West Coast monitoring staff busy
From Local Democracy Reporter Brendon McMahon:
West Coast Regional Council monitoring staff have been busy in the past month, with 79 site visits.
Compliance staff received 16 complaints, issued one formal warning and one abatement notice.
The formal warning was to an Arahura Valley goldminer for an unconsented water take, and a Kapitia Creek miner received an abatement notice.
Of the 79 site visits, 16 were due to complaints, eight for resource consent monitoring, eight mining compliance and bond release checks, and 47 dairy farm checks.
The Kapitia mine site abatement followed several complaints from one complainant that sediment laden water was being discharged into the stream.
"The mining treatment ponds had a leak in the pond wall. The discharge flowed down a bush creek into Kapitia Creek... The investigation is still ongoing," staff said.
At nearby Stafford, a goldminer and an outside complainant both notified of sediment laden water escaping into Waimea Creek.
"The miner had shut the operation down to cease any further discharges."
When the council visited the creek had cleared upstream, but deeper pools downstream were "discoloured with sedimentation".
No decision had yet been taken on enforcement action.
At Fox Creek, a miner received a formal warning for taking water without consent after staff visited the Arahura Valley site following a complaint about sediment discharges.
Staff found the miner carrying out "exploration testing" but the creek was not discoloured.
The miner is now applying for a water take consent.
Council staff found visible sediment in Boatmans Creek in Inangahua following a complaint the stream was "significantly discoloured".
An adjacent farm property, impacted by the February floods, was found to be the culprit after the landowner moved gravel in the creek bed, breaking permitted activity rules allowing bank reinstatement and removal of flood debris. An "educative approach" was used and the landowner was seeking a resource consent.
At Ruatapu, a complaint about harvested logs from a forestry block being dragged through a creek was "a minor non-compliance".
The forester had neglected to notify the council as required but there were no issues with the operation method, staff said.
Other complaints/incidents not yet found to be either compliant or non-compliant included:
* Multiple complaints about a burn-off at Blue Spur discharging smoke and ash on to neighbouring properties.
* Multiple other complaints about discharge from the Kapitia goldmine.
* Large amounts of baleage wrap "caught high in the trees" along the Little Totara River north of Charleston and washed down the river during the February flood was traced to the owner who was organising a clean-up.
* Flooding at Inangahua allegedly caused by land development on a farm was related to severe weather events but the nearby land development might be exacerbating the situation;
* A complaint about the discharge of dust from a gravel quarry in the Grey River bed at Omoto. The gravel access road to the site was the likely cause but as the road was public it did not breach regional rules or resource consent conditions.
The gravel operator had been advised to consider the neighbouring properties and use a water cart.
Kalle
"Sports and travelling run in the family, and that's kind of what's led me to come to New Zealand."
"I grew up in a small town in Finland. My dad was involved with sports all his life, he was a shot putter, discus thrower, powerlifter, we traveled quite a bit when I was a kid. He never mentioned much of the rugby days. He just said he broke both of his shin bones playing rugby, so he said, ‘never play the sport, It's crazy.’
I started playing when I was 18. I played my first cap for the Finnish national team in 2014, we won the Finnish championship with my club. Rugby is not a big thing in Finland.
I moved here to play rugby in 2017. The club that wanted me to come over was Methven Rugby Club. They got me here and they were like, ‘what do you do for work? I’d just finished chef school in Finland. ‘We'll get you a job at Mount Hutt as a chef, you can do that while you play rugby with us.’ I said, ‘Perfect. Yeah, I'm in’.
I've always loved food. My mum was an amazing cook, and still is. When I was studying tourism I worked in some hotels in Finland, and I saw how the chef's worked. I just loved the kitchen vibe and I was like, Yeah, that’d be something I'd love to do.
I've had more of a culinary journey In New Zealand than in Finland. I started at Mount Hutt, after that I worked at The Dubliner in Methven. I worked as a senior pizza chef at Sal’s for maybe six months then worked as chef de partie at Cellar Door. At Eliza's Manor, I worked myself up to a junior sous chef. Then the opportunity came to work my first head chef job at Moon Under Water.
We're privileged to have a busy atmosphere, we can try new things and get a bit creative. There are no TV’s, just come here with your family or with your mates, play board games, to socialise.
I really want to drive the local food and ingredients through the menu. We don't mind spending more for quality ingredients as long as it's supporting New Zealand businesses. We just love to use local. And it's pub food, but I feel like it's elevated.
I play club rugby here for the Christchurch Football Club, the oldest club in New Zealand and I still play regularly for the Finnish national team, whenever they can fly me over to play."
- Kalle
View more stories, or nominate someone: @humansofchch
www.humansofchch.org......
Poll: Is it okay to grocery shop in your PJs?
I'm sure you've seen it while doing your weekly shop... In fact, it may have even been you.
What do you think about people heading to the supermarket in their pyjamas?
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14.3% It's fine!
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75.1% It's questionable
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10.6% Other - I'll share below
Vanessa
“Giggly girt! Giggly girt!”
“See I got my hair cut on Friday. I've got my hair band to keep it up. See? Like this I keep it up.
Biscuit Blair - she's my favourite woman. And you. And that cheeky lady over there.
My last name is Rule. I'll write it down for you, you silly old duff.
I was born on West Coast. I moved here when I was a little girl.
I like doing pictures here that’s why I like pictures. Doing art. I like going for a walk. I come here Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday.
My sister, I go see her on Saturday. Have a cup of coffee, at home. She's five, nine. 59. I'm five, seven, 57. This year I'll be 58. My birthday's on a Thursday. I'm having chocolate cake and pizza. And lolly ice cream.
Some people are noisy. Nicholas, and Peter and Chris, they are my friends and that giggly girt over there.
I get headache sometimes at other work, because noisy.
I'm happy here. I could go for a walk if I want to. I'm good.”
- Vanessa, White Room Creative Spaces
The White Room is a community creative space that removes barriers to
making art. Through this, artists build confidence and connections and
embrace new opportunities.
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