March 31, 2008
Mark Sweet, Citizen: Opposing the regional sports park, Part 1 How the Hastings District Council performs in its relationships with the business sector is a costly burden on ratepayers and can be justifiably described as ‘corporate welfare.’ In the Environment Court judgment on the Kidnappers case in December 2004 Judge Thompson said: “To a degree [...]
March 31, 2008
Mark Sweet, concerned citizen, has made himself a merit student of the saga of Nelson Park and its proposed migration and metamorphosis into a regional sports complex. Alas, he doesn’t see the caterpillar emerging as a butterfly! In this and next week’s Guest Buzzmaker columns, Mark tells the story of a too-close relationship between business [...]
March 30, 2008
On Saturday, at Mayor Yule’s sustainability fest, about 100 Hawke’s Bay sustainability buffs got a chance to discuss and promote their wish lists for the district and region. For helping to legitimize the issue politically, the Mayor deserves credit. There was no shortage of ideas, reflecting the talent and experience in the room. But two [...]
March 28, 2008
Hastings District Council today confirmed the exiled leader of the Tibetan government, the Dalai Lama, has requested an audience with councillor Kevin Watkins and will visit the city early next month. The globe’s most famous Buddhist monk is expected to put the heat on Mr Watkins, (longtime champion of the fruit bowl’s 30-year sister city [...]
March 27, 2008
You’ve got to hand it to Mayor Yule. He’s working overtime to sell Sam’s sports park. Today, responding to entreaties from Mayor Yule and Sam himself, the HB Regional Council authorized its Chairman, Rex McIntyre to author a letter endorsing the proposed sports park “in principle.” The letter will be used by Kelt Capital to [...]
March 26, 2008
Last week, Mark kicked off a lively exchange on restaurant service around the Bay. Here’s more on the topic. This past Monday, my family celebrated a birthday with dinner at The Old Church Restaurant in Meeanee. I confessed to some trepidation at this choice, having heard some complaints about service there. But off we went. [...]
March 24, 2008
A brilliant special report — Water: Under Pressure — in the 19 March edition of the respected journal Nature observes: “The water shortage that threatens humanity will have wide-ranging consequences for agriculture and energy production, requiring significant shifts in the way this precious resource is managed.” Writing in the 22 March DomPost, Nikki Macdonald provides [...]
- Andrew Reyngoud on DAM(N)! A half-billion dollar water storage scheme
- Margaret Donnelly on WATER. What's all the fuss about?
- Elizabeth Sisson on 'Dump Council' campaign
- Paul Bailey on Cows in Karamu Stream
- Rob Pharazyn on Cows in Karamu Stream
- John J Harrison on 5 mayors in HB ... 'Yeah right' says Tui
- Anne Parker on Let's get Council meetings online
- Stuart Nash on 5 mayors in HB ... 'Yeah right' says Tui
- Kylie Fowler on Let's get Council meetings online
- Paul Bailey on Let's get Council meetings online
- ‘Dump Council’ campaign
- Cows in Karamu Stream
- Questions for HB ‘regional study’ director
- Let’s get Council meetings online
- 5 mayors in HB … ‘Yeah right’ says Tui
- Crucial Environment Court hearing underway
- Regional Council warns on pollution standards
- Democracy in action?
- 1+1+1 = 3 hours
- Councils’ reorganization survey results
