Schools oppose off-licence

By COLIN WILLIAMS - Upper Hutt Leader

Upper Hutt Leader

Floodway bites into Trail

Accusation lowest cost is council's prime driver

By SIMON EDWARDS - Hutt News

Last updated 13:12 22/09/2009

Rotarians have delivered a strong message to floodway engineers that green space along the Hutt River is regarded as one of the city's treasures.

Debate over floodway improvements between Kennedy-Good and Ewen bridges, and a 'preferred' design that will bite deeply into the River Trail and popular dog walking area alongside State Highway 2, looks to be boiled down over dollars.

The option of a 20-metre vegetation buffer along the western bank of a realigned river course is estimated to cost $4.5 million. But in places it would swallow between one third and one half of the existing open grass space.

Other options, which would preserve most of the present open space and deliver the desired flood defences are more expensive: a series of rock groynes would cost $6 million, or rocklined river banks (as currently exist for about 150 metres immediately north of Melling), $8 million.

Last week, three Greater Wellington Regional Council officers outlined to the Hutt City Rotary Club the state of play.

Engineer and project manager Jacky Cox said upgrades to achieve the flood 'design standard' (defences capable of holding a 2,300 cumec/one-in-440-year flood) in the Boulcott area are to happen on a number of fronts.

Higher and stronger stopbanks are to be built adjacent to Hutt and Boulcott Golf Clubs, "essentially following the (current) residential boundaries."

Mills St has been in the headlines recently because the stopbank upgrade is likely to require the demolition of four or more houses.

But there are also issues to do with the river channel, with the big problem being a pinch point in the river next to Transpower's large Melling substation, Ms Cox said.

Today's floodway is about 600m wide near Kennedy-Good Bridge, narrowing to 150m at the substation. Along that stretch the river changes in grade and the river channel decreases in width from 100m to 50m. At the narrowest part by the substation during floods, the water velocity and turbulence  and thus erosive power  is a major issue.

The Hutt River advisory sub-committee two months ago approved in principle, with the proviso there be more consultation with the community, a design that would establish a 100m wide river channel from Kennedy-Good to about 200m upstream of the substation. It would then reduce to about 70m for the next 600m or so. A big payoff is that with the straightened and wider channel, the Boulcott stopbanks needn't be as high as they would otherwise have to be.

A strengthened 20m vegetation buffer zone of mainly willows would chew up a big chunk of the dog walking area green space and the existing River Trail. But Ms Cox said GWRC has listened to community concerns about minimising the need for in-stream work, and keeping 'view shafts' through the trees so walkers and people on the highway could see the river.

It's quite possible that a new River Trail could in parts wind its way through these trees.

Bank rocklining or groynes along this western bank would not need trees or take up the 20m band of grass land. But that will cost $1.5m to $3.5m more.

Ms Cox said rocklining is generally reserved for stretches of river ''adjacent to high value assets'' (such as city streets, the substation).

Robin Maud, a Rotarian who has devoted countless hours to establishing the River Trail over the last 16 years, said the value of the open space to future generations of Valley people is being ignored.

''It appears to me that the decision has been made purely on the lower dollars.''

Past club president Allan Brown said Hutt people ''have a huge emotional connection to this piece of space'' and are intensely interested in how it will be developed into the future. Rotarians had tried to get the message through to GWRC politicians and officers that the river vista and the preservation of green space is vital, ''but clearly we are not there yet.''

>via stuff.co.nz

Ok I'm not a Rotarian, but I am a dog owner, lets get that out of the way first.

This subject is a pet (no pun intended) issue of mine, given I am a frequent user of the area and take the pet (dog) for a walk there often. Also the primary reason I live in the Hutt is because of the river and the greenspaces it provides.

I greatly appreciate the work that has been undertaken by Rotary in this area over the years, and it is of great credit to them this area is so well utilized now by walkers, commuters, and dog owners. Also good on them for presenting a campaign for the residents of the Lower Hutt the importance of this area, the vistas of the river and gaining low level support for their concerns from officials who make these decisions albeit a lone voice. But, and I say but

Do the people of Lower Hutt really care if this area is lost to them?

Is the key issue that this city is built on a flood plain, and if a large scale flood occurs, is protecting personal property of greater concern to the average citizen than a pretty place to walk, or look at?

Should the whole issue, of the Hutt River development be placed before its citizens as a holistic view, rather than individual bites, that are pushed through, mainly because I feel those individual voices are lost on each seperate case concerning issues around the river. Illustrated only recently by residents of Mills Street concerns, the water quality of the Hutt river, water extraction from the Hutt River, flood plain developments to name but a few.

There is no doubt in my mind that from the perspective of council both local and regional that their primary concern is taming the Hutt River, whilst exploiting its value from a commercial viewpoint.

The attractiveness of the Hutt Valley is based around the value of a River Valley, period. In my 30 years of apprecitating that I have seen the value of it diminished from my individual perspective that I probably would not swimor drink from it, to a point in Summer where it is lost its majesty to being a mere trickle of its former self.

There is a midpoint, but perhaps all the cards need to be shown, as to the development of this resource. Hutt City council needs to stop fooling themselves and give up on the idea of developing the City Heart to incorporate river views, if their goal in conjunction with the GWRC is to destroy the capabilities of the Hutt to have a river.

What is decided in the next year will set in perpetuity, whether this area will have a narrow or wide berm area, it needs to be placed in consideration given a wider viewpoint and the impact this will have on other developments downstream.

I feel we really do need to care about our river, its what makes the Hutt, the Hutt both geographically and historically.

Record high temperature for Upper Hutt

By ROSEMARY McLENNAN - Upper Hutt Leader

Upper Hutt's temperature of almost 20 degrees celsius on Saturday, August 15, rivalled the highest for any August since 1947.

NIWA's only Upper Hutt weather station - at Wallaceville - recorded 19.9 degrees on August 15.

The highest August temperature at the station since records stated there in 1939 was 20.0 degrees in 1947.

The highest winter temperature at the station was 20.2 degrees in June 1973.

via stuff.co.nz

Following on from this, last Saturday in Lower Hutt was 20 degrees. Is it me or are the temperatures for this time of year way above average for this time of year. Must go and do some more research, but it seems we have quickly moved from the depths of Winter in July to temperatures that are extremely mild, equally the rainfall is way down for this time of year. Is that the reason for the spate of earthquakes as well, so says my mum.

Well as I said some more research needed, but if this continues expect a drought come February March 2010. I said it here first.

1080 warning after dog dies

By COLIN WILLIAMS - Upper Hutt Leader

The death of a family dog from 1080 poisoning after eating a possum carcass on the Hutt River near Totara Park has highlighted that owners need to treat the river trail - one of the city's popular recreational spots - as a "no go area" for up to two months.

The two-year-old cross-breed dog endured a painful death early last Wednesday after it partially ate a possum the previous morning.

The possum would have been brought down the river after heavy rain following the recent massive 1080 poison aerial drop north of the city three weeks earlier.

The dog, which soon developed obvious neurological symptoms, was taken to an Upper Hutt veterinary clinic on

Tuesday and treated before a transfer to the Wellington 24-hour vet clinic where it died the next morning.

The dog's poisoning came the morning after the high risk of the poisoned carcasses was announced by the Wellington Regional Council and 250 warning signs at access points to the river and beaches from Te Marua to south of Eastbourne were put up.

Regional council workers went into emergency response in starting a search of the banks of the Hutt River, and the beaches, for carcasses (which present no risk, through handling, to humans).

"While the river was too high to search we concentrated on the beaches and then re-checked them daily after the high tide," regional council senior biosecurity officer Ray Clarey says.

"On September 1 the river had receded so we had three teams working, one from Totara Park north, one from Totara Park south and one from Petone north.

"The river took two days to search and we rechecked it daily as the water level fell," Mr Clarey says.

One carcass found opposite Trentham Memorial Park, on the highway side of the river on Tuesday, had been partially eaten and is thought to be the remains of the possum partially eaten, further up the river, by the now dead dog.

Four possum bodies were found on the beaches between Petone and Eastbourne and four on the riverbed including two in Upper Hutt near Moonshine Bridge.

Tissue samples from all the possums will be sent away for testing, Mr Clarey says.

The council will continue their organised searches until water levels return to normal, council spokesman Jim Flack says.

"It is common for feral animals and livestock to wash down rivers during heavy rain," Mr Clarey says.
"With the recent 1080 possum control operation north of Upper Hutt, people should treat all possum carcasses as potentially poisonous, particularly dog owners.

"Please keep your dogs on a lead when using these areas, until the warning signs have been taken down," Mr Clarey says.

"A decaying possum is a tasty morsel for a dog, no matter how well fed it is. If that possum has been poisoned by 1080, it will poison the dog."

If dogs have contact with any possum carcasses they should be induced to vomit and immediately taken to a vet, he says.

via Stuff/co.nz

Well being a dog owner this makes me sad, very sad. But like last weeks message around pets being poisoned due to possum control, the city councils are in an invidious situation. They need to control this pest for the TB problem it presents to farm stock as well as for forest conservation. Possum numbers are huge in NZ, and especially around the Hutt Valley given its dedicated areas of forestry belts.
For years we have cried out for a alternative to 1080 and its consequences, in fact I think NZ is one of only a few countries still using it. But the problem lies in how to find something that is just as effective. I even think there is research been undertaken in labs to find some form of regressive gene or something I remember to stifle population growth. Unfortunately the knock on effect of posionings is still unpalatable to large numbers of Nzers, given the results of the above, and the impact on bird numbers too.

Please pay heed to warnings, keep your dogs on a leash, err on the side of caution and pray some boffin finds an alternatve to 1080 soon.

September The Business of Art workshops

28 August 2009

Learn the basics of ‘The Business of Art’ in a friendly & fun environment.

Open to all art practitioners: visual and object artists, crafters, dancers, performers, writers, musicians, film-makers . . .

Local artist and business woman, Sandy Rodgers, will teach you how to set goals, manage your project, apply for funding, promote your work, get your head around taxes, legal issues and more! Includes a follow-up one-to-one advisory session to discuss your progress. Register by contacting HVCA.

TIME:
6pm-9pm

DATE:
5 Sessions
Tuesdays
8 September till 6 October

COST:
$100

VENUE:
Hutt Valley Community Arts
Doreen Doolan Mall
193 Jackson Street
Petone

For more information or to register contact:

Hutt Valley
Community Arts
p. 568-3488
benedict@hvca.org.nz
www.hvca.org.nz

This is a second series by artist, Sandy Rodgers, Innovative business courses is being offered through the Hutt Valley Community Arts Hub (HVCA).

HVCA’s Arts Manager, Rachel Nankivell explains the course “many local art practitioners wanted to be a part of this course when we held it in July because it responds to the issues they face on a daily basis. Word has spread and we’ve been asked to repeat the course so that even more artists can have the opportunity to explore their potential and reach their goals.”

Sandy is a practicing local artist with many years experience in successfully exhibiting throughout New Zealand and internationally. During her time overseas she coordinated Kiwi Art Spark (a London-based initiative supporting New Zealand artists abroad), and has managed art galleries in New Zealand and London, as well as working within the music industry in Europe.

Sandy says the course aims to help participants present their skills to the public in a positive way with their integrity intact. “I want art practitioners to be comfortable in the guise of a ‘business person’ and to understand the basic skills necessary to make a sustainable living by doing what it is that they are most passionate about.” Sandy is offering each participant an individual follow-up advisory session, in her commitment to supporting each participant achieve the goals they indentify in the course.

The course is open to practitioners of all artforms, as Rachel says, “All Hutt-based painters, musicians, potters, dancers, writers, artists in any discipline at any stage of their career are welcome to take advantage of this opportunity”
The workshops will be held at Hutt Valley Community Arts’ new Arts Hub, Doreen Doolan Mall, Petone on five Tuesday nights beginning 8th September at 6pm. The cost is $100 for the five sessions (including materials).

Commitment to attending all sessions is essential.

Parking is available in the Peel Street Carpark off Britannia Street, and the Arts Hub is wheelchair accessible.

Residents blame possum bait stations for pet poisonings

by ANTONIO BRADLEY - Upper Hutt Leader

Last updated 05:00 02/09/2009

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ANTONIO BRADLEY

NINE LIVES: Riverstone Terraces resident Maxine Robb with her cat Bouffey, who she believes was poisoned by possum bait stations near her property. Behind her is the pole where moreporks once perched before GWRC installed bait stations.

Upper Hutt Leader

Residents blame possum bait stations for pet poisonings Upper Hutt women put up brave battle Maidstone take thriller final

Some Upper Hutt residents claim the regional council's possum bait is poisoning their cats and native birds, causing some to die and others to disappear.

Greater Wellington regional council's business unit BioWorks placed the poison brodifacoum in Riverstone Terraces in April to decrease pest numbers.

Since then, Maidstone Veterinary Clinic has treated three poisoned cats - one of which was euthanised last month - and two poisoned dogs, all from Riverstone Terraces, a vet says.

Depending on the dose, brodifacoum can kill large animals such as dogs, he says.

But BioWorks contracts co-ordinator John Hopkirk says he doesn't believe its brodifacoum is poisoning cats or native birds.

However, resident Maxine Robb believes her cat, Bouffey, was poisoned by brodifacoum in April after BioWorks installed bait stations on her and her partner's property.

Within days the couple found shaking, half-dead rats within metres of their house, she says.

Soon after, Bouffey started bleeding from his gums.

Ms Robb took him to Maidstone Veterinary Clinic, believing he had eaten a poisoned rat.

Veterinarian Andrew Cassells says it is "quite likely" brodifacoum poisoned the cat, but he did not test for poisoning because it was too expensive for the owners.

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Well heres my two cents worth.....

As a young lad, I run all over Craigs Flat as it was called them (now Riverstone Terraces) and it was farm land with encroaching Native Bush. The area was generally used for sheep and cattle grazing.
While we shouldn't have been on farmland without permission, we loved the rabbits, and equally used it to gain access to Whakatiki Stream where we went swimming etc. The area had huge possum numbers. Time moves on, and the River Terraces as a surburban development was built there right up against this regenerating native forest, hence the appeal of the location and the splendid views. Possum numbers there are endemic. The difficulty lies in how we go about controlling them and the methods used.
I'm either/ or on this and see the difficulty GWRC has, and well as the concern of the residents. But I have a solution, one that was on offer back 30 years ago when I roamed up there, bring back a tally for possum numbers paid by Regional Councils, killed humanly (no Gintraps like we used) make for valid employment in this recession, or perhaps the answer lies in that we as humans need to stop developing native buffer zones? Isolate, control, monitor and let nature take its course.

ONE News

• WATCH the video (2:15)

The battle to evict a group of state house tenants with gang connections in Lower Hutt's troubled Farmer Crescent, has cost taxpayers more than a quarter of a million dollars.

In March, Housing New Zealand gave five tenants who are either the partners or friends of Mongrel Mob members, three months to leave their state houses.

However the move has promoted allegations of gang intimidation, and now Housing New Zealand is paying up to protect the property.

Figures obtained by ONE News show legal costs have reached at least $15,000 whilst installation and monitoring of security systems have cost around $13,500.

But the biggest cost has been community security patrols that have cost more than $56,000 and security guards that have cost more than $230,000.

Housing New Zealand says security is part of their business where they have troubled communities.

via tvnz.co.nz

This no doubt explains the presence of security personal outside of HNZ offices at Lower Hutt in recent months, as a precaution and the protection of staff who might have been intimidated by Mongrol mob members. This issue is still not resolved, is it a sign that we are over cautious in our dealings with gang related issues in NZ.
Is our political correctness getting in the way of protecting others from their rights, that is normal citizens. I'm quite sure Michael Laws if in charge of HNZ might have the issue resolved by now!

Upper Hutt bank robbed

By KELLY BURNS - The Dominion Post

Last updated 15:42 27/08/2009

BREAKING NEWS: A man has been arrested after a bank robbery in Upper Hutt this afternoon.

About 1.40pm a unarmed man in his 30s entered the BNZ branch in Main St and demanded money.

After cash was handed over to him, the man fled to a nearby car.

A police spokesman said the offender was followed by a member of the public in their car and the vehicle was located in Mary Cres.

Police cordoned off the area.

At 2.48pm - just an hour after the robbery - a man driving the same vehicle was stopped by police in nearby Fraser Cres and arrestedvia stuff.co.nz

Ok that now makes it 3 bank robberies in as many months. This one, Westpac in Upper Hutt last month, and the Post Office at Queensgate Westfield. At least the offender was caught which goes some way toward justice. My concern is for the staff impacted. I have been involved in seeing the repercussions of an armed robbery and the impact it can have on those involved, not just now but several months or years down the track, it is not pleasant.

Equally the incidents of robbery of this type is on the increase and there is no denying that some parts of our society are being impacted far greater by the economic recession. I fear that more of these will occur as unemployment figures continue to rise.

Rimutaka Prison to get 60 bed container unit

1:05PM Thursday Aug 27, 2009

Photo / Richard Robinson

A 60 bed container unit is to be established at Rimutaka Prison as the Corrections Department seeks ways to house a burgeoning prison population.

The Government previously announced it would use containers as cells to boost capacity and Corrections Minister Judith Collins said today the unit would help the department evaluate whether they can be used in other prisons.

"This project is the first of its kind at a New Zealand prison and we hope it will point the way to how we can build extra prison capacity faster and much cheaper than in the past," she said.

"Corrections is forecast to run out of baseline beds early next year. We have to take immediate action to ensure that prisoners are securely locked away and the public is kept safe."

A tender process had started and cells would be used from March.

Each bed would cost between $53,000 and $63,000 which Ms Collins said was far cheaper than for a new prison.

- NZPA

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Well Rimutaka Prison, its not as though they dont have enough problems on their own without shackling them with this. Probably the only reason its here rather than anywhere else is the close proximity to Corrections Head Office in Wellington.

Im not for them or against them, but I know one thing that they better insulate them well given how cold it can get tin the Hutt Valley in mid July. In fact I think they are already insulated, or so are some of the containers I see on the wharfs, or is that refrigerated, which is probably the likely outcome on an inmates being in these in the middle of Winter.
I'm going to prophetise here and say that they had better get world class advice on this issue to avoid the human rights debacle that will befall Corrections if they dont construct them well (anyone else using them?).
My guess is they wont, we will end up being chastised on the world stage, and in the long run it probably would have been easier to have a new private enterprise prison built from scratch.
Better keep my nose clean, Rimutaka container unit in July holds zero appeal for me.

Mayor welcomes Dulux’s $28m investment in Hutt City

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Mayor David Ogden today welcomed paint manufacturer Dulux’s announcement that it plans to invest $28m modernising its factory in Hutt City.

“Dulux has been part of our community for 70 years and a significant employer of local people,” he said.

“The decision of Dulux to reinvest in Hutt City strengthens our reputation for manufacturing and confirms this is a great place to invest.

“Especially in these challenging economic times, this, along with other examples such as Flight Group moving to the old Griffins site, inspires confidence that our city has a positive future.

“They all have an important role to play in helping to drive economic growth which will enable Hutt City to emerge quickly from the recession.

“Today’s announcement is wonderful news,” Mayor Ogden said.

More good economic news. What with the possible move of army personal to Trentham and as mentioned above the movement of the Flight Group to the old Griffins site the Hutt Valley has not totally lost its manufacturing base. There is no doubt in my mind that the Hutt Valley with its stable work force and large flat geography (space) provide avenues that are not available in other parts of the Wellington region. Some businesses are taking the opportunities in the current climate to reestablish or strengthen their positions. I'm very happy for them to see the Hutt Valley as a place to base themselves.