by Grapevine Admin (Chris) | Oct 10, 2016 | MailChimp
Hi there,
Does anyone know of anyone locally who can unblock culverts?
We have a large culvert pipe which normally takes the full flow of our stream which is blocked with silt and other debris from all this rain we have been getting. This is causing the stream to be permanently overtopping the culvert crossing.
The culvert inflow is under about a metre and a half or so of fast moving water & so quite difficult to access to clear.
Is there anyone who can tackle this sort of job? I need to use the culvert crossing for livestock.
Many thanks,
Bev – [email protected] – 021 307 900
Komokoriki Hill Rd.
by Grapevine Admin (Chris) | Oct 7, 2016 | MailChimp
CatchIT Communities – FREE Pest Control Workshops for the local community 9.15 am- 12.30pm October 9th Ahuroa Community Hall
The Forest Bridge Trust is holding free pest control workshops for communities in Matakana, Leigh and Ahuroa as part of the vision to have a protected wildlife corridor across Rodney Professional trappers will be on hand to give advice on how to deal with pests using traps or bait, with limited free traps for those attending.
Landowners will also be able to learn about a new user-friendly app called “Walk the Line” that will enable them at no cost to record their catches
online – and see what others are doing in the area. (Also October 16th at Leigh Community Hall)
For more info contact [email protected] Ph: 021 234 0831
by Grapevine Admin (Chris) | Oct 6, 2016 | MailChimp
The Grapevine received the following documents today relating to the proposed auckland shooting club site and activities at 273 Tuhirangi Road.
The details contained within these are very different from the public information released on the shooting club’s website. You should all treat the shooting club’s website as a PR / Advertising mechanism to generate interest for potential members, it does not accurately reflect their approved scope of operations at this point in time.
Please have a detailed read for yourselves, below I have provided my own summary of what I believe are some of the key points from these documents:
- These appear to be council approvals to develop and operate. – This would, I believe, imply that there was no intention to perform a publicly notified consent process.
- The scope of operations is different from that outlined on the website, in particular:
- (Only) two outdoor pistol ranges have been approved, one to the West and one to the East of the site.
- The Western range is limited in its operations, and excludes Sundays.
- Both ranges are limited in their hours of operations, allowing for (only) 8 hours of operation per day, at times between 6am and 6pm.
- The site is normally expected to support (only) 30 people during normal operations.
- At no more than 3 seperate occasions per year is it permitted for a ‘carnival’ type of event (competition) to be held, at which, no more than 200 people, including 120-150 competitors would be in attendance.
- There is no mention of rifle shooting, there is no mention of shotgun facilities.
- There are specified and enforceable noise restrictions and limitations (dB limits), listed in these documents.
- There are specified and potentially measurable limits on the amount of earth works to be performed.
- There are noted building structures included within this consent, i.e.: it would not be permitted for any further development to ‘just happen’, without the council being required to provide further permission.
Have a read for yourselves, mine is a quick summary and does not include all of the information which you might need if you intend to get involved in this to any proper level.
The club’s website did say that their plans were going to be phased; I read their plans as solid indications of their intentions for their further development. I do not believe that they have misrepresented anything to the council, the council have issued these consents based, I’m sure, on what was presented to them; which was unlikely to be an outline of their longer term development plans.
I am told that the council is now considering this application, given the public reaction. If there are proper, well reasoned objections then I would recommend you put them in writing and lodge them with the council.
I have received appropriate contact details from the council for such lodgement. – In the first instance email [email protected] and I will pass those details on to you. – We would also appreciate a copy of such correspondence if you are willing to share it.
Thanks, Chris.
Ahuroa Grapevine Administrator.
by Grapevine Admin (Chris) | Oct 6, 2016 | MailChimp
Hi,
Found a friendly tabby kitten/cat – think it might be about 6months old or thereabouts – very friendly but a bit timid – found on West Coast Road, if you have lost one please ring Lynda on 4225892 or if you would like to adopt it. Photo is only of her back as it was all I could get as she was eating.
Many thanks, Lynda.
by Grapevine Admin (Chris) | Oct 5, 2016 | MailChimp
Hi,
It has come to the attention of the Grapevine through some concerned local residents that there is a very large scale shooting club being planned; to be located at the top of Tuhirangi Road. – Link to GoogleMaps
According to their website: http://www.aucklandshootingclub.org.nz it is due to open in July 2017. There is no mention about resource consents, and this does not appear on the Akl Council’s website as a publicly notified consent process. Their own website states that they intend to operate 7 days per week and to run a number of high profile events, up to international competition level, including rifle, shotgun and pistol activities.
It is my personal feeling that this type of constant gunfire, with regular, intense shooting activity in the area represents a potentially significant impact on existing land use in the area. That is may not be possible for them to suitably limit and constrain the nuisance that this type of regular noise would create.
Personally, I would like to see this become a notifiable, resource consent hearing in order for any other concerned residents and neighbours of this facility to have their concerns considered.
I personally am not anti-firearms, I have held my own firearms license for 7 years, I have an active interest in rifle and shotgun shooting; including developing my own hand-loaded rounds, I have personally undertaken recreational shooting activities on my own land, but in doing so, I have always been mindful of the impact of the noise and have tried to minimise that for the sake of my neighbours, keeping it limited and ensuring that it is not a repetitive or constant nuisance. – I cannot see that a range, intended to be open 7 days / week could exercise these same considerations and I am concerned for the wellbeing of those who live close to this planned facility. A lot of us moved to the country for a peaceful existence and may not welcome this type of potentially continual noise.
Elsewhere in NZ, larger scale ranges, such as in Whanganui (where I have used their 300m range) are located in extremely remote, non-populated areas; such as beside the airport / backing on to the beach / sand-dunes. I would have thought that somewhere such as South Head, or perhaps Woodhill forest may have provided a more suitable location (in terms of remoteness and proximity to existing residential dwellings), but their current location is surely going to cause a number of people to be very concerned.
I do not personally have the time to manage or coordinate any community based effort in this regard, but I do think that this may be important enough to encourage a number of others to take a closer look at what is being planned. There are people in our community who are knowledgeable in terms of council processes with some existing contacts within the council who may be able to shed some light on what is known / considered and already approved, formally.
It needs to be stressed that at this point in time, the only source of information on this project is that of the newly forming club, and that this information is one-sided, potentially biased towards positive marketing of their concept / ideas and that it may not have progressed solidly to council yet. I would encourage those who may feel strongly in opposition of this, to make yourselves known, so that I can circulate a further bulletin for you to coordinate what-ever further efforts *you believe are required*. (I can’t drive this, I do not have the time or capacity to do so – sorry).
In the interim, if you do have any comments or want to share your thoughts, then please do not reply to me here; share your thoughts with the community through the Grapevine’s Facebook page. – Post a comment in reply to this post on Facebook. Initially we should see what type of scale of opposition there may be to this type of facility in our neighbourhood, then respond accordingly.
Thanks for reading this, regards,
Chris. – Your Grapevine administrator. – [email protected]
