A historic deed leasing land in the Awaroa Inlet has been purchased “in dubious circumstances” on TradeMe by a man whose ancestors it once belonged to.
Darryl Wilson, an eighth generation local of the beach recently purchased by the New Zealand public, paid $250 for the 1875, five-year deed which leased 495 acres of the now-famous area to his great-great-great grandfather William Hadfield and brother Harry Hadfield for £10 per year.
The seller indicated that he was interested ‘‘rather than the money, in getting the document to someone who would care for it’’, Wilson said.
Wilson disputed claims that the document was retrieved, rather than stolen, from his family’s home at Awaroa in the 1870s. He said the family did not leave the home until the 1890s.
A map outlining the area leased from prominent Nelson landowner Ralph Richardson originally attached to the deed was not sold to Wilson, though he later recovered it among his mother’s heritage collection.
Wilson was originally alerted to the deed’s sale by Golden Bay Museum Society chair Penny Griffith, who said it was the first historic deed she ever had seen relating to the Abel Tasman National Park.
‘‘Knowing that the Wilsons have it back in their possession, it’s the next best thing to having them in a museum collection.’’
(The Nelson Mail, Monday, March 7th, 2016)
Nelson and Tasman residents look likely to send their waste to the same landfill next year after the city and district councils this week agreed a joint venture is the best way forward.
Both councils will now discuss the plan for a 50:50 joint venture with their communities and if all goes well, the regional landfill could operate from July 2017.
It seems likely city and district waste will go to the York Valley landfill site at Bishopdale in Nelson first, until it reaches capacity, and then to Eves Valley at Waimea West.
The Tasman District Council has agreed to pay $4.2 million to Nelson City Council to compensate for the difference in the mid-point landfill values between the city’s York Valley site and Eves Valley if the plan goes ahead. The York Valley site was valued to its current valuation footprint at $21.557 million while the Eves Valley valuation of $13.176 million included the current stage 2 and future stage 3 development. The landfill valuations, completed by Deloitte, were based on each council continuing with the status quo – no regional landfill – for the next 45 years.
Nelson City Council is to consult on the landfill joint venture proposal as part of the discussions over its annual plan for 2016-17.
Tasman District Council, which will not be conducting a formal submissions process for its annual plan this year, has agreed to ‘‘engage’’ with the community on the proposal as part of its planned briefings on its annual plan for 2016-17.
(The Nelson Mail, Monday, March 7th, 2016)
A 1000 to 1200-seat theatre space proposed for the Trafalgar Centre is the right size to accommodate and attract more events to Nelson, Mayor Rachel Reese says.
Part of Nelson City Council’s draft annual plan, the $400,000 project would provide facilities and flexible temporary seating able to be reconfigured to suit different concerts, conferences or dinners.
Additional funds would be allocated through council’s long term budget for the seating, and for lighting and curtaining features.
Reese said council looked at theatres across the country to find a model which allowed ‘‘as much functionality as possible’’ and resonated well with the Nelson community.
The proposal will be open to public submissions from Friday March 11.
The Trafalgar Centre is due to open again after major earthquake strengthening work later this month.
(The Nelson Mail, Wednesday, March 9th, 2016)
Nelson city residents will again be able to submit on proposed changes to woodburner regulations.
This newest call for public input comes on the heels of Nelson City Council’s January proposition that up to 1000 burners be allowed in Airshed B2, which encompasses Stoke, Wakatu and Enner Glynn, and another 600 in Airshed C, which includes the Port Hills, city centre, the Brook, the Wood and Atawhai.
The January-February call for submissions drew 108 responses, while a survey undertaken by 1136 Nelsonians at that time showed that 63.4 per cent of households without a woodburner wanted to install one.
Another 35.3 per cent of respondents did not wish to install a woodburner in their home, and 32.4 per cent of homes with a woodburner wanted to replace it within the next two years.
Nelson Mayor Rachel Reese said the new round of submissions was a deliberate attempt to address local concerns.
Reese said current plans around woodburner use take into account the potential for future changes to national policy, which would also affect the regional management of air and water.
Submissions are open until 5pm Friday March 18. New issues cannot be debated but people can support or oppose earlier submissions regardless of whether they submitted on the plan last month.
(The Nelson Mail, Wednesday, March 9th, 2016)
Awaroa Inlet Beach officially belongs to New Zealand.
The sale of the beach in Abel Tasman National Park that was the subject of a massive crowdfunding campaign has been confirmed, with the settlement due to take place next week.
Campaign organiser Duane Major said the purchase was set to take place next Thursday.
The ownership would then shift out of the property market into something ‘‘more long-term’’ for the New Zealand public, he said.
Only 343 (0.85 per cent) of credit cards from which pledges were made defaulted, with $2,259,923.21 cleared in the final tally of public donations on Saturday.
As well as the general public, large businesses also expressed their support for the campaign, with Spark and Stuff pledging $20,000 each, Colliers International and its staff $20,000, Kathmandu $5000 and Duncan Cotterill $1000.
(The Nelson Mail, Saturday, March 12th, 2016)
“When I let go
of what I am,
I become
what I might be.”
- Lao Tzu.