Nelson Weekly
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www.simplicity.co.nz
tuesday 26 June 2018
the rise of te reo
page 5
IN OUR REGION
enduro comes to nelson
Page 16-17
page 23
Questions over golf course dismissed Charles Anderson Editor
charles@nelsonweekly.co.nz
Nelson City Council has no business using ratepayers money to subsidise an increasingly dwindling golfing population, says the Nelson Residents’ Association. “The course competes with struggling, un-subsidised private clubs,” says association spokesperson Steve Cross. “It costs something like $1200 per member per year in ratepayer subsidy.” Nelson City Council has owned Waahi Taakaro Golf Club in the Maitai Valley for many decades. However, Steve’s comments come in the wake of Auckland Council’s de-
cision to cut one of its courses in half to make way for other community and sporting developments. The High Court upheld the council’s decision to turn Chamberlain Park from an 18-hole course into a 9-hole course. In its place will be a new aquatic centre, playground, cycleways and two artificial turf sports fields. Steve wonders how much longer the Nelson City Council can justify the spend on what is only benefitting a small number of citizens. “It certainly seems time that rationale for continued spending for the sake of a few was revis-
SEE PAGE 2
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Zeke Kennedy, 4, tries out one of the bikes and helmets that have been donated to Victory Square Kindergarten by The Bike Station. Photo: Kate Russell.
Bikes for kindy kids Kate Russell
Bike enthusiast Brendon Mathews believes there should be no barriers to children learning how to ride a bike.
That’s why his business, The Bike Station, has decided to donate good quality bikes to every kindergarten in Nelson. It’s a busy Thursday afternoon at Victory Square Kin-
100% locAlly owned And operAted
dergarten and there is a long queue of excited children waiting for a turn on the four bikes that Brendon has just brought in. He explains that the bikes are not brand-new, but those
that have been traded in as part of their popular ‘Kids Bike Trade-in Programme’. “The programme works by us buying back any used bike
SEE PAGE 4
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