Rodney District

Weti Development

Fisherman — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 04:14:47 GMT

Recently I read in the Herald the Rodney Council had agreed to a development at the head of the Weti River.

I have been fishing the Hauraki for a number of years an looking accross towards the Weti river it was always a great sight looking towards the forest block and the untouched land. A real different sight from the rest of Auckland and North Shore. I always thought that it showed a positive council that was not concerned about the urban sprawl and ensured land was protected for future generations, guess I was wrong.

I have even driven around Stillwater a few times and thought how great it was to find a settlement not affected by its close proximity to the urban developments happening near by, guess that will change as well.

Oh well guess the money from developers is more important than preserving lifestyles.

Why the rush RDC?

Kaukapakapa3 — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 03:56:44 GMT

Not many Rodney residents seem to know about the proposed power station to be built between Kaukapakapa and Helensville.

For nearly two years we’ve been waiting for Genesis Energy to make their formal plan change and consent applications to Rodney District Council and Auckland Regional Council. That way, when submissions open, we locals are finally able to have our say. So who noticed the following, tucked in with other council notices at the bottom of page 40 of the ‘Rodney Times’ on Thursday 23 August?

Notice of Extraordinary Council Meeting

An Extraordinary Council meeting will take place on Thursday, 30 August 2007 at 9.00 am. in the Council Chambers, Centreway Road, Orewa, for the purpose of considering a Private Plan Change Application by Genesis Energy to establish a special zone for a gas fired power station and considering decisions made by the District Plan Committee.

Is Rodney District Council trying to pull a ‘fast one’? This has been in the pipeline for nearly two years so I would like to know what the urgency is that requires an extraordinary meeting to be held, with less than a week's notice. Will the meeting be open to the public? What decisions will be made - can they actually approve Genesis Energy’s application(s) at that meeting? There was no press release, no story in the paper, and our other local suburban newspaper ‘Nor-West News’ didn’t know a thing about it when I contacted them. It makes me wonder if the council and Genesis are trying to sneak this in as quietly as possible!

And don’t get me started on how Genesis have been throwing their money around Helensville ever since the power station plans first came to light. There's the obvious attractiveness to the council of Genesis contributing to the upgrade of the Helensville water treatment plant and saving the ratepayers considerable $$$. Genesis are now a "strategic partner" at the A & P Showgrounds, as well as "Woodhill Sands", a major monetary donation was made to Health Services in Helensville - and of course the large signage at all three reminds everyone of Genesis Energy’s 'generosity'. They've even visited Kaukapakapa School to talk to the children and hand out free drink bottles with Genesis printed on them. It's just such blatant propaganda and smacks of bribery!!

RDC pulling a 'fast one'?

Kaukapakapa3 — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 03:52:59 GMT

Genesis gas fired power station

Midwest — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 04:21:57 GMT

If there are alternatives to a gas fired power station even though the output may not be as efficient the no greenhouse gas emmission has to be the very best option. For a large organisation like Genesis with obviously money to burn as per the $$$$ going into Helensville, the responsibility for our environment should surpass all else when considering pushing pollution into the atmosphere and unknown effect this will have on the health of the local community. Maybe that is why Genesis put funds into the medical centre?????? Most people realise that we do need power generation but why oh why does it have to be the option that has the greatest output. Our thinking is wrong ,we should be thinking first about greenhouse gas emissions & environmental impact if there is an option to develop the generation of power with both of these been either Nil or extremely low impact then that is the system we should be developing. This day an age should be an enlightened one we have all the tools, knowledge, equipement and expertise at our finger tips and we are still doing completely insane and stupid things to our environment basing our decisions big business greed and $$$$$ profit. Our first big mistake was privatising our infrastructure, that was our governments greed, our second mistake is one we are making over and over again is by our councils being bought or unduly influenced and co-erced into agreeing to large, polluting power stations when there are better and safer alternatives, when will we ever learn. It is our responsibly for our childrens,children to speak up and be heard and listened to. We vote the council in to power then we have to vote for the councillors who are aware of their responsibility to the community that voted them in.

Do you want to lose Te Arai Beach?

markwalker — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 00:54:41 GMT

Developers are trying to change the zoning of Te Arai Beach forest to allow them to build a new town. The Te Arai Beach Preservation Society was formed to try and stop the new town and now have information about how to make a submission against the plan change and have an online submission form available. Please help us to stop the new town!

Submission must be in before 4 pm September 17th 2007.

Mark Walker

President

Te Arai Beach Preservation Society

http://www.TeArai.org

Climate change

sunshine — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 22:10:19 GMT

I saw a program on TV some weeks ago about possible disasters due to global warming. One of them was to do with the Thames river in and around London. It seems this is no longer fiction, the floods have happened, hundreds of thousands of people arre suffering.

Orewa may not have the population, but a sea level rise, which has been predicted, would see thousands or residents affected - not to mention the present council buildings...IS THAT WHY RODNEY DISTRICT COUNCIL WANT TO MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND?

We can help. Put a stop Genesis Energy's plans to build a gas fired power station in Rodney, that will stop close to two million tons of carbon dioxide and disgusting amounts of nitrous oxide from spewing into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change and sea level rises.

Genesis gas fired power station

sunshine — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 22:00:46 GMT

I am surprised that when I went to look at what someone else had written on this subject - it was blocked. Perhaps I shouldn't be surprised as the council we pay our rates to seem to have swollowed the Genesis con about Helensville's waste water. It must be a con as they are now drilling for water on the new bit of land they have bought across the road from where they want to build their hideous, polluting ediface. Let's wake up and smell the flowers now, before it's too late.

Helensville - A Town with Direction

nammad — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 07:55:02 GMT

Hello Helensvillianites, How many more people out there wonder what is going on with our town? What sort of place it is becoming? It is just me, or is Helensville lacking direction? How is it, I wonder, that a town that services such a large area can have NO TOWN COUNCIL? If you ring Rodney District Council and ask them what their vision for Helensville is, THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT. Moreover, they are unable to find anyone with any information. This means that the council - the people to whom we pay ever escalating rate - don't give a monkey's for what happens to Helensville. I beleive that we need a democratically elected town council with, for example, one or perhaps two representatives from the following age ranges: 16-25, 25-35, 35-50, 50-65 and 65 plus. Things that I propopse go before the town council are suggestions for town improvements, new business proposals (so that we don't end up with 10 takeaways, 5 similar bakeries and things like McDonalds, which would only bring down the tone of the town). This would be a band of people who would help to guide our potentially brilliant town in an agreed direction. There are struggling rural towns in Australia and the USA who have out themselves on the map by covering bare walls with historical murals, holding annual mural painting competitions etc. We need something like this to make Helensville special in a really postivie way. What do YOU think? What should be done?