WE ALSO KNOW OUR PAINTERS!!

Contact Us

PHONE: 027 525 8679

EMAIL: admin@gbweekly.co.nz

OFFICE HOURS: Monday-Wednesday 9am-5pm

USUAL DEADLINE FOR ALL SUBMITTED ITEMS

9am Tuesday.

USUAL DEADLINE FOR ALL ADVERTISING/LETTERS Noon Tuesday.

LATE SURCHARGE:

Until 4pm on Tuesday (if space available): classified ads $5; display ads 10% surcharge (min $5).

ARTICLE IDEA OR REQUEST

We welcome your suggestions. Please contact us.

SUBMISSION OF A WHAKAARO

We welcome readers to submit a whakaaro. Please contact us with your idea first.

AGENT:

Stitch ‘n Sew, 71 Commercial Street, Tākaka.

ADVERTISING COSTS: www.gbweekly.co.nz

Classifieds: 60c/word.

Display ads: contact us for details or see the website.

The editor reserves the right to make final decisions on layout of submitted ads. While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information in this publication, The GB Weekly does not accept any responsibility for errors or omissions or for any consequences arising from reliance on information published. The content of submitted material is not necessarily endorsed by the owners. Copies can be bought and we have a subscription service.

Vegetation control – roadside spraying

State highways:

Waka Kotahi contractors undertake a vegetation control programme to ensure roadside vegetation does not affect the safety or operation of state highways. This programme includes the spraying of chemical herbicides including the following active ingredients: glyphosate, metsulfuron, terbuthylazine and triclopyr. You can register your property as a "no spray" zone, which requires a commitment to maintain a property’s highways frontage to specifications provided by Waka Kotahi, by contacting Mitch Hutchings on Ph 03 373 2036 or email: mitchell.hutchings@wsp.com.

Local roads:

This includes the use of knock-down and residual herbicides to remove problematic vegetation growing in the road reserve and around street furniture. The active herbicides authorised under our resource consent are norflurazon, oryzalin, simazine, terbuthylazine, glyphosate, metsulfuron, haloxyfop, triclopyr and picloram/triclopyr. Residents can request their rural property frontage not be chemically sprayed and instead undertake the vegetation control themselves. If you wish to apply for your property to be added to the “no spray” list, please contact Nikki Shepherd on Ph 03 543 7234 or email: nikki.shepherd@tasman.govt.nz.

This consent is due for renewal in February next year. It is non-notified and you can see TDC approve many more chemicals for use than Waka Kotahi. If you do not agree with the consent I suggest you make a submission early next year.

Felicity Fitz-William

Joyce’s

Magic Cookies

I would just like to thank Joyce Wyllie for her article (GBW, 13/7) on Chocolate Day and her recipe for Magic Cookies. Joyce is such a busy lady and still she finds time for a bit of baking. After reading her article, the next day I was inspired by her to make my own magic cookies (Mr Men style) and took them along to our Heritage AGM. Not only did they come out very tastily but they were far superior to the packet of bought biscuits we would have had otherwise. I am a hopeless baker, so if the cookies worked for me, they are truly magic. Thank you Joyce, not only for the recipe but for the inspiration.

Sally Gaffney

Rabbit holes

Dear Humans, I have been requested by the Global Federation of Rabbits (GFOR) to write this letter to you in English because so many of us do not speak Rabbitese.

At the recent 2023 AGM of the federation, held in Patagonia, motion 31(a) was passed in a unanimous vote decrying the use of rabbit warrens and holes as boltholes for those humans who can no longer front up to the trials and tribulations of modern human life. Examples given were the recent pandemics, conflict, climate change, corrupt leadership, and the world's economic woes. It even mentioned some people threatening the democratic process.

The motion went on to ask humans to consider approaching other subterranean species to ascertain if they would consider allowing their accommodation to be used instead of those being owned by rabbits. Examples given were rat holes, mouse holes, mole holes, termite mounds, badger setts, and even beaver dams. The federation says it is proud of the standards of its accommodation worldwide and has been deeply insulted by humans' use of it – without any application or preamble and requires it to cease immediately.

Cutting council's costs

Last week in my letter (GBW, 13/7), I stated TDC must start reducing costs. We have all noticed the new format of Newsline that started in May. Frankly I do not like it, as the newspaper format is best for this type of "propaganda " publication. When I asked TDC for the reason behind this change, the answer given was: "To reduce the cost of printing this publication."

When I requested how much it saved, the answer was $1,000 per issue.

Well that is a start, but it really it has no impact overall. We need serious trimming of all the costs we the ratepayers and residents are burdened with.

My challenge to readers is to place suggestions, through this column, on which services or costs should be trimmed so as to reduce our rates.

Reg Turner

What did TDC spend contesting WCO?

On 20 June Friends of Golden Bay made an official information request to TDC asking how much they have spent on appealing the Water Conservation Order for Te Waikoropupū. TDC replied on 13 July: "Council intends to charge $532 to process the request. Council will not process your request until you accept this charge."

We believe the public should know how much of our rates TDC spent contesting the WCO application. From what we saw in the Environment Court hearings, where we represented ourselves, we suspect it may be a substantial amount. Watch this space!

Gordon Mather, on behalf, FoGB Co-governance should be embraced, not feared

I quote Chris Finlayson, National Party Member of Parliament, Attorney General and Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations 2008 to 2017: "Some people have been busy stirring up public alarm over the supposed threat posed by co-governance, seemingly unaware that we are already doing it and without the sky having fallen in on us. Co-governance has become a term people don't understand. They think it means co-government. Co-governance should be embraced not feared. I think that Treaty Partnership may, in fact, be a better term for the concept of co-governance."

Thanks Chris Finlayson for the words above. Your many years working with Māori have given you a good understanding of the facts. For people who want an example of co-governance I suggest looking at one excellent example: the formation of the Waikato River Authority at waikatoriver.org.nz, it's an organisation all New Zealanders can be proud of.

Cynthia McConville

Silent treatment vs noisy protest

The anti co-governance meeting was held on Friday in the hall next door to the Fire Station where I had another meeting. There was a large crowd of people already gathered by 1.15pm when I arrived, spilling out onto the street. The crowd grew over the afternoon until I left my meeting at 4pm and it was on both sides of the street and being held in control by several members of the police force. There was a scuffle occurring at the door of the hall and obscene language being thrown around. I have no idea how many people were inside the hall but probably far fewer than those outside.

Before Friday I had never heard of the man giving his talk. Now he has been given a name and a voice.

Yours sincerely, John

Weston,

on behalf of the GFOR

I would just like to say that though I believe in the right to protest, I also believe in the right to free speech. If the demonstration had been quiet and orderly then possibly the meeting would have been small and silent and no more would be thought of it. But by being noisy and rude the protesters did nothing more than give a public voice to what was going on inside the hall. I’m not taking sides here but, if you think the anti co-governance group deserve to be silenced, the best course of action might be to ignore them completely. My children found when growing up that mum’s worst punishment was to give them the silent treatment.

Sally Gaffney

Fast-forward to co-governance

On Matariki day I stood with others outside the Christian Hall to protest against the not-so-Christian presentation of millionaire Julian Batchelor, who came to spread his misinformation and scaremongering in Mohua.

Having attended Te Reo lessons for 13 years at our marae, Onetahua, and having experienced the friendly encouragement, warmth and inclusion along with straight talking attitudes within Māori culture, I felt saddened to know that inside that hall, words that this politically ill-intending man was speaking were intended to adversely affect the lives of a people and their children whom I admire.

Although I wasn’t taught the true NZ history in school, I made it my task to read and view the records, to learn the truth of the miseries and oppression that colonisation introduced.

Since the 1960s I have watched and been pleased to see the positivity of Māori culture begin to openly thrive again and have felt truly glad, though there’s still a long way to go to equality.

I don’t want to live in the unfair country that Julian proposes. I can only suppose those 40-odd who listened to him either hadn’t looked at the realities of history or that it suited them not to.

The booklet received by post alerted those who favour truth to the bigotry of his racist claims, The original Treaty of Waitangi was the real deal between a queen and her subjects that in subsequent years was not honoured.

Fast forward co-governance.

Karen Brookes

Disgusted, shocked at anti co-governance talk

New Zealand is a rotten carcass. How do I know this? Because Julian Batchelor told me so.

At least, I think that was the term he used because this came as a great surprise to me. Whatever he said, it definitely involved something putrid and a dead animal.

Julian rode into town as part of his nationwide tour to inform us of the perils of co-governance. His meeting was a private one so that anyone deemed undesirable could be escorted out. “Good Māori” would not be deemed undesirable. One young woman did get escorted out when she loudly and confidently claimed that Julian’s booklet was actually a pamphlet. Julian knew her name and strangely, felt the need to announce it to the entire room. What was going on there I wondered?

I attended out of curiosity and a preference for drawing my own conclusions rather than listening to chatter. At some point we were asked if anyone in the room felt unsafe and I popped my hand up. This gesture went unacknowledged and the lecture moved on.

What I heard from Julian disgusted me and not because I have concerns about co-governance. I felt my own anger rise, I’d heard enough and it was best that I left. Any thoughtful questions I had evaporated along with good manners and eloquence. Mind you, questions weren't allowed here. This was Julian's platform. As I left, I found myself making an unpleasant remark to a chap in a yellow vest who was positioned by the door. I exited the building in a mild state of shock.

The real heroes of the day were the police with extras brought in from Motueka. They were there to protect all of us, regardless of our political persuasion.

As I walked to my car I fell into step with a colleague. Gently, she said: "Look after your wairua". I quietly gave thanks for the kind and loving people in the world.

Kirstie Macleod

Homes away from home

I hear a call from the English Midlands. Stoke on Trent has lost a housing estate. Would someone please tell them it has been found on Meihana Street and then show it the way home. Alternatively, if there is a wandering pine plantation looking for a home it should be offered the same spot, close planted. The carbon credits from it could then be paid to Meihana Street residents as compensation for the loss of their rural view.

Mike Scott

Fish and CHIPS

In the UN Food and Agriculture Food Outlook report, one of few points of strong consensus is that declining environment quality, coupled with climate change is eroding marine food security. Recent declines in numerous fish species and other ocean wildlife is forcing a re-evaluation about the ability to sustain large-scale harvesting especially when coupled with drastic habitat destruction.

Globally 87 per cent of fish landed come from the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and 13 per cent from the open ocean. Individual countries control their EEZ areas and it is here that the introduction of innovative methods could produce benefits for marine biodiversity.

The contrasting approaches of New Zealand and Malaysia provides a good example: NZ has the sixth largest EEZ, 12 times greater than Malaysia. In the 1980s, both countries’ stocks were being overfished, so changes were made to fisheries/ecosystem management in order to protect and enhance marine resources. While NZ introduced quotas, Malaysia introduced fish-friendly habitats - artificial reefs that have since increased marine life and fish harvested from 300,000 tonnes in 1980 to 1.8 million tonnes in 2016. NZ's annual harvest continues to be around 450,000 tonnes.

The purpose of the artificial reefs was to enhance biological productivity in coastal waters by creating ecosystems for nurseries and breeding areas for fish and other marine lifesomething that has clearly been achieved.

The execution of a similar Coastal Habitat Improvement Plan (CHIP) could only benefit Golden Bay.

A sustainable future is defined as: “A development that meets the needs of the present without compromising future generations to meet theirs.“ CHIP meets this requirement and more.

Clive Barker

Pinning hopes on hydrogen

Good one Graeme. I enjoyed your letter "Electric shock" (GBW, 13/7) even if it did reek of plagiarism. I hope your dreams come true. I won't, however, hold my breath. I pin my hopes on hydrogen. If only we could get lots of it cheaply. Fusion?

Larry Petterson