Kia Ora Koutou

Tomorrow Saturday 29th August is the “Composting Workshop” from 10am to 2pm co-ordinated by Rebecca Ranum and Soozee McIntyre. Meet at the Community Garden, located between the college and the old Nurses Home in Redan Road.

Invite your whanau and friends to come along and share their composting knowledge and learn some great tips about composting from our Far North Compost King, Doug Tobin.

Monday 21st September from 10am to 12.30pm is the “Raising Seedlings Workshop” so please put this in your diary. Also a reminder that the Hua Whenua - Community Garden will be regularly open starting in September on Wednesday’s from 10-2 and fortnightly Saturdays 10-12.

We look forward to you all joining us on these days. If you need more information about our Community Garden please phone or email.

Have a great day. Kia pai to ra.

Carol Graham

Health Promotion Kaimahi

Te Hauora O Te Hiku O Te Ika

49 Redan Road, Kaitaia

carolg@hauora.net.nz

09 408 4024 extn 754

021 077 4011

Northland’s first Sustainable Homes Expo will take place in Whangarei on Saturday the 26th of September at Northtec’s Raumanga Campus on Raumanga Valley Road.

Transition Towns Whangarei, in association with Northtec and Eco Solutions, will host this one day event to provide the public with the opportunity to find out how to bring down the costs of their power bills, cut the size of their carbon footprint, and make their homes more healthy for their families. It will give the public the chance to get more information of the Government’s new Warm Up New Zealand: Heat Smart Programme which provides funding for home insulation and clean heating. Entry to the event is free.

The expo will have a range of suppliers of sustainable housing products and services as well as seven free seminars covering topics from insulation to future proofing your home. For details of the full programme, please click here.

The Government has agreed to cut carbon emission by 15%-20% and has indicated that this will lead to an increase in the cost of energy. Lowering the energy consumption of our homes is now more important then ever.

Transition Towns initiatives are part of a vibrant, international grassroots movement that brings people together to explore how we – as communities - can respond to the environmental, economic and social challenges arising from climate change and resource depletion. We believe in igniting and supporting local responses at any level and from anyone – and aim to weave them together into a coordinated action plan for change towards a lower energy lifestyle.

For more information please call Monique on 09 434 4192 or email sustainablehomes@rocketmail.com

Nau mai,

Haire mai,

Welcome

 Public Meeting

 to Further a Community Development Plan

for the Taipa - Oruru - Peria Area

 Taipa Bay Beach Resort

 7pm Wednesday 26th August

 Community Development Planning

A Community Development Plan is an exercise undertaken by a representative group from a community, at the invitation of the Far North District Council. An officer of the Council assists the community with the process, but the community essentially creates the plan.

Basically, the Community Development Plan produced by the community is an expression of how the community would like its town to develop over the next 15 -20 year period. The plan is given a guiding, ‘visioning statement’ which sets the over all tone of the plan and describes the direction the community want to go in. The plan is also normally broken into sections which focus on areas of interest for the community, such as environmental issues, educational, recreational and cultural concerns and business opportunities.

 When a draft plan has been created, the group responsible for its creation seek endorsement from the community. Once the community is satisfied the plan express’s their desires for the future, the final plan is presented to the Council’s Community Board. Once the plan is in Council, Department Managers advise on the feasibility, costs and possible timeframes for projects Council might be involved with.

Normally, a plan contains material which involves Regional Council, other agencies and Central Government issues also. The Council can sometimes assist the community to work with these other groups. Essentially, a ‘Community Development Plan’ can be seen as a ‘Blueprint’ for a community’s future in that it can serve as a rallying point for community action, because many of the projects in a plan can be conducted by the community themselves. It can also be viewed as a communal submission to Council planning processes, such as the LTCCP, because the plan goals, if adopted by Council, will guide Council’s own planning, activity and expenditure.

 A community development plan can only be effective if it is created and driven by a broad range of committed people from all parts of the community. It also requires strong, positive interest from the wider community, who need to ensure their concerns and ideas for the future of their town are reflected by the plan.

 This is the third public meeting in a series to develop the planning process. Please feel welcome to attend on Wednesday evening, and play a part of the future of your community.

Ken RossCommunity Development Advisor

Far North District Council

Phone 09 401 5575

Mobile 021 570 174

Recycling electronic waste (e-waste) enables the recovery and reuse of valuable materials and ensures toxic materials are not buried in our landfills - so it's better for our environment.

eDay is a simple, free and effective way to recycle your old computer equipment and mobile phones in an environmentally sustainable way.

For drop off times at your nearest eDay collection point in the Far North District, please click here.

Getting involved is easy. Simply check the following lists for what you can and can't dispose of, and what you need to do to your old equipment before eDay. Please note this is a cars-only event, no trucks or trailers please.

What can be disposed of?

• computer hardware
• monitors
• networking equipment (e.g. modems, routers, hubs)
• scanners
• keyboards, mice, speakers
• laptops
• printers
• game consoles
• toner and ink jet cartridges
• mobile phones
• fax machines
• digital cameras

What can't be disposed of?

They can't accept items that aren't related to computers or mobile phones. These include:

• televisions
• radios
• stereos
• DVD players, video recorders
• other home appliances
• furniture
• software

What to do before eDay!

Wipe all data from your computer's hard drive and remove any removable media such as floppy disks or PC cards.

Ensure that your mobile is disconnected by your service provider and that contacts and other stored information are erased from the phone's memory. Also remove your phone's SIM card if it has one.

For more information please visit www.eday.org.nz

   

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• Register an event
• About Conservation Week
• Contact

Please find the Experiencing Marine Reserves panui below. Even though the school/community group participation confirmation date has passed (sorry we got this out late), if you are in the area we are sure it would be a great event to be involved in!

Get involved this Conservation Week - join in on the world first – marine reserve human chain event!!!!

The Experiencing Marine Reserves (EMR) programme would like to invite you or your organization to support or participate in the Whangarei Harbour Marine Reserve Human Chain event on Wednesday 16^thSeptember 2009 (Friday the 18^th back up). This is an exciting event that will make a huge difference to awareness in our community, go down in history, be nationally televised and you or your organization could support or be a part of it.

This Marine Reserve was proposed by Kamo High School students and was formerly established by the Department of Conservation in October 2006.  Nearing the reserves third birthday, the  human chain event will follow the strong student voice and action, and world first traditions of this marine reserve through an estimated 1188 Northland students and community members linking arms on the landward boundary to form a human chain around the Motukaroro/Reotahi site of the Whangarei Harbour marine reserve. Boats will be anchored around the seaward boundary.  Advanced safety procedures and plans will be in place on the day. This event will help raise awareness of the reserve boundaries on a local and national scale, promote community guardianship with a goal of reducing the number of infringements within the reserve, celebrate the upcoming anniversary as part of Conservation Week and put the Whangarei Harbour Marine Reserve on the map.

When: Wednesday 16^th September 2009

10am-11am arrival McLeod’s Bay, 11.00-12.00 human chain event, 1pm finish.

Where: Event registration will take place at Reotahi carpark, end of Beach Rd, Reotahi, Whangarei Heads.  Parking will be available at McLeod’s Bay and traffic management will be provided by Transfield. Buses will also park here and students will walk to registration.

What: All students, teachers and helpers register in the Reotahi carpark between 10 and 11am, they will then be directed to appropriate place on the boundary and link arms, aerial photographs will then be taken. All schools will receive an information pack and an aerial photo as proof of participation.

Who: The majority of participants involved in this event are Northland school students, school staff and their associated support people (family members etc.). 1188 students in total.

How: Due to the seaside nature of the location and number of students involved, safety planning is a high priority. All safety planning and coordination will be carried out by EMR coodinators. The chain boundary has been broken down into 6 stages based on difficulty and access. There is one part of the chain that is unsuitable for people to man, so a rope will be used.   

We need your help!

To make this event possible, we need volunteers to help with supervision of the various stages of the human chain on the day. Before the event, supervisors will be fully briefed by event managers (EMR staff). Supervisors will be designated to groups of students as they arrive on the day. The supervisor will be equipped with a hand held radio, high visibility vest and whistle. There will be a minimum of 1 fully briefed supervisor per 60 students (2 classes), totalling 20. If more volunteer supervisors are available they will be allocated at 1 supervisor per 30 students, totalling 40. (students will come equipped with teachers and parents to make 1:8 student to adult ratio)

Below details the roles and support required for this event:

1. Participation from schools and community groups
2. A minimum of 20 - 40 human chain stage supervisor volunteers.
3. First Aid Personnel to man a first aid station
4. Traffic direction volunteers to assist at each of the 3 parking sites (Manaia Club, McLeods bay and Reotahi)
5. Skippers and boats to help form the seaward boundary
6. Tee Shirt Sponsor for event (1188 tee shirts required)
7. Media coverage and promotion of event
8. Loan Walkie Talkies

Can your organization help?

Please send details of how you can support with regards to the 8 aspects outlined above, by emailing info@emr.org.nz  by 20^th August 2009. If you have a school or community group that wishes to participate, please ask them to fill out the form attached at bottom.

Regards

Samara Nicholas, Kim Boyle & Nicki Wakefield

Experiencing Marine Reserves (EMR)

EMR is a programme of the Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust. Other programmes we have developed include the Whitebait Connection, Mangrove Discovery and Drains to Harbour (DTH) stormwater programme for schools in the Whangarei District.   As a charitable entity, our Trust receives funds from infringement fines when people are caught breaking the rules inside the Whangarei Harbour Marine Reserve.  We want to use this money to organise this event so that it is going back into the reserve in a positive way and hopefully preventing future offences. This event is also supported by the Department of Conservation, Whangarei Area Office. A decision to go ahead with the human chain event based on safety, logistics and support will be made on 28/08/09.

Confirmation of School or Community Group Attendance

Our school or group wishes to attend the Human Chain event to celebrate the Whangarei Harbour Marine Reserve on 16th September 2009

Name of School or group……………………………………………………………………………

Contact phone………………………………………………………………………………

Contact email ………………………………………………………………………………….

Name of contact teacher or person ………………………………………………………………………

Number of buses or estimated vehicles requiring parking……………………………………………

Number of students or people participating (please provide year levels)……………………………

Number of adults (teachers and helpers)………………………………………………………………

RSVP by Friday 20^th August 2009

To info@emr.org.nz

Or by sending in self-addressed envelope included (please add postage) by 20^th August 2009

NZ Landcare Trust and Waimate North Landcare Trust invite you to a Biodiversity of Northland seminar. Discover how you can help make a difference to your environment and increase your understanding of Northlands special native flora and fauna.

Saturday 19th September
10am to 3pm
At the Pakaraka Hall
(which is located on SH1 just north of the SH10 turn off)

No Cost. Lunch provided.

Please find the seminar programme attached:

Biodiversity Northland Seminar Invite.pdf

For more information and RSVP (by 14th Sept) please contact:

Helen Moodie
NZ Landcare Trust
09 430 0954
helen.moodie@landcare.org.nz

TE TAI AO          OUR WORLD

Introducing
Dean (Deno) Baigent. Environmental Advocate

Presents
"A presentation of our seas"

Greenpeace ship ESPERANZA

Over fishing of TUNA

Impact of BOTTOM TRAWLING

Marine reserves in the PACIFIC ISLANDS

In association with
WAI CARE ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS WHANGAROA

KAEO MEMORIAL HALL
6PM
WEDNESDAY 19th AUGUST

Dean has worked for Greenpeace nationally and internationally. He is currently working on Marine Reserve proposals in the South Island and native forest protection with New Zealand Forest and Bird.

The opportunity for Dean to come and share his wealth of knowledge with us is not to be missed.

This evening is designed to inform, educate and at the very least inspire our communities to be proactive with the environmental challenges we face in our world.

Light supper provided.

For more information, please contact:

Violet Walker
021 02680918