News

Hi All,

A succession of things have not gone to plan.

We have the posts in, and the walkway extended.

Further work needs doing to the ramps – to extend them and fill the holes that have developed, and it looks like we might be very close to actually getting that done.

My apologies for not updating the website sooner.

Hi folks

Rob Roche from NCTIR has asked if any local fishermen are prepared to take a road worker or two out with them at any time.
Anyone who is willing, please contact Rob by email at rob.roche@nctir.com, and he will put you in touch with someone who wants to go out.

Delays on the council ramp have meant that it may be late November or early December before we can get into the repair work on our ramp. When that starts, we will be without a ramp for about 3 weeks. Should be able to use the council ramp while ours is closed, but please keep trips to a minimum during that time.

It’s been a long year, and things are coming towards completion.

Casual Data Collector
Fisheries Team

Kaikoura

NIWA is New Zealand’s leading environmental research institute and key provider of atmospheric, freshwater and marine research and consultancy services in New Zealand.
We are seeking an enthusiastic and reliable Data Collector to conduct surveys at the above boat ramp. The role involves interviewing recreational fishers and recording data about the types and volumes of finfish caught.
Our Data Collector will conduct work on boat ramps on 2-3 days per month between 1st October 2017 and 30th September, 2018. These days are weekends or public holidays (highest fishing traffic). Interview sessions are 4 hours in length hence a total of 8-12 hours per month. You will need to be available for a half day training session between 2-6th September or 13-16th September (details to be confirmed).
Our successful applicants will be able to work effectively unsupervised, have good verbal communication skills, and the ability to accurately record data. In return you will receive a competitive hourly rate and the opportunity to work outdoors!
Interested in knowing more? Contact Niki Davey on email niki.davey@niwa.co.nz or 0800926278 and we will provide more details.
Applications close: 31 July 2017

Special General Meeting – Easter Sunday – 4pm Takahanga Bowling Club – financial members only.
Spending decisions on what we do in terms of earthquake recovery.

Timeline of events since 14 November 2016 – Ted Howard, president.
Monday morning following the quake started with a check on the neighbours, then a few hours sleep, then prepare longdrop, setup generator, switch to backup water; then by 7am down at Civil defence headquarters to volunteer – but not required.
So did a quick survey of as much of the district as could reach by road. That included our ramps.
In what follows I have tried to include only the stuff directly relevant to the club slipways, however lots of other things were happening also.
I am Treasurer of Te Korowai, and have had one full day meetings and many tele-conferences, emails and phone calls in that capacity.
I am also an appointed member of the Kaikoura Marine Guardians. Prior to the quake that role was supposed to require 2-3 days per year. Since the quake there has been one full day meetings of the guardians, one of which resulted in my appointment to the Restoration Liason Group, which has meant about one full day per week since 13th Jan, plus many emails, much reading, and sundry meetings and phone calls and on site visits.
I also chair the Kaikoura Zone Water Management Committee (a joint committee of ECan and KDC), which has taken a lot of time since the quake working with farmers in particular, in much of a rural support role, as well as our monthly half day meetings.
I also chair the Hutton’s Shearwater Charitable Trust – which colonies took a big hit in the earthquake, and have required far more attention than pre earthquake, working with DOC, researchers, and actually doing quite a bit of the research work personally, monitoring, weighing and measuring birds, banding and releasing, etc.
I am also your representative on the Our Fishing Future committee (which meets every 2-3 weeks) and on the NZ Recreational Fishing Council) both of which have taken lower priority since the quake.
I am also a member of 3 MPI science working groups, for amateur fisheries, rocklobster, and deepwater species.
I also have family, friends, my business (software company with 30 client companies) other interests (like golf and cycling), supporting my wife in her long term bird research project, being a member of Forest and Bird, Lions Club, Cycle Club, talking to many people who have heard my cancer survival story, and are facing similar diagnosis, and continue my involvement in several in international groups that I have had for over 20 years (existential risk community, economic alternative communities, future of humanity groups, and the artificial intelligence community).
So life is full – and if, occasionally, I cannot immediately deal with club concerns, don’t be surprised.
And this is a list of many of the things that I have dealt with on your behalf since Nov 14th.
15th again visited the ramps and took more photos.
17th the internet came back. Phone calls and emails sent to ECan and KDC asking that the Boating Club be included in the proposed emergency works. Long discussions with Paul Stemmer and Dodd Mcfetrish.
18th 3 emails with harbour master, meetings with the Mayor and Harbour group. From the 18th I was running the sound system for the daily public briefings, and having discussions with the Mayor, ECan reps, any visiting MPs and many other interested people. I would arrive early with the sound system (one I bought for my wife to perform with to audiences up to 300), setup the system (generator power and sound – mics amp, speakers etc), operate it, then breakdown afterwards and take it home again.
Discussions most days with Dodd Mcfetrish and several other club members who came to the public meetings most days.
19th 2 emails to members about ramp.
20th Request sent to Geological and Nuclear Sciences for data on quake movement.
Request from Ian Coombes for club to help fund moving boulders at Oaro.
21st emails with Harbour master to arrange a meeting to find a way forward. Emailed all committee asking for urgent committee meeting on 22nd 5:30 at Coastguard. 13 cell phone calls on club business.
22nd did surveys of both South Bay and the Pier using rope and man in wetsuit.
Similar survey of Pier ramp. (6 cell calls).
At 5:30 had an emergency meeting of those of the committee available that approved a proposal from Oaro members to share the cost of removing a rock from the middle of the channel at our shared access with the other users – $1,500 approved.
Discussed talking to both Eddie and Gordy about getting a quote to put the new poles in at South Bay.
23rd met at South Bay ramp with a sketch map. Paid club web hosting account with personal credit card, just to get the website running again. Posted update to members.

Quake update

By this stage had met and talked with sufficient people that we had an email authorising us to restore our facilities to previous level of service – which email was subsequently withdrawn, and further discussions into the legal precedents around different sections of the RMA, and the drafting of new legislation went on.
24th Te Korowai Teleconference.
25th – Working with KDC to provide boundaries for use in the legislation.
26th email to member re payment of fees. Meet with Kevin Rush at Pier slip just after dawn to explore options.
27th cycled up SH1 to Waipa – some photos at
http://fishnet.co.nz/ted/SundayCycleTrip/index.html
Late Sunday evening working with KDC and MfE on details of legislation to go to the house Monday.
28th Continued working with MfE, and MPI on legislation details, 2 emails to member queries.
29th 2 emails with Harbour master, and a couple to members.
30th Nov – presented submission to the select committee on the emergency earthquake relief bill on behalf of the Kaikoura Marine Guardians – as only the Guardians were invited to make such a submission, and they only had a 4 hour window from notification to presentation.
1st Dec – Te Korowai conference call.
Friday 2nd Dec – email to KDC suggesting that the boat club might be willing to take non-commercial traffic in return for assistance in returning the level of service previously present.
Monday 5th email to Harbour master expressing concern at the speed of decision making without involving the boating club in deliberations. Met with Henare Manawatu and the rest of the committee at Takahanga marae.
6th phone call from Mark Nedham alerted me to the fact that Elliot Sinclair were present and doing survey work. Went down and spoke to Maurice Perwick at South Bay.
Monthly meeting – Cell calls to 6 of the committee eventually got a quorum at the regular monthly meeting and approved engaging Elliot Sinclair to survey our ramps and their approaches – for $3,500. Ted asked to progress a plan to go to council.
7th Barman at Lions over 70s Xmas dinner.
Email to Harbour master over concerns about process failures. Initial official Harbour Restoration Plan released, and it stated in respect of restoration work related to club facilities “these works to be carried out by the facility owner/operator.” (Pg 5 under Private and individual facilities). An emotional low point in proceedings to that point.
Te Korowai conference call in the evening. Still much uncertainty around harbour restoration.
8th Final failed attempt to get more flexibility in the response from government. It is going to be a centrally driven response. 2 emails to the harbour team. At that point we got more agreement to include the club. Many inward emails. The initial response from government was to focus only on commercial and life saving facilities, recreational were not included in any way.
Murray Paul idea of coffer dam.
Call from Kauahi re possibility of taking rec traffic, called all committee, managed to actually contact 5 (Richard, Murray, Bill, Graeme, Neil) plus me, all agreed that the offer was a good one.
9th emailed all committee with preliminary plan. Comments back from several of the committee. Meet onsite at South Bay with Murray Paul. Still great uncertainty around government response.
12th Submitted initial plan to KDC and ECan.
13th Emails with Ian Fox ECan re harbour work. First written confirmation of the possibility of the KBC ramp being considered as part of the restoration plan, by taking all recreational traffic.
14th Survey results from Eliot Sinclair. Our Fishing Future meeting. Te Korowai 3rd conference call.
15th Contact Gary and Scott re harbour works. Richard and Russell re water blaster, Jim Dilley and Bill Bayfield re work in harbour.
17th delivered printout of Sinclair survey to Gordy.
18th photo of Oaro ramp from Ian Coombes.
19th final report from Elliot Sinclair. Sent update email to all committee.
20th Email from ECan re defence provisions under the RMA – 341(2)(a)(i) to allow us to do the required work.
22nd meeting at KDC with Harbour users and DPMC (Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet), DOC, ECan, KDC reps.
28th spent most of the day with Tim the Digger operator at South Bay. Answering his questions, helping where possible, explaining what was needed, in terms of a clear channel out, and a continuation of the slope of the ramp out to deep water, and the removal of the deeper reefs.
Met with MPI people Mark Geytenbeek and Rose Grindley at Richard’s in evening – to discuss MPI response to quake, particularly the paua response.
29th again spent most of the day with Tim, and left confident that he understood what was required.
30th Left Kaikoura for the first time since the earthquake – to visit Ailsa’s mother in Dunedin.
6th Jan – back home, to discover that the day I left Tim got taken off the job and a new company put on the job. The result being that we did not get a clear channel (they stopped before the last rock, and left a reef in the way on the way back when removing the causeway), and far too much material was dug out from near the ramp, making the job of extending the ramp much more difficult and leaving us with a navigation problem.
8th Jan – AGM – where it was agreed that we would apply for funds, get quotes for the jobs, and come back to a special general meeting at Easter. No one wanted my job, so I got elected back to it.
11th Digger finished left side of ramp.
12th Started collecting data for application for funding.
13th emailed all committee for sites of interest to take to NCTIR meeting.
18th sent survey invoice to Yvonne.
24th digging at South bay finished.
Went to Wellington for our daughter’s 21st.
1 Feb – back from Wn, lots of Guardians work, with RLG.
7th Feb – Monthly meeting – progress applications
9th Feb survey of rocks at Sth Bay, lots of emails around liability insurance. Discussion with Kevin about updated plans, and followed up with emails.
10th more emails from ECan querying proposal, responses, follow up calls. Sent copies to all committee members.
14th Plans from Eddie re Pier Slip.
15th forwarded quote for H6 poles from Dave to Neil.
17th Feb – start funding application to Hurunui-Kaikoura Lottery grant.
20th Feb – submitted application
3rd March submitted revised pier plans to ECan, follow up phone call. Meet MPs Stuart Smith and Alfred Ngaro re govt support.
7th March – monthly meeting.
15th meet Stuart Haynes (NICTR project leader) on site at South Bay ramp and explain navigation issues, and problems with rocks in the way, and lack of rock near the ramp.
17th drawing for Ocean View from Eddie – submitted to ECan.
23rd Contact Ecan about possibility of using explosives to shatter the rocks at South Bay.
30th meet Marty (Ecan compliance) on site at the Pier ramp, explain the project, then go to South Bay, and explain the navigation issues with the rocks.
4th April – regular monthly meeting. Discussion of what actually happened when.
5th Create this timeline, every item mentioned has matching minutes, notes, email or phone records.
6th Update website, book advertising SGM with Star and Press.
7th Two developments today following conversations with NCTIR management (Duncan Gibb and Stuart Haynes).
1/ They are willing to bring their digger on a barge around to our side to clear a channel to sea for us, at no cost to us.
2/ They are prepared to deliver all the material from the coffer dam at the Coastguard to our ramp the week after Easter, and to provide trucks to take it away again afterwards (though we might need to supply the digger to do that).