Upcoming Council meetings – September/October 2024

Free tyre disposal at Hokitika Transfer station

Tyrewise

In July 2020, tyres became the first of the government’s ‘priority products’ with regulations to make sure those making, selling and using tyres take responsibility to prevent end-of-life tyres ending up in landfills or the environment. Instead, they will become useful resources to create economic and social benefit as part of a circular economy. The scheme currently covers tyres from motorised vehicles. Bicycle tyres, tyres for non-motorised equipment such as prams, and pre-cured rubber for retreads will come under Tyrewise at a later stage.

Since 1 September members of the public in Westland can dispose of 5 end-of-life tyres at a time for free at the Hokitika transfer station. A fee for transportation of tyres back to Hokitika remains in place at Council’s other transfer stations.

These tyres are then collected by Tyrewise who pays for the collection and pays processors to convert the tyres into products such as playground matting and cement production. There are also promising uses for end-of-life tyres currently being researched and tested including rubber in roading (extensively used overseas) and rubber in residential foundations to improve earthquake resilience.

This is great news for the community. Tyres take up a lot of space in the landfill and can cause issues with stockpiling that Council must manage. With Tyrewise collecting the tyres and repurposing them, it will take longer for space in our landfills to be exhausted and will reduce costs for the ratepayer for Waste Levy and tyre disposal fees. At the same time, the rubber from tyres will be put to good use instead of slowly rotting and releasing harmful greenhouse gas.

To find out more about Tyrewise and the scheme, visit their website.

West Coast Travels with Agatha Christie

For the last couple of months, the Hokitika Museum has been working with a British production company who were preparing to shoot a documentary on Agatha Christie’s visit to the West Coast in July 1922.

The five part documentary – tentatively titled “Travels with Agatha Christie” – follows Agatha’s round-the-world tour of the British Empire as part of The British Empire Exhibition Mission.  The goal of the Mission was to enlist commonwealth countries to participate in British Empire Exhibition to be held at Wembley in 1924. It was hoped the exhibition would stimulate trade between Commonwealth countries, as well as promote British economic dominance both abroad and at home. The Mission visited South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, and Canada, and Agatha captured each step of her tour in photographs taken on her camera, and in lively letters home to her family.

The Museum worked closely with the production company to help them plan their journey through the West Coast, to identify filming locations, potential people to interview, and key stories about the region that should be included.  They initially planned to visit five West Coast locations, however time constraints resulted in a decision to reduce the filming schedule to a two-day visit to Hokitika.

The original journey made by Agatha in the South Island included a drive from Picton, through the Buller Gorge to Westport; a day on the Denniston plateau inspecting the mine, before the party headed to Reefton, Punakaiki, and Greymouth, before they eventually arrived in Hokitika on July 14th. Coming into Hokitika, Agatha caught a glimpse of Mt Aoraki and the Southern alps which she described as ‘really beautiful’. Not so impressive was the Hokitika beach which was covered in litter deposited by the houses and shops that ran along Revell St. She also struggled to fathom why all the buildings along beachfront faced away from the water and instead faced eastward.

In some of the towns they visited the Mission held public meetings promoting the Exhibition, in others they inspected local industries with a view to encouraging them to promote their business at the Exhibition. In Hokitika, they held a meeting at the old Town Hall in Revell St, which was attended by about 50 people including the Mayor Mr G A Perry. Earlier in the day they were taken to visit the newly commissioned Rimu Dredge, and in the afternoon, they were driven out to Lake Kaniere. Agatha described Lake Kaniere as ‘one of the most beautiful places she had ever seen’.  They next day they were driven to Otira, where Agatha and her husband Archie opted to walk over the Pass instead of using the coach provided– an 18-kilometre stroll.

With a reduced filming schedule, compounded by variable weather conditions, the production company’s filming was limited to a day on the Arahura River with Te Rua Mason, and a second day filming an interview with Paul Madgwick at the old Renton’s Building. Some outdoor filming was completed around town between rainstorms.  Te Rua and Paul were interviewed by actor David Suchet, who has played the role of Agatha Christie’s Poirot for almost 25 years.

The documentary is expected to be screened in the UK in December 2024, a screening date for NZ is yet to be confirmed.

Text and photos: Vaughan Bradley, Hokitika Museum Collections Researcher

Virtual Author Visits at the Library with the Books and Banter Group

It is always a delight to host an author talk at the library, but it is truly remarkable that our small public library, nestled on the remote West Coast of New Zealand, can bring international authors directly to our community through virtual visits. Last year, we had the pleasure of meeting Michelle Prak, author of The Rush, and this August, we engaged in a lively conversation with Sally Colin-James, the author of One Illumined Thread.

Both authors graciously reached out to us after discovering our social media posts featuring reviews of their books—reviews written by our very own library patrons. Our Books and Banter group, known for its passionate and insightful discussions, is the most frequent contributor to these reviews. While many of these reviews are showcased inside the books on display, some—always with the reviewers’ permission—are selected by our librarians to be shared on social media, connecting our community’s voice with a global audience. We are deeply grateful for the generosity of these authors who gave their time to engage with our readers, turning these reviews into meaningful dialogues.

One Saturday morning, Sally Colin-James “Zoomed” into our library from Australia to meet virtually with the Books and Banter group. The anticipation was high, and the discussion kicked off with a question about her sources of inspiration. Sally shared her decision to write about three different women from three distinct historical periods, explaining how she wanted every woman reading the book to find a character they could identify with—a character connected by an “illumined thread” that links us all through time and space. The conversation flowed naturally into the writing process, exploring how long it took her to complete the book and how writing about womanhood influenced her relationships with her mother and other women. We delved into topics like intergenerational trauma and the healing power of compassion toward the women in our lives. Despite our diverse cultural backgrounds, education, and ages, a deep sense of togetherness emerged among us—a reminder of the universal themes that bind us.

One participant described the conversation as “truly thought-provoking,” while another found it “empowering.” The discussion was so engaging that it felt like we could have talked all day.

These virtual author visits highlight the incredible power of technology in breaking down geographical barriers, allowing our patrons to connect with world-renowned writers from across the globe without leaving the comfort of our town. Despite our library’s modest size and remote location, we are proud to offer our community such unique and enriching experiences, fostering a love for reading and learning that transcends borders. We are especially thankful to the authors who not only noticed our small library but also took the time to connect with us, making these moments truly special for everyone involved.

Text and image: Westland District Library

Final Representation arrangements

On 3 July 2024 the Westland District Council gave public notice of its final proposal for representation arrangements to apply for the Council for the local elections to be held on 12 October 2025.

Notification of the right to appeal or object was also given. No appeals or objections were received in respect of the resolution, therefore the representation arrangements for Westland District Council’s 2025 local elections will be as in the final proposal.

Council

For the 2025 triennium the Council will comprise of 8 members elected from three wards, and the mayor. The three wards reflect the following identified communities of interest:

The population that each member will represent is as follows:

Therefore maintaining the +/- 10% rule in accordance with section 19V(2) of the Local Electoral Act 2001.

Community Board Representation

No community boards will be established. Council has a good relationship with community groups in the district which serves for fair representation without the need for community boards.

Māori Wards

Council will not establish a Māori Ward.

Enjoy a safe whitebaiting season

With whitebaiting season officially underway, we want to encourage everyone to whitebait safely. Here are some safety tips to observe when whitebaiting:

• Always practise water safety – you can find safe water practises on Water Safety NZ.
  • Don’t fish from wet rocks.
  • Wear a lifejacket and wader-belt
  • Carry 2 ways of communicating with others
• Do not consume alcohol while whitebaiting.
• Keep informed about the changing tides and do not cross when it is unsafe to do so.
• Wear the correct attire when crossing rivers – including your life jacket.
• Let people know where you are going and when you should be home again.
• The water might appear safe, but undercurrents can be present and swift.
• Familiarise yourself with where any rescue gear is available to help if someone gets into danger.

By behaving responsibly and looking after your own safety and the safety of those around you a great season can be had by all. Let’s work together to make sure that emergency services don’t have to come to anyone’s rescue this season!

Whitebaiting season is declared open on 1 September 2024 and runs until and including 30 October 2024.

Image: Shellie Evans on Flickr

International Teaching Games for Understanding conference

Sport NZ Scholarship – teachers and community coaches

Sport NZ in partnership with the School of Curriculum and Pedagogy at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland and Physical Education NZ (PENZ) are proud to be supporting the delivery of the 8^th International Teaching Games for Understanding Conference.

As a partner, Sport NZ is pleased to have the opportunity to offer teachers and community coaches scholarships to attend the International Teaching Games for Understanding conference, taking place in Auckland from 8-11 December 2024.

Five scholarships are available for teachers and five scholarships for community coaches to attend the conference. If you know any individuals who you feel would benefit from receiving a scholarship to attend, applications can be made online at the link below.

The Sport NZ scholarships cover the registration cost only, all other costs including transport and accommodation are the responsibility of the attendee. Applications close 25 October 2024.

See the SportNZ website for more information and applications.

Text: SportNZ

Keep your money in your pocket, avoid payment surcharges

The Commerce Commission recently undertook consultation with businesses and consumers on surcharges and how to reduce them. These are the extra fees charged by a merchant to cover their costs. While they finalise their findings and draft their recommendations, they have some tips to help avoid surprise fees when making card payments:

• Sellers are expected to offer at least one payment method that does not incur a surcharge. Usually for in-person card payments you can insert or swipe your debit or Eftpos card, rather than using the contactless function to avoid a surcharge.
• Surcharges above 2% are likely too high, if you notice an excessive surcharge in your area, you should report it to the Commerce Commission and consider shopping elsewhere.

Any surcharge must be clearly disclosed at the point of sale. For more info on surcharging view the fact sheet.