Life has been very busy, as usual, since I last wrote. There have been meetings, council workshops, end-of-year functions, a Ministry for the Environment, “Talk Environment Roadshow” (big talk-fest with little substance) and the forums held in each ward to gather feedback on ward representation. I don’t know the total numbers of people who attended these fora, but there were less than thirty at the Papaioea meeting. The majority at that meeting indicated a preference for formal ward committees. Their comments and preferences will be collated with all the other responses from the other wards and presented in a report to council this month.

January, 2004

The cremator at John F. Kennedy Drive is now in operation. I have received some complaints from nearby residents regarding noise and emissions. Please direct any noise complaints to PNCC at ph: 356-8199 so council has a record and can follow up with a noise inspection. (I have passed on complaints to council and noise control officers have visited the site).

NOTE: Council officers followed up on these complaints and visited the cremator when it was in operation. The noise level checks showed the cremator was operating within legal limits.