NZ Steam Heritage Destroyed in Dunedin

From the Otago Daily Times 13 Nov 2012

Paul Jeffery, of South Dunedin, laments the opportunity to save the steam dredge Te Whaka was lost.

I agree totally with Aaron Nicholson (31.10.12) on his words on the steam festival in Dunedin. It is a credit to all those enthusiasts who participated in one way or another to make this event happen.
However, listening to the similar words expressed at the opening night of the festival, I nearly choked when I heard the mayor say words to the effect that we cherish our steam heritage and its contribution to this city. This was because it seemed like one huge contradiction, having just come from Birch St wharf, where I'd looked at the sorry sight of 102-year-old steamship Te Whaka being cut up, superstructure and stern section already cut off.
It seems a shock enough that this old steamer is meeting her demise here in the year 2012, but the fact, of all times, it was announced, started and was in full swing all during the time we celebrate the life of a steamship, the Earnslaw, and steam heritage itself! Out of all the steam things we have normally in this city, the steamship is surely one of steam power's now rare and especially charismatic forms (along with the steam locomotive).
And yet far from being in the festival, she was seemingly forgotten, in the scrapyard, meeting her untimely demise.
The question must be asked, out of the 18 years she has been here in Dunedin, why on earth was the Te Whaka not given just another month's stay of execution and included for the festival programme, so people could have one last look over her, and not so hastily sold for scrap with no asking the public giving any final, "11th-hour" chance to save her?

Surely the eye-opening knowledge of the impending fate would have at least got people putting in money and something could have been started to save her, and a council backing?
We have heard many excuses that she was "too far gone" etc, yet in other parts of the country, ships in worse state (one had even been sunk) were resurrected.
It would have taken a lot of money to fix her, granted (tiny compared to the stadium, for example, or the swanky new Toitu Settlers entrance) but it would have been an investment, as she would have been a major new attraction.
Look what happened when the council of 1990 and Dunedin people backed saving the Taieri Gorge Railway when it was under threat, and now look at what a magnet this is for visitors, local and abroad. Why was this never done with the Te Whaka in our "heritage capital"?
The trust for her received only $50,000 from the 1994-era council, which is not much to get a steamship running. When you can see the popularity of the Earnslaw, which was backed and saved from threat of scrap in the 1960s, one has to wonder why this could not have been done in Dunedin too.
The visitor attraction of steam was more than apparent at the festival, just as it is in Queenstown every day.
The sight and sound of a ship's huge steam engine at work is an inspiring sight, the throaty steam whistle, would have been a major new drawcard, worth all the capital required to get her seaworthy again, and kept a few local engineering firms gainfully employed.    

Milford Tunnel - Skytrail Reboot

Christine Mc Donald Otago Daily Times 5th Dec 2012

A proposal to establish a Caples Valley gondola may be revisited after a new report ranked it the highest of 12 options to access Milford Sound.

The MWH report, commissioned by Environment Southland, assessed proposals, both active and inactive, based on risks and opportunities.

Two proposals, the Fiordland Link Monorail and the Milford Dart Tunnel - both being considered by Department of Conservation operations deputy director Sue Cosford - ranked third and fifth respectively.

Listed second was the mandatory park and ride option, a shuttle bus which was mooted to reduce congestion on both the Milford road and viewing points.

Based on the findings, the Sky Trail Milford Gondola, initially proposed by Skyline Enterprises Ltd and Ngai Tahu in 2001, ''has the highest overall score'', the report said.

Skyline Enterprises managing director Ken Matthews yesterday said he was unaware of the report, but based on its conclusion it would be ''appropriate'' to revisit the proposal.

The 12.6km gondola, estimated to cost up to $110 million to build, was to carry 900 passengers an hour, with a one-way journey taking about 35 minutes.

It would have reduced the 12-hour round trip by about three hours.

''There was a change to the management plan, or the Conservation Act, ...that precluded the [project eventuating]."

Mr Matthews said yesterday he had not had time to think about revisiting the gondola proposal or talk to Ngai Tahu, but it was ''food for further consideration''.

''We always maintained it had the lowest impact on the environment of any of those other means of access ... to Milford''.

''In light of what you've told us, then we would want to have another look at it; it would be appropriate to do so."

Environment Southland policy and planning manager Ken Swinney said the report was ''mainly to inform Environment Southland of its transport strategy'' but noted access to Milford Sound was a hot topic.

While the gondola option scored highly, the report was ''not about picking winners''.

''It has ranked the highest based against the ... criteria that we used. We did not take into account if it was financially viable. All we have done is rank apples with apples."

He said the gondola was still an option ''should those people wish to activate it''.

The report resulted from publicly available information, and, as such, the gondola option had significant information gaps and uncertainties because it had ''got to a certain point in time and then nothing [further] publicly has happened to it''.

While the report said there was ''significant uncertainties over the affordability and consentability'' for both the monorail and gondola, they ''tended to score well for all except the environmental criteria''.

Among the criteria used to assess the options were long and short-term impacts on the environment, overall tourist experience, economic impact for both local communities and Southland, and national and international image.

Milford Dart Ltd director Michael Sleigh said he had not seen the report but ''looked forward to seeing it and commenting when it's available''.

Both the Milford Dart Tunnel and Fiordland Link Monorail have been approved in principle, but Doc media adviser Reuben Williams said yesterday a final decision on the proposals may be ''some time off''.

Ultimately the Gondola could be replaced by a mere 4km Road Tunnel thus makeing the Hollyford Dart Tunnel 

a somewhat expensive mistake.

Radio NZ - Kennedy Warne

posted to Nine to Noon 22nd July 2013

 As a local Tourism Commentator
I would like to thank Kennedy Warne for his views on the Milford Dart Tunnel and the Question of the way we are handling this great Wonder of the Natural World.
Obviously the Fiordland National Parks is More important to the Nation and the rest of the World than to the local community who see it as their exclusive asset.
The way the Village of Milford is being developed bears this out. Overseas advice seems to be to Keep all residential & Commercial Infrastructure developments out of the delicate Milford Area and placed in a purpose built Portal Town Near the Park Entrance in the Eglinton Valley that would contain the Milford Airport.
It’s not Rocket Science.

In the USA All the Commercial activity for Yellowstone is not located in the heart of the park but out side. Milford HAS to be the same if they want to keep it as a Natural Wonder!

Doubtful Sound is another issue, It really is our Premier Wilderness Experience and that is almost exclusively the property of one company..
Perhaps Kennedy would like to comment on that
 



AEN

ODT- Dart Milford Tunnel Turned Down

posted to the Otago Daily Times 18 July 2013

And so Nick Smith (the current Chis Carter) turned down the Dart Hollyford Tunnel, now the heat is on to find another way through, Some think an even longer tunnel will be mooted, But I am guessing they will basically Underground the Gondola plan which is a Wider 4 km Tunnel from the Greenstone Valley Paper Road to the Foot of Mt Tolkien where the Milford Road or Highway 94 as they call it now runs between Lake Gunn and Lake Fergus. This will give Queenstown its deep water port so it can tap into the Massive Cruise Ship Market and make it easyer to bus through to Port Chalmers.. It still won’t be much fun for Te Anau or sleepy Kinloch and Glenorchy and will shorten the Greenstone track experience by a good day or so. But the swing is to Cruise Ships today is a fact and the Government will be annoyed that we are missing the boat so to speak.

Fiordland Advocate - Frana Cardno legacy

posted 13 July 2013 to the Fiordland Advocate

I for one would like to thank Frana Cardino for her work as our Southland Mayor, she was a Later Day pioneer.
I can appreciate her unsung efforts helping build Te Anau from Scratch and all on a shoestring.
She was a great Figurehead for the Council because she was always there when the community put something on.
And she listened to everyone’s opinions even if they where in conflict to the council she represented. And she enabled her people, albeit with her one vote.

As for Mistakes and failures, well lets just say some Mayors are great Multi Taskers and some build a just and prosperous community, we can only hope that our next Mayor has some of those skills Our Frana brought to the job.

It is good She encourages Fiordland people to stand for local election.  but from personal experience, do not try it if your are Colorful Dynamic or Creative...
Like Tim Shadbolt once said the job is really about digging holes and throwing money in them.


AEN

Radio NZ - Pavan Sukhdev Interview

Posted 6th of July 2013 to Saturday with Kim Hill

Pavan Sukhdev basically tries to figure out how to use our Brains to fix our Problems

There is an opinion that Stupid Spineless People are not really allowed to decide the future of mankind.
If we are to have one.

I guess that means a intelligence test to take part in Democracy is in order or we will end up like Egypt
Or America where the Ignorant vote to Torment the more enlightened proportion of the population

In order to get us to environmental sustainability, Stupidity will have to go...

We can’t have senior voter representatives saying Co2 Warming is God’s Will...

It is Government that is suppose to keep corporations in check, Keeps us all safe.
Democracy Runs the Governments and in theory Governments should be made up of our best and brightest Citizens:

ie: People Who have higher functioning Brains and are not afraid to use them.

Radio NZ - Females in Parliament

Posted 5th of July 2013 to Nine to Noon

So... If Maori can have Special Seats in NZ to insure they are represented in Parliament.. Why Not Women?

Or Maybe the Greens have the answer... If they have Joint Leaders, one of each Gender, Why not do the same for MPs?

Double the Sitting MPs and Scratch the List Idea... Every seat gets a Man & Woman Team and thus a more holistic
Governance of the Nation.

While your at it, the professions other than “Businessmen” should be represented too....