Your community Newspaper l
Richmond
l
Hope
l
Brightwater
l
Wakefield
l
Murchison
Wednesday 4 May 2011
National champion Page 17
Green light given for velodrome
Proud to be locally owned and operated
FREE
Lift ou
t
New Show Home
Page 13 - 16
First of the season Page 20
Teresa Hattan Tasman District Council is backing plans to build a multi million dollar velodrome at Saxton Field, after more than 100 submissions were received during its draft annual plan process. With submissions on the draft annual plan closing late last month, more than a quarter of the 470 submissions received were in favour of the council supporting the proposal. Tasman mayor Richard Kempthorne says council has listened to the public and the cycling community and has brought forward the funding it had already allocated for the project. In total, Tasman has set aside $526,000 in its 2011-12 draft annual plan while at this stage Nelson City Council has kept its budgeted $1.3m in the 2012-13 plan. Spokesman for Bike Nelson Rob Ford says cycling groups are keen to push this project forward and its great that TDC has got behind it. He says all that is holding the project back is the fact NCC funding is not aligned with TDC funding. The process of looking for a new venue for the velodrome started in 2008 before the upgrade of Trafalgar Park began. Local cycling mentor and businessmen Jim Matthews believes the area “really, really needs” this new track urgently. “We as a sporting group are missing out. The region is producing top quality cyclists but they don’t have a top quality facility.” Rob believes everyone in the cycling community is keen for the project to start as soon as possible. “It’s not a huge project when you look at what the ratepayers will get out of it. It’s potentially a huge asset for Saxton Stadium too.”
UPLIFTING: Appleby rural fire force women, from left, Robyn Jackman, Doreen Helms, Spike O’Donoghue, Alana Murphy, Chelsea Fry, Grace Clark and Bella Clark say being on the force together is great fun. Photo: Teresa Hattan.
Women fire fighters doing it for Appleby Teresa Hattan
It’s not something in the water in Appleby that has seen the local rural fire force become inundated with women. Instead, the seven women who form
a large part of the brigade say it’s their way of giving back to the community. The longest serving members of the brigade are Bella Clark and Grace Clark, who have been involved for 17 years. They say they joined because at
the time they were the ones that were home during the day. The ladies say they were not aware of any other brigade around the district
SEE PAGE 4