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Tuesday • JANUARY 21 • 2014
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INSIDE THIS WEEK: PG 14-15
Showhomes
Fuchsia Show a blooming success
kitchens & design
The Franklin Fuchsia Club hosted its annual show and sale at the Waiuku Civic Centre on Friday and Saturday of last week, with a bumper turnout of visitors and exhibitors. The first morning of the show saw around 200 visitors arrive to examine the prize-winning plants, and to purchase some of the hundreds of fuchsias on offer. A mini-bus from Tauranga and visitors from as far afield as Whangarei, Helensville, and Hamilton (as well as one couple who were visiting from France and brought an international flavour!), ensured the centre was busy throughout the two days. Along with the stalls and displays of fuchsia memorabilia, there was also a hotly-contested competition, and the main prize of ‘Best in Show’ was awarded to Gloria Underwood of Dargaville, who travels every month to join the members of the Franklin club. Pictured left; Gloria receiving her trophy on Friday morning from Levin-based Chief Judge Bert Kennerley, of the National Fuchsia Society of New Zealand, with Waiuku’s Mary Hull, president of the Franklin Fuchsia Club.
HAITSMA
A & T Haitsma Ltd, 17 Martyn Street, Waiuku Phone 09 235 7793 E.mail: Haitsma@xtra.co.nz
21 years of childcare Sylvia Galbraith is retiring after looking after two generations of local children.
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Music, movies, coming Two free events, supported by Auckland Council are coming to Waiuku’s Tamakae Estuary over the next couple of weeks. PAGE
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Madcap fun to return The party atmosphere that is the Duck Boat Derby is to make a return this year, with a few changes to the course…
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9 LAUNDRY 4 U SELF SERVICE OR FULLY SERVICED LIQUID DETERGENT AND SOFTENER INCLUDED COMMERCIAL WASHES AVAILABLE Mon - Sat 8am-6pm • Sunday 9am-5pm Closed Public Holidays Shop 2, 33 Edinburgh St, Pukekohe NEXT TO PIZZA HUT Phone 09 239 2964
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VOL 26 • NO.02
Vehicle access changes for forest users A meeting held at the Waiuku Yacht Club prior to Christmas has announced new proposals for vehicle access to the Waiuku Forestry to work around proposed harvest areas which will become operational areas for mining by New Zealand Steel. The map below details the shows the proposed access roads, while the areas in green are proposed harvest areas. The roads marked in red indicate the two points at which the public will be able to access the forest with vehicles. Crown Forestry says the existing entrance will remain open utilising the parking area around the old fire store; this will give recreation access to the northern part of the forest. A new public entrance will be opened adjacent to the mine site entrance; this will give access to the river car park, the beach car park and the lookout. The intention is that there will be walking/riding access between the northern and southern ends of the forest. A resource consent has been granted for the small harvest
area and harvesting will commence early in the new year it is anticipated that this operation will only take three to four weeks. During this operation logging traffic and trucks will be using the existing access roads, so forest users are asked to drive on the correct side of the road and be prepared to stop. The forestry will be undertaken by Crown Forestry. Upgrading of the new public access around the southern end of the forest will also take place in the new year. Until this road has been upgraded all access will be through the existing entrance off Wilsons Road. Crown Forestry says a resource consent has been lodged with Environment Waikato for the larger area marked in green on the map. Once this has been obtained, Crown Forestry will close public access via Perham Road but parking will still be available around the old fire store building, giving recreation access to the northern part of the forest. Warwick Foran, General Manager, Crown Forestry says Waiuku falls within one of the Wai-
kato Regional Plan’s High Risk Erosion Areas which (historically) has required Crown Forestry to obtain a resource consent where soil disturbance thresholds are exceeded. “However, in a very recent (just prior to Christmas) decision from the High Court, we have been advised that clearing vegetation ahead of mining does not require
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a resource consent (for Waiuku),” he said last week. 13km south of Waiuku, at the mouth of the Waikato River, the forest is owned by Crown Forestry and managed by New Zealand Forest Managers. The forest covers 1508 ha and is planted in Pinus Radiata. Also at the forest is the New Zealand Steel Iron Sand Mining operation.
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