Letters 13 January 2012
Aerial bovine tuberculosis control operation
As previous readers have noted, the Animal Health Board will be running an aerial bovine tuberculosis (TB) control operation in the Golden Bay area later this year. Anyone seeking a succinct, factual and impartial assessment of the pros and cons of biodegradable 1080 should refer to the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment’s recent report “Evaluating the use of 1080: Predators, poisons and silent forests”. It is available on the Commission’s website www.pce.parliament.nz
John Deal, Animal Health Board, Wellington
Flood help
This is an acknowledgement and thank you to the unsung heroes who helped stricken home owners affected by the mudslides. We who couldn’t help because we don’t know how to drive diggers, or had no gum-boots, or spades, or had no money for fuel to get there or had work commitments. A big thank you to you all.
From those who wanted to help but couldn’t.
Name withheld
Recipe for a flood
Recipe for disaster in Pohara Valley: Take a warming atmosphere and its resultant extreme and unusual weather events. Stir in a stream rerouted from its natural course to accommodate houses on both sides of the road. Take hillsides of ancient, weathered Separation Point granite, now crumbly and mobile when saturated. Strip these hillsides of their natural cover of mixed species with deep intertwining roots. Replace with monoculture forestry and farming. Leave behind on the slopes hundreds of tonnes of logging slash and logs too large or too small for the mill. Add thousands of tonnes of rocks and silt slipped from steepland pasture. Mix with a large handful of undersize culverts, an obstructive concrete bridge and a narrow concrete raceway. Blend well with centralised water and sewerage schemes. Add houses sited on the fan of the creek where hill-country erosion debris is naturally deposited. Can be prepared decades in advance and then cooked overnight.
Joanna Piekarski
The flood
To Krishna Manson (GBW Letters 6/1): What I said was: “This was a working farm” hence a work-place. Under OSH regulations I could be charged should anyone have an accident on my property. People were walking through my bull paddock. Four Jersey bulls graze there. They can be unpredictable if confronted.
DOC, Civil Defence and the public never asked for my permission. Brandon, our postie, did and I said yes, explaining the dangers, as required by OSH. The terrain was steep and waterlogged and had a new slip on it. Pine trees could have fallen at any moment.
To Reg Turner (GBW Letters 6/1): the 4WD access was not a road as such. It was scratched out of silica and crossed two paddocks and a farm track for tractor and ATV access to the back of the farm. It was flooded on and off over the 48-hour period. It also had slips on it with big cuttings with big pines that could have fallen. The track is mostly un-gravelled and could only handle limited vehicle movements. My tractor was elsewhere so I had no means of extracting vehicles.
I allowed “emergency only” traffic through. The traffic I did allow through has left me with a buggered track needing thousands of dollars of remedial work to restore it to a farm-usable state.
Why were halls on both sides of the slip not opened for displaced people who had no alternative accommodation? I am sure the local community would have rallied with bedding, food and showering options.
To the people on the eastern side of the valley: the scale of the destruction you have suffered is great. My heart goes out to you all. Put into perspective, it makes the rest of the district’s problems over this event, including my farm’s damage, look small. [abridged]
Carolyn Rose
Tata Island Swim postponed
The annual Tata Island swim scheduled for Saturday 7 January was postponed. I understand the postponement was advertised in The GB Weekly the day before but I saw no other messages. The GB Swimming Club that runs the event must have made the decision by Wednesday at the latest to ensure it met The GB Weekly deadline. In earlier years the swim and any postponements due to poor conditions have been well communicated with signs at Tata Beach as well. Why wasn’t the postponement communicated better this year?
I and others I spoke to on Saturday morning at Tata Beach who had not seen the GB Weekly, were very disappointed that the swim was not held as conditions were excellent. Swimmers and supporters would have had a great experience.
Why was the swim postponed? Although no reason was given, I assume it was because of the floods. If so, I believe this was a mistake as I think it is important to keep events going as much as possible to give people something to look forward to. For swimmers living or holidaying in Golden Bay, the Tata Island swim is a great experience and I have seen the number of swimmers grow each year as the swim becomes more well known. [abridged]
Christine Pullar
Response from Maddy King, secretary, Golden Bay Swimming: The Golden Bay Swimming committee sincerely apologise for any inconvenience regarding the postponement of the Tata Swim. The postponement decision was made in good faith and the swim will be still be taking place, just at a later date. Swimmers and supporters still have our iconic event to look forward to will still of course have a great experience.
The following letter did not make last week’s letters to the editor: “Golden Bay Swimming has regretfully postponed the annual Tata Swim due to circumstances, mainly weather orientated, but most importantly due to the extra demand on our community volunteers and local residents at the present time. We will look at a weekend around the beginning to mid February. Our warm thoughts go out to everyone in the Bay who has been adversely affected by the recent floods. Watch out for further information in The GB Weekly towards the end of January. Any enquiries can be made by contacting Maddy King, Golden Bay Swimming Seceretary at <gbswimming@gmail.com>.”
Recent flood, global warming?
Bruce Collings (GBW Letters 6/1) correctly states that water vapour is overwhelmingly the main greenhouse gas. But he ignores a vital fact: water vapour is a secondary cause of warming, not a primary cause.
If the world had no atmosphere, its average temperature would be -16˚C; the oceans would be frozen solid, and there would be little water vapour around. This was all discovered in the 19th century, as were the primary gases that keep our planet warm: carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, in that order. Carbon dioxide is now 392 parts per million and growing – up from about 280 ppm in the pre-industrial age. The difference is due to human burning of fossil fuels and – to a lesser extent – deforestation. Bruce is a brave man to contest these facts, given that 194 nations (backed by their own scientific organisations) have just agreed on the Durban Platform to limit emissions.
Although convinced that man-made global warming is a reality, I do not support the ETS. My reason is that there are too many people in our society who favour short-term self-interest over long-term sustainability, and who do not support mainstream science. Without a consensus, our best hope lies in technical not political solutions.
Piers Maclaren
Boogie On TAP Variety Concert
Do you remember Debbie’s great tap, dance and variety concert back in November before the rains came? Her adult ‘Boogie On TAP’ group was ably supported by several teenage tappers, tango salsa and flamenco dancers, Jochen’s Ukelele Group, several singing items, and Melissa on violin. There were three performances. For the first two The Playhouse was near capacity, and several disappointed people had to be turned away from the final performance.
If you missed out on seeing the concert, or if you would like to relive it, there is a solution! A 2-hour composite DVD has been made of the whole programme. The DVD is fully indexed, with one version of each item, plus a couple of extras, and sells for $15.00. From each sale $5 is donated to the Playhouse reroofing fund, and profits are shared with Debbie. You can order one by email to Graeme <trimwells@orcon.net.nz>, subject: DVD.
Graeme Wells
Art Expo
The Art Expo will be open from Tuesday 17 January, from 10am till 4pm every day, until 19 February at 4 Commercial Street (next to Hammer Hardware).
Come and support the local artists.
Grant Knowles
Boredom Busters is back - spaces available
Remember to register for our fun Kids Holiday Programme. Starting 16 to 20 January. Games Challenge, Whales and Dolphins, Mystery Bus Trip and lots more. The following week we have Archery, Mini MX Riding and Rifle Shooting. For full details see the Boredom Buster magazine, available from the Library, TDC office and Community Centre. Register at GB Community Centre, 88 Commercial Street, down behind the Brigand Café.
Dave Myall, Boredom Busters organiser
