wheels 543 Posted June 30, 2017 Share Posted June 30, 2017 http://www.nzherald.co.nz/the-country/news/article.cfm?c_id=16&objectid=11882724 The Annual Plan 2017-2018, including the decision to charge boatshed, berth and mooring owners a marine pest control rate, has been adopted by Northland Regional Council. The plan drew 515 submissions across its three major policy areas - marine biosecurity and pest control, harbour navigation/safety and the annual plan/charging policy - with a roar of objection to the proposed biosecurity charge on the boating sector heard through nearly 300 of them. Central to yesterday's special NRC meeting was adopting the 2017-18 rates, due dates and penalty regime for 94,389 Northland properties. The overall rates increase is 4.48 per cent on last year, averaging just under $9 per rateable property. The rate is set at $91.92 per unit in Far North District, $122.90 in Kaipara District and $117.66 in Whangarei District (the latter including a $1.73 Hatea River Channel targeted rate). However, the most discussion at yesterday's meeting - and in the majority of submissions - concerned the adoption of the new Marine Pathways Plan with its charge of $79.50 for all moorings, marina berths and boatsheds. Northport Ltd, Golden Bay Cement and Port Nikau will be charged $3737.50. All ratepayers will foot a third of the marine pest management costs, with the balance met by those charges on about 4000 mooring, marina berth and boatshed holders. Council members Joce Yeoman and Penny Smart voted against those charges being levied. Ms Smart said she did not think charging one user group aligned with the NRC's principals and charging policies. She said the council needed the boating sector as a stakeholder and the new charge could alienate that support. Ms Smart said she did not agree to a charge that targeted only Northland boaties, and not those from out of the district who used local boating facilities. Ms Yeoman implied the decision to adopt the charge was not democratic, as "it ignored the overwhelming views of the submissions". Chairman Bill Shepherd said that, although the objectors to the "boat charge" had been the most vocal, they were not necessarily right. Rick Stolwerk said he believed in "user-pay", and considered the democratic process regarding the plan been robust. David Sinclair said the number of objectors was minimal in relation to the overall number of ratepayers. "Someone has to cover the costs of divers and other biosecurity work related only to the fact people own boats. I think this charge is fair and reasonable," Justin Blaikie said. Ticked without much discussion, apart from touching on protocols over notifying the Kaipara District Council and Taharoa Domain management committee, was the Northland Regional Navigation Safety Bylaw, including an amended Kai Iwi Lakes bylaw. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
S.M.U. 15 Posted June 30, 2017 Share Posted June 30, 2017 So even though there was huge objections they did what they wanted. Whats the point having a voice anymore? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Steve Pope 243 Posted June 30, 2017 Share Posted June 30, 2017 Not once have they shown "the science" of how they can achieve the successful removal of the Mediteranean fan worm. This is being driven by a group of empire builders, a year or 3 ago there was a move to take the stuff that NRC did back under local council control, unfortunately that didn't happen, they are now trying to cement themselves in place for the foreseeable future. As you will note they Know best!!! "Public servants must be brought under control!!" Future Tui Sign,, yeah right! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ScottiE 174 Posted June 30, 2017 Share Posted June 30, 2017 Yup - the nonsense continues! In 2 years they will admit defeat against the fanworm tyrant but they sure won't remove the tax . . . err . . .sorry fee 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
wheels 543 Posted June 30, 2017 Author Share Posted June 30, 2017 Why do all these Councils have the ridiculous idea that they can stop invaders once they are in our local waters. The same can be said for the Bluff Oyster. They are mass harvesting the Oyster Beds down there with the view that they are helping to eliminate the Parasite. Duh!!!! Unless they somehow manage to remove every single Oyster and then reseed the Beds with Parasite free Oysters, they are never ever going to eradicate the thing. I don't get the silly idea they have. This Parasite is also in Marlborough waters and the Oyster guys down there are asking how it got from here to them down there. I really can't see this thing hitching a ride on a Boat. So it must have gotten there in some other "natural" way, which goes to show that there are no boundaries to pests once they make it into our Coastal waters. Fan Worm is here. It is only time before it spreads elsewhere naturally. All they can do is slow it's travel. But how much money is going to be spent from our pockets slowing its spread? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
harrytom 648 Posted June 30, 2017 Share Posted June 30, 2017 easy answer there"Wheels" they used the spat from Marlborough to seed the Stuart Island beds,knowing full well that Marlborough has/had the parasite. The only way to eradicate the parasite is to destroy all oyster beds by bring ashore,but I guess the parasite will find another host. How can any council control Fan worm when imo would travel via currents or ships ballast pumped out off the coast and current would bring ashore eventually Quote Link to post Share on other sites
wheels 543 Posted July 1, 2017 Author Share Posted July 1, 2017 easy answer there"Wheels" they used the spat from Marlborough to seed the Stuart Island beds,knowing full well that Marlborough has/had the parasite. Really? Well that was plain dumb. They are never going to eradicate it unless they are able to remove every single Oyster from the Seabed. Just one infected Oyster is all it could take to allow the Parasite to establish itself again. But I can't see that ever being possible. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Steve Pope 243 Posted July 1, 2017 Share Posted July 1, 2017 No different with the Fan worm, mission impossible!!! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chariot 243 Posted July 2, 2017 Share Posted July 2, 2017 Has anyone had Fan worm physically attach itself to their boat and if so, how difficult was it to remove. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
wheels 543 Posted July 2, 2017 Author Share Posted July 2, 2017 Yes and it is no different to get off than any other form of Hull Growth.The down sides to it is that it grows aggressively in large smothering clumps and if left unchecked to grow to maturity, the tubes can reach up to 400-500mm in length and about the thickness of a Mans Thumb. It accumulates lots of sediment and becomes a thick mud filled mass. Although I only had very small immature tubes on my Hull.The mature ones can work out you are lifting the boat out and will slide out of their tubes and swim off.They spawn in the Spring when the water starts to warm up. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fish 0 Posted July 2, 2017 Share Posted July 2, 2017 The mature ones can work out you are lifting the boat out and will slide out of their tubes and swim off. Really? Wish my barnacles would do that. Maybe a little bit of GE to combine fan worm with barnacles and we could get marine growth that slide of the boat on command. Seriously though, I was surprised at the size and the number of those things in a prominent marina not that far from where I moor my boat. Big. Never seen the water so clean though. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
wheels 543 Posted July 2, 2017 Author Share Posted July 2, 2017 Yeah but the negative is that they leave behind the Tube and the barnacles leave behind the shell. Both are the actual problem parts. And yes, that is the big worry about these things, that they may end up stealing all the food from all our native species of Marine critters. These things grow much faster than the native species and while not actually known yet, the fear is that they will push out the native species and then basically starve everything else out. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
armchairadmiral 411 Posted July 2, 2017 Share Posted July 2, 2017 Govt / Local Govt. is completely redundant now. The bureaucracy is in total control. The majority of elected members just do what they are told because its easy and the law designed by bureaucrats says that pollies must take "professional" advice or personally wear the consequences. Not many have the wherewithal to stand up for what the submitters want This nonsense is another example. NZ the way you want it ? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Island Time 1,239 Posted July 2, 2017 Share Posted July 2, 2017 NZ the way you want it ? Nope, time for a change, how is the question! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
wheels 543 Posted July 3, 2017 Author Share Posted July 3, 2017 The way I see it, the Gvt needs to put more money into the Border Security side of things. If that is charged on to Shipping, then so it should be. The same requirements are placed on our Country when an exporter wants to send something to another Country. Logs for instance. They have to be clean and pest free etc etc. We should be telling Shipping Companies that they need to be clean when entering our waters or suffer huge penalties, which would go back into cleaning them. There is far too much reliance on catching something once it has arrived. Once it is here, it is often too late. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ScottiE 174 Posted July 3, 2017 Share Posted July 3, 2017 the penalties and costs will go back into the shipping costs - back to the consumer. So as long as everyone is okay with that then all good! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
wheels 543 Posted July 3, 2017 Author Share Posted July 3, 2017 A Container Ship carrying 3000 to 10K containers for the big ones, and thousands of items in each container, I think it would be a minimal cost passed on. The point is, the Ships are supposed to be dumping Ballast far out to sea. They are supposed to have clean Hulls. But obviously, every now and then, a Ship does not adhere to the rules. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rangi1 51 Posted July 3, 2017 Share Posted July 3, 2017 For myself, the interesting thing is that North Port are only being charged about 30 times more than a casual Whangarei mooring holder ($3737 vs $117). The risk profile has to be massively higher given the number of vessel movements from outside the area. A local boat may never leave the immediate coast, but the port has potentially several of them arriving every day...... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
harrytom 648 Posted July 3, 2017 Share Posted July 3, 2017 only 1 in 3000 containers get inspected,we are a transit facility approved work place,and from my observations the requirements before opening a container are,Approved staff member(mpj course)a rubbish bin,rubbish bags and a torch.Then you can crack the container open and if any critters appear shut the door and contact mpi,usually a waste of time as the critters have already escaped. Remember on planes they use set off the fly sprays but has stopped. bio security staff numbers cut,the reckon they know which containers are dodgy,bet not every used car that arrives is inspected. we are only playing with bio security.to be serious every car container(sea/air)even down to personnel arriving with health issues should be inspected. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dtwo 157 Posted July 3, 2017 Share Posted July 3, 2017 If you have your boat tied up to a marina dock, there is a fair chance that the marina dock will be acting as a host to the MFW and the little fcukers will be jumping from there to anything tied up next to it. Has anyone seen any action being taken by any marinas to reduce or remove any infections on their property. There seems to be a lot of finger pointing at boat owners (and it looks like they will get the bill too) but I have seen no mention of any activity undertaken by marinas? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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