Nelson Weekly
Affordable Excellence 69 Haven Road, Nelson 7010 24 Hour Service - 7 Days Ph 03 539 0066 nelson.simplicity.co.nz
Locally Owned and Operated
Wednesday 8 November 2023
Cutting wood for the community KATE RUSSELL For the last six years, Glenn Roberts has been helping Victory residents stoke their fires with free firewood. Once a week on a random day, he, along with Roxy the dog, picks up discarded wooden pallets from various businesses, chops them up, and puts them in a skip behind the Victory shops for people to help them-
selves to. The idea was sparked when Glenn owned Nelson Heating and Cooling and ended up with “stacks” of wooden pallets every week. Every year, it is estimated that 150 million pallets end up in landfills. But, 99.9 per cent of wooden pallets in New Zealand have no chemical treatment present, so they are perfect for burning. “We used to get all our heat pumps
on wooden pallets, so I used to take them home and cut them up for our fire,” Glenn says. When he got out of the heat pump business, he thought he’d keep doing it - but for the community instead. “I enjoy doing it, it’s therapeutic cutting wood, and I just had this idea of doing it as a hobby.” He approached the Koha Shed at the Victory Community Centre to see if
they could house a donated skip that he could fill up with the pallet wood once a week. And, it was an immediate hit, helping many to keep their homes warm and offset winter heating costs. When the Koha Shed closed its doors earlier this year, Glenn found a new spot for the skip - just around the corner, behind the Victory Discounter Dairy. Continued Page 6.
‘Disappointing’ decision to retire double decker KATE RUSSELL AND SARA HOLLYMAN Hannah Sangster can’t remember a summer when her two children haven’t enjoyed an outing on the Tāhuna Summer Beach Bus. But this year, they won’t get to have that experience. Nelson City Council announced last week that the iconic double-decker service is retiring after
six years of operation now that the new eBus is up and running. This, however, has caused a public outcry, and Hannah has created a petition to save the service. “This is a tradition we have always done with our family. For the council to remove it cold turkey is not a good decision. It’s a bit rough,” she says. “People ride the bus for the journey and experience of being on
a double-decker, and it’s also a great tourist attraction.” The Summer Beach Bus service operated on a loop between Nelson City and Tāhuna Beach Holiday Park via Tāhunanui Beach with six return trips a day. However, the council has decided to no longer support it due to the increased frequency of trips available via the eBus service, as well as council seeking ways
to cut costs and the emissions produced by the diesel-powered double-decker bus. Acting Nelson Mayor Rohan O’Neill-Stevens says the decision to end the grant to Tāhuna Holiday Park to run the summer beach bus was an operational decision, made by council’s senior leadership team, meaning elected members had no say in the matter. He says it was made
in alignment with council’s stated cost pressures and recognising the “significant improvements” to public transport under the eBus. “With the wide breadth of council’s work, a range of decisions are delegated to the chief executive as part of his operating mandate. Of course, when issues of likely significance to the community arise,
SEE PAGE 2
NEW Join us on a culinary journey through Thailand with a symphony of flavours that capture the essence of authentic Thai Street Food. Buffet or à la carte available: Small $9.50 Medium $13.50 Large $19.50 Open Monday Lunch 11am to 2.30pm, Tuesday to Saturday Lunch 11am to 2.30pm, Dinner 5pm to 8pm
105 Hardy St, Nelson LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED
Ph 539 1426
www.nbmasianeats.co.nz nelsonapp.co.nz