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YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER |SEPTEMBER 2021 | No.230

THE COATESVILLE CHRONICLE Email coatesvillechronicle@gmail.com | ph 021 724 001 | online coatesvillechronicle.com

L3 And we're back! A

lert level 3 started on Wednesday, 22 September and Coatesville businesses that had been forced to shut-up-shop in level 4 opened their doors again. Takeaway coffees and food were popular as regulars returned to the Black Cottage and Fernielea cafés. And even though everyone's masks made it hard to see their smiles, there were some happy if not slightly bewilderedseeming people out and about. It was game-on at Coatesville Motors too where the level 3 tent was swiftly in place ready for clients who had booked services and repairs prior to level 4. Luckily for Coatesville residents, the Coatesville Store had achieved essential status and stayed open throughout lockdown so locals had easy access to provisions. Next to open up in level 2 will be Coatesville School, Coatesville Playcentre and Lollipops childcare centre. So, roll on level 2! If you haven't had your first vaccine jab yet, go to bookmyvaccine.nz or call 0800 28 29 26. There are loads of appointment times available in Albany.

0272 984 000

SEPTEMBER CONTENTS September News Cubs Camp Garden Club visitor Local builders win top awards Managing your pond Local Board update Pindone poisoning Greg Sayers on the Three Waters reform Classifieds Still busy in level 4

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Sunnyside Road in flood

Editorial

lert level 3 may be the same as Alert level 4 with takeaways, but we're on the move after what has felt like an eternity stuck at home. Most of us are on the way to our second vaccine jab too − if not fully vaccinated already − and it's one of those times when we just need to celebrate a small step forward. In spite of being stuck in our bubbles, life has continued relentlessly. People who lost loved ones during the past six weeks have had a tough time. Toni Baldwin, a young mum of three, lost her battle with cancer early in September. Toni was well known and liked at Dairy Flat Tennis Club and a givealittle page supporting her family is still accepting donations. Others have lost loved ones further away and found themselves unable to support those left behind. On the flipside, proud rellies will have to wait till level 2 to meet new arrivals. Life doesn't stop for lockdowns. Level 4 has seen dates juggled so community events, like the Coatesville

Cabaret, can still go ahead. The GeeBees Community Cabaret will now take place on Friday, 29 October. For those looking forward to the next Coatesville Market, it will now return on Sunday, 7 November as long as we're at level 1. Coatesville School's Ag Day − scheduled for Saturday, 30 October − may also be affected. Principal Richard Johnson says it needs to be level 1 for a normal Ag Day open the public, but the school has plans for all alert levels. As if Covid-19 wasn't enough, the flood at the end of August was a jawdropping act of nature we could have done without. Although it was lucky there were no serious injuries, it was a devastating experience for many in the wider area. Footage on Facebook showing Sunnyside Road where the Rangitopuni Stream flooded its banks, was hard to believe. By 3pm that afternoon the floodwater was still high enough to block the road unless you had a kayak. Crazy times. This issue went to print just as we entered level 3 and I'm delighted to share September's community news with everyone. Your editor,

Vanessa Johnson Email: coatesvillechronicle@gmail.com,

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Diary Dates Please check the relevant Facebook & Instagram pages and websites to make sure the events mentioned below are still taking place at the dates and times listed. ∞ 26 SEPTEMBER, Sunday, 2.00am Daylight saving starts. Remember to put your clocks forward one hour. It's also time to check you smoke alarms and replace the batteries if needed. ∞ 1 OCTOBER, Friday, Term 1 ends today at Coatesville School. Children have a two-week holiday. ∞ 18 OCTOBER, Monday, Term 4 starts at Coatesville School. ∞ 25 OCTOBER, Monday, Labour Weekend. Enjoy a sleep in today, it's the last long weekend before the Christmas break which is only nine weeks away! ∞ 29 OCTOBER, Friday, Coatesville Cabaret recheduled to take place tonight from 7pm till midnight. ∞ 30 OCTOBER, Saturday, Coatesville School's Ag Day is planned for today. Please check the school website and Friends of the School Facebook page for confirmation and event details.

Phone: 021 724 001

The Coatesville Chronicle is distributed free to homes in the RD3 postal area. Deadline for content is 20th of the month prior to publication. The opinions published herein are not necessarily those of the publisher, Cradle Publications Limited. © 2021 All rights reserved.

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2 | THE COATESVILLE CHRONICLE | SEPTEMBER 2021

SEPTEMBER NEWS Forest is particularly exciting. "Boyd Steel and his partner Paula Griffen have been making huge inroads with their trapping work in the Riverhead Forest. They've already killed a large number of rats and possums that would otherwise have headed into Coatesville properties over winter and done damage. So, they're really doing a great service for the community," he says. "It's great to be hitting those pest animals at source." Boyd and Paula are using a variety of humane traps including A24s, Timms Traps and DOC 200s.

Gary Langridge shows students the pest animals being targeted by the PFC using DOC's stuffed animal exhibits.

PFC visits school

Coatesville School invited Gary Langridge, leader of Pest Free Coatesville, to visit before lockdown and spread the conservation message to year 3 and 4 students. Gary says the kids were fascinated by DOC pest animal display cases he took along and many were keen to find out how they could help Coatesville become pest free. In spite of being in level 4 lockdown for over a month, the PFC group has remained active with members still managing to check traplines and rebait traps in level 4. Gary says the recent success being seen in the Riverhead

CCGC goes herbal

At our last gathering in August we welcomed guest speaker Jane Wrigglesworth (from NZ Gardener), an expert on medicinal herbs and native plant remedies. Jane explained her introduction to herbal use and with visual assistance, showed us how to make salves, tinctures and tonics like those used by early New Zealanders; many are still in use today. Jane also alerted us to the herb gotukola and its wonderful attributes. Now we have to find the plant! Next year Jane wants to finish writing her book on herbs, which we await with anticipation. Meantime she finds Andrew Crowes publication, Native Edible Plants of NZ and other titles useful to her philosophy. Thank you Tony Peek for arranging a great session for members. By Jenny Hunter

Introducing Bebe's Beauty

Bebe's Beauty is a local homebased business in Coatesville owned and operated by a mother and daughter team. Mum Julia is a registered nurse and daughter Phoebe is a qualified beauty therapist. Together the pair are offering bespoke treatments, focusing on skin rejuvenation. Phoebe specialises in facials, peels, skincare, laser hair removal and micro-needling, while Julia offers muscle relaxant injectables and Platelet Rich Plasma with micro-needling. "We love what we do and working with our local community," says Julia. Bebe's Beauty uses products by Pure Fiji, Aspect Dr, La Clinica and Brown All Year. Check out the ad below for the website address and phone number to book your first pre-summer beauty treatment.

Open 7.30-4pm daily Dinners till late on Friday.

Celebrate your next big event at Fernielea Café in Coatesville. Whether it’s a kids party or an adult birthday, we take the hassle out of hosting so you enjoy your friends and family, Choose a set menu or design your own. We have vegan, vegie and gluten-free options and you can dine in or we will deliver! www.fernieleacafe.com Book today!  09 415 6442

THE COATESVILLE CHRONICLE | SEPTEMBER 2021 | 3

Cubs Go To Camp By Scout Leader Phil Smith

fter booking the Alpine Sports Club Hut in the Waitakere Ranges over consecutive weekends, we were looking forward to some exciting outdoor adventures for Cubs and Scouts. Our Cubs would use the hut first, joining with three Puhoi Cubs for a combined camp. On Friday, 13 August, Jacky McCoy, and a team of adult helpers set off with six excited Cubs ready for camp. There was lots of excitement as the group arrived in the dark with only head torches to light the pathway as they carried their gear up the steep track. The Alpine Sports hut is amazingly well kitted-out and the three-tier bunks are always popular. The fire was lit, bunks sorted and supper made before nine very excited Cubs and five adults hit their sleeping-bags. Saturday dawned overcast, windy and with some drizzle in the air. After a hearty breakfast the Cubs all made their own lunches and got ready for the day's hike. Some cars were pre-positioned before the hike and two additional adults, keen for a day’s hike arrived before flag break and departure. Due to Kauri die-back having closed our usual walking tracks, we had to drive down Anawhata Road to a new start point. Here, there was a gear check and hike briefing, followed by footwear cleaning for Kauri Die-Back as they entered the bush. The first leg of the hike was downhill on a very steep section of track with two stream crossings before exiting near the road and crossing onto Piha Beach. The Cubs then followed the beach all the way from the northern surf club to Lion Rock and around to Piha Domain where they stopped for lunch at the playground. After lunch, the hike followed along Glenesk Road to the start of the Kitekite Track which led up to the waterfalls. By this stage there were some very tired Cubs and with the onset of bad weather, the leaders decided to change plans and drove the Cubs back to the hut with the option of walking to the falls on Sunday. Back at the hut dinner was prepared, with some Cubs helping cut vegetables and get the fire ready for lighting before a delicious dinner was served. After the dishes were done and some reflections on a great day, everyone retired, unaware just what the night would bring! Leaders were woken around midnight with two Puhoi Cubs not feeling well and then becoming violently ill. Puhoi's leader Angie decided it best to take all her three Puhoi Cubs back home rather than endanger the rest of the group, and so after a long and very disrupted night the leaders made the decision to curtail Sunday's camp plans altogether in case any other Cubs also became ill. After breakfast on Sunday the Cubs played outdoors while everything was packed up and the hut thoroughly cleaned out and all the gear moved down to the cars. The parents were informed and everyone headed home early. Luckily no Coatesville Cubs or adults came down with any illness.

4 | THE COATESVILLE CHRONICLE | SEPTEMBER 2021

Cub Leader Jacky McCoy with nine excited Cubs at the Alpine Sports Hut.

It goes to show that even with all the best preparation and planning sometimes “the unexpected” can affect activities. Unfortunately, Covid-19 reared its ugly head again and caused the Scout camp the following weekend to be called off. It is the second year in a row we've had to postpone this camp for the Scouts. Let's hope we're back to normal scouting activities again soon. ●

COATESVILLE

CABARET

E G N

STARRING...

E T A

A H C

The Gee Bees wil l per for m for one ni ght only at Coate svi lle' s Cabare t on Fr iday, 29 Oct ober. D ance the n ight aw ay wi th t heir s uperb li ve show featur ing favouri te tr acks fr om the m usic al legends who ins pir ed thi s l ocal tri bute ac t. Ladies , dress t o i mp ress w ith sequi ns , spar kl es, s ki n-ti ght an d sl it- up-the si de num bers and guys, r ock your b es t a fterfi ve gl am par ty look s. Prepar e to hi t the dancef lo or becaus e this sho w i s f or one night only and is fi t for L as Vegas! BYO dri nks but your ti cket buys you fabul ous mu sic and food as wel l as the c ha nc e to w in t he door pri ze on the ni ght!

the

GeeBees The Coates vil le Cabar et is a c omm un it y f undrai sing event , s o al l money r a i s ed wi ll support our loca l organi sati ons. G e t y ou r tic kets today as num bers are l im it ed .

When: Friday 29th October,

7pm to midnight

Where: Coatesville Settlers Hall Dress code: Glamour Contact: 487 0604

Playcentre Plundered

uring the level 4 lockdown a series of break-ins took place at Coatesville Playcentre. Several items were taken from the sheds and property was vandalised. Most disappointing is the damage to our brand new Gubba shed which took over a year from obtaining a grant to finally getting installed. Coatesville Playcentre is run by parent volunteers and we receive minimal funding from the government. After School Care is a small family-run business that operates out of our centre and they have also had property stolen and vandalised. Relatively small acts like this take up a lot of time and eat into the small budget we have for providing enriching sessions for our children. A report has been opened by the police who have been on site and are investigating. We really appreciate the community spirit of offering donations and reporting the most recent break in, and we are extremely grateful to Karl from IQ Security who has offered us commercial grade CCTV cameras for free. We are in the process of getting these installed and hope to have them operational shortly. Further thanks are extended to the Coatesville Settlers Hall who have donated $3000 towards our sandpit upgrade. We are very excited to get this project underway and we plan to make use of the extended time we are closed to get the new sandpit completed. Term 4 sees our Messy Play Open Week rescheduled to 8−10 November, 9.45am−12pm. Please come along and get messy with us! We are also running a fundraiser with the Booster Wine Group throughout October. If you are keen to have wine delivered in time for Christmas, please follow our Facebook page for more information − we'd love the support! We look forward to reopening in level 2 and can't wait to welcome visitors again soon. ● Sarah Craig − coatesville@playcentre.org.nz

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Local Building Firms Among NZ's Best

wo Coatesville building firms have won prestigious awards in the Registered Master Builders House of the Year Awards 2021, Auckland, Northland and Coromandel Region. Glover Homes, owned and run by Coatesville House Renovation JD Glover, and The House Company, $500K-$1M owned and run by Hamish McArthur, entered two homes each over four categories in the awards and blitzed the competition. For its Castor Bay new home, Glover Homes came away with the Plumbing World Bathroom Excellence Award, Outdoor Living Excellence Award, and Castor Bay New Home $2M plus a Gold Award. While its Coatesville JD Glover (2nd from right) with Glover Homes team & Coatesville property's owners renovation of a 1970s family home won a Gold Award and was Regional Category Winner. Both homes were also placed among the top 100 homes nationally which means they go into the national awards in November. The House Company's Torbay new Torbay Cliff New Home $1.5-$2M home won a Gold Award and was Regional Category Winner while its Leigh home did just as well, winning a Gold Award as well as Regional Category Winner. Congratulations to both companies Leigh New Home $1M-$1.5M and their teams on these impressive VHL_Junction_Rosie_V1.pdf 1 27/08/21 achievements. ● 11:18 AM Hamish McArthur (right) and Lenny Wapstra from The House Company

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“Hi Chronicle readers. I’m proud of my connection to Coatesville; my parents live on Mahoenui Valley Road. Locals often refer to it as “the black & white house with the flag out front!” I love the area for its rural lifestyle, progressive residents and outstanding architecture. But in this issue, I’m talking about property of a different sector - commercial property.

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For building wealth, commercial property investment can be an attractive alternative (or addition) to residential property. With the residential sector facing new tax rules, tightened LVR restrictions and rising interest rates, it’s easy to see why commercial property is gaining closer attention. Many new investors are surprised at the entry point. From $600,000 upwards, we have been helping clients acquire industrial buildings to kickstart their journey of commercial property ownership.

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6 | THE COATESVILLE CHRONICLE | SEPTEMBER 2021

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Maintaining your pond eco-system

By Arne Diependaele

pring is here and even though in this part of the country winters are not as defined as further south, our ponds are still coming out of a winter phase. These aquatic ecosystems are going through a few changes that may manifest themselves in various ways such as turbidity in the water and algae growth. Ponds naturally have a higher nutrient load after a winter period. Deciduous trees near the pond might have dropped their leaves in the pond. Branches may have fallen in during heavy storms such as the one in late August. Moreover, winters are typically wet around here and run off might have caused accumulation of debris and sludge in the pond. At the same time, day temperatures are starting to rise, and the days are getting longer, yet most pond plants have gone through a dormant stage during the colder months and are still only just starting to wake up. Therefore, the plants are not yet consuming the increased nutrient load in the water. These are the perfect conditions for algae blooms. Often, we see that the above can lead to a succession of problems such as plants being outcompeted and suffocated by algae, oxygen deprivation in the water, fish dying etc. A whole pond ecosystem can crash this way. So, what can be done to prevent this from happening? Much depends

on the individual pond. It is obvious that a large 100,000L natural pond requires different actions than an averagesized ornamental fishpond in the back of the garden. Effectively, it starts with nutrient build-up control during the winter months. To start with, at Red Fish Blue Fish as pond specialists, we recommend our customers to stop feeding fish as soon as the water temperature drops below 10°C. Pond fish in New Zealand are usually coldwater species. They depend on the water temperature to regulate their metabolism and below 10°C it slows right down. While food might happily be ingested, it will not be digested properly. Not only does this affect the bio-load in the water, it can also lead to a string of internal problems for the fish population such as bloating and internal infections. Collecting dead leaf matter and branches from the pond in the wintertime is also a good idea to help with your pond coming out of winter properly. Springtime itself then is an ideal time to prepare your pond for the season: from repotting and fertilising waterlilies to filter and pump services and water changes. Your pond may

also need specific water treatments to deal with its individual needs. This can require help from a specialist. At Red Fish Blue Fish we understand each pond’s ecosystem needs and can advise on the best long-term and most cost-effective solutions to restore your pond's health and return it to functioning properly. Looking ahead to summer, the extreme droughts we have had over the last few years can cause ground movement which in turn can cause water tightness issues in ponds. Especially concrete ponds but clay ponds are also susceptible to this. Ultimately, a healthy pond is a living ecosystem going through cycles and seasons. Proper management will ensure the longevity of its ecosystem and will bring long-term enjoyment while giving nature a sanctuary in our man-made living spaces. ● For contact information, see the Red Fish Blue Fish ad on page 11.

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THE COATESVILLE CHRONICLE | SEPTEMBER 2021 | 7

Rodney Local Board Update By Louise Johnston

Clean Fills — A Dirty Business I think we're all on the final countdown and hopefully you are reading this with a takeout coffee! Firstly, I hope everybody has recovered from the flooding. It was scary how small streams became powerful rivers in just a few hours. It was great how the community pulled together and while there has been property damage, we were very lucky that there were no serious injuries. Being on the Local Board for my second term, I'm mindful of communicating plainly without what I call "council speak" which includes key phrases like "thriving communities". I believe there is a serious loophole in the Unitary Plan (UP) that is damaging the local environment and threatening to contaminate our waterways. This loophole allows for clean fills to operate without a resource consent in the rural zones under the guise of ancillary farm works. In the UP, ancillary farm works are a permitted activity in the rural zones, including the country side living zone in Coatesville. Therefore activities classified as ancillary farm works do not require a resource consent. Ancillary farm works include activities such as the construction of a horse arena, farm race but in the past have also included activities such as the filling and raising of an

area to make it more useful and productive for farming. While there are general earthworks provisions in the UP that limit the permitted earthworks to 1000m3, ancillary farm works are specifically excluded from these standards i.e. there is no limit to the amount of clean fill that can be imported for these ancillary farms works. Under the old district plan these activities would have required a resource consent with conditions attached and the number of truck movements would be limited, but with ancillary farm works this is not the case. Initially, I thought this was just a problem for Dairy Flat but have recently discovered it is happening all over rural Auckland including the countryside living zone. Large mounds of clean fill are being dumped in order to construct these various ancillary farm work projects, which are in reality commercial clean fills. There is no requirement for testing materials for contaminants and often there is no or inadequate sediment and erosion controls resulting in a build-up of silt in our rivers and streams. Only recently have Council acknowledged that this is a problem and needs to be investigated. Council compliance officers are often called to the site as neighbours complain about the number of trucks and the noise

Marja Lubeck Labour List MP based in Kaipara ki Mahurangi

For appointments and assistance please phone: 0800 582 325 (0800 LUBECK) marja.lubeck@parliament.govt.nz 5/62-64 Queen Street, Warkworth

Authorised by Marja Lubeck, Parliament Buildings, Wellington

8 | THE COATESVILLE CHRONICLE | SEPTEMBER 2021

but there is little they can do other than ensure that there is adequate erosion and sediment controls. Pre-lockdown there were numerous Facebook posts offering these ‘free earthworks’ but as they say, there is no such thing as a free lunch and you need to be very wary. For example, because this activity is a permitted activity, operators are not required to test material for hazardous content and you could end up with a contaminated site. If the operator fails to provide adequate sediment and erosion controls, as a landowner you could be prosecuted and with all the rain we are having the environmental damage to our streams could be significant. Also, hundreds of trucks delivering fill to you property are not going to make you particularly popular with your neighbours either . I really do believe that urgent changes are needed to the Unitary Plan to ensure that the earthworks allowed under ancillary farm works provisions are limited, unfortunately changes to the UP do not happen overnight! ●

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Pindone Pellets − Reader warns of risks

ecently I went to feed my chooks and found one of my roosters dead outside the coop. I thought he must have been killed by a cat or some other predator but I couldn't find any marks on him, so buried him. The next day I noticed a large bruise on my middle finger, even though I didn't remember hurting it. Soon after, I got a text message from my neighbour saying, "Your chickens keep coming here ... almost daily, please do something about it.” A few days after that, I saw my neighbour's cat in my yard. Because we have newly hatched ducklings, I got in touch. We exchanged some messages and during our dialogue I learned my neighbour was using rabbit poison on his property. Suddenly it all made sense! My neighbour had put rabbit poison in a bait station near our boundary fence, close to where my chooks are free ranging. My chooks had been attracted by the smell of the bait and the rooster had eaten a lethal dose of the poison. Pindone, the most popular rabbit poison, is an anti-coagulant. Animals that eat it die of internal bleeding because their blood won’t clot. I had

been eating the eggs from our chooks every day and had ingested enough Pindone from them to thin my blood and cause internal bleeding, resulting, I believe, in the bruising on my finger. I called our vet who came immediately and took blood samples from three of our chooks. All three had blood coagulation times more than four times normal, likely to be caused by ingesting Pindone. More worrying, though, was that my son and I had been eating the eggs from our chooks every day for a week after my neighbour says he put poison down. I told my neighbour, who agreed to stop using the rabbit poison straight away. Then I called my GP and got my blood tested the next day. Fortunately, by this time my coagulation times had returned to just within the normal range, so the effects seemed to wear off quickly. Nevertheless, my vet advised us not to eat the eggs from our chooks for three months. In summary, we've been relatively lucky. I haven't lost any more chooks, they seem to be recovering without vitamin K treatment (which is the antidote) and we've remained well. If I hadn't communicated with my neighbour about his cat when I did, he

might have continued putting down poison without my knowledge. More of our chooks could have died, we would have continued eating their eggs and my son and I could both have ended up with internal bleeding or other complications. So, what are the lessons to learn? ∞ Pindone can be used for poisoning rabbits, possums or rats, but there is a risk of secondary poisoning of non-target species like birds, pets and livestock, if safe usage guidelines aren't followed. ∞ Pindone pellets should only be used in appropriate bait stations; left open at night but closed during the day. ∞ If you are going to use poisons of any kind on your land, tell your neighbours first, so that they're aware and can look out for warning signs. ∞ Poison baits smell very attractive to animals and birds. If your neighbour's animals are coming over and eating it, remove or close the bait station immediately and let your neighbour know what happened. ∞ Remove any rabbit corpses quickly. If you don't, they may be eaten by dogs, cats, or the birds of prey. ● Writer's name withheld on request.

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THE COATESVILLE CHRONICLE | SEPTEMBER 2021 | 9

Three Waters: Opt in or Out? By Coucillor Greg Sayers

entral Government is proposing significant changes in the ownership of, and control over, New Zealand’s’ drinking water, wastewater and stormwater systems. The changes are significant and it’s being described as the Three Waters Reform Programme. The proposal is that four new entities are set up covering the whole of the country, and these entities take over the management of the three waters infrastructures currently managed by Councils. Auckland Council has Watercare set up as the business unit responsible for managing Auckland’s drinking and wastewater, while Auckland Council itself has an internal unit called Heathy Waters responsible for all the stormwater schemes. Under the Government’s proposal, Auckland’s water assets, and debt, would be taken over by a new “Water Services Entity” which would cover Auckland as well as all the northern regional Councils, Kaipara and Whangarei District Council.\ The Government believes there is historic underinvestment in the three waters across New Zealand and an investment of between $120 billion to $185 billion is required over the next 30 years. Councils like Auckland have been investing heavily recently into projects like the central interceptor for wastewater and new plant for freshwater access from the Waikato River. This has driven up its debt. Other Councils have failing infrastructure such as Wellington and Havelock North as examples. Everyone in New Zealand should be able to expect clean, safe drinking water, and a healthy environment and this is the Government's key driver for wanting change. However, does one size fit all? There are several concerns. The proposal would remove Watercare's

and Healthy Water's current ability to directly implement Auckland’s planned investments to fix our issues because the new water services entity could favour financing the funding of projects in poorer northern Councils ahead of Auckland’s needs. What’s likely is Watercare will be rebranded and expanded to become the new water service entity with a new board of directors and a new ownership structure. There is concern also being expressed that the overall ownership of the new water company would be fifty percent owned by Mana Whenua and fifty percent by ratepayers, of which Auckland ratepayers have only a 35 percent stake holding. This risks creating a new water entity that is unresponsive to the communities it serves, removing Auckland Council’s ability to ensure that Aucklanders’ needs are put first. There is also the question of how well will the new entity be able to coordinate with Auckland Transport and other agencies around maintenance work and new project builds. Will the centralisation of Watercare and Healthy Waters from Auckland Council into an even bigger entity result in the loss of local control, delivery, quality and priorities? The Mayor and Councillors want to work with the Government to achieve the benefits of any reform without losing accountability and responsiveness of a huge part of Auckland’s assets. Then there is the potential hit to the pocket. The Government plans to allow the new water entity to be able to borrow significantly more money to fund the $120 billion to $185 billion of required investment. It is unclear if water rates would increase for Aucklanders to service this increased debt, or if water rates will be insulated from increases due to the debt being

able to be paid off intergenerationally. The northern Councils who currently include their water rates within their general rates could well end up with split out water rates, like Auckland already does, without any decrease in the general rates, while incurring an additional water rates charge. Rodney’s rural communities, such as Coatesville, who are not on any metropolitan water or wastes water systems should be less susceptible to any potential price increases. However, there are murmurs that house supply water tanks may need compulsory filters added to them. If your property also has staff or customers drinking the tank water then you are likely to have to register this, have a water safety plan and file a report every year about your water tank’s water quality meeting standard. In other words, more cost and more bureaucracy. The Government has given all Councils to the end of September to consider all of the information and implications of this proposal and to make any initial feedback. At the end of September, the Government will consider its next steps, including process and the timing for decisionmaking, which should include the time required for any community or public consultation. The Government has made it clear that councils could decide if they wished to ‘opt in’ or ‘opt out’ of these reforms. However, they could still make it mandatory. Such an action would be totally unconstitutional. The water assets that they are talking about have been paid for by ratepayers, not by Government, and as such any change must be publicly consulted on and agreed to. I will certainly fiercely resist any move towards any compulsory takeover of Councils’ publicly owned assets. My firm standpoint is communities must be given the right to decide whether they wish to ‘opt in’, ‘opt out’ or wish to call for a national referendum on the matter. It is called democracy. ●

Issues with Council?

Say it to

Sayers

Every 2nd Friday of the month Huapai/Kumeu, 296 Main Rd (SH16) Book your time now

Greg Sayers – Rodney COUNCILLOR Bookings: 021 285 9900 | gregsayers.co.nz

10 | THE COATESVILLE CHRONICLE | SEPTEMBER 2021

Mark Mitchell

MP for Whangaparaoa For appointments and assistance please get in touch 7 Tamariki Avenue, Orewa mark.mitchellmp@parliament.govt.nz 09 426 6215 Funded by the Parliamentary Service. Authorised by Mark Mitchell, Parliament Buildings, Wgtn.

CRRA Handy Hints

Civil Defence Do you know someone who needs someone to talk to? Perhaps you could suggest one of these.

Where to call for help Free call or text: 1737 any time Victim Support: 0800 842 846 Depression helpline: 0800 111 757 Youth line: 0800 376 633 Lifeline: 0800 543 354 Shine: 0508 744 633

Clean & Green

Trees may be budding but needles are still falling. Summer is coming so keep gutters clean for water collection.

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THE COATESVILLE CHRONICLE | SEPTEMBER 2021 | 11

Level 4 − Mark 2

came into Alert Level 4 with four great properties in campaigns having done two of their four-weekends of open homes leading up to their auctions. With a shortage of properties on the market in July, I entered August with serious vendors who were keen to take advantage of the huge numbers of buyers looking for property and capitalise on minimal property being on the market. Having already started both campaigns meant I had buyers to work with over lockdown. The difference I have found this time in Level 4 is there's a feeling of confidence that we will get through it and come out the other side with gusto. Because of this, momentum has continued in real estate. For me it even led to pre-auction offers being accepted on both properties, bringing both auctions forward and successfully run online. In both cases the pre-auction offers were well-exceeded with additional bidding at auction, leaving me with two very happy vendors! (You can read one of those vendor's testimonials below.) To ensure the buyers had as much information as possible, we ramped up the communication. There were numerous emails and questions between myself, the vendors and the buyers. In one case a vendor took a number of additional photos of his property for the buyers to view i.e. in the ceiling cavity, under the house, under the deck. Everyone was incredibly accommodating and cooperative. Appraisals and listings also continued and many vendors have taken advantage of this time, allowing us to complete the paperwork and anti-money laundering checks, discuss the market and the best method of sale strategy for the property. I have met vendors via Facetime or WhatsApp with a virtual walk around of the property. A clever use of time and technology. Moving forward, my colleagues outside of Auckland are super-busy in Level 2. This is due to spring being one of our busiest times of year to take property to market. This year opportunist vendors will also benefit from the purchasing spike that's predicted as we come out of lockdown. Take advantage of this timing and of the buyers that have missed out! There are approximately 10-weeks of great real estate marketing prior to Christmas, which equates to two campaign cycles. I absolutely encourage you to call me and get your property wheels in motion. Trust me, the time is right! Client Testimonial “I found Ailsa and her team to be extremely professional and pleasant to work with. Ailsa and Chelsea set out very clearly the methods they envisaged regarding advertising and showing my home and were in constant contact over the time of the sales process. In my opinion they went well beyond what one would normally expect from agents.... Over two open homes before lockdown they attracted over 50 groups to view the property and then achieved a price well beyond my expectations, all in a matter of three weeks. I have bought and sold a few houses before and can honestly say that they are by far the best salespersons that I have ever come across." Lew R, sold August 2021

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12 | THE COATESVILLE CHRONICLE | SEPTEMBER 2021

THE ORIGINAL PET DOOR SPECIALISTS Quality cat and dog doors supplied NZ wide for installation into glass, timber or aluminium (installation available – Auckland only). Collapsible pet recuperation/containment cages available for sale or hire.

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Local Mortgage Adviser “Need lending? Call me, I’m here to help. I work with banks and specialist non-bank lenders to access finance not available direct to the public.” Call Karen Renwick 021 126 7963 karen.renwick@mortgagelink.co.nz

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SUBDIVIDING?

Subdivision engineering specialists team@edc.co.nz edc.co.nz 09 451 9044