NRC inviting yachties to their Office in Water street Whangarei

[Steve Pope 243]

NRC alongside the Cawthron institute and Scion?, will be holding a meeting with any / all  interested yachties / boat owners next Monday the 7th of November at 7pm, at their Whangarei office. I understand it is to try develop an understanding of how both can go forward (I hope) in the best interests of Boaties and NRC Biosecurity.

 

[Steve Pope 243]

NRC's Whangarei Office 31 Water street Whangarei

[Black Panther 1,506]

Are you going Steve? Please report back.

[Ex Machina 341]

1 hour ago, Steve Pope said:

NRC alongside the Cawthron institute and Scion?, will be holding a meeting with any / all  interested yachties / boat owners next Monday the 7th of November at 7pm, at their Whangarei office. I understand it is to try develop an understanding of how both can go forward (I hope) in the best interests of Boaties and NRC Biosecurity.

 

Thanks Steve I will make sure it gets onto WCC Facebook and hopefully email list 

[Ex Machina 341]

1 hour ago, Steve Pope said:

NRC alongside the Cawthron institute and Scion?, will be holding a meeting with any / all  interested yachties / boat owners next Monday the 7th of November at 7pm, at their Whangarei office. I understand it is to try develop an understanding of how both can go forward (I hope) in the best interests of Boaties and NRC Biosecurity.

 

Can you provide me a link to the notification ?  Cant find anything on their site 

[Steve Pope 243]

39 minutes ago, Ex Machina said:

Can you provide me a link to the notification ?  Cant find anything on their site 

I found the info on the WCC Scuttlebut news letter, asking for anyone interested to get in touch with Aless Smith Biosecurity specialist NRC 

. as shown below. And yes BP. I am going.

                                                                  

[Ex Machina 341]

23 minutes ago, Steve Pope said:

I found the info on the WCC Scuttlebut news letter, asking for anyone interested to get in touch with Aless Smith Biosecurity specialist NRC 

. as shown below. And yes BP. I am going.

                                                                  

Ok mint I missed that in scuttlebutt  

[DrWatson 346]

 interesting that it’s only whangarei mooring holders, essentially, whore being canvassed here

[Ex Machina 341]

3 hours ago, DrWatson said:

 interesting that it’s only whangarei mooring holders, essentially, whore being canvassed here

Yeah I wonder if Russell , waitangi , opua and Kerikeri clubs received that communique too ? 

[Black Panther 1,506]

8 hours ago, Ex Machina said:

Yeah I wonder if Russell , waitangi , opua and Kerikeri clubs received that communique too ? 

It's also relevant to all the boats that live elsewhere but might consider a trip north one day.

[Steve Pope 243]

This meeting is being instigated by NRC, it is possible, and hopefully probable that other Regional councils will do likewise, but of course that ain't necessarily so!

[Ex Machina 341]

5 hours ago, Black Panther said:

It's also relevant to all the boats that live elsewhere but might consider a trip north one day.

Good point . I’m guessing they are keeping northland rate paying boaties in the loop first cause that’s who’s paying the bills 

[Steve Pope 243]

I'm not sure how much actually comes from the NRC (Northland) ratepayers, I have it good authority that it is funded by MPI. The question is if MPI stopped the funding would NRC stop inspecting yachts bums?

[Black Panther 1,506]

I want someone to ask what is their goal and what is the probability of success? 

[Steve Pope 243]

I went to the NRC meeting, there were 12 of us "guinea pigs" there, Admission - I misread the meeting start time (ancient brain) and wandered around Whangarei until nearer what I thought was the start time (7pm) it was actually 5-30pm with nibbles etc.  So arriving early ( I thought) (6-40pm) I only had 20 minutes to get a feel for what their goal was. 

It appeared to be, for them to to get an understanding of what we would be prepared to do and pay for (or not) to assist with their aim of stopping foreign marine organisms establishing themselves in NZ waters and on our boats. The 3 people running the meeting were not boating people and had no experience of running / maintaining a boat, or understanding  how antifouling coatings worked or the fact they have been dumbed down to the point that in many cases they barely work. Or the prohibitive effect of their having removed the once upon a time numerous scrubbing poles that were used to keep hulls clean, their not allowing the cleaning of hulls in the water because some anti foul paint might be scrubbed off, their not being aware that soft antifouling paints job was to leach over time to ward off barnacles, oysters, fan worms etc. 

Apparently It was a trial meeting, that may or may not be expanded nationwide.

I struggled with the fact that we were definitely not speaking the same language, One of their advisers (Not an NRC employee) realised this.  I suggested they get a couple of marine / yachting folk on their team who could advise them realistically of the problems that the current approach is having. I pointed out that no yachty wants things hanging off their hull, it slows us down and costs money if you drive a stinky!! I asked how much money NRC was already taking off boat owners, mooring fees light fees etc etc. they didn't know.

BUT at least we were talking, that has to be an improvement.

I left an A4 sheet, with what I felt were reasonable questions from our (my) point of view, the woman running the meeting said she would try to give me some answers but it may take some time, I will post them when they arrive.

[Black Panther 1,506]

39 minutes ago, Steve Pope said:

t) to assist with their aim of stopping foreign marine organisms establishing

 

39 minutes ago, Steve Pope said:

their aim of stopping foreign marine organisms establishing themselves in NZ waters and on our boats.

That's where I have a problem.  They might as well try to stop the tide coming in.

[Psyche 537]

Wait till they hear about climate change and tropical currents heading south

[Steve Pope 243]

I'm not sure they know what tides and currents do and that they carry things all around the world. As I've said before "Mediterranean" has to be  the give away for the fanworm. But they are talking to us, rarely happened before.

[Zozza 272]

11 hours ago, Steve Pope said:

I went to the NRC meeting, there were 12 of us "guinea pigs" there, Admission - I misread the meeting start time (ancient brain) and wandered around Whangarei until nearer what I thought was the start time (7pm) it was actually 5-30pm with nibbles etc.  So arriving early ( I thought) (6-40pm) I only had 20 minutes to get a feel for what their goal was. 

It appeared to be, for them to to get an understanding of what we would be prepared to do and pay for (or not) to assist with their aim of stopping foreign marine organisms establishing themselves in NZ waters and on our boats. The 3 people running the meeting were not boating people and had no experience of running / maintaining a boat, or understanding  how antifouling coatings worked or the fact they have been dumbed down to the point that in many cases they barely work. Or the prohibitive effect of their having removed the once upon a time numerous scrubbing poles that were used to keep hulls clean, their not allowing the cleaning of hulls in the water because some anti foul paint might be scrubbed off, their not being aware that soft antifouling paints job was to leach over time to ward off barnacles, oysters, fan worms etc. 

Apparently It was a trial meeting, that may or may not be expanded nationwide.

I struggled with the fact that we were definitely not speaking the same language, One of their advisers (Not an NRC employee) realised this.  I suggested they get a couple of marine / yachting folk on their team who could advise them realistically of the problems that the current approach is having. I pointed out that no yachty wants things hanging off their hull, it slows us down and costs money if you drive a stinky!! I asked how much money NRC was already taking off boat owners, mooring fees light fees etc etc. they didn't know.

BUT at least we were talking, that has to be an improvement.

I left an A4 sheet, with what I felt were reasonable questions from our (my) point of view, the woman running the meeting said she would try to give me some answers but it may take some time, I will post them when they arrive.

Steve Pope, you are a bloody legend mate.   I'm most probably going to find myself sailing to Northland over the holiday period to sail in the Junk Rig division of the Russell Tall Ships event.
Getting hauled out for a wash and scrub soon, and will have my receipt for that ready in case one of these lot want to put me through the 3rd degree while I'm anchored somewhere minding my own business.
Do say hello if you are in the area.  Black hull, 26 feet : 'Pango' (Maori for the colour 'black')

[Island Time 1,175]

Good job Steve. There would be a few here who would be happy to discuss this with them. They could even create a user just for that? I'd believe it after it happened though!