Blueskin Bay FM 88.2: February 2011

24 February 2011

WAIKOUAITI COAST COMMUNITY BOARD

By Gerard Collings

The 22 February Christchurch earthquake is one of the worst natural
disasters in New Zealand's history. Our thoughts and wishes are
extended to the families and friends of those who have lost their
lives, and those who have sustained both physical and emotional
injury. I ask that you, the members of our community, provide
whatever support you can to those affected by this tragedy.

The Waikouaiti Coast Community Board has received two proposals for
the use of approximately 18 hectares of recreational reserve
immediately adjacent to the Gun Club and golf course in Edinburgh
Street, Waikouaiti. The land is currently held under a grazing
licence by the Waikouaiti Golf Club.

In summary the proposals presented to the board in January were:

1. Highcliff Trust Equestrian Event Facility. This would include
dressage and show jumping arenas, and a cross country course. The
proposal is to provide for a high quality facility capable of hosting
the Springston Trophy competitions. It would also be available by
arrangement for use by local groups and clubs. The board is advised
that currently no such facility exists on public land in Dunedin. The
development of the land would require a substantial capital investment
by the Highcliff Trust. Under this proposal the trust would hold a
recreational licence over the land.

2. Waikouaiti Golf Club Extending Course to Eighteen Holes. This
proposal is for a three staged development of the land upgrading the
existing course to an 18 hole course. It is intended to develop the
new section of the course 3 holes at a time, again this would require
significant capital investment by the club. The club intends that the
first 3 additional holes will be commenced immediately, with the
balance of the course developed over the next 15 years. Under this
proposal the club would hold a recreational licence over the land.

Since the board meeting I have been actively working with the
Highcliff Trust and the Waikouaiti Golf Club to try to reach a
compromise solution that would see a joint and shared use of the land.
Both parties have been positive in their approach to these
negotiations. It is hoped to have this matter resolved before the end
of March.

In the meantime copies of the original proposals will be available in
the Blueskin and Waikouaiti libraries from 1 March. I would appreciate
any comments you may have with regard to the respective proposals.

The Dunedin City Council is finalising its Draft Annual Plan, with
public consultation on the draft plan scheduled to commence in March.
We urge you to take the time to participate in the consultation and
submission process.

The Waikouaiti Coast Community Board meets next at 5.30pm on 2 March
at Warrington Surf Club social rooms, and on 6 April at Puketeraki
Marae.

Members of the public wishing to speak at the public forum need to
advise Jane Hinkley our Governance Support Officer (Phone 474 3374)
before 12 noon on the day prior to the meeting. In addition to the
public forum board members will be available to meet informally with
members of the public between 4.30 and 5.30pm at the venue on the day
of the meeting.

Remember you can view the board's meeting agendas, reports and minutes
at the Blueskin Library or through the DCC's website at
www.dunedin.govt.nz/your-council/council-minutes

Members of the board are only too happy to hear (by phone or email)
from members of the community about any issues within our area.

Board Contacts Home Work Mobile email
Gerard Collings (Chairperson), 4657604
4707494 0274848800 gerard.collings@xtra.co.nz
Alasdair Morrison (Deputy), 4822505 4822505 0274354384 info@calmarine.co.nz
Andy Barratt, 021890048 021890048 asbarratt@farmside.co.nz
Andrew Noone 4657157 0274301727 anoone@dcc.govt.nz
Geraldine Tait, 4822517 0212175492 gstait@clear.net.nz
Les Pullar, 4658138 0274358020 lesgwen.pullar@xtra.co.nz
Mark Brown, 4822833 blueskin@xtra.co.nz

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Ā ā Ē ē Ī ī Ō ō Ū ū
From blueskin.co.nz and 'Blueskin News' published by Blueskin Media:
voluntary/non-profit community publishers in Blueskin Bay (Seacliff,
Warrington, Evansdale, Waitati, Doctors Point), Dunedin, New Zealand.
All material sent to or published by us is "copyleft" in the public
domain and may be freely shared, archived, re-edited and republished.
If you want to credit the source it's "blueskin.co.nz".

Libraries’ Partnership with APNK

_________________________________________

Wednesday, 23 February 2011 marks the first anniversary of the
partnership between Aotearoa People's Network Kaharoa (APNK) and
Dunedin Public Libraries. APNK provides free internet and computer
access in public libraries so all New Zealanders can benefit from
accessing, experiencing and creating digital content.
Staff of the Dunedin libraries are delighted with the overwhelmingly
positive response from the community and the impressive statistics
that reflect the system's popularity.

APNK has enabled a new generation of users to take advantage of
library services. APNK provided the Dunedin Public Libraries with 35
computers, with a variety of applications installed, to enable library
users to access and create digital content.
In its first year, the free wifi service has been accessed more than
25,000 times, computers with broadband internet have been used more
than 100,000 times and more than 800,000 different websites have been
visited.

It has been a very busy 12 months for all the Dunedin public
libraries. With the added impetus of the expanded free computer
access, there has been a marked increase in enquiries and visitors, as
well as many positive accolades from satisfied customers.

Library Services Manager Bernie Hawke, says, 'As technology
progresses, more and more people in our society are expected to
communicate and be literate in the digital world, so this partnership
of libraries and technology is very fitting and we are delighted with
the APNK collaborative model'.

23 February 2011

Earthquake Information

Printed below is information taken from the DCC's website about ways
the public can help those in Christchurch. The link to the relevant
webpage is http://www.dunedin.govt.nz/council-online/public-notices/latest-news-listing/public-notices/eathquake-information
and there is also a direct link to it from the DCC website's homepage.
This item was published by the Dunedin City Council on 22 Feb 2011.

<Red Cross Person Enquiry Line now activated/>
The New Zealand Red Cross person enquiry line is now activated.
People in New Zealand concerned about the wellbeing of friends and
relatives in Christchurch should call 0800 REDCROSS (0800-733 276). If
you are unable to contact a friend or relative in the Christchurch
area, call the Red Cross person enquiry line. Red Cross will be able
to tell you if that person has registered with Civil Defence. People
are encouraged to do this before reporting friends and relatives
missing. People enquiring from outside New Zealand should call
+64-7-850 2199.

<Helpline/>
People affected by the quake can call the Government's earthquake
helpline for advice. The helpline will run 24 hours a day. The number
is 0800-779 997.

<How to Help/>
You can donate to victims of the earthquake at:

The Salvation Army: Freephone 0800530000 online at www.salvationarmy.org.nz
by post: The Salvation Army, PO Box 27001, Marion Square, Wellington,
6141. Mark correspondence: "Canterbury Earthquake Appeal".

Any ANZ Bank: Account number 01-1839-0188939-00.

Any National Bank: Account number 06-0869-0548507-00.

Red Cross Freephone 0800 733 276 or www.redcross.org.nz for donations

<Accommodation/>
Offers of local accommodation can be made to the iSite Visitor Centre
at 20 Princes Street or by phone 03-474 3300.

<Postal Services/>
Mail and courier deliveries are suspended for at least two days for
the Christchurch metropolitan area, and other areas serviced by the
Christchurch Mail Centre will also be affected. The mail centre's
closure will affect mail deliveries to other parts of the South Island
while alternative sorting arrangements are made. PostShops are closed
for staff to attend to their families and for buildings to be checked
for damage.
Damage has been reported in several PostShops. Check for updates at
www.nzpost.co.nz.

<Phone Services/>
Power has been cut to cell sites so many mobile phone users are
without coverage. Do not overload phone lines with non-essential
calls. Civil Defence is asking for the public to keep cellphone use to
a minimum, especially voice and data. If you must use your cellphone,
text. Christchurch's 111 service has been diverted to Wellington, but
network damage, overloading and power blackouts could affect
connections. Telecom says payphones in the Christchurch area will be
free to use.

<Roading/>
The NZ Transport Agency has closed Lyttelton Tunnel. Damage and rubble
have closed many roads in the city. NZTA asks motorists to make
essential trips only. State highways are open but the Chaneys on-ramp
to State Highway 1 north of Christchurch is closed. Please check
http://maps.aa.co.nz/traffic/roadwatch for
updated information.

Earthquake and other emergency preparedness information can be found
in the Civil Defence section of this website.

Ā ā Ē ē Ī ī Ō ō Ū ū
From blueskin.co.nz and 'Blueskin News' published by Blueskin Media:
voluntary/non-profit community publishers in Blueskin Bay (Seacliff,
Warrington, Evansdale, Waitati, Doctors Point), Dunedin, New Zealand.
All material sent to or published by us is "copyleft" in the public
domain and may be freely shared, archived, re-edited and republished.
If you want to credit the source it's "blueskin.co.nz".

WAITATI VOLUNTEER FIRE BRIGADE

By Deanne Burrell

During the weekend of 11-13 March the Dunedin Fire Brigade will be
celebrating its 150th year of operation. There will be events held on
11, 12 and 13 March centred around the Central Fire Station to allow
members past and present to celebrate this significant occasion
together with the community.

On the Saturday between 1 and 4pm a public open afternoon will be held
with constant entertainment involving action, technology and fire
safety displays. On Sunday at 9.30am a street parade will be held
commencing at the Octagon and moving to First Church, followed by a
public church service.

As Waitati was part of the original Dunedin Fire Brigade our members
are looking forward to joining in the celebrations and hope that many
members of the Blueskin Bay community will take the opportunity to
attend the public open afternoon or the street parade.

Recently a motor vehicle accident course was held at our station,
where members were able to refresh their skills and also get hands-on
experience at extinguishing a motor vehicle fire. Also, last month a
breathing apparatus training night was held at the Waitati School.
This gave our members a chance to experience what it is like to be in
a smoke-filled building. We would like to thank Reilly's Towage &
Salvage for providing and disposing of the vehicle for the MVA Course,
and Waitati School for the use of one of their buildings. Your
support is very much appreciated.

Our members are continually refreshing their skills and also
participating in courses to further their knowledge and complete
practical training. We would like to congratulate the following, who
have been awarded certificates for completing the next stage of their
training programmes.

Recruits' Programme: Sharon Brogan, Bill Berends, Will Shaw and Seraya Figgins
Qualified Fire Fighters' Programme: Brent Bell, Keith Templeton,
Charles Abraham and Deanne Burrell.

As winter is just around the corner (although I'm still waiting for
summer!) now would be a good time to start thinking about getting
chimneys or flues cleaned as these are often one of the most common
causes of fires in winter. Also, don't forget to regularly check
smoke alarms and replace batteries where needed.

22 February 2011

WARRINGTON PLAYCENTRE column

Kia ora everyone. It's been great to be back at Warrington Playcentre
for a fresh new year after a busy holiday break for all. Everyone
seems to have grown so much – almost as much as the glorious
sunflowers and beans in the front garden! The children have been very
excited to re-introduce themselves to all the fun, learning and laughs
that Playcentre has.

We finished the year with a fantastic trip on the train with our
families to Palmerston. Santa even dropped in for presents and
nibbles! We farewelled our newest 5 year old, Rosa, and really miss
her gorgeous artwork and smiling face.

Ayano and Benjamin turned into terrific 2 year olds and partied hard,
and we are thrilled to welcome Pippa and her son Jake to Warrington
Playcentre. Pippa has taken on the role of our new Supervisor and she
has quickly connected with parents and children alike. We are excited
to join her for lots of new adventures!

We are learning to use sign language to name our friends with the help
of Ella from the Robbie White Trust. Some of them are the sign for
the first letter of our name whereas others are something we are known
for, or really like to do. I'm sure it won't take us long to remember
and use them.

If you are interested in joining us this year we are open Wednesdays
and Fridays 9:15am to 12:15pm, phone the Playcentre 027 227 7329. We'd
love to meet you.

BLUESKIN YOUTH CENTRE ASSOCIATION column

BLUESKIN YOUTH CENTRE ASSOCIATION

by Paul Sirota

The first meeting this year for the Blueskin Youth Centre Association
(BYCA) was held on 8th February 2011. The newly elected committee
comprises of Paul Sirota (Chair), Bridgit Meyer, Rachel Miller
(Secretary/Treasurer), Paul Clements, Louise Booth and Marie and
William Bennett.

As many residents of Blueskin Bay will have noticed, the construction
of a multi-purpose hard-court surface (Tennis, Netball etc.) and
adjoining skatepark on Bland Park is well under way.

This project has been made possible largely due to a substantial
donation from the BYCA to the Blueskin A and P Society for the express
purpose of constructing such a facility on Bland Park for the Youth
and wider community of Blueskin Bay.

Members of both committees have already received many positive
comments, thank you, and all going well, we hope to see the completion
of the facility in the near future.

The project is a community led initiative and some members of the
community have already taken the opportunity to come and help out.
However, there have also been reports of community members interested
in helping out, but that are unsure of when and where to offer their
assistance. If this is the case for you, Louise Booth has kindly
offered to record the details of volunteers (Name and Phone number) at
the Blueskin Bay Library. By using this list we can contact volunteers
when there are tasks to be done that do not interfere with building
work currently in progress.

The BYCA is looking forward to another exciting year and is poised to
begin new projects. We will endeavour to keep you informed of our
progress so watch for pieces in the Blueskin News or even on the
blackboard at Waitati.

WAITATI OPEN ORCHARDS (column)

WAITATI OPEN ORCHARDS

By Jason Ross

What a great time of year this is with such an abundance of fruit around. We
are now well into apple season, we have been eating from our home gardens
this great range of apple varieties: Discovery, Worcester Pearmain, Irish
Peach, Akane and Epicure which everyone is rating very highly, and deserving
of such an inflated name!

Thanks to the generosity of those who donated to the February WOO Harvest
Market stall, this was another great success. This money will buy us trees
for this winters plantings around Waitati streets.

At the March harvest market we will have the stall again, donations of goods
can be dropped at the Village Potager or brought on the day. The traditional
juice press will also be back in action. Come along and join in the fun of
pressing or try the delicious nectar like juice that this press produces.
The photo is from last autumns pressing, kids just loved grinding the
apples in our modified Insinkerator!

On the Sunday the weekend before this we will be harvesting fruit to juice.
This is a lot of fun and gives a great sense of seasonal abundance as we
pick buckets of fruit from some very productive local trees.

Do you have excess apples or pears that are of juice quality (they
don't need to be
flash) that you would donate to the WOO fundraising stall? Give us a call
and we can do the picking, or bring them along on the day. We will have the
press again in April for the later ripening apples and pears.

APPLE DAY – HAMPDEN – The afternoon of April 10

Bookmark this date for a great day out to celebrate the apple in all of its
diversity and abundance. Juice pressing, cider, extensive variety displays.
More detail to come in April newsletter.

Waitati Open Orchards is a group of keen folk on a mission to plant fruit
trees in public spaces around Waitati for all to enjoy. Email
waitatiopenorchard@gmail.com to join our mailing list.

- Jason Ross: 4822625

Steady As You Go

by Coleen Hastie

The classes commenced on Monday 21st February with a good attendance
of eight participants.

Registration and introductions were completed by Margaret Dando of Age
Concern in a very relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

Simple strength and balance exercises are aimed at:

* Improving mobility and balance

* Joint flexibility

* Posture

* General all-round fitness

Every Monday from 1.30pm – 2.30pm at Waitati Hall. Only a $2.00 donation.

A great opportunity to not only improve your well-being, but also meet
others in the local community. Anyone may join at any time. Come
along, participate and have fun!

Any questions, please phone Coleen on 482-1931 or Margaret at Age
Concern 477-1040 Ext 702.

THE BLUESKIN BAYLEAF: Olive oil and Red Grape Cake

This recipe is for a deloicious everyday, anytime eating cake (like
most cakes!). You could substitute the grapes for gooseberries and use
green grapes and white or ginger wine. You might wonder why I'm adding
the grapes at two different times: this is because if we add them all
at once they will all sink to the bottom but if we add them in stages
you will have grapes nicely dispersed throughout your cake.

Lately I've been experimenting with different types of flour and have
found rye flour works well with the red wine and rosemary for a deeper
and more earthy flavour, perfect with cups of tea.

Olive oil and Red Grape Cake

3c seedless red grapes

4 eggs, separated

Half cup olive oil

1 cup brown sugar

Half teaspoon salt

1 t lemon extract

Half cup red wine

2 c flour (or 1 c rye and 1 c plain)

1 t baking powder

1 t minced fresh rosemary (optional)

2 T sugar

Preheat oven to 180. Grease a cake tin.

Rinse grapes and towel dry. Beat egg whites until stiff.

In a separate bowl beat olive oil and brown sugar for 1 minute, add
yolks and beat again. Then add salt, lemon and wine and beat until
smooth.

Add dry ingredients, stir, then fold in whites. Add half the grapes.

Pour into tin and cook for 15 minutes. Then add the rest of the
grapes, sprinkle with sugar and rosemary all over and cook for another
40minutes (until cooked through)

Cool for 15 minutes and remove from pan.

Warrington fills WaWa Challenge podium

Stephanie Pinker (2nd) Elsa Neuman (1st, holding the trophy) and Indy
Perry (3rd), all of Warrington School, winners of the individuals'
Wawa Challenge annual interschool bike-run-swim triathlon at
Warrington Beach in February. The event was also attended by the
schools at Pūrākaunui and Waitati. Photo by Eric Neuman.

Please help free the Layer hens

by Carl Scott

Do you care about Animals? From now until 25 March, we have a chance
to help New Zealand hens, as the Code of Welfare for Layer Hens is
being reviewed. This is an issue particularly pertinent to us here in
Blueskin Bay, as the largest battery facility in the country is just
up the road. Zeagold, a business in Waikouaiti owned by Mainland
Poultry Ltd., currently houses over a quarter of a million hens in
battery cages.

The Status Quo

88% of the roughly 3.5 million egg-producing hens in New Zealand live
in tiny cages. They are in fact illegal as defined by the Animal
Welfare Act 1999, and even the industry acknowledges that they are
unacceptable.

Four to six birds are crammed into each cage and these are stacked on
top of each other in tiers. Each hen has the floor space equivalent to
less than a piece of A4 paper. The birds cannot stand up fully, walk,
or stretch out their wings. They often lose many of their feathers and
suffer skin damage from rubbing up against their cages and cage mates.
Overcrowding leads to aggression, so light levels are decreased to
virtual darkness, or hens have the tips of their beaks removed to
decrease injuries or cannibalism. They never see sunlight. They stand
on sloping wire mesh floors, and cannot scratch, forage, or dust
bathe. They can express virtually none of their natural behaviours.

Chickens have been scientifically proven to be very intelligent,
sensitive, and social animals, with complex lives. There is no
question that they suffer terribly in their cages. It is not an
exaggeration in fact, to say that their lives are a living hell.
Clearly, this must end immediately.

Draft Code Inadequate

The National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC) is a government
body whose job is to advise government about animal welfare issues.
They are currently reviewing the Layer Hen Code. On 8 February this
year they released a draft of their proposed new version of the Code.
They are receiving submissions on the draft until 25 March, before
submitting their final version to the Minister of Agriculture, David
Carter, for approval. Once the code is approved, it may not be
reviewed again for ten years, or longer. Therefore, we must speak up
for the chickens now.

In the draft NAWAC is recommending that current cages should be phased
out, and replaced with so called 'enriched' colony systems. In these
cages, more hens live in each cage, which have one small area of turf,
a perch, and a single nesting box which must all be shared. (Are they
supposed to have a roster system?)

The cages would be taller, and allow the birds to stand up. Each
chicken has slightly more floor space though too: an A4 piece of paper
plus a credit card. The industry claims that these systems are a vast
improvement. In fact, these cages are barely better than the status
quo.

Animal rights representatives from the NZSPCA, SAFE and the Green
Party have all condemned the draft proposal, and the so called
'enriched' cages. They say that these are still grossly inadequate for
the birds to exhibit their natural behaviours as defined by the Animal
Welfare Act. Enriched colonies have already been banned in Germany and
Austria.

There is also no indication of the time frame when the changes will be
introduced. Even if changes are decided upon, they might not happen
until 20 years from now. This is unacceptable. The birds are suffering
now, and changes must happen immediately!

How to help

The people of New Zealand must tell NAWAC that we will not accept
these inadequate half measures. It must surely be obvious to any
intelligent person, that slightly less bad is not the same thing as
good. Ultimately a larger cage with token additions is still a cage.

Some people will object to a ban on all cages, on economic grounds. It
is definitely possible that the price of eggs may increase a little
for consumers, and extra costs will be incurred by those in the egg
industry. But how can we compare the economic inconvenience of a human
to the horror that is a caged bird's life? Many people who say they
cannot afford free range eggs are usually able to find money for
luxuries like biscuits or chips (for example). It is a matter of
priorities. Which do we value more highly? Our pleasures? Or the hens'
basic rights?

Public exposure and public pressure helped get sow stalls banned last
year. We can do it again this year for layer hens. If you want to help
create a better life for them, then please take action in one or more
of these ways:

1: Write or email a submission to NAWAC, telling them why you think
'enriched' colony systems are an unacceptable replacement for the
current cages. The draft code and guidelines for making a submission
are at: http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/biosec/consult/code-of-welfare-for-layer-hens.
(Note: It does not have to be as long or detailed as they suggest - a
few lines will do.)

2: Write or email the following people with your thoughts: The Prime
Minister, John Key. The Minister of Agriculture, David Carter. Our
Local MP, Pete Hodgson. Perhaps you could even write a letter to the
Editor of the ODT. (Hint: You could write one draft letter, modify it
slightly 4 times, and send it to all of these different people.)

3: Raise awareness about the issue by telling others via Facebook,
Twitter, your Blog, other Social Media, or even via Email.

4: Don't buy cage eggs! Buy free range eggs. Encourage friends and
family to do the same. You could ask your local supplier,
(supermarket, dairy, etc.), to stock only free range eggs. Tell them
why you want them, and why you will not buy cage eggs.

5: Check out the following web links to learn more about the issue and
what else you can do to help.

* http://safe.org.nz/Campaigns/Battery-hens (Lots of excellent info
and links. Have a good look at this site. Look for the link to send an
ecard to John Key)

* rnzspca.org.nz/news/78-news/365-email-the-minister-proposed-hen-code-unacceptable
(Send an email to the Minister of Agriculture, and check the links to
more info)

If you want to know more, please feel free to contact me, Carl Scott,
at carldscott@yahoo.co.nz, or phone/text me on 027 2275 726.

Fwd: Orokonui Ecosanctuary article March

OROKONUI ECOSANCTUARY

by Sue Hensley

No rats were detected in the latest round of pest monitoring and we
have been rat free for
six months. This is a great result from the huge eradication
effort put in over 2010.

These animals can live in an area at very low numbers but simply have
not been recorded through a tracking tunnel. The longer the time with
no rat records though, the more
likely a place is to be truly rat free. The more correct term at this stage,
but rather a mouthful, is that rats are at "undetectable levels". Of course
rats can enter in other ways but that is a quite another story.

Mice on the other hand were at undetectable levels late last year but have
shown up in several areas recently. Research is underway to better
understand the dynamics of this population.

An injured (foot amputee) female kaka from the Eglinton Valley was recently
added to the captive aviary population. She is a female monitored by DOC and
her name is Kleopatra (kaka spelling of course, hence the K). Although she
can forage for herself, she would be vulnerable to predators in the wild and
so has come to live at Orokonui. A male from the Botanic Gardens will be
introduced at a later date and hopefully her wild genes will be added to our
population.

Numerous fungi are making the most of continuing damp conditions and are
sending up fruiting bodies in a number of shapes – mushroom, coral, pouch
and tentacled as well as in striking colours including bright yellow, deep
velvet red, orange, white and brown.

Visitor Centre and café are open every day 9.30-4.30. All day entry, annual
passes and guided walks available. Keep up to date with events on Facebook
and www.orokonui.org.nz.

20 February 2011

Citizen's Advice Bureau Awareness Week March 7-14

Not Sure? Ask your Citizens Advice Bureau!

In the last three months of 2010, Citizens Advice Bureaux throughout New
Zealand dealt with over 120,000 enquiries on every topic, ranging from how
to have documents signed to requests for help to negotiate traumatic and
complicated family situations.

In Dunedin, legal services, consumer problems, uncertainty around employment
and tenancy rights, and neighbourhood disputes were among our top enquiries.

Often the enquiry the person comes in with proves to be the tip of the
iceberg. The client may have a lot going on, and our
volunteers are able to sit down with them and work through each issue to
make sure their situation gets properly addressed.

People also come in for directions, or to use the phone or fax.

We offer information, advice and - if needed - advocacy (practical
assistance on someone's behalf) on just about anything. If people are not
sure who to approach about something, or what to do next they can ask us.

Our Bureau hosts specialist free clinics, such as Consumer, Advocacy and
Justice of the Peace clinics.

There are a number of ways people can access us. There's nothing like the
personal help that comes from face-to-face contact, 301 Moray Place,
Dunedin, but people unable to come into our Bureau can also email us,
cab.dunedin@xtra.co.nz, ring us on 471 61 66 or 0800 367 222 or find us on
the website - www.cab.org.nz/dunedin

Our website offers a gateway to all the information we hold on people's
rights, and people can also use it to access the hundreds of community
organisations in the Dunedin area (or the thousands of community
organisations around New Zealand). If a community organisation is not
listed that you think should be there, let us know.

08 February 2011

What is Qi-qong?

by Jay Baker

Qi-gong is a practice that improves health, physical posture and
trains the mind giving more clarity and focus. Qi-gong works on qi
(pronounced "chee"), the life force of our body and also the essential
building block of the universe. Qi is something unfamiliar to a lot of
people in the West, yet many people have had experiences of it, and it
often takes very little practice to develop sensitivity. It is the
most major element of traditional Chinese culture and Chinese
medicine.

To understand how Qi-gong works we must understand that where the mind
goes qi will follow. What this means is that our habits and patterns
of thinking affect our physical health. Take a pattern as simple and
common as stress, this is seen as the emotional state of over thinking
and is related to the spleen. It has the effect of knotting qi up,
causing change to the flow of qi in the whole body and as a result
changing the body itself.

Qi-gong aims to repair the damage by working directly on our qi. To do
this we use physical exercises and various other techniques to train
the mind and help it focus inward. At the same time we need to learn
to become more self aware and to work on clearing negative patterns so
our health can improve.

I have been practicing Zhineng Qi-gong and Ren Xue for 5 years and I
am half way though the teacher training. There are a number of
practitioners in Dunedin and New Zealand. Once a year there is a
two-week retreat held in Christchurch by the founder of the Ren Xue
system, Yuan Tze. The last retreat had 160 people attending, including
over 40 from other countries.

I teach a Qi-gong class at Waitati Hall on Tues 6.00. On 9 April my
friend Ans and I plan to run a Qi-qong day at the Waitati Hall, with a
workshop in the first method of Zhineng Qi-gong. Everyone is welcome
to come for as little or as long as they like.

- Jay Baker: jugglerjay@hotmail.com

07 February 2011

When is a motorway not a motorway?

by Peter Dowden

When in the late 1950s a half-decent replacement for Mt Cargill Road
was built over Leith Saddle, it seems hardly surprising that it was
termed a 'motorway'. It must have made quite an impression with its
sweeping curves and a startling number of overpasses.

I remember the 'Motorway Begins' signs (the size of the side of an
aircraft hanger) and the urgent requests to 'Reduce speed' at each
end; there were even 'two-way' warning signs to advise those visitors
unaccustomed to two-lane autobahnen that there may be someone coming
the other way in that second lane.

But it entirely escaped my attention when all the clutter of these
signs was removed, and no doubt melted down to roof about 20 South
Auckland state houses. Was it last year or ten years ago? The DCC
street sign at Pine Hill points to 'Dunedin Waitati Hwy'. What have
they done to our motorway?

I wrote to Simon Underwood of the New Zealand Transport Agency, and
here is his explanation:

"In terms of the traffic regulations, that is, how the public use it
(Transport Act), it is a highway; and that is because we do not sign
it as a motorway.

"The land corridor itself is motorway (Government Roading Powers Act),
and it is correct for the district plan to show it as such in terms of
its designations (Resource Management Act).

"The naming of a road is un-encumbered by the above and may be named
by the local authority (Local Government Act).

"In a nutshell, aside from the traffic regulations, it has all the
legal protections of a motorway (for access/utility control), but
because we don't sign it as a motorway, as far as traffic use is
concerned normal traffic controls measures apply. Note, you still
can't cycle or walk on it, because we've put up signs specifically to
dis-allow this."

(Simon didn't mention that the 'no walking' and 'no cycling' signs at
the northern end have been shifted from Waitati corner to the Waitati
Valley Rd and Donalds Hill Rd intersection; this must be welcomed by
cyclists doing the circuit of the back roads).

So there you have it. It's a highway, unless you want to install a
farm gate or perhaps run a water pipeline or power line along or
across it. We can ride our horses and bullock wagons and herd our
flocks of sheep and cattle over it. We can stop and answer our
cellphones, and perform U-turns (very carefully, of course) to go back
and
get whatever we were told by cellphone to go back and get.

BOOK REVIEW: He Waiata Wawata

Beckford Ritchie reviews He Waiata Wawata, by Antony Deaker.

Book launches, like exhibition openings, can attract all kinds of waifs and
strays for free drinks and nibbles, and when the wine runs out the art,
largely ignored, is left in peace. At the launching of Antony Deaker's book
of poetry *He Waiata Wawata*, we were in a bar, drinks were not free, and
the art imposed its own peace. His recitations flowed, not unlike the river
which flows through many of his poems:

*My heart is the cup of tea*

*the river spilled in your lap.*

It is a rare to hear a poet who can read his own poetry well; who can run
with the flow of his own words so that the meaning is not obscured by pauses
and inflections in all the wrong places, and whose conversational tone
allows the real spirit of his words to speak for itself in Zen-like puzzles,
awes and whimsies. His writing has no sharp edges, all rounded smooth like
river boulders.

*I noticed the trees dancing *

*and the way some rocks *

*seem to love the water more than others.*

There are a few definitions of poetry. Was it Coleridge said poetry is
the best words in their best order? I believe poetry is words evoking more
than the sum of their parts. These poems fit this definition as well as the
first; in these stanzas there are spaces in which fantails can flutter, or
whole philosophies can hide, as in the sage poetry traditions of ancient
Japan and China.

He Waiata Wawata comes in a very limited edition of fifty, yes 50, and there
are not many left. Manually case-bound by Dean Havard, each is decorated in
a genuine monotype by Peter McLaren. Furthermore the cover and title page
are printed by hand-set type on a platen press; so you see, the production
is a work of art in its own right.

Antony Deaker
He Waiata Wawata
Kilmog Press, P.O. Box 1562, Dunedin.
$45

Blueskin Bay FM 88.2