Communicate With Us!

Rubbish Bags

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 11:57:47 +1300

Council has recently agreed that from 1 July 2010, only current yellow council bags will be eligible for kerbside collection.
Any previous green or paper official Council bags will need to be used up by then. They will no longer be collected.
The debate has started already...
People have already paid for these bags through their rates - shouldn't they have right to use them?
However, the cost of rubbish disposal has risen and the price once paid does not cover new costs. Should other ratepayers subsidise this cost?
Many people only use a bag once a month - utilising recycling and wise purchasing - this can be easily done. Are we penalising people for being frugal?
Old bags have been phased out in other districts - Hastings for example. Costs must be paid for some how - if user-pays is the way to go - then people with old bags could be asked to 'top-up' $$$ to cover the new cost. This is a complex issue, and one that Council needs to take another look at so citizens do not feel ripped off.

CHB Youth Council

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:21:27 +1200

The CHB Youth Council Executive met for the first time last night. They are an inspiring group of young people - and they have decided to call their group "Inspire" - excellent. They are Ben Carpenter (Chair), Megan Hunt (Co-Chair), Taylah Lewis, Thomas Lowry, Jordan Turfrey, Hannah Tobin, Courtney Pye, Georgia Keir, Tyler Ritchie, Zach Severinsen, Liam Hini, Josarn Bothmer, Dana Clarke, Nicole Brun, Lourdes Zalewski.
Things decided:
- They will award 2 youth awards every month. They will start in November. First will be for the Young Person With Potential. Second award will be for the Weirdest or Most Interesting Talent. Applications will open in October.
- "Inspire" will be attending the East Coast youth council Hui - hosted by Hastings. They will present their views about being a 'new' youth council.
- At the Hui, they will also contribute to a submission on youth and alcohol which will be submitted to a central government review.
- "Inspire" will publish a Youth Newsletter (to be named) bi-monthly beginning in November.
- Their first campaign is to support the Green Teens on the 24 October for the "350" campaign - "Take a stand with people all over the world to support a safe climate future" - 350 is the most important number in the world--it's what scientists say is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. visit this website http://www.350.org/node/7124
- Portfolios for Youth Councillors are as follows:
Transport: Thomas Lowry, Liam Hini
Environment: Megan Hunt, Courtney Pye, Georgia Keir
Culture & Arts: Hannah Tobin, Zach Severinsen, Tyler Ritchie
Sport & Recreation: Ben Carpenter, Taylah Lewis, Jordan Turfrey
Community Development: Josarn Bothmer, Nicole Brun, Dana Clarke, Lourdes Zalewski
"Inspire" have lots to do! But they are enthusiastic and rearing to go. I must say, I'm inspired by working with them!
Thanks to Breakers, Waipukurau who are sponsoring Inspire's fortnightly meetings at their restaurant. Thank you for supporting our community. Watch this space.

Community Max

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:45:11 +1200

In August, 74 young people aged between 18 and 24 were unemployed in Central Hawke's Bay, three times more than at the same time last year.

The Ministry of Social Development is very concerned as in 1992 when an unemployment spike occurred, many under 25's found themselves with no job - and many are still unemployed to this day...

The recession is really hitting home. Are there organisations out there who need some extra help?
Ideas? Community Gardens? Parks or reserves? Elderly? Childcare? Kaumatua?

The government recently announced $152 million Youth Opportunities Package to help create new employment, training and education opportunities for young people.

One of those packages is Community Max. CM targets 16-24 year olds with low or no qualifications who have limited employment opportunities.

They can be employed on community projects at the minimum wage for 30 hours a week for 26 weeks. There is also a training component of up to $1250 for each young person.

DO YOU HAVE IDEAS FOR COMMUNITY MAX PROJECTS IN CHB?

Who oversees how our community is faring?

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 16:24:10 +1200

Working as Youth Coordinator, it is interesting to note that everything 'youth' is tied up in the vast ether of 'community'.

What many people and agencies are asking is "who has an overview of what is happening in our community?"

Is this the role of our Mayor and Councillors? Or should separate groups be set up to oversee health, education, crime, economics, environment, culture etc...?

The gaps I am finding when dealing with 'youth' problems often branch into all sorts of areas e.g. youth are part of families who need jobs, good health, education, stimulation, safe places to go etcetera.

What can we do as a community to keep a track of the important priorities? And what are those priorities? Are they the community outcomes identified in the Long Term Council Community Plan - or are they the basics in life?

Who keeps an eye on things and their fingers on the pulse - collectively?

Fluoridation - For or Against

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:59:22 +1200

Surveys will go out very soon to all people either connected to the Waipukurau water supply, or directly affected by it e.g. schools, churches, businesses, tenants.
Information with arguments 'for' or 'against' will be included with survey / submission forms. The 'debate' information will be supplied by reputable groups i.e. Ministry of Health http://www.moh.govt.nz and the Fluoride Action Network (NZ) www.fannz.org.nz.
CHB District Council does not express a view on fluoridation, but we are asking people in Waipukurau (the only water supply that is fluoridated in CHB) whether they a) want to continue adding fluoride to the water supply or b) want to stop adding fluoride.

In order to be as accessible as possible, information will be available on the Council website, local newspapers, throught the post, at local libraries and Council offices and also via expert advice from MOH and FANNZ. Citizens may also speak at a hearing about the issue.

All submissions and survey results will go to the Mayor and Councillors who will consider the sum of information and make a decision based on an holistic view of the issue.

Survey forms will be sent out at the end of August and submissions and surveys will close at the end of September.

Council will also post a forum topic, so please feel free to have your say if you are directly affected by the issue of fluoridation.

CHB Youth 'Network'

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 12:31:01 +1200

45 people attended the first CHB Youth 'Network' meeting on Wednesday 22 July 2009.

Police, Child Youth & Family, Dept Internal Affairs, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Social Development, CHB College, Private Training groups, HB DHB, EPIC Ministries Youth Workers, Te Waireka Drug & Alcohol Residential Care, Pleroma Counsellors, Heartlands, Ruahine Cadets, Literacy and Numeracy - Learning Innovations, Scallywaygs, Bright Futures, etc...

Why?

To put faces to names. To connect. To identify gaps. To fix ONE thing at a time.

Alternative Education is being looked at NOW. WE have only six places in the whole of CHB for alternative education - i.e. kids who don't fit into schools, are excluded or expelled. There are many kids who are simply outside any 'net' in society and who do not go to school or work or... anything.

Council is working with CHB College to make a submission to Government. Watch this space...

The very next thing is Youth Transition - from school to work. Do we need to have a Youth Transition Service that tracks our young people and keeps them on the right path? They do in many other areas.

To tweet or not to tweet

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:11:11 +1200

CHB Council has joined Twitter.

Some Council staff agree. Some Council staff disagree.

We are trialling using twitter for members and intending members of the Youth Council to receive updates.

There is no right or wrong way to connect with people. But it is better NOT to exclude methods of communication because "we never used to do it that way".

Communities must embrace new technologies and run with them, or we run the risk of being left behind going about our business in a shadow version of society - unplugged and in the dark.

Hoodie Day

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:44:40 +1200

Very interesting.

Today I met with about 15 young people who are currently on an unemployment benefit. About 10 were wearing hoodies or caps.

I asked them if they supported the national "Hoodie" day and two held up their hands. The rest said that it was a lame idea and why would you celebrate a hoodie?

I went on to explain that many older people's perceptions of hoodies was negative (especially employers) and holding hoodie day was a way of educating the wider population not to judge a book by its proverbial cover.

The consensus was 'it is lame'.

Maybe young people don't associate hoodies with negativity? - it is just a fashionable piece of clothing in their wardrobe? To coin a Council phrase, it would not be considered significant enough under a young person's significance policy to warrant an actual celebration or education campaign about.

Perhaps it's a phase that will come and then go when stove top jeans come back into fashion - or perhaps kung-fu shoes? A lesson learned.

Actually, one young person suggested we just celebrate the young person whatever clothes they may be wearing. Out of the mouths of babes.

Consequently, as Youth Coordinator – I will not be supporting Hoodie Day in CHB any time soon.

Cn u read dis?

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 13:35:00 +1200

I've had a few complaints about a recent flyer put out to entice young peopl to the CHB Youth Council. (I've had many more positive comments!) The first paragraph of the flyer read: "r u 12-24 yrs wif ideas 4 uth in chb?"

One member of the public said that "I picked up the flyer you sent out trying to attract CHB youth to form a Youth Council. While the idea appears to be good, I am not at all impressed with the way you have worded it when starting off.

We need our young people to read and write the correct way and not be encouraged to communicate any other way, particularly by people in positions of standing like yourself."

Hmm, "not be encouraged to communicate any other way". So where does that leave text language? Or even pigeon English - which is spoken by thousands - maybe millions - around the world?

Here is a reply about the text language from another member of the community: "Well, it worked, didn't it!! That's why we are having a Youth Council. Otherwise we could have old farts (like me!!) telling the Council what youth want."

Here is the reply I sent the first well-respected member of the community:

"I agree that certain communications should have a professional 'tone' with correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

In an ideal world - kids would talk to one another, not text. People would write letters - not email!

But in NZ, even within Secondary School NCEA exams, text language is accepted and is the predominant method of communication amongst our young people. I'm not saying I agree with that fact - it is just a fact in today's society.

In CHB, there are over 2200 x 12-24 year olds - quite a voice - and I've had great feedback from many of them about the flyer. In fact we have about 20 applications from young people from all walks of life with a passion for Central Hawke's Bay.

I think the point is to try and engage with that particular group in society - using ways of communication that they understand and use themselves. It would be futile to try and write a politically correct, verbose, or bureaucratic advertisement.

Anybody who wants to join the CHB Youth Council must fill in an application form and go through an interview process. We have approached Young Farmers, Students, Apprentices, Employees, People on benefits (interestingly 100 young people from 18-24 are on a benefit in CHB), we've approached a huge range of young people to apply for the CHB Youth Council in order to get a good representation across the district.

Also, we need young Maori to apply too as they are over-represented at the wrong end of the scale as at-risk young people of the district, and CHB needs to address their needs to stop flow on effects.

Just as a last word - I showed some adult colleagues at Council the flyer to see their reaction - some had the same reaction you did and couldn't understand the text language. I also showed a 12 year old, 15, 18 and 23 year old and asked them what they got out of the poster. All of the young people said "You want people to join the Youth Council".

I hope this is in some way an explanation and also a call to all of CHB to support our efforts to support local youth and get them involved. We need to talk to them and be heard.

They are only 1/6 of our CHB population - but all of our future."

Lastly: Mark Twain once said he had no respect for a man who could not spell a word more than one way.

Does the way we spel words 'maketh da man'?

Letters to the Editor

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 09:54:00 +1200

Today (7 July 2009) in the CHB Mail there were two letters to the editor. Freedom of speech is a fundamental part of our wonderful democracy and I applaud those who take the time and have the confidence to write a letter to a public forum.

One thing: Council does encourage the public to bring their concerns in the first instance to their doors. Quite literally, the Chief Executive, John Freeman, has an open door. As do our Mayor Trish Giddens and eight Councillors.

The fourth estate does have a place and is a good tool for getting information out 'there' generally - but for any real change, direct conversations and communication is a must.

Humans, no matter what you may have heard, are not mind readers. And hit or miss letters to the ed sometimes stray more on the 'miss' side of their targets.

Please ring Council or Councillors. Email staff or the Mayor. Make your point heard - and get your opinions considered directly rather than sending words out into the white noise of media land. It may be satisfying to see your words in print - but are they really heard? This is something Council considers everytime we send out any communications.

This was also one of the reasons that the Mayor and Councillors personally telephoned 200 people during this 2009 round of consulting the public about the Community Plan and held an Expo that over 200 people attended.

Hildegard Goss-Mayr:
"Generally speaking, the first nonviolent act is not fasting, but dialogue. The other side, the adversary, is recognized as a person, he is taken out of his anonymity and exists in his own right, for what he really is, a person. To engage someone in dialogue is to recognize him, have faith in him. At every step in the nonviolent struggle, at every level we try tirelessly to establish a dialogue, or reestablish it if it has broken down. When I say 'the other side,' that could be a group of persons or a government."

George Bernard Shaw.
"The problem with communication... is the illusion that it has been accomplished."

Anyone out there?

Rubbish Bags - Your Choice

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:06:00 +1200

It was announced at last week's Council meeting that Council rubbish bags will no longer be delivered to properties in CHB. The telephone calls have already started with some ratepayers misunderstanding the real situation. Here's the deal:

1. Property owners in the rubbish collection areas were paying $65.00 on their rates to have 52 council bags delivered and picked up from the kerbside.

2. NOW rubbish bags will NOT be delivered - and the $65.00 will be REDUCED from the rates account.

3. The same Council rubbish bags will be available to buy from dairies, supermarkets, Council Offices and libraries at a recommended retail price of $1.50 - this price INCLUDES the collection of the rubbish bags and free disposal at a local transfer station.

4. Supermarkets and dairies are able to price the bags at LESS or MORE than $1.50 - but Council and Libraries will be selling them strictly at $1.50.

5. The new system is a move towards user pays e.g. why should Mrs Bloggs (who only uses 20 bags a year) pay $65.00 on her rates when she can save $$$ by buying less bags?

6. People have the choice now of buying NO bags or 100 if they wish. They are not locked into paying rates for a service they don't use.

7. The bags themselves cost below .10c to manufacture - however the MAIN part of the $1.50 is the cost of collecting the bags i.e. the man on the back of a truck doing the pickup; the transfer station cost and the landfill maintenance.

8. A refuse collection cost of $3.22 will still be showing on your rates account. This covers costs if not enough bags are sold - it is a new system, so this will be reviewed next year.

This is a positive change, moving the emphasis to those who CREATE RUBBISH. If you recycle, compost, and buy wisely - you should use fewer bags and save money. It is now your choice.