Waimea Weekly
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Wednesday 4 November 2015
Fishing replenished
Brightwater Rural Fire Force Page 14
Change to power trust could cost Simon Bloomberg A trustee of Network Tasman is concerned that a move to deregulate the company lacks transparency and could result in consumers paying more for their power. The Network Tasman Trust, which distributes electricity to 37,500 customers around Nelson and Tasman, is seeking public feedback on a proposal to “vary the terms of the deed” with the biggest change being a move to allow Network Tasman to be deregulated. However, Terry Kreft, who has been an industry-appointed representative on the trust for 18 years, says he is concerned about the process the trust is following to change the deed and has reservations about the intent of the changes. Terry says one of his concerns is that the changes will allow the company to be deregulated and that could cost the consumer. He says being regulated ensures power
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South Island victory Page 30
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...deregulating would [mean] the company could spend money on whatever they wish. - Terry Kreft, Network Tasman trustee.
delivery is fairly priced and that there is “security of supply to your door”, while “deregulating would remove the cap on pricing and the company could spend the money on whatever they wish”. “The changes are to allow the company to move from under the regulator’s umbrella to a deregulated environment. There are advantages for the company but there is a disadvantage for the consumer in terms of cost and trustees are aware of some of these costs.” Terry says he’s also disappointed that there has been
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Sonny Grant, left, and Yee Shek On have been whitebaiting on the Waimea River almost every day since the season opened. Photo: Simon Bloomberg.
Whitebaiters finding success in Appleby The whitebait have finally started running with “plenty of good catches of 10 pounds a day” in the Waimea River and reliable reports of “a hundred pounds a day” being caught in the Motueka River and Aorere River in Golden Bay. Sonny Grant of Bishopdale and Yee Shek On of Richmond, who have been out on the Waimea River almost every day since the season opened on August 15, say they were both catching “about a pound a day on average” just before La-
bour Weekend. That’s a far cry from Yee’s best catch of “a gallon and three-quarters in one scoop” on the Waimea River five years ago but still enough to keep them coming back. A retired market gardener, Yee says he’s been whitebaiting on the Waimea River for “30 or 40 years”. Although he’s pleased the whitebait have finally started running, he admits he’d still be out on the river if they weren’t. “It’s just good to be out here,” Yee says. “If I wasn’t here I’d only be out
snapper fishing.” Nelson whitebaiter Nick Wright made a good call to take annual leave to go whitebaiting for two weeks, catching five pounds on the Saturday of Labour Weekend. “I always take my leave on the two biggest tides of September and October to go whitebaiting,” Nick says. “I got my biggest catch of five pounds on Saturday and I talked to other guys who got up to 10 pounds
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