Uploads

Yesterday’s and today’s (for Dave:-) letters to the editor are in the January folder and I have created and new folder and menu for February’s letters.  Trying to be organised, 2012 is already flying by!

Last week’s Beacon is available in it’s 2012 folder.

Don’t forget we have ICC’s first meeting for the year, 4pm, 2nd floor.  If you manage to get there, tell them they’ve already received the Extraordinary Bluff Community Board meeting minutes.

Also, if you can, Bluff Promotions have their meeting tonight at St John’s @ 7.30pm.  Go along and see if you can give a hand.  I’m sure even one or two hours helping out at the Book Sale will be appreciated.

I can’t go out at night anymore so can’t attend any meetings due to the other half working nights.  Today I have sent my oldest off to Verdun College by bus.  After kindy, primary school, LTSA and every adult (and sibling) in his life have spent considerable time telling him not to go in a vehicle without a seatbelt, we are actively endorsing the opposite every day!  It may be okay for some people but I’m not happy about it with the increase in accidents between trucks and buses. He’s not travelling around Invers at 50km or less.  He is going on a 100km state highway which is the only route to a port and as such has many trucks (and god forbid camper vans).

And let’s not forget our government are still endorsing this even after the people have petitioned them.  As usual, thanks for nothing and the double standards!  They guide our local body politics so well…

While I Have Your Attention

It seems there is always an increase in certain search terms and activity on the blog when Ravensdown is moving product.  I assume they are checking what ‘that annoying b#!$%’ is saying.

Since I already have your attention, we have, yet again ‘prills’ (the rounded non squashed fertiliser) all over our main street.

I cannot see how the prills, in that quantity, are being tracked out in the tread of trucks.  The prills are obviously from mudguards and surfaces on the truck.  The guidelines for product coming off the wharf mentions the requirement to ensure no product is on the truck body.  Why is this not being done on our main street?  If it is, where are the prills coming from?  OUT of the truck?  How much product do you lose per movement?

 

Effective Mitigation?…I Think Not!

So are Ravensdown effectively mitigating the effects of their activity?  I’m told someone saw the street sweeper working but  our main street is again coated in urea and the entrance to the Shaw Savill building is so thick that you can’t see any footpath.

Is the sweeper effective?  They have a wheel wash in the Shaw Savill building…is it effective?  As I’ve said before, Ravensdown CEO Rodney Green has said

In all the communities with a Ravensdown presence, we comply with the stated relevant zoning regulations and, as a farmer-owned co-operative, we work hard to make a positive contribution to those neighbourhoods. 

Do you still stand by that statement Mr Green?  Is ongoing mess ‘a positive contribution’?  Would your shareholders like it all over their street?  Even with a new building would this continue?  Time to step up Mr Green?

NB:   I would have gotten a photo but the trucks were constant and I’m itching for a fight of late (school holidays nearly over, thank god).  I’ll upload one when I get a chance.

Bluff Promotions

Tuesday 31 January

7.30pm

St John’s Hall

Engage Brain Before Writing Reports

I’m amazed…actually saddened (frustrated, angered, flabbergasted) that while drafting the Spatial Plan, the planning staff (or whomever is responsible for this miscarriage) didn’t support the Rezone Gore Street petition ideals.

I can’t fathom why either?

Has someone whispered in their ear that council need to be towing the same line as the Bluff ‘elected’ members? And hence they too have chosen to fob it off also.

The Spatial Plan is non-statutory but it was lauded as the all encompassing vision and direction the council and community want their city and city surrounds to develop into.

The Resource Management Act (District Plan process) will factor in the environment.  How will that accommodate the vision of the people?  728 of them in this case.

It’s also important to remember that Cr Kruger tried to give direction the the Board on their responsibilities to their constituents.  The Board have shown where their loyalties lie, with their egos and Ravensdown.

Cr Kruger has also stated (in the Big Picture DVD) that the Spatial Plan will be included in the upcoming District Plan review.  Cr Boniface has some interesting statements too or was all the ‘consultation’ just council lip service?

The Draft Spatial Plan (page 124) states

Council has recognised the importance of progressing the Bluff Concept Plan and has identified a key project as the Bluff Foreshore Redevelopment.

We all know they mean a marina (and maybe Tim’s tidal pool).  We also know, courtesy of Environment Southland, that ICC want ownership.

Why would Southport ever give up that land?  As recently as last April/May they used the land for overflow from the wharf (logs).  It is already zoned as Seaport and suits them for future expansion.

What if they gave it up and needed more room, their only option would be to expand the Island Harbour, at great expense, no doubt.

What if Council did get ownership?  Building a marina is still not the role of Council.  It should be left to a port company or the private sector.

When the Bluff Oyster and Food Festival requested (already budgeted) funding, Cr Sycamore asked why ICC should support it when most ratepayers can’t afford to buy oysters (hello, Bluff Oyster AND FOOD Festival).

A lot of ratepayers could budget to afford some oysters for a treat.  How many ratepayers can afford a boat and berthing fees?

ICC are here to serve their community NOT yacht race competitors, who probably aren’t even going to utilise accommodation.  How much will they be contributing to the economy?

Even if it was council’s job, why build the penthouse when you haven’t got the foundation work done yet?
Without protecting the surrounding area I envisage ICC cutting the ribbon on their newly completed marina and foreshore development and turning around to look at Gore Street and going bugger!  Where did all those warehouses come from, gee, there’s a lot of trucks…how come we didn’t know about this?  Why aren’t these industrial buildings out Awarua?

The staff will all turn around and say “Enterprise is a very permissible zoning, they didn’t need permission therefore you didn’t need to know”.  With Mr King on public record saying ‘it will cost them big time’ (to move out to Awarua), I doubt sales will be skyrocketing.

Don’t worry though there’s still a little bit of land, maybe we can fit in an al fresco restaurant between the processing plant and the section with crayfish pots or we could sell boutique wines to the visiting yatchies between the scrap metal yard and fertiliser storage shed.

Yeah, that will work! (duh) And these people are supposed to be planning for the future of our city?

New Links To Archives

I’ve updated the External Links menu and included a Home to the Home page of Whatever.  Feedback told me that some did not realise they could click on the word WHATEVER to go to the Home page.  I’ve also added to Bluff Beacon 2012 and will keep updating it as I add each month STL letters to the editor.  Due to space I may have to drop some of the older archive ones but I’ll have a think and either link to the file folder page on keep and share or put them on the menu of my Yesteryear blog.  Being as I consider them to be future historical documentation it is apt (in my mind anyway).

Online

Today’s letters are online and I see the Beacon I uploaded yesterday has had many views.  I don’t know why the Beacon’s are so sort after but I am assuming it is ex-pat Bluffies.

I won’t be uploading Mayoral columns as they are on the STL website.  I can’t say I agree with Tim’s logic for mining lignite or multi million dollar industry.  ICC have used a population of 60,000 as the target for when they know they have ‘succeeded’, I think that is optimistic and I doubt promoting dirty industries is going to drag anyone away from Auckland to live down here.

Not one of Tim’s most inspiring column’s.

Have The Activity Plans Been Updated?

While uploading the Activity Plans I did notice they were all entitled 2011……Activity Plan.  Obviously an error because these are, I’m told, to be adopted to go out for consultation.  I’ve finally got around to looking at one (pools) and I notice that on page 39 we have

Reassess need for additional dressing rooms    Target December 2011                    NS

NS means Not Started but we have a target for December 2011.  Is it 2012?  I have found one line, levels of service changed to, at least 6 swims per head of population (minus Bluff Ward), in red, which I assume that means a change from the previous plan.  So we have, three years later, only one change?  Some added population projections and survey results but we forgot to change the dates?

Hopefully they’ll get that sorted but I must say I find page 30 interesting.  Only ICC could use a Pool Activity Plan to promote expenditure for Awarua Industrial Estate.

Oh no, income at Splash Palace has reduced, it’s a recession, quick throw some more money at the already mortgaged Awarua so we can ‘support critical economic mass and retain and expand the workforce’.  Maybe it isn’t such a great start to the new year for ICC…

To scared to look at the others especially the largest file, the dreaded black hole that is Community Development.

…And All Associated Reports

In the name of LGOIMA I enquired after the Draft Activity Plans to be ‘distributed separately’.  it seems they are available and they are available for viewing at ICC, BSC and ICC libraries.  They also had CD version available (thanks John).

Because LGOIMA requires the agenda AND ALL ASSOCIATED REPORTS be available, I have uploaded them here.

I am unsure why they can’t be uploaded?  One was only 394Kb and the largest was only 1009Kb.  There is eleven I think.

I must say to Council, don’t worry about printing pretty covers for the CD case and especially not for drafts, you’re just wasting ink on that sickly green when a plain sticker (or vivid) will suffice.  The people wanting copies are not the type you want to be winning over with glossy covers (quite the opposite!).  I’d rather you put any cost savings on these sorts of things to the Sallies or keep it in the coffers.  Look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves!

31 January Invercargill City Council Agenda

Well, back to the grind for our Elected Members and I have some hope we will see a new era of transparency.  Item 11.2 (page 9) gave me some hope.

Moved Cr Kruger, seconded Cr Abbott that Items 4.1, 4.2 and Item 6 be taken
under Open Meeting.
His Worship the Mayor asked for clarification as to why Items 4.1, 4.2 and Item 6
were in the Public Excluded part of the meeting.
Mr King informed Council that staff had always adopted a cautious approach to
matters and Councillors were in the position to decide, which items should be In
Committee and which items should be in open meeting.
The motion, now being put, was RESOLVED in the affirmative.

Bugger me, deciding not to go into PE even though the cautious staff suggested it!  Good response Mr King and well done Kruger and no surprises Abbott would second that motion.

But then again we have six items in PE and yet again it includes the inaction sheet.  Remember that vivid for editing or is everything on the action sheet public excluded?  Does that mean the public are excluded from any ‘action’ by ICC