Foveaux Strait Memorial

I have done a disservice to Lindsay Abbott, Leon and cohorts for their valiant efforts.  Lindsay’s facebook shows fundraising is over $7800 for a  memorial at Stirling Point to honour the lives lost in the Strait.  I’ve it said before that I don’t think the point is the right place but that aside they have shown they have a committed following.  I’m a bit of a heartless bitch so memorials and the like aren’t important to me but I know they are to many.

I hope when they do prepare plans that they consider other locations that provide a more tranquil uncluttered place where people can reflect and ponder.  Someone said to me today that putting it at the point is like putting all your furniture in one room and it does seem like a lot is already ‘going on’ around there.

As Lindsay points out they are aiming for $10k and if each of the ‘followers’ gave $1 they will have achieved that goal (and no doubt the goal posts will then be moved…lol:-)

Meanwhile here is the facebook page and donations can be made to 060925 0475956 01.

How Did Southland Do?

The Auditor-General has presented his report on 2010/2011 local government audits to Parliament.  For our part we didn’t do too badly.  Nothing for ICC directly.

It seems the Southland Museum aren’t the only ones not depreciating their collections.  Otago and two others got the same adverse opinion.

Crops For Southland Inc is a dodgy looking set up to me.  According to the Venture Southland website

The Crops for Southland Incorporated Society is a not-for-profit organisation whose overall aim is the development of privately owned, market based commercial cropping of a significant scale for Southern New Zealand. Its primary objective is to improve employment and community wealth in Southland by encouraging and supporting innovation and growth in the crop industry.

And this gives a little insight too

Crops for Southland now obtains its core funding for day-to-day activities from Venture Southland.

Here we have a society, associated to ICC, SDC and GDC, that aims to develop privately owned crops funded by Venture Southland who are funded primarily by ratepayers.  On top of that insult they can’t even comply with the Local Government Act by reporting achievements.  Being as Venture Southland are involved, they probably have nothing to report.

Scaremongering

I’m starting to think all the local government reform talk is a bit of scaremongering.  I’ve not had much of a chance to hear all the speeches from central government and the media hype so I read the Better Government document to catch up.

While the cover has maps, implying central government have got a restructuring all sorted out, reading the document provides more clarity and confidence.  It doesn’t allow for central government to come in and amalgamate us all.

The new process will be:
1. Community or council prepares an initiative and submits it to the Local Government Commission;
2. The Commission assesses the initiative against statutory criteria and either:
a. rejects it; or
b. refers it back for further work; or
c. proceeds to develop the initiative into a draft proposal;
3. The Commission approves and publishes a draft proposal for consultation;
4. The Commission hears submissions on the draft proposal from affected communities and other interested parties;
5. The Commission determines whether the proposal has sufficient public support and if so, proceeds to a
final proposal;
6. If a petition of at least 10% of the affected electors of the proposed new council request a poll, this will beundertaken and determined by a simple majority over the area of the proposed council area;
7. The Commission prepares a final reorganisation scheme that is implemented by Order in Council.

It doesn’t seem as drastic to me as the media and councils are making out

And those four intended for September, they’ll just call all their pet projects ‘public services’

Doorstep Deals

It seems Venture Southland are doing their own version of ‘don’t leave home ’til you’ve seen the country’ called ‘On Your Doorstep’.  The ICC media release has this

The “On Your Doorstep” campaign encourages Southlanders to travel in their region and experience what Southland – particularly The Catlins and Fiordland – has to offer.

It is however ONLY The Catlins and Fiordland.  Is that all they could handle with their $1.5M + budget?

No Louise, We Haven’t And Yes It Is!

Another from today’s Bluff Beacon

I am one of a handful of people who are opposed to a wind farm being established on
Te Turakanui a Rua also known as Flat Hill, the hill where Greenpoint is located.
I am disappointed at the lack of knowledge and understanding many of the local
residents have concerning the establishment of the wind farm. Some locals – and I am
referring to Bluff residents as well as those living at Ocean Beach, Greenpoint,
Greenhills and Omaui communities – have no knowledge at all of the proposal, others
have heard of it but don’t know much about the effects it will and may have on nearby
residents and the landscape of our area. There are others who don’t care too much
about it or are too busy to stop and think about the impact of it, and, of course, others
who support it.

My question is: Have we, as a community, had the opportunity to have a public
meeting to discuss the positives and negatives of this proposal which will significantly
and substantially change the landscape of our area?

Come on Bluffies! We are stuck with Tiwai and the languishing buildings of Ocean
Beach. If enough people stand up to be counted we can stop blight on our landscape in
this very special piece of paradise here on the south coast. We banded together to save
our pool, is our landscape equally important?

Please phone me on 212-8577, text 027 419 8882 or email louise.f@xtra.co.nz if you
wish to register your interest in opposing this proposal.
Louise Fowler, Greenpoint

I will point out now that I do not know Louise and am not related (unless they came from Pontypridd or Devon).  I have heard that she tried to raise this issue at the Bluff Hill meeting but that’s it.  I have not seen her submission or anyone else’s for that matter, I’m still waiting on Council to supply them.

This lack of communication is what I am always going on about and the reason I read minutes and begrudgingly listen to recordings and make requests for more information.  As my previous post highlighted, you can’t believe what they are telling you.  You have to sift through the bullshit/spin.  The spin is most evident when you read that the Board received a Significant Project Category award for ‘The Retention and Upgrade of Bluff Swimming Pool’.  WTF, they didn’t/aren’t doing it and hindered more than helped as I mentioned yesterday.

I have grave concerns if the wind farm goes ahead as I’ve said many times before and in my submission.  I have contacted Louise to leave a message and I will send her an email.  I believe that if this progressed to Environment Court it would not fare well.  Unfortunately these things cost money but Save Central did it and I’m ever the optimist when it comes to community.

And yes I am well aware that 60 submitted in support and only 7 (or 9) opposed but it’s not hard for the ones who are benefiting to rally a few friends and until I receive the submissions I can’t tell where the supporters are coming from.

Remember what Save Central said

“Renewable energy should not be at the expense of the non renewable
landscape”

Caught Up Again

The letters to the editor are up to date and I remind the Southland Times, your readers views are just as important as your reporters.

Please put ‘Your View’ online, not everyone can get your paper but still have an interest in what the people are saying.  Being as some articles online do not allow comments, Your View is the only way they can express their opinions and those Southlanders further afield still take an interest.

Can ICC Think For Themselves?

Given I raised water restrictions with ICC on their Facebook page the other day and today’s paper has this…I wonder if they actually think for themselves?  Should have been reminding people long ago, water is a valuable resource!  Instead of having their bloody calendar on the home page they could have been reminding the sprinkler users (morons) about collective responsibilities.

Happy 2012

I don’t do New Year resolutions.  If there is something I want to improve or change in life, I don’t see the logic in only making that commitment once a year.  Surely self improvement is an ongoing issue.  I don’t do Valentine;s Day for the same reason.  Shouldn’t you show someone you care every time you interact with them?  It’s a commercialised event to prey on everyone’s guilt for not expressing themselves through out the year.  Jewellers and florists must love it!

New Year’s is a good time to reflect though and I, for one, am going to be thankful for family in light of the recent fire.  While they have lost their home that they invested considerable time and money in, which no doubt also held many memories.  Imagine if the kids and mum had been home?  Makes you realise what is truly important.  Bluffies have rallied around and I’m told they have enough clothes for the kids and are fortunate to have a close knit family to support them.  Good luck and remember I have a house there if you need it.

Happy New Year!

 

What’s Up With The South?

I am constantly amazed by the stupidity of southerners, not just NZ it seems.  I watched the Top Gear episode where they traveled across a couple of southern US states.  One of their challenges was to ‘decorate’ each others cars.  In true Top Gear style they tried their best to embarrass each other, one had a reference to loving men and another had ‘I hate Country music’ written on it, the other, I don’t remember.  Amazingly it was the reference to country music that offended.  When fueling up the owner of service station, a middle aged woman, was disgusted and ranting and ended up ‘getting the boys’.  The usual pick-up loaded up with over-weight unshaven hill-billies with shotguns (of course) appeared.  Needless to say they made a hasty retreat (Top Gear not the hill-billies).

Why the hell does a persons view or taste impact southerners like that?  While in Bluff it’s a little more subdued but still quite red-neck in some ways.  Why would someone you’ve known all your life stop saying hello or waving just because you have expressed a different view from them?  Can a difference of view on ONE issue change a relationship?  How red neck is that?  I’m sorry but that shows a lack of intelligence and reiterates the opinions others have of southerners.

Sort of answers why there are so few comments (publicly) on this blog.  It’s the impact of people that can’t separate people and issues.  If you were friends with someone for 20 years why would that change overnight because you have a different view on ONE (or even ten) issues?  The person hasn’t changed nor has their view on the issue, only difference is, now you KNOW!

It is those people who will allow the town to stagnate and die just to preserve their narrow minded opinions:-(

It’s Not Tricky

Evan Harding is back in his prominent front page position I see.  I can’t blame him for what he’s reporting, I assume this statement comes from public perception and possibly the trustee’s;

Mr Crimp’s conditional offer appears to put the stadium owners, the Southland Indoor Leisure Centre Charitable Trust, in a difficult position when deciding whether to accept it.

If anyone believes it’s a difficult position maybe they should remember the responsibilities they (SILCCT) have as trustees..’to act in the best interests  of the Trust’.  Unless they have a conditional agreement with ILT in place (which yesterday’s article implied there was not) they should base their decision on the best interests of the Trust.

Can they get the $2m elsewhere without conditions?  Doubt it, it seems like they’ve tapped out everyone else.

However, stadium trust chairman Acton Smith said yesterday there was no way the stadium trustees would be falling out with the licensing trust over the issue.

Reading between the lines, it looks like the stadium trust would bow to the wishes of the licensing trust.  One would hope the stadium trustees remind the licensing trust that they have had the benefit of many years of naming rights, generously granted by the stadium trustees at the time and now the stadium trustees have to consider the Trust and what it is trying to achieve, the rebirth of Stadium Southland.

Considering ILT Velodrome is only it’s formal name, the majority of us just call it ‘the velodrome’, what does it matter?  Nothing stopping the stadium trustees having a sponsor board on the building with ILT having the most prominent position.

As for the licensing trust ELECTED MEMBERS;

Licensing trust president Alan Dennis said its board members had informally discussed Mr Crimp’s offer at a meeting yesterday, though it wasn’t on the agenda.

The board members agreed the offer was “very, very generous and exciting”, Mr Dennis said.

However, it was not up to the licensing trust to make the decision on whether to accept the conditional offer.

So they’ve discussed it and agreed the offer was “very, very generous and exciting” – then support it, show your commitment to Invercargill residents (who elected you) and do the gentlemanly thing and step aside.  Don’t make it ‘tricky’ for the stadium trustees, as Mr Dennis said:

The final decision must come from the stadium owners, the Southland Indoor Leisure Centre Charitable Trust. It will be in their hands.

We are very hopeful that something can be worked out, because it bridges the funding gap, but the stadium owners will make the final decision.

By all accounts, this is a dying man’s wish and it will help everyone achieve their goals, to help rebuild the stadium for the betterment of Invercargill and Southland.

So I ask the ILT elected members to doff their collective hat and step aside.  The credit you receive for that alone is better PR than the naming rights will ever be.