertson initiated a discussion that will involve all the affected parties.
“The Ministry of Health have given us until the end of March to ask for a subsidy. This is the same subsidy that was available when we were discussing the fire-fighting water. As part of the process we need the support of the community. We could provide reticulated water to the whole town including Sunbelt Crescent and Rototai Road,” said Mr Cuthbertson.
“The Golden Bay Community Board will have the feelings of the community. If there is any feeling against it, we won’t apply. There’s only $10 million in the fund and it’s not transferable. If you apply, get granted the subsidy and then decide you don’t want it, that money disappears; the next town on the list doesn’t get it.”
Cr Norriss said that the town would also get the benefit of reticulated fire-fighting water.
“We need to give the community the opportunity to participate because there’s no guarantee that the subsidies will exist in the future. We could have reticulate the whole town under the drinking scheme for less than we’re spending on the CBD fire fighting.”
Board member Mik Symmonds said, “In order to make an informed decision people need to know the potential cost and rating implications. Will there be an element of choice? Is there an indication of what the cost would be?”
Mr Cuthbertson explained,“It would be the same as Collingwood. Everybody in the UDA will pay the capital cost and the daily charge of 45 cents but you have a choice about linking up. If you don’t, you don’t pay the cubic metre rate.”
The total cost of the scheme would be around $4million Mr Cuthberson estimated. That could involve each household in expenditure of about $350, added Cr Norriss.
“There is a risk to individual bores. They are all shallow. Most of them aren’t capped, so top-down contamination is a risk.
“The security of water supply after a catastrophic event is something that needs to be considered,” said Cr Norriss.
Mr Cuthbertson explained that he is happy to be guided by the community’s wishes.
“If the community says no, I’m not going to be disappointed. Equally if the community says yes I will just action the request to the Ministry.”
The board resolved to send a questionnaire to each affected household. People will be able to express their views via a post-paid envelope to be returned to council’s engineering services department.
Neil Wilson
Shortage of space in this issue prevented a full report of the board meeting. The GB Weekly will cover the main topics next week.
