Nelson Regional Weekly News week ending 14 February 1999
Peter Lowish
past week.
Issue 7/99.. Week ending 14 February 1999.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO NELSON REGIONAL WEEKLY NEWS - Feb 15 last year was
our first issue, and there has been an issue every week since then.
Sincere thanks to those who continue to send messages of support for
this free service.
MONDAY
Rocky Start a Break with Production
The baches of Nelson's bolderbank had seen many a celebration in their
day, but until Saturday a wedding had never been among them. But
Warren Harris and Tracy Tinetti were the couple that put that right at
the weekend, joining about 70 family and friends to exchange their
vows and front of the Harris family bach on the bank. Mr Harris said
he and his bride were keen to have a slightly differently sort of
wedding. And keeping with the surrounds, the guests formed a guard of
honour using pieces of the driftwood to create an arch for Ms Tinetti
and her bridesmaids to walk through.
Sand Chokes Port Channel
Sand is choking Port Motueka's Channel and restricting fishing boat
access to the Talley's Fisheries' wharf. Motueka Fishermen's
Association president Murray Brown said today a $1.3 million dollar
geotextile groyne, which had been overwhelmed by sand in many places,
had only "slowed down" the natural filling-in and movement of the
channel by 18 months. Tasman mayor John Hurley last week described
the incomplete groyne and channel project as a " million dollar plus
blunder" and announced the formation of council working party to
investigate the project. Mr Brown said the channel was moving towards
Kina Peninsula, and was impassable to fishing boats with a 1.8m
draught two hours either side of low tide.
Sunday Market Launched
Nelson's new Sunday market is today, and the opening day exceeded
organiser Diane Amberger's expectations. Mrs Amberger's Centre Stage
Market, held during the afternoon at the Wakatu square car park in
central Nelson, enjoyed strong support from the public and stall
holders, some of whom reported the best-ever turnover at any market
they had taken part in, she said.
New Drug Attracts European Entourage
About 30 European doctors, distributors and journalists are to visit
Nelson next week to look over the production farms of a new
anti-inflammatory drug soon to be mass produced in Nelson. Lyprinol,
an organic drug derived from the fats of New Zealand's indigenous
green-lipped mussel, was developed by Melbourne-based firm Maclab.
Lyprinol could be taken to ease rheumatoid conditions, such as
arthritis and was the most potent natural and synthetic
anti-inflammatory available direct Jim Broadbent said. Mr Broadbent
said the product had been clinically tested in different parts of
Europe and was proven to be safe and effective. Lyprinol would be
launched on the American market soon. The company has placed most of
its New Zealand research in Picton, using mussels grown in the
Marlborough Sounds, but was relocating to Nelson.
TUESDAY
Time for Local Body Overhaul
The reorganisation of Nelson's two local bodies was long overdue,
local government New Zealand President Kerry Marshall said yesterday.
However the former Tasman mayor told Commerce Nelson
(http://commerce.org.nz) members that the Nelson City Council and
Tasman District Council were unlikely to initiate change. Instead, the
community would have to provide some impetus to get the ball rolling,
he said. Mr Marshall said local government needed to reorganise
nationally to keep pace with technological changes and prepare for the
future.
Children Learn Safety at Beach
A special beach education programme at Tahunanui Beach will ensure two
weeks' fun in the sun for Nelson primary school students. The two-week
programme, which began yesterday is being run by Canterbury surf
life-saving. Educator and Nelson surf life-saving member Josie Savage
said it taught surf safety and how to be sunsmart. Ms Savage said
mornings were taken up with theory and safety lessons, while beach and
water activities were held in the afternoons.
WEDNESDAY
Tuna Boats Refits Lucrative
A further two American owned Tuna boats have arrived at Port Nelson
for refit, bringing to five the number of vessels, which have come
here this summer for the lucrative overhauls. Ship Repair Group
general manager Darryl Nicholson said the boats were the last booked
to come to Nelson and were worth "hundreds of thousands of dollars" to
Nelson's marine businesses and economy.
Inland Revenue Cuts 13 Staff from Nelson Office
Laying off 13 of Nelson's Inland Revenue staff is unlikely to produce
a better service, said Public Service Association organiser Darryl
Collins. The Nelson staff yesterday learned 13 or 14 permanent jobs
were likely to go, leaving 32 tax staff in the office, plus 10 child
support service staff. 9 temporary positions will also go. Nationally,
800 jobs will go it out of nearly 5000, as the department moves to
eliminate the need for 1.2 million personal taxpayers to file returns
after this year.
Summer Trading Good for Shops
Shops in the Nelson region did a good trade over the summer holidays,
with some reporting an increase in sales from last summer of up to
18%, Commerce Nelson President Neil Hodgson said today. Mr Hodgson
said the general feedback from retailers throughout the region was
that sales were up between 12 and 18%.
Millennium Challenge for Wearable Art Show
Designers entering the 1999 Montana New Zealand Wearable Art Awards
(http://www.wearableart.co.nz) will be challenged to "Dress up the
Millennium" with their interpretations of development since the
beginning of time, publicist Jill Harris says. She said familiar
categories had been replaced with nine sections that demanded research
and interpretation of spiritual beliefs, natural forces, dynasties and
empires, inventions, renaissance art and journeys of discovery.
Wearable Art director Susie Moncrieff said this year's theme was a
"huge canvas" that had involved a lot of imput from designers and the
management team in determining categories. Tickets for this year show
on September 23, 24 and 25, go on sale from February 22.
THURSDAY
Finalists Selected for Telecom Art Awards
Twenty artists from throughout Nelson, including six year-old Rachael
Narbey, have been selected as finalists in the 1999 Nelson and Bays
Telecom Art awards. The paintings for the annual awards were judged
yesterday by Nelson artist Brian Flintoff
(http://www.jadeandbone.co.nz) and Waimea College head of art Sally
Lonie. Telecom New Zealand spokeswoman Kiesa Sillay said the entries
had to fit certain criteria, and needed to say something that was
characteristic of the region. The overall winner of the $2500 Nelson
and Bays award will be announced on March 18. The winning design will
feature on more than 65,000 copies of the 1999 telephone book.
Bank of New Zealand Has City Building up for Sale
The bank of New Zealand's building in central Nelson is up for sale,
although the bank will continue to operate from the premises. Bank of
New Zealand head of corporate real estate David Browne said the sale
would early other bank to free up capital and reinvested back into
other areas of the business. The Nelson branch has an area of 1500sq
m and a government valuation of $2.9 million.
Marae Visit Begins Special Year
The first of a series of events planned for Nelson during The
International Year of Older Persons was held at Wakatu Marae
yesterday. About 30 people aged 60 years and over visited the marae
and learned about marae protocol. Marae kaumatua Keith Buckley
welcomed the manuhiri (visitors) in Maori and English. The guest were
then treated to a hangi-style meal for lunch. The International Year
of Older Persons has been launched around the world.
FRIDAY
Council Bales out Music School
Nelson City Council has agreed to give the School of Music
(http://nelsonarts.org.nz/nsom) a financial lifeline, but only in
return for the school surrendering a large amount of control of its
activities to the Council. The councils finance and administration
committee yesterday agreed to a package of measures to bail out the
financially troubled School, including underwriting a $140,000 loan so
it can pay off its creditors, after hearing the school was so far in
debt that if it was a business it would be in receivership.
Top Brewers to Be Aled with New Beer Awards
Humble ale is being lifted to lofty heights on the Nelson scene with
the introduction of the country's inaugural international beer awards.
The New Zealand hop Marketing Board International Beer awards, which
are to be run from March 18-21, are to be formally launched tonight at
Nelson's Copthorne Rutherford Hotel (http://rutherfordhotel.co.nz).
Co-organisers Colin Harrison and Wayne McCorie said the aim of the
awards were to lift the profile and the art of making a good beer. Mr
Harrison said Nelson was chosen as the home of the awards "as we are
both Nelsonians and this the hop capital of New Zealand". "The awards
were started because New Zealand has more boutique breweries per
capita than most countries and most of our brewers were entering
overseas competitions." Fifty brewers from New Zealand, Australia,
Vanuatu, England, Tonga and Norfolk Island are to present 150
different beers to judges.
Motoring Classics to Hit the Streets
If you consider your car to be a classic, no matter what its age, then
get out and shine its crime and polish its paintwork for the National
Classic Car Rally in Nelson next week. The rally, hosted by the
Nelson Automobile Association, will begin at Founders Park on Sunday,
and continue until February 20. Rally co-ordinator Roy Hughes said
this is the biggest classic car rally to be held in the country, with
180 entries from across New Zealand. Mr Hughes said they rally was
open to all vehicles that were considered classics by their owners
regardless of the vehicles condition, age or country of origin. People
would have a chance to see the classic cars at a public display at
Founders Park on February 20.
April Opening for New Road
Traffic should be driving of Nelson's newest stretch of highway - the
coastal highway deviation between Maisy Rd and Bronte Rd - in a little
over two months. The $4.5 million project to build about 4km of
highway, and shift highway traffic off an accident prone stretch of
the existing road, has been under way for just over a year and is on
schedule for being largely finished by mid-April, Transit New Zealand
project engineer Andrew Adams said.
Student numbers up for School of Music
A record number of students has embarked on the Nelson School of
music's contemporary music course this year, while student numbers
have been reduced to nine, school administration manager Bronwyn Ihaia
said. She said 27 students had been accepted for the 36 week full time
tertiary level course. More than 60 people had applied, and 40 were
auditioned. " The standard of students is outstanding, with some
already established in the industry. There is some really great
talent this year," Ms Ihaia said. She said only six students had come
from the Nelson-Tasman region.
SATURDAY
Diva Suggest Donations to Support Music School
Opera star Dame Malvina Major has suggested that Nelson people dip
into their pockets to support the cash-strapped Nelson School of
Music. Dame Malvina, a patron of the school, is in Nelson to perform
at tonight's Sealord Summer Festival finale concert at Saxon Field.
"Nelson should be proud of its School of Music and its teaching
standards," she said. "We need the arts for our growth and
development, but the question of how to fund the arts is always a
problem". "Even $1 per household would go a long way to help."
It's Never to Late to Learn English
At 69, Swiss man Walter Wyss has come to New Zealand and returned to
the classroom for the first time in more than 50 years to learn
English. Since Mr Wyss retired in 1993, he and his wife have left the
bitter cold of the Swiss winter every year to travel to warmer
climates. While that sounds ideal, there has been one problem -
language. We ever they end up, there has always been the problem of
finding their way around and asking questions. Mr Wyss decided that
this year he would combine his winter escape with learning English, to
make future holidays a lot less stressful. He originally intended to
study in Christchurch, but he felt the city was too big, so he headed
north to Nelson and began studying at the Wakatu Language Centre
(http://cyberlink.co.nz/wakatu/) last November. It was not all hard
work though, he said. He and his wife had seen plenty of the Nelson
region, and had enjoyed the warm Nelson as his friends were freezing
back in Switzerland.
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true and factual account of the original news, I am not responsible
for any errors or omissions.
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Copyright © 1998/99 - Peter Lowish. Reproduction in any web site,
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