Hello again. I was over in Dannevirke last week end and bumped into the Mayor, Tracy Collis. She was to my mind abit sad on it. All these farms that are going into trees. She seemed to find her self right there beside me when no body else was within ear shot, thus I used the moment. John and I went over to see her and the CEO plus the deputy Mayor some 2 or so years ago. We told them this was coming and provided them with the tools both legal and planning to stop it before it got out of hand. Taurarua had already lost considerable land to trees from Weber to Herbertville 30 yrs ago. They listened and thanked us, taking the information provided . Collis also introduced us to the Taurarua Economic Development group reps. A Mr. Philips, Hartridge, again the deputy Mayor whom I have forgotten his name , and one other. None of them including the Mayor did any thing . The Economic group took our material to a conviencing lawyer, who after a while told them not to pursue it. Why????.The Mayor. She got no sympathy from me. We gave those council reps the tools to deal to it. Yes I am pissed off. I asked Ms Collis if staff were the issue. She was non committal. I made another sudjestion that would help with a plan change for that is what is needed, and asked her if she had researched the councils obligation under sec 35 of the RMA, duty to keep records. Oops hope it still exists. Some times these sec of the Act get rescinded when they Govt find they stand in the way of progress. I made another comment or 2 that could help her sec 31 functions. She said that the council was really concerned and they, I take it to mean the “Council” had been up to talk to the Ruapehu Council. Now I do not no if this was for real but I do not have any reason to suspect other wise. I told her she and the council wasted their time. Don Cameron, Mayor of Ruapehu would see to that. As my readers no the RDC was no support at ALL as a Regional Councilor, and Mr. Cameron’s election platform last election was to bring Maori and Pakeha closer together. Ms Collis featured in the Farmers Weekly June the 3rd pg 1.She did say that Forestry Minister Shane Jones was coming down hard on Regional Council for its financial contributions to the conversion process?. I find that hard to believe and if it is. My view is that Council are the victims of delaying tactics by the minister and others.
My Insider in the Treaty Settlement process told me a year or so again that the Rangitikei Hill country is ear marked for Land Use Change in a big way. From Wanganui to the Ruahines. This has since been confirmed by Nathan Guy MP. He said that Ian Mc Kelvie MP was running around with a map of all the land to be converted. I was hoping to catch up with Mc Kelvie on a informal basis and ask for a meeting. I no longer live in his electorate.
It seems the cap on the carbon market is to be lifted some time in 2022. The Govt is to put a cap on the up side and a floor price on the bottom. I guess the tax payer will have to fund that as the market is just that, and speculator driven . Pity the poor old tax payer, for no Govt can beat the power of the market.
I see that Horizons Regional Council has notified its Plan Change for N limits and Nutrient Discharges in the local paper 2 weeks or so ago. The week prior I picked up a copy of the Taumarunui local papers. The on the front page of the Bulletin is Cr Bruce Rollinson calling it a day as HRC councilor. Been a rewarding and frustrating time. Being the chair of the finance committee was grt, and was responsible for keeping rate increases down. But he made the claim, in print, that the plan change I referred to above is not to go to community for consultation but rather Forest and Bird ,Fish and game have successfully lobbyed the minister to have the plan sent straight to the environment court.. Good buy nurse. Horticulture NZ and the Feds had the opportunity to sort the plan straight after the High Court case N limits and Discharges. Hort NZ instead opted to work with Horizons on the outcomes needed and the Feds immediately sighed a memorandum of understanding with Horizons. July 19th vol 3 no 27 pg 1
Of course to my way of thinking is that as the Environment Court Judge will almost certainly find in favour of the appellants and Horizons activities in the previous sitting will have left its legacy, one cannot see any other out come. Thus can it be said that Hort NZ and Fed Farmers and others most certainly have had their Right to Natural Justice denieghed them just as Justice Ko,s allured to in the appeal to the High Court. After all it was this court that has directly lead to the position Horizons are in now. And thanks to John and I, I will say it was our material that Ko,s used to make the assertion that he did. para 22-23. Will we see the above grouping appeal using the afore mentioned or will they say to their members. Tuff guys and girls we tried ,but.
But Rollinson went on to say that no trouble makers are wanted around the council table. I could not but wonder if he was thinking of me. This from a man who missed 13 of the Regional Council meetings in his first term. That is the big meeting. That is where every thing is approved by the vote. He told me when I questioned him about it, council had had regard to the distance he had to travel and had instigated a video link for Regional C meetings so he could attend from the comfort of his living room but he could not vote!!!!!.
I see Lynn Neeson,s face on the front page along side of. She made a fool of her self by making a statement about rural school principles that is inaccurate. I guess she is lining upRollinsons job, and it will be the coup degrace for Ruapehu. A very dangerous person. One that raised the ire of the previous Mayor of Ruapehu Sue Morris on environmental issues and Sue was also up to no good, getting a gong from the Queen for services to Maori. Oopps. Local Govt. Found out Sues agenda almost straight away in my first term. Had a good relation ship with the Ruapehu Press reporter and editor. The reporter was a Maori woman. Both got moved on pretty fast. The editor was given no choice, Fair Fax got really nasty. End of my column. The start of my blog.
The Farming papers are full of it over the last month , Rural News, Farmers Weekly, with headings such as farmers won’t pay, Gas Tax Stinks, measuring gas ,which it seems is impossible, zero carbon, advice sight, climate change, and James Shaw. all in FW July 22 2019. All the costs are assumed at $23 per ton. What on earth is to happen when the speculator breaks the Govt bank and carbon climes to $100 per ton?
Well I have probably said enough. Some readers have probably left me because of my view, but remember this .You read it here before it happened.
Mike