Hi Readers.

This month has really bolted by.  Only 12 weeks to Xmas?

On August the 30th we had the Regional Council meeting. Topics of interest are the CEO’s report. His report gloats of the 2010-11 SLUI, (sustainable land use intiative.) result seeing 2,822 hectare’s MAPPED. 104% 0f target. All I can say is you poor bloody fools.

I have to ask why such a emphasis on mapping, when the One Plan states the the land use classes for nitrogen leaching is applicable to Dairy land only.

I know why there is such an emphasis on mapping, as does Mr Simon Power, Minister of Justice. I initially put my thoughts to him Febuary 2010, in his constituents office Taumarunui, called the Flax Cafe, in front of at least one customer.

You should have seen his secretary move. She was sitting down beside the customer so fast that I recognised what I had said was on the money. Minister Powers face had a look of sheer horror, only to be repeated when I presented him with the Maps 12 months later, after he had decided it was time to get a electorate office. He immeadiately decided it was time to annouce his retirement from politics, which he did the following Tuesday. 

I have recounted my theory and experience to Councillors. I recognise that I am wasting my time. But we have had the Office of Treaty Settlements to both the Ruapehu District Council and Horizons reassuring Councillors that the Farming Industies Property Rights will be protected. Seen that Tui Ad? Yeah Right.

While table 13.2 is still incorporated into the One Plan and SLUI carries on mapping, the farming industries day’s are numbered. Or are they? Read on.

We had a report on the Governments National Policy Statement on Fresh Water. This NPS is deliberately vauge, because it cannot be at odds with the Local Governmant Act 2002, sec 10 and sec’s 76-82. In that our communities decide. (Those most affected.) Or do we?  Not by a long shot, with Regional Council doing it’s utmost to achieve the Regional Standard.

I look forward to the outcome to Defence Force’s sewage discharge application at Waiouru.

Out went the One Plan Standard, with all submitters I heard, including me, submitting for a to Land Disposal. This completely floored the hearings committee, who spent all morning plus, holding up my submission by 3 hrs, questioning Defence Force Staff over a  to water proposal.

Believe me it was obvious they were gutted. All that work and submitters requested the opposite. This will be interesting.

I had an item on the agenda to do with the Symonds Road Taumarunui, Chemical Dump, being the old Horizons Works depot. Believe me, this sight is chokka full of some really nasty stuff, buried in Offals holes and including in a wetland at the bottom of the sight.

I did not get anywhere with council and did not get any support from Maoridom or the Ruapehu District Council , or so it seemed. Went home quite dejected, not even a commitment to monitor the water quality below this sight.

Then out of the blue this last week the Chair of the Taumarunui Ward Committee came up to me in the street, saying well done, the RDC has taken this on board and you can be assured that this sight is in for speacial attention.

13th September was the Strategy and Policy Committee meeting . Very short. The items of interest was the Rangitiki River Forum, which is not what it would seem but more about a forum for creating economic growth.

Council Staff vehicle use came under scrutiny, thanks to councillor Cox’s efforts.

And of course as previously stated the Office of Treaty Settlements.

Wednesday the 14th saw us at the Environment Committee , which saw me in the crap. I wanted to ask a question of staff , to do with relevent District Plans, and their sec 31 roles and functions RMA.

The Control of the EFFECTS. 

The Chair would not allow the question .Standing, I persisted , so she stood up. Meaning I could not ask the question.I sat down. When she sat down I stood up and proceeded to ask the question. Up she shot again.Down I sat. When she sat down, up I stood, I asked again. This looked like getting repetative until Councillor Rieger intervined.

At this meeting we had the item on the illegal PNCC discharge to the Manawatu river removed from the agenda. 3 of us voted against this item being removed, but I have to say that had I known the reason why I would have voted the other way. The reason is that it was stated by the Regulatory Manager that there had been a meeting between Officers of the PNCC and Horizons  to discuss. It appears that this meeting had not taken place. Thus it was not prudent to discuss at council until all the facts were on the table.

So sorry Minister Smith. But yes your reasoning that maybe it is time for a closer examination of Horizons, I can agree with, but perhaps not for this.

We had 2 TA’s CEO’s come along bleating about the cost of upgrades to their Districts Sewage schemes but both are treading the company line.(Horizons) Both fail to acknowledge the intent of the National Policy Statement on Fresh water. That is that our communities decide.

As you would have heard , the Regulatory Manager, Mr Carlyon is to leave. This was announced last week. Do not know whether it was voluntary or other wise. But I know alot of people have their own thoughts. He has been with Horizons Regional Council for 7 years. and is wideley seen as being responsible for the drafting of the Proposed One Plan. One thing is for sure. I will have to find some one else’s subjective interpretations to complain about.

This week , in fact yesterday, the Auditor Generals  independent assurance report of an audit carried out under section 16 of the Public Audit Act 2001 was released to us. I believe this report has been around the appropriate places for 2 or more months. It is pretty damning of Horizons Regional Council monitoring of water quality from 2001-2007. Yes 2001-2007. Limited.

For those submitters to the Proposed One Plan. No Science.

I have been asking persistantly of the CEO, Michael Mc Cartney, what Science does Regional Council have?  He will not answer. Instead trying to get me to devolve my science , which I have long ago as he seems to forget, it is  Horizons own report commissioned from Greame Smart. NIWA , including their own in House report, STORM amongst others, and now the coup degrace. The  Office of the Auditer Generals Audit. 

I do not know how this will affect the outcome of the appeal process, but one thing is for sure it will embarrass some.

I and other members of the public have got fed up with not getting answers to questions of or not being granted speaking rights at meetings. This all smacks of a council under pressure, and determined to subvert the intention of sec 14 of the LGA 2002. Principles relating to Local Authorites.  I have had to use the Offical Information  Act twice in recent times. I still have not got an answer  one  month later.  Firstly is to do with funding for the Taumarunui Mobility service. For gods sake. How controversial can that be? The other is to do with an environmental grant made to a SLUI recipient who immediately went belly up. Estimated $1,080,000 worth . No wonder the CEO is being difficult.  So is the Office of the Ombudsmen. Seems that office is over worked at present. Not unusual as I have had another request before it for nearly two  years. The Ombudsmen refuses to make a decision. 

Too much nonsense going on in NZ. The media is not doing it’s job. We are being deliberately uninformed.

Until next time.