Hello for the last time this year readers. Man has it really blasted past. Every milestone you subconsciously set for the year has come gone and the next in your face before you realise  it.

There have been a few disappointments and not many wins. I have not been able to form a working partnership with the Local Feds Chair. It is not my fault but either she believes she represents the District or she is working for the other side. Being from the Manawatu I believe this is a distinct possibility. What people must realise is that if she has good intentions then she is way out of her depth . There are no meetings for the local branch of any consequence therefore very little debate if any, and she is determined to stop me informing the committee of  items of interest to them and their business. The last time I tried to attend and asked for speaking rights I got told no.

The election came upon me really fast and Whilst I was confident, when it got nasty in the second week  will admit to some nerves and settled in on the sat afternoon for a nervous wait only to get rung at 2.00 pm by Cr Bruce Gordon congratulating me. All over rover.

The District Plan has been occupying my mind all year. There is a awful lot of lies deceipt and nonsense going on around this Plan. All of it by senior members of the Council and Staff . I term it disgraceful. I have I believe identified the reasons for in previous columns. We are supposed to be a democracy but NZ is any thing but. With Regional and TA plans being abused with bullshit Causes and Effects that need to be controlled ,to achieve the outcomes that a small majority of Politicians desire. The return of Aotearoa to Maoridom. Extremists within both ethnic groups wish for Maoridom to control all things Natural and Physical.

I have been active frustrating the District Councils upgrades for 2 of its sewage schemes , again no consultation with affected parties and potential affected parties, only Maoridom and Fish and Game. For an idea of the costs and who is driving this go to www.ruapehudc.govt.nz , look up sewage and go to the asset management plan. I have some pretty horrific pictures of Non Compliance. This is not human error but deliberate. For a copy send me your postal address via s.plowman@xtra.co.nz. It seems I have captured the attention of senior Cabinet Ministers in both major political parties.

Expect more on this.

We had a week off early in the month then week 2 I attended the Upper Whanganui flood protection scheme meeting in Taumarunui, only 2 people other than Staff and my self attended.

On the 14th we had Strategy and   Policy,  of  interest to Rangitikei readers will be staffs position on controlling Old Mans Beard. It is that it cannot be eradicated and Council should look to containment. My view is that the District Council will have to start picking up the pieces. This is not a core function of Regional Council. Sec 30 RMA. But it is a core function of TA’s sec 31, (District Council). Regional Council has bullied its way and or allowed its self to assume the TA’s role and function over the years and with a changing political climate signaling a move to Unitry Autorities it is time TA’s start thinking about and being encouraged to pick up the reins again. TA’s have been quite comfortable to allow this to happen and is going to create some anguish .

There was a small refference to consultation with Maoridom. It appears the Ministry for the Environment wants even more,  better, more improved consultation with Maoridom. I have a feeling Mr Power will be interested to read this. Did you hear that Minister Smith head is on the block. I also took note of calls for Minister Findlayson to be lined up behind him . Having a bit to do with both these ministers it is my view that NZ will be alot better off without them and their extremist ideas.

Apparently Govt is concerned enough for forestry on hill country to write up a National Enviromental Standard on the issue. It seems Horizons made a submission , I must have been away that day. Seems I am away quite abit.

Regional Council also grizzled about lack of input into the National Policy Statement on Biodiversity. Surely the TA’s views were more important.

On the 15th we had the Environment Committee meeting. A whole heap of interesting items in here and it was a marathon day. In my neck of the woods is a refference to WRET funding (Whanganui River Enhancement Trust). It seems they are not that good at fronting up with the dosh.I Wish Horizons would get the hint and pull the pin on using them and the funding to achieve an out come that will have serious consequences for my District. It is not that the idea does not have merit, it is that it is about mapping for future regulation of land use activity. based on slope, soil and parent rock. Agriculture in our District contributes in excess of $200  mill to our economy. There are moves afoot to replace it with Carbon. To achieve this nonsense regulation of hill country activities is to be used. This will have horrific consequences for ourselves, thus is the reason for my involvment in frustrating District Council Upgrades of our Sewage schemes. It is all about water quality.

Manuka and Periphyton are there and had a good informed debate with staff. There are a number of new councillors who are not prepared to accept staffs subjective science. I am really starting to get my confidence and ability to present the facts with solid support.

Abit on SLURI (reasearch),swamps, of which I pointed out that had a neg affect on tepidity(water quality, visual), fish being able to see to catch their food, macroinvertibrae, air monitoring in Taihape and Taumarunui. This project might get canned. Govt decision. Seems the costs v benefits to our Health  might not be as first thought.

Then we had an item on Rooks which states control is effective. The Council Oppossum Control Operation  is being claimed as more  cost efficient than the Animal Health Board. Who needs 1080. Based on a 8000hec operation in Pines and a RTCi of .7% for a claimed $5/hec. This figure is not reported in the Minutes. The big question is how many Oppossums were present before the operation . $5/hec sounds abit suspicious to me . The aversge cost identified in previous minutes for CCOPC  operations is $12/hec and the fact that Mr Dodds , the Taumarunui Manager, is commenting on an operation well to the south of him at Weber in Taurarua.

Finshed off with disolved Oxygen, compliance and subdivision. In Ruapehu this is going to cause some legal debate, as is Regional Councils Sewage disposal requirements. Who decided the standard. I can see that I have a fair bit of effort coming up. I can not believe what is going on and that TA’s appear to going along with it.  The TA’s are selling us down the river ,whilst making out they are on our side. It would seem TA’s are slowly but surely devolving control of the “effects” of the use and development of Land and Biodiversity, subdivision etc to Regional Council at resource users expense for quite some time. There is a clear process to go through both in the RMA and the LGA.Both Councils are quitely circumventing this. I have determined that Lawyers are enabaling this by giving a subject view when resource users challenge this . It is going to take the resource users ourselves to educate ourselves to interpret the requirements of both acts and challenge  these interpretations in the courts. There are people out there now who have already achieved this ability.

This coming week I have an annual plan workshop Monday, and Regional Council on Tuesday.  We were supposed to have a Council funded dinner on Tuesday night but Cr Bob  put paid to that. The 3 Rate Freeze Candidates stated we were not attending because it was not proper in these difficult times to use Rate payers funds. 

Merry Xmas

 Mike