Newsline 242 - 24 December 2010

Friday 24 December 2010

This page contains articles from Issue 242 of Newsline. You can also download Newsline as a PDF:
Newsline 242 - 24 December 2010

Motueka Officially the Best

“Community involvement, the size of the town, the mountains, beaches and climate.”.

Tasman District Councillor Eileen Wilkins has no shortage of suggestions as to why Motueka, her home town, is officially the best in the country, beating Pukekohe in an online poll run by Keep New Zealand Beautiful.

Winners of the 2010 New World-Four Square awards were announced at a ceremony at Parliament earlier this month. Motueka won a $3000 sign package.

Rotorua took the Best City award in the 27,000-vote poll. Christchurch was runner-up.

The Young Legend award went to 21-year-old Sam Johnson for organising students to help in the Christchurch earthquake clean-up and Nelson suburb Stoke won the Kiwis’ Choice category, where people vote for their favourite spot even though it did not make the final two.

Eileen Wilkins, who is also Keep Motueka Beautiful chairperson, accepted the award at Parliament and said that the town’s win is great news, “We won’t rest on our laurels though, we’ll keep going with our projects.”

Keep Motueka Beautiful project manager Bob Cooke said the news was “absolutely fantastic”. The whole community got behind the town to win and everybody I spoke to was talking about it.”

Motueka, population 7125, is the stepping stone for thousands of tourists to Abel Tasman National Park. Two decades ago the former tobacco town was struggling to come to terms with the demise of the industry, but is now a thriving community with a new $12 million hospital (Friends of Motueka Hospital Trust was Supreme Winner of the 2009 National TrustPower Community Awards), a newly refurbished community recreation centre and a host of adventure activities such as skydiving, drag-racing and kayaking.

The Full Award List:

Best City: Rotorua
Best Town: Motueka
Young Legend: Sam Johnson
Best Community/Environmentally Minded School: Tatuanui School in Morrinsville
Best Community/Environmentally Minded Initiative: Nukuhou Saltmarsh Restoration Project, Whakatane
Kiwis’ Choice: Stoke.

Mayor’s Comment

As we close another year we should all look back and celebrate what we have achieved and look to learn from what we haven’t. As expected in Tasman, there is more of the former than the latter.

The recent announcement from Keep New Zealand Beautiful confirmed what we all knew already, but congratulations are still in order for New Zealand’s top town, Motueka. The town looks great, the main street is attractive with well presented shops, matched with a very good service culture, and that is just one street. Motueka is a town of many parts from its parks, waterfront, through to its community and the work that is so often selflessly done to make Motueka the best town in New Zealand.

This is not the first award Motueka has won and they all have been won by one of the many groups within the town, such as the Jack Inglis Friendship Hospital winning the TrustPower national award as the best community project. I would like to convey my personal congratulations and those of the Council, to the Keep Motueka Beautiful team, without who this achievement would not have
been possible.

Being one of the places New Zealanders come to enjoy summer has a downside. While the majority of people look forward to a long hot summer the seriousness of drought in our District is never far from the minds of our horticultural and agricultural sectors. As a District we are already on water restrictions with a real likelihood of those becoming stricter as the summer progresses. The most productive land in the region, the Waimea Plains, are usually the worst hit and it looks like this year will be no different, however, there is a silver lining. The proposed Lee Valley Dam has been the focus of discussion for most of the year with the community led asset moving from concept to reality. While the Council will play a role in its future its scope has yet to be determined – one thing that is agreed is that a consistent water source for the area will benefit the whole District.

After a year of making decisions on behalf of the community, my councillor colleagues and I are often reminded of the subjective nature of many of those decisions. It is accepted that we won’t always please everyone, however, that does not mean we do not take into account the widest possible viewpoint. We make the decisions we believe are in the best interests of the local and wider community with the best information we have at hand. This year we have been shown that we could do things a little better and we take those lessons on board every time we are asked to make a decision, which is nearly every day.

On the matter of decision-making, we are entering one of the key decision-making periods for Council, the drafting of the Annual Plan. Every year the council has to balance the wishes of residents and the development and maintenance of essential infrastructure with the need to minimise costs and our ability to manage rate increases downwards. While confident that residents are aware of the conflict, we are equally aware that the decisions we make are sometimes not popular – the building site in Hope, the pumping station in Mapua, the water main in Takaka. In making these decisions the affordability of rates is a key issue not just for those directly affected but the also the wider District.

For most of last week the Local Government Commission was hearing the many verbal submissions on the amalgamation proposal put forward by Nelson Mayor Aldo Miccio, and I thank those who took the time to make a submission. As a Council we produced what we believed was relevant information, driven by requests from constituents, and a submission reflecting our position on what we believe are the real issues at the centre of the proposal. Regardless of the view you take this is an important decision-making process which will have a lasting effect on the region. People need to take part.

However, while the Local Government Commission makes its decision we as a Council will continue delivering Council services and the agreed work programme for our community.

On behalf of the Council I would like to wish everyone an enjoyable Christmas and New Year and hope you are able to enjoy a well earned break with family and friends in our beautiful District.

– Mayor Richard Kempthorne

SolarCity Summer Movies Coming to a Town Near You!

You’ve got a telly and a sofa in the lounge, right? So why would you want to go and sit in the park to watch a movie that first screened when your nana was a kid?.

“I don’t know the answer but I do know that classic movies under the stars are getting more popular every year,” says SolarCity Summer Movies’ organiser Antony Hodgson. “I guess it’s the attraction of a family event that returns us to a simpler time and puts us back in touch with the other people who live in our neighbourhood.”

This year there’s a new bigger screen for the movies – specially made locally and it’s inflatable!

“Having an inflatable screen means it’s more portable and safer too,” Antony says. “Where else can you see a movie on a big screen for just two bucks – and enjoy our ‘Amplified Picnic’ with music, storytelling and games before the show, at seven of the 15 screenings.”

Summer Movies have a new and very appropriate sponsor this year, SolarCity, who will be providing some special lighting to guide people safely from the venues at the end of the evening.

So What’s Coming Up on the Big Outdoor Screen?

High Noon 1953. PG. 85mins

On the day he gets married and hangs up his badge, lawman Will Kane is told that the man he sent to prison years before, Frank Miller, is returning on the noon train to exact his revenge. Starring Gary Cooper & Grace Kelly.

Lassie Come Home 1943. G. 89mins

Set in Depression-era Yorkshire, England, the Carracloughs are hit by hard times and forced to sell their collie, Lassie, to the rich Duke of Rudling. Lassie escapes the kennels and sets out on the long journey home.

Lili 1953. G. 81mins

Starring Leslie Caron as a naïve French girl who tags along with the members of a circus troupe, telling the puppets of her sadness and singing her troubles.

Pack a picnic (BYO OK), bring a rug or your couch, wear warm clothes or your pyjamas and pocket a torch to light your way home. Movies will not screen if it is raining. If the weather is doubtful please txt: Is it on? to 021 776623 after 7.30 pm. Amplified Picnics start from 6.00 pm preceding the Summer Movies. Amplified Picnic is FREE, remember to bring gold coins if staying for the movie.

The full movie schedule is online at www.nelsonfestivals.co.nz

Here Are the Movies That Are Coming to Parks in the Tasman Region:

7 January 2011 – Lili. Decks Reserve, Motueka (Amplified Picnic)
9 January 2011 – Lili. Village Green, Takaka (Amplified Picnic)
12 January 2011 – High Noon. Jester House, Tasman
13 January 2011 – Lassie Come Home. Tapawera School (Amplified Picnic)
14 January 2011 – High Noon, Washbourne Gardens, Richmond
19 January 2011 – High Noon. Village Green, Takaka

9.00 pm – 11.00 pm (Movies start at dusk)

Cost: $2 Adult, $1 Child.

‘Nerdy’ Teams Have a Ball at Bowater Motor Group Top Team 2010 Finals

Top Team will be back next year, says co-organiser Judene Edgar, after a fun-filled final at the Moutere Hills Community Centre on Sunday 12 December 2010.

Signature Homes constructed a winning performance in the senior competition. Hot on their heels were the Horrell Farmers of Motueka.

A total of 24 teams (12 Junior, 12 Senior) had qualified in heats staged at Richmond, Motueka and Murchison, competing in games such as wheelbarrow obstacle races, sack race, towing farmbikes and leaky bucket balancing.

Simon Bixley, whose Signature Homes team was made up of staff and friends, told the Nelson Mail their strategy in the final was to “have fun and go hard” – the latter taking precedence when they realised at halftime that they were leading the competition.

Winners of the junior category were Lind and Franks, from Richmond, with runners-up the Awesome Unicorns.

The best dressed seniors were “J Dawg & the G-Unit” and the best dressed juniors were Jelly Beans.

Judene said the day was “brilliant – loads of fun, with some great outfits”. Many contestants “harnessed their inner-70s nerd” – and a few blokes sported pink lycra tights..

We Profile Two of the Winners of the Recent Tasman Nelson Environment Awards

Eco Properties Run on Next-to-Nothing

The country’s only house rated nine-star for energy use – the normal is four – collected a Nelson Tasman Environment Award for the Golden Bay Hideaway resort at Wainui Bay.

Owners Lawrence and Antje McIntyre built Little Greenie as part of their holiday accommodation business, which also includes a revamped Hippie House and a housetruck.

Little Greenie’s heat retention starts from the ground up, on a base of polystyrene. This is topped by a rib raft floor, another layer of polystyrene, underfloor heating tubes and a top 5cm layer of concrete. This is all thermostatically controlled and solar-heated.

Triple wool batt insulation went into a standard timber framing, with adobe brick inner walls to store heat. The exterior cladding is Coloursteel, with more wool insulation in the roofspace.

Windows are double-glazed. Lawrence says that during a cold snap of eight frosts in a row the temperature in the house never fell below 21°C.

The home runs at 240v on an off-grid solar power and battery bank, with a back-up power supply in case of heavy use. Lighting is 24v LEDs.

The annual heating demand is 85 per cent lower than for an average new house built to minimum code requirements, says Lawrence.

If the weather turns really bad, Little Greenie has a high-tech boiler.
A composting toilet has external access for cleaning, which is required once yearly and improving.

The house cost about $3000 per square metre, which is offset by the energy savings over the life of the building – designed to be much longer than a standard house. Hot-water heating costs are quoted as $41 a year.

For more information you can contact Lawrence on Ph. 03 525 7184 or through the website, www.goldenbayhideaway.co.nz

Stonefly Lodge, which won the Best Use of Renewable Energy award, proves that luxury is not incompatible with being eco-friendly. The Motueka Valley fishing lodge, which opened last year, is completely off the grid, powered by solar cells, a wind turbine and micro-hydro plant (using a washing machine motor). Efficient LED lights run off the battery bank.

The lodge sits on an insulated concrete pad laced with 900m of water pipe for heating.

A wood-burning fireplace heats the spacious central area, with ducting to the four guest bedrooms. All firewood is sourced from the 60ha property.

A sunroom captures winter heat into the floor and stone pillars. Windows are double-glazed and the external walls are 50 per cent thicker than is standard for extra insulation.

The lodge’s total power consumption is less than half that of a typical home. Owners John and Kate Kerr designed the building, with help from Designbase in Richmond. With three decades of experience in five-star resorts, many in remote locations, John says he wanted something self-sufficient and independent.

The water supply at Stonefly is drawn from a spring on the property and wastewater is treated and used on the permaculture garden. Kitchen waste is separated into recycling bins next to the sink.

The lodge has an ongoing project to clear all weeds and plant natives.

Richmond Proposed Road Safety Improvements

In an attempt to increase pedestrian and traffic safety in Richmond the Council is proposing to make a number of improvements at key intersections. If the proposals are successful the construction and road marking will occur in late summer 2011.

Should you wish to discuss the proposed changes then please contact Council’s Transportation Projects Engineer Steve Elkington, at Council’s Richmond office.

Comments should be received either prior to 23 December 2010 and then from 5 to 11 January 2011.

1. Crescent Street Intersection At Blair Terrace– Proposed Build-Out And Change Of Traffic Priority

The proposed closing-off of Crescent Street onto Wensley Road will change the traffic flow at the Blair Terrace/Crescent Street intersection.

The improvements at Crescent Street and Blair Terrace consist of a kerb re-alignment to form a build-out at the intersection and remarking the road surface to define the priority route. The new priority route will be along Blair Terrace and right on to Crescent Street and vice versa. Vehicles travelling east along Crescent Street will be required to give way at this intersection. The proposed build-out will improve pedestrian safety and make crossing the road easier.

However, this work will only go ahead if the proposal to close off or restrict the intersection of Crescent Street at Wensley Road, which is presently out for consultation, proceeds.

Map of Crescent Street and Blair Terrace Proposal

2. Cambridge Street Intersection With Queen Street– Proposed Pedestrian Improvements

In an attempt to make crossing Cambridge Street at its intersection with Queen Street safer, the Council is proposing to install pedestrian crossing improvements.

The work involves installing a pedestrian refuge and constructing new pedestrian cut-downs to better align with pedestrian desire lines.

Map of Cambridge and Queen Street intersection proposal

3. Croucher Street Between Mcglashen Avenue And Talbot Street– Proposed Pedestrian Crossing Improvements

The proposal is to improve pedestrian safety in this area by altering the existing pedestrian crossing facility on Croucher Street where there is an existing central pedestrian refuge as well as installing pram crossings and a central pedestrian refuge at the northern end of Sundial Square where it intersects with McGlashen Avenue and Croucher Street.

In the case of the existing facility on Croucher Street the improvements consist of extending the kerb out on both sides of the road opposite the existing pedestrian refuge island, providing pedestrians with a shorter crossing distance and better visibility of approaching vehicles.

At the northern end of Sundial Square a new central pedestrian refuge will be installed along with pram crossings to enable pedestrians to cross Sundial Square when travelling between Talbot Street and McGlashen Avenue.

The proposed changes are an attempt to mitigate the difficulties pedestrians have crossing Croucher Street due to the road’s alignment and short sight lines.

Cycling has not been forgotten with the road surface along the Croucher Street/McGlashen Avenue/Talbot Street intersections marked with green colored shading to signify the cycle lane.

Map of Croucher Street, McGlashen Avenue and Talbot Street intersection proposal

4. Edward Street Intersection With Queen Street– Proposed Pedestrian Improvements

The Council is proposing to install pedestrian crossing improvements on Edward Street at the Queen Street intersection with the aim of increasing pedestrian safety. A central pedestrian refuge island is proposed along with anew pram crossings with tactile pavers.

Map of Edward Street and Queen Street intersection proposal

5. Edward Street Intersection With William Street– Proposed Pedestrian Improvements

To improve pedestrian safety at this intersection Council is planning to install a central pedestrian island refuge as well as altering the kerb corner radiuses and installing new pram crossings.

The stop control sign and markings are already in place.

Associated with the above work is the relocation of the William Street School Crossing closer to Edward Street due to Henley School developing a new carpark on its frontage.

The new pedestrian crossing will have suitable lighting making this crossing safer to use during the hours of darkness.

The road will also be narrowed at the crossing to reduce the crossing distance. Further along William Street towards the Catholic Church carpark a central pedestrian island refuge will be installed to aid crossing at this point. Both this central refuge and the new pedestrian crossing with kerb build-outs will act as traffic calming past the school frontage.

Map of Edward Street and William Street intersection proposal

6. Intersection Of Hill Street With Queen Street– Proposed Visibility And Pedestrian Crossing Improvements

The planned work will make the intersection more conspicuous to Queen Street drivers as well as improve safety. Kerb build-outs will be installed on the four corners to pedestrians crossing both Hill Street and Queen Street by reducing the crossing distance as well as making them more visible to approaching drivers. Also drivers of vehicles stopped at the approaches on to Queen Street will have better uninterrupted sightlines to approaching vehicles.

Map of Hill Street and Queen Street intersection proposal

Tasman Waterways Gain Pass Mark, But We Can Do Better

When benchmarked against 77 monitoring sites nationwide the Motueka River at the Gorge came out as the clearest water in the country in a recent Ministry for the Environment report.

However the list didn’t include three of our sites that are even better; the world renowned Waikoropupu Stream in Golden Bay, the upper Waingaro and the upper Matakitaki Rivers are all better than the Motueka for clarity.

Most of Tasman’s streams and rivers are healthy and safe for swimming or kayaking

says an extensive five-yearly river water quality report prepared by Tasman District Council scientist Trevor James and the Cawthron Institute. The majority of the 75 tested sites in the District have excellent to good aquatic health, with low nutrient concentrations, good clarity, few disease-causing organisms and plenty of oxygen for plants, fish and insects. The bigger rivers are generally in better shape with the Aorere, Buller, Lee, Riwaka, Roding and Takaka Rivers all receiving “excellent” pass marks.

However, there is work to be done. The quality of small streams through farmland and urban areas ranks with some of the worst in New Zealand. The solution lies in all our hands, says Trevor.

About a third of our waterways are judged to be “poor” – bearing in mind that this assessment is rigorous, based on the lowest of a broad range of indicators. These sites generally have high nutrient concentrations (e.g. Motupipi River), low oxygen levels and poor water clarity (Tasman Valley stream). Most of these streams drain farmland. Tasman is home to 150 dairy farms, and combined with our sheep and beef farming they push up faecal bacteria and phosphorus/nitrate levels the further downstream you go. Spring-fed streams on the Waimea Plains have nitrate levels that earn the wooden spoon nationally due to contaminated groundwater. This is an old impact but unfortunately spring-fed streams don’t flush out quickly the way a mountain waterway would.

Earthworks associated with tilling, forest harvesting and roading (to name a few) produces sediment runoff that can muddy waterways. Streams that pass through residential areas also have contaminants from roads and housing runoff. Completing the woes, Tasman’s burgeoning summer population puts stress on septic tanks.

Trevor says improved monitoring has given the Council a much better idea of where the problems are. But it’s a big task – Tasman has more than 9000 kilometres of waterways, just over half of them with their source in hill country, a quarter fed from the mountains and the remainder lowland-fed or spring-fed. Next Newsline: How you can make a difference.

Read the full river water quality report

Next Newsline: How you can make a difference.

Community Recreation – January 2011

A Helping Hand for Arts

The latest Creative Communities grants, administered by the Tasman District Council, are:

The White Room, Takaka, $210 towards a workshop on butterfly making.
Nelson Bays Harmony Chorus, $400 towards hiring a singing coach.
Motueka Recreation Centre, $750 for Christmas in the Park.
SeniorNet Motueka Digital Interest Group, $250 towards the annual photo competition.
Nelson Marlborough Creative Fibre, $405 for a “learning weekend”.
Heart Art, $1800 for the annual community event.
Motueka High School, $1238 to bring bandleader Rodger Fox to Nelson/Motueka.
Golden Bay Arts Council, $350 for the sand sculpture competition, Mardi Gras and Masked Parade.
Takaka Village Market, $900 towards music and performances at the market.
Motueka Arts Council, $1500 for felting, stone carving and painting workshops.

Upcoming Events

Christmas Eve Carols in Golden Bay

Friday 24 December 2010
Time: 7.30 pm to about 9.00 pm
Venue: Takaka Village Green.
Village Theatre if wet.
Contact: Ph. 03 525 8876
Email: recreation@gbcw.co.nz

Tineli Nelson Tour de Femme

28–30 December 2010
Contact: Ph. 03 545 8453
Email: admin@nelsonevents.co.nz

Music on the Lawn – Money 4 Jam

29 December 2010
Time: 1.00 pm- 4.00 pm
Venue: Woollaston Estates, 243 Old Coach Rd, Mahana, Nelson
Contact: Ph. 03 5432817
Email: vanessa@woollaston.co.nz

Richmond Market Day

Thursday 30 December 2010
Time: 9.00 am to 3.00 pm
Venue: Queen Street Richmond
Contact: Ph. 03 544 4975
Email: info@drycrust.com

Tui Farm Folk Festival

31 December 2010 – 4 January 2011
Venue: Tui Road, Tui, Tapawera
Tickets: Adult $85, Teenager $60, Child $30, day tickets also available. Pre-sold only, no gate sales. Tickets from www.tuifarmfolk.co.nz
Contact: Ph. 03-768-7291
Email: festival@tuifarmfolk.co.nz

Kaiteri One-Shot Golf Event

1-2 January 2011
Time: 9.30 am -5.00 pm
Venue: Kaiteriteri Beach, Main Car park by estuary
Tickets: $5 for 6 balls. Entry on the day.
Contact: Ph. 03 528 7668
Email: gerkim@xtra.co.nz

Tasman Skatepark Tour

5-29 January 2011
Various locations around Tasman.
Time: Saturday 2.00 pm, Wednesday 5.00 pm
Contact: Paul McConachie - Community Recreation Officer, Tasman District Council

Garden Competition Winners for 2010

Congratulations to all of the winners in the Golden Bay Garden Competition 2010. This annual event is run by the Golden Bay Community Board, Golden Bay Garden Centre and the Tasman District Council Environmental Education Department.

Best Property – Autumn Farm
Best Young Gardener – Rosie Brazendale
Best Vegetable Garden – Chris & Silvia Rowse
Best Native Garden – Chris Downs & Doug Howard
Best Group Garden – Golden Bay Kindergarten
Best Low Budget Garden – Terry & Bruce Burgess
Best Flower Garden – Lisa Bradley

‘Thanks to all who participated in the competition’, Carolyn McLellan - Chairperson Golden Bay Community Board.

Ahoy Boaties!

With the warmer weather here, it is timely to put out a few reminders regarding the laws and obligations of those in charge of all vessels to ensure a safe and pleasant day out on the water.

Most complaints received by the Harbourmaster relate to speeding. Just as there are speed restrictions for vehicles on the roads, so there are for boats. Failure to go slower than 5 knots (about 9 kilometres per hour) within 200 metres of the water’s edge or a diver’s flag is the most common complaint. This has been the law in New Zealand since 1932. But here’s the challenge. Just how fast is 5 knots, and how far is 200 metres? As a guide, 5 knots is a fast walking speed, and 200 metres is the length of two football fields! If you have radar, it’s roughly the 1/8nm range ring. That’s actually quite a distance and there are good reasons for it. It’s a prime distance to encounter kayaks, divers, snorkellers, swimmers, rocks and headland reefs. Hitting any of these at speed will significantly reduce the overall quality of your day and bank balance, especially if you were the person in charge of the offending vessel.

Pick up a free booklet outlining the basic boating rules, plus the locations of seasonal speed restricted areas for the Tasman District from any Tasman District Council office or from most boat ramps.

Download the booklet as a PDF:
Guide to Boating and Water Sports in Tasman District

Road Safety - Schools Out!

The summer holidays are upon us once again. For some, this will mean that their route to work will be easier as there won’t be the normal congestion around the school gates, but it doesn’t mean that road users need be any less vigilant as they are out and about.

School holiday time means that there will be more vulnerable road users out and around the District during the day. Watch out along residential streets where children might be playing on their newly acquired Christmas bikes, scooters and skateboards. Children can be unpredictable, so drivers need to take extra care. Children need to remember their road code as well.

The holiday period also means that the annual influx of tourists will come to the popular destinations of the Abel Tasman and Golden Bay. There will be more traffic on the roads in these areas, so a little patience and respect to all road users is needed to ensure that we all have a happy and safe summer. If you’re driving near a camp ground, you may need to slow down.

It is important that we remember that some of the drivers on the road over the summer may be from overseas and that they may make some mistakes. Give everyone plenty of space – there is no need to be in such a rush, it is the holidays after all!

Have courtesy for other vehicles, if you are slower moving, pull over and let those who want to go faster get pass safely. It will stop drivers behind you getting frustrated and being erratic in their actions.

We have had various agencies such as Plunket request that if you are carrying a child as a passenger in your car, please remember to put them into an appropriate child restraint. Also, the best place for your child to sit is in the back of the car. If your car has a passenger seat airbag be aware that these are designed for adult safety and can actually do children of less than 148cm in height considerable harm if they go off.

Richmond Deviation Cycleway – Joining the Dots

The Richmond Deviation Cycleway will be completed by the end of April 2011 with a $500,000 project funded by the New Zealand Transport Agency to connect the existing Whakatu Drive and Railway Reserve shared paths.

The project has been awarded to Fulton Hogan who will start work on 17 January 2011. The path will be 1.5 kilometres long and three metres wide and will feature signage, markings, landscaping and a small bridge.

This project also signals the “turning of the first sod” for the Tasman Loop Cycle Trail – a $2.15 million project funded by central government as part of the national cycle trail promoted by Prime Minister, John Key.

If you require more information about the Richmond Deviation project contact Royce Greaves from Opus International Consultants ph 03 546 3665, or email royce.greaves@opus.co.nz, Nick Hill from Fulton Hogan Nelson Ph 03 547 9789, or email nick.hill@fultonhogan.com

More information about the Tasman Loop Cycle Trail