On a drizzly Saturday morning Mark Newton drives his truck up the back of the Brook Valley. Usually, he would have his mountainbike with him but today he isn't riding, he is digging.
The dozens of trails that are peppered throughout the region do not appear by magic.
But many people, even mountainbikers, might not even know how they get made. In some ways the effort can be thankless. But Newton says the real reward is getting to ride the tracks after they have been built.
They work with the landowners in the region - Ngati Koata, the Nelson City Council, Hancock Forest Management and the Department of Conservation. Then, where needed, they negotiate with forestry operators to ensure everything is done above board.
(The Nelson Mail, Monday, October 5, 2015)
The number of Kiwis who rent continues to grow, confirming a long-term trend away from home ownership.
Statistics New Zealand’s quarterly estimates of household and dwelling numbers shows that 32 per cent of all households are renting, up from 23 per cent two decades ago.
Home ownership levels have dropped from 74 per cent in 1991, to about 64 per cent today. The data also showed that, between this year’s September quarter and last year’s, the country gained another 21,900 private dwellings.
The number of owner-occupied properties rose by 6600 and rental properties increased by 14,400.
Migration and natural population growth meant the number of households grew by 18,300, or 1.1 per cent.
Of these, the number of owner-occupiers rose by 4800, or 0.45 per cent, while renting households rose by 2.4 per cent or 12,800.
Statistics NZ’s Kim Dunstan said the figures did not just highlight the fact that more people were renting, but that the population was growing at a much faster rate than dwelling and household numbers.
(The Nelson Mail, Thursday, October 8, 2015)
The future of the Waimea Plains with a dam is all apples, according to Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy.
Releasing a report from the Ministry for Primary Industries at Seifried Estate on Thursday, Guy was talking up the benefits of apple crops that he said could be grown on pasture now unirrigated, if the controversial multimillion-dollar Lee Valley dam was built.
The proposed Waimea Community Dam would deliver major economic and environmental benefits, he said. ‘‘The report shows that building the dam would more than double the average annual catchment profit from $14.5 million to $29.5m. This value includes an average annual benefit of $2.9m and up to $9.5m in an individual year for existing irrigators from the reliable water supply the dam would provide.’’ A dam would also safeguard minimum flows in the Waimea River and recharge aquifers, helping improve water quality and recreational use, Guy said.
Water in the area was over allocated by about 64 per cent and unreliable. The dam would provide a secure water supply for existing and future users, including about 1200 hectares in new irrigated areas.
(The Nelson Mail, Friday, October 9, 2015)
The Nelson Marina is under the spotlight with the council spending $50,000 on developing a strategy for its future use.
The Nelson City Council allocated the funds for the strategy after it received 36 submissions to a proposed 4 per cent increase in marina charges in the long term plan consultation document earlier this year.
All the submissions were against the proposed charge increase.
The council has since appointed SLR Consulting to develop the strategy, which will address the issues raised by submitters and will inform the future vision for the marina.
The strategy will look at the purpose the marina fulfills for the community and council, and its development and management options, informing its direction for the next 10 years.
Recommendations from the strategy development work will be put to the council early in 2016.
(The Nelson Mail, Friday, October 9, 2015)
Some folks can look so busy doing nothing that they seem indispensable.
Kin Hubbard