An abridged version of this letter was published in the Timaru Herald:

The Green Party Candidate for Rangitata, Gerrie Ligtenberg states that a moratorium on dairy expansion is the first step against the irrigation and farm lobbyists (November 15). This statement is not only out of step with the Greens published policy on agriculture and water quality but it also sets Ligtenberg up for a fight that she does not need to take on. More...

The following letter was published in the Timaru Herald:

Several readers have recently noted that if voters choose wisely, then Timaru could have two MP's in the next Parliament. I'd be bold enough to go a step further and suggest that if voters really were wise about their choices, then they could have two Timaru based MP's, not just in Parliament but in Government. More...

The following letter was published in the Timaru Herald:

In Julian Blanchard’s (Labour Candidate for Rangitata) letter on fracking (22nd October), he asserts that our region relies almost solely on the agriculture industry. He then goes on to claim that this industry could be under threat from the process of fracking. Blanchard suggests that we need better information before fracking should be allowed to proceed in our region.

I find this a bit rich from a Candidate who’s prepared to champion policy that we know will have a real and detrimental effect on our agricultural industry. Policies like Labour’s proposed Capital Gains Tax and restrictions on foreign ownership of land will force down the value of our farms while an increase of the minimum wage to $15 per hour will drive up labour costs. Couple this with the Greens loony plans to charge 10 cents per thousand litres of water pumped and one has to wonder if the Left are intent on destroying the very industry that sustains not just our region, but the whole country.

Blanchard may have concerns about fracking and he has every right to raise them. However, with the policy he’s backing, Blanchard has no right to suggest that he has the concerns of the agricultural industry and the prosperity of our region at heart.

An abridged version of this letter was published in the Timaru Herald:

I write in response to Federated Farmers Vice-President Donald Aubrey's recent opinion piece (3 December). I feel that having attended the Mackenzie Country Symposium, I am in a far better position than Aubrey to comment on both the types of people who attended and the content that was covered. More...

When the Timaru Herald published an article entitled Mercury Energy goes knocking for business on Saturday the 3rd of July, I took interest. There were two main problems with the story. Firstly they stated that Mercury Energy was a new entrant to the South Canterbury market and secondly they published some market share figures for South Canterbury showing TrustPower as having the largest proportion, followed by Meridian Energy.

So I surfed to the Electricity Commission's web site to check the figures for myself. My investigations led me to sending the following letter to the Timaru Herald for publishing: More...

This letter was published in the Timaru Herald:

A recent item in the Timaru Herald reported that some funding information for the proposed Aquatic Centre was likely to be given to councillors confidentially because not all benefactors wished their financial involvement to be made public.

I question the wisdom of this move as it could lead to a perceived impartiality in the awarding of contracts for the construction of the Centre. If one were to ask why councillors need to know who these anonymous benefactors were, then two answers present themselves. Either they don't need to know at all or the councillors would like to know so that can show thanks to the benefactors.

Where it's possible that anonymous benefactors could also be tendering for the construction of the Centre, I would suggest that the councillors only be provided with the details of those benefactors that are happy for their contributions to be made public.

Links:

Timaru Herald: Aquatic Centre Decision Looms

This letter was published in the Timaru Herald:

One has to wonder whether Mayor Janie Annear actually read the Creech Report before supporting its findings. Apart from the controversial water allocation issues, the Report was largely dismissive of the Mayors claims that ECan is dysfunctional and has systemic failings. In contrast to the Mayors remarks, the report found ECan staff to be highly committed and professional and that due to internal restructuring, ECan had made huge gains in recent years. However it did identify the need for extra skilled staff in the area of planning. More...

The following letter was published in the Timaru Herald:

It is disappointing to see that the Timaru District Council have decided on a wood fired boiler for the heating of the proposed aquatic centre. I see it as a sign of the Council lacking initiative, expertise and a working relationship with the Canterbury Regional Council. More...

The following letter was published in the Timaru Herald:

It is disappointing to see criticism from both the Timaru Herald and the Labour Party towards the refurbishment of the Darwin block at Aoraki Polytechnic. The refurbishment is an investment in the future of both the Polytech and of Timaru. More...

The following letter was published in the Timaru Herald:

Several readers have suggested that building the proposed aquatic centre would be beneficial for Timaru's economy during the recession. The reality is that building the aquatic centre will result in an increased cost of living for Timaru District residents, more expensive swimming fees and an increased commercial risk for the Council. More...