OVER TO YOU
Woodburners
After a number of years of battling with the Nelson Marlborough District Health Board medical officer of health on the issue of woodburners being used to heat homes, it is pleasing at last to see the CEO of the NMDHB, Peter Bramley, come out and state that cold and damp homes are a major reason for ill health (Nelson Mail, June 2).
Unfortunately, the previous stance taken by the NMDHB in supporting the ban on efficiently working and affordable lowemission woodburners has resulted in Nelson City Council now being the most draconian of all New Zealand’s local bodies, with a City Air Plan that is totally inflexible, so much so that it won’t allow for temporary waivers for people living in dire circumstances – such is the case, for example, for people living in Timaru.
The ludicrous thing about this is that Nelson is a ‘‘city by the sea’’, and air pollution from burning wood to heat homes is not ‘‘killing people’’, as Nelson City Council has previously claimed. That highly contentious statement was never able to be substantiated by medical evidence.
Meanwhile, another winter begins with low-income ratepayers continuing to live in cold, damp houses and suffering from ill health, which the NMDHB has now at last publicly acknowledged. So, unfairly and without good reason, people affected will have to pay increased power charges when a stack of dry wood would have done the job of keeping them warm. Neville Male
Stoke, June 1
Keep the grandstand
Have the Tasman district councillors stopped to ask themselves why they want to demolish the Golden Bay grandstand and deprive the local community of a much-loved and useful facility? Is it because they feel they must win at any cost.
Would they not feel better if they actually made the ratepayers of Golden Bay happy by letting us keep our amazing grandstand, which has so much history and so much usefulness still to give?
What has TDC got to gain by demolishing it? The local community has a lot to gain if it is left.
Mona Irwin
Takaka, June 2
Waimea dam
I am sure Dr Nick Smith will do his best to promote in Parliament not only a renovated Nelson Hospital (his new and most welcome priority this term, this time no longer a disaster for the whole environment and its local neighbourhood), but also the now proposed Waimea dam bill.
Its passage may not be so straightforward if some MPs question the wisdom of building a dam over an earthquake fault, as John Nichols (Letters, June 2) now reminds us – something of which its sponsors Waimea Irrigators Ltd are not unaware.
Ren Kempthorne
Nelson, June 2
Stoke Seniors
Congratulations, Stoke Seniors. The AgeConnect award (Nelson Mail, June 2) is a well-deserved win for Stoke Seniors, who do a wonderful job. Our son attends three days a week and enjoys the companionship as well as the food. We appreciate the care and concern shown to him by all the people involved. Well done.
Doug and Jean Morris
Hope, June 3
Shooting range
The shooting range at Gourmet Rd in Dovedale (Nelson Mail, May 30) is a permitted activity in our rural area, and does not require consent. It has been here for 10 years. It is up a side gully, off a locked forestry road in the bush.
The resident in question lives in a yurt 1.02km from the range. We live 1.9km from the range, and have family and friends who live closer and farther away. We all hear the shooting. It is not overly intrusive. A young friend has ponies she rides, and she is 1.2km away. The shooting doesn’t worry her or her ponies.
Hearing the shooting indicates that people have come to a managed, safe environment to fire their weapons and improve their competency. Are they not best to do it here, rather than in a paddock somewhere that may not be as suitable or is unsafe?
Dovedale had rifle ranges during the wars. We respect our heritage. After ranges have been shut down in other areas (due to similar complaints), I’m happy to have it here. You are welcome in my back yard (YAWIMBY).
P B Boyce
Dovedale, June 3