Real farmers, it’s time to speak up
I recently wrote an opinion piece that appeared throughout various media. I was attempting to highlight that there is going to be change ahead of us as a nation as the Government attempts to tackle its commitments to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
The Government has recently released its discussion document for the Zero Carbon Bill. This will be passed into law later in the year. Now is your time to have your say on this new piece of legislation with submissions closing on July 19.
There will be no point in having a moan later because you thought there was a better option.
I have a view that there does need to be some significant change in the way we go about our daily lives and business and this change does need to start happening now.
However, I do believe that we have some time on our side to do this in a controlled fashion.
There are others in our communities who will believe this must happen at a much faster rate, or even not at all.
I have been to several meetings over the past few months, met with ministers and employees of the Ministry for the Environment.
Through discussions at these meetings I have been quite relieved that there appears to be a real understanding of the importance of taking all New Zealanders on this journey and most importantly there will be a need to give business time to adjust to the new environment that lies ahead.
The nation cannot afford to cripple the hand that feeds it.
You can be assured that many of those that want to see the most aggressive approach to reducing greenhouse gasses will be submitting. A bill passed under this structure would be devastating to many New Zealand businesses, especially farming businesses and rural communities.
Many industry groups are submitting on your behalf, however, I urge you all to have your say now. They will want to here from real farmers; this is your chance.
NZMCA lease
I am always amazed how people can take things out of context and turn it to something that suits them.
Mr McFaul should stick to commenting rather use deliberate inflammatory words like self interest. The facts were I was rung out of the blue for a comment for the July 13 story on the NZ Motor Caravan Association’s potential lease of some reserve ground in Invercargill.
Having lived in Invercargill for almost 40 years I have seen several cases where the council declined to let things happen on council reserve land. The swimming pool was one and I think the stadium was another. There was also once a proposal to subdivide Donovan Park. There are many others.
My so-called self interest was an observation that surely for the council to let anything happen on council reserve there would have to be a robust process followed.
I have no issue with the NZMCA using land for a club park which they do now at several spots around the city but for it to be winner for the council surely they would prefer that they purchased land and then contributed to the rate base every year.
There is the immediate benefit to Invercargill.
Comment around the park on council reserve being free-holded without the facts is also misleading.
The park had been operating on that land since the 1940s under a long term lease that delivered little to the council.
Now being freehold we all win as they pay thousands of dollars per year in rates.
It was never a change of use. I would suggest to Mr McFaul that he gets the facts before making wild claims and accusing people of self interest.
Philip Todd
There’s an old African proverb that claims ‘‘it takes a village to raise a child’’. In western society we tend to reject such notions as nanny state interference.
We believe that successful people like Sir John Key and Sir Bob Jones are self-made men.
We forget they were born in state hospitals, raised in state houses, educated in state schools.
I don’t claim to be an expert on the subject but from my viewpoint of helping to raise a single child in Invercargill I must confess that the state and the community have been involved in every step of the way.
From our brilliant and comforting midwife Heather McCorkindale to Mr Brown at our hospital’s maternity wing, the state made a financial contribution.
Then the Baptist Church contributed a cooked meal for every day for a week after we arrived home and a Plunket nurse measured and weighed, and gave friendly advice to Declan’s apprehensive parents.
This was followed by regular attended at ‘‘Space’’ held in the Waihopai Playcentre, Play Cafe at the Presbyterian Hall, music at Cornerstone Church, Day Care at Southern Kids, kindergarten at Lees St and Waihopai . . .
Then came the huge step forward to Primary School at St Theresas, swimming lessons at Splash Palace, horse riding lessons, drama lessons, Kea Kids, little ripper rugby, hockey and football and teeball.
I won’t include annual events such as Kidzone, which we can all feel proud of, or Surf to City, which is very much a family event, but let’s just say sometimes Declan’s schedule is busier than mine.
I’ve always believed that Invercargill is a fantastic city in which to raise a family.
Where there are people living in poverty, community groups such as the one run by Gerry Forde try their best to confront the problem
Dean Alexander
Climate Change Ambassador for the Dairy Sector