Letters 17 June 2011
Mining in the Bay
In response to Peter Woods’ sadness (GBW Letters 10/6) that mining in Golden Bay was driven off, these are things which those of us who organised the protest meeting to Greywolf’s mining proposals considered.
The application for coal exploration covered a huge part of Golden Bay. In the “Pakawau coal measures” the application was for 225sq km. Puponga to Collingwood was for 2,830ha and near Takaka 6,707ha.
Coal is the most polluting fossil fuel there is. Carbon dioxide released by burning coal stays in the atmosphere for millennia.
Last year a record 30.6 gigatonnes of carbon was poured into the world’s atmosphere, 1.6 gigatonnes more than in 2009. It now contains 390 parts per million (ppm) of carbon dioxide. At 450ppm (+2 degrees), climate scientists consider that our climate will tip irrevocably into drastic change. Worldwide there is a move to bring this back to 350ppm.
Leaving coal in the ground is the one big thing we can do right now that may halt the progressive rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide.
Make a visible stand, Golden Bay. Link hands in solidarity on the beach at Pohara on Saturday 25 June at 12 noon to show you agree.
Jo-Anne Vaughan
Youth event
As part of the annual Youth Week celebrations, the Golden Bay-Tasman Youth Council (GB-TYC) held a ‘YOU event’ on 29 May at the Takaka Library car park. The GB-TYC haven’t had time to meet again since the event, so I am writing to express my personal thanks for their event and your participation for the day.
The day was smaller than anticipated, but nevertheless a huge success on a typically sunny Golden Bay day. Part of the car park was closed from 10am-5pm for the Top Team events and mixed teams rotated around the diversely different events and challenged themselves in the name of having fun and bringing people and families together. Each event was devised by the youth members in the GB-TYC. There were amazing guest speakers; a live youth band; a creche and bouncy castle were provided for the younger children; free transport was available from Collingwood, Pohara and upper Takaka; and food stalls were there to feed the hungry. It was an inclusive day for all people. The organisers, participants and onlookers all thoroughly enjoyed the day and recommended it as an annual event.
Many people donated time and many local businesses donated prizes, which were very well received. Both Top Team participants and onlookers won prizes on the day.
To Joe Arneson, Martine Bouillir, Glynn Rogers, Terry Nalder, Sharee Watts, Nina Beyleveld, the GB-TYC crew and especially (those that held events on the day), Bill Salmon, Jaymal Morgan, Oscar Stone, Paula Kohler-Saunders, Phelan Fuller, Zak Gibbs, thanks for stepping up, you are awesome. Thanks also to Fresh FM, The GB Weekly, and Fulton Hogan.
Shane Johnston
Public sculptures
The Golden Bay Community Arts Council is in the early stages of planning, then commissioning four public sculptures in the Golden Bay Area. These works will be artistic representations of the Mohua bird and will be mounted, flying as a group above natural material bases.
We are looking for appropriate sites in the Collingwood area for one of these pieces. We are currently considering (along with local authorities) the area around the Rosy Glow Chocolate seating and turn area, viewed as one drives towards the sea and township from its entrance. We would appreciate your local opinion on the use of this area along with any other suggestions.
There will be a public meeting to discuss the project at Collingwood Fire Station on Monday 27 June at 7pm, or contact me on 525 8844 for further details.
Lynne Udell, arts worker
Golden Guitars 2011 - Gore
The week started with 655 competitors, breaking the record for contestant entries at the Golden Guitar Country Music Awards in Gore. My country rock section had 60 competitors alone.
Praising God for the talent he gave me I managed to get into two finals, my vocal and traditional country sections. As you can imagine this alone was a massive achievement. I also then got highly commended in my country rock and senior duet sections. I was overwhelmed to get the highly commended in the senior duet. To be acknowledged in the senior class is a lot harder as they are just that next level up from the intermediate category. People from all over New Zealand and overseas had entered and it was my privilege to represent Golden Bay and Nelson in front of an audience of 1800. A massive thank you to everyone in Golden Bay and Nelson for your outstanding support. I, of course, couldn’t have done it without you!
Nikita Buys
Global Day of Action for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons
Saturday 25 June is the Global Day of Action for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons.
The Takaka Memorial Library currently has, in co-operation with the Peace Group, a display of books on the topics of nuclear weapons and peace. Included are contemporary, children’s, and some interesting historical publications, among them a facsimile copy of the 1946 New Yorker essay by John Hersey after his visit to Hiroshima. This was the first time the wider Western world was shown the reality of what had happened there. It retains its immediacy after all these years. Most of the books are for reading only within the library, but they may be borrowed after the display ends on 25 June by contacting me.
Helen Kingston
Freedom camping
There are people suffering in Golden Bay and around the planet as a result of being exposed to harmful chemicals; often the exposé was not intended. Paul Marcussen is confident that the authorities are looking after us, but there are many cases where OSH and employers and even food and drug safety authorities did not ensure protection for the public.
The freedom camping issue has been presented as a sudden evil swarm of nefarious campers lurking about just looking for a place to display their daily waste.
We can easily share some shovel and bucket ideas with our budget visitors and not be so arrogant as to assume that everyone can afford to pay for accommodation or for an expensive unit with a chemical toilet.
The money proposed to spend on policing the campers would be better spent on more toilets and helpful maps and information.
There will be a brief select committee sitting on the Freedom Camping Bill before the government pushes the bill through under urgency. You have a short opportunity to make submissions.
Victoria Davis
Recreation facility
In addition to my letter dated 10 June I was quite amazed to read in The GB Weekly the result of a survey taken by the Vandeskog Agency in 2009. Being involved in the Golden Bay Tennis Club I thought I may have heard of a survey that was being undertaken in the Bay. After speaking further to friends and some of the members of a 140-strong club I found that they were also quite ignorant that a survey had taken place. After much talk I was asked to represent the club at the Recreation Ground committee meetings.
Initial business over, talk turned to an upgrade of the present facilities and that there was possible finance available from the TDC. After much deliberation from the different groups involved we decided to approach Lloyd Kennedy from TDC Reserves Department. It was soon after this that Pete Blasdale volunteered his services to approach Lloyd and organise a series of public meetings.
At one of these meetings, two representatives from the Vandeskog Agency stood and explained their survey and its result. They offered a suggestion that they did not quite realise the enthusiasm that may exist for this centre and perhaps they got their spec wrong, but they would be quite willing to do another survey if funds were available.
This enthusiasm has created a series of public meetings where information has been shared to help find a way to create this wonderful opportunity for the Bay.
David Lewis
Disappointment at IMG plans
I am extremely disappointed with the recent IMG drawings displayed at the fire brigade headquarters. How could these plans be so removed from the community proposal?
Were the interviews, done by our local architect with our nurses, doctors, carers, etc all in vain? His plans which reflected a huge cross-section of local people’s wishes for the rest home including the site, have been utterly ignored. It would seem that local opinion has no credence in spite of the IMG assuring us that they wanted local input.
In Golden Bay we are all used to wonderful vistas, rainbows, moonbows, sunrises, night skies, sunsets, auroras, etc. That’s why many of us live here. We don’t want a pile of soil to look at, even if it is planted with shrubs, nor do we want to look at buildings in every other direction. The preferred local design shows clearly that this community does not want the rest home to be just another hospital wing.
KL Richardsen
St John Supporter Scheme
Subs are due for the coming year and you should have had your renewal letter in the post advising you of this by now.
Please be aware there were several anonymous subscription renewals last year so your name may have been unwittingly zapped from the spreadsheet held by St John in Christchurch that generates these letters. If you think you have missed out or if you would like to become a member of the Supporters Scheme for St John please ring me on 525 9544 and I can post you the relevant form. Or you may like to pick up a brochure from the medical centres in Takaka or Collingwood, the pharmacy or the Takaka Memorial Library. St John personnel (mostly volunteers) in Golden Bay do a wonderful job in our community.
The ambulance has an average of around 20 callouts per month and many volunteer hours are also spent on sporting sidelines or at community events. They deserve and need our financial support. If you have paid your subscription - $35 for an individual, $55 for a household - you will not be charged for their services.
Helen Rennison, St John Supporter Scheme co-ordinator
