Leys Memorial Trophy returns to New Lynn

The Leys Memorial Trophy returns to New Lynn

It was back on March 20, 1929, that Mr W. Cecil Leys presented an imposing trophy made of sterling silver to the then Auckland Central District Boy Scouts’ Association and the ‘Leys Memorial Trophy’ was immediately put up for challenge. The original conditions laid down for the challenge (for a patrol of senior scouts) included camp craft, signalling, ambulance skills and lashing work. Over the years the competition has become the premier award for Venturer The winning New Lynn team included (L-R) Scouts (aged 14-18 years) Willow, Elijah & Samual. in the Auckland region.

Members of the New Lynn Scout Group have always looked forward to this challenge and dominated the event throughout the 1990s but last held the trophy in 2004. The following years saw many tightly contested events with New Lynn being pipped at the line. However there was no doubt of the result this year with the New Lynn team amassing double the number of points of their closest rivals, over a two-day tramping event.

The team worked their way through a number of bases which included a gear check, some outdoor first aid, fire lighting and putting up an old canvas tent blindfolded. Another important aspect of the competition was navigation; which saw the New Lynn team take a ‘slight detour’ for two hours after miscalculating which base they were at and bush-bashing their way up and down banks, over fallen trees and through rough gorse. They eventually emerged, albeit scratched and muddied, and produced a much-awaited home-made Tiramisu that was commended by both judges and fellow competitors (and won the dessert competition).

The New Lynn Sea Scout Group caters for boys and girls aged 5 to 19 years. So if you want a slice of the action on the water, or to go camping and explore the adventure playground that we have out West, ting Andrew on 027 6939 756 or check out www.newlynn.seascouts.org. nz for more details.

Op shop gets bigger and better

The Glen Eden Hospice Shop is now bigger and brighter. Shoppers will be able to find even more pre-loved goodies and enjoy an enhanced shopping experience.

Located on the corner of Captain Scott and West Coast Roads the shop’s staff and team of volunteers are looking forward to helping you. “As Glen Eden continues to grow, we want to make sure that our Hospice shop in Glen Eden also grows and is a wonderful experience for our shoppers,” says Barbara Williams, CEO of Hospice West Auckland.

The money raised by the Hospice shop in Glen Eden directly supports Hospice West Auckland to provide end-of-life services for people in the greater West Auckland area – Westies helping Westies.

The store is happy to receive donations of furniture, quality clothing, home wares and much more during the shop’s opening hours, 9am-5pm, seven days a week. For larger items, Hospice provides a free pick-up service. Call 0508 446 7742 to arrange collection.

The Watercare Treatment Plant consent

Watercare’s application to clear 3.5 hectares of native bush and to construct a water treatment plant has been granted. There are 171 conditions attached to the application and I am not aware of Watercare’s response to these.

But there is deep concern about the decision among the various community groups who fought the application. Appeals are possible, perhaps inevitable.

The Panel relied heavily on the regional significance of the treatment plant and said this:

“In weighing all the matters to be considered, we placed significant emphasis on the public good elements of the resilient infrastructure that is proposed for the benefit of the region as a whole. That benefit was fundamental in our decision to grant consent to a finely balanced and challenging application. Without the public good element of this infrastructure, a proposal to clear 3.5ha of SEA would have no realistic chance of success and would run into impenetrable barriers when assessed against the objectives and policies of the AUP.”

The treatment of alternatives to

this particular site is going to attract some scrutiny in the next few weeks and months. The Panel also thought that the provision of compensation was vital to the result and said this: “Similarly, we consider that the positive effects of the WBMP compensation The Waitākere Ranges Local Board Future West team are (left to package were an essential right) Mark Allen, Saffron Toms, Sandra Coney and Greg Presland. element of the success of the application. Without that, there would be no satisfactory means of counter-balancing residual adverse effects and the application would likely fail.” One aspect that will raise eyebrows is the Panel’s finding that the policies of the Auckland Unitary Plan relating to kauri dieback disease require the management of the risk of spreading the disease, rather than the avoidance as far as possible of the spread of the disease. The site is at the head of a valley with some of the most significant stands or urban kauri left and any spread of kauri dieback will be catastrophic. Time will tell but I don’t think this is over yet by a long shot.

– Greg Presland

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