A Waikato University scientist says if New Zealand is serious about reducing risk to people and places following Christchurch’s earthquakes, then Northland is the most sensible place to be building a new city.
Associate Professor Earl Bardsley from the Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences says while large earthquakes are rare, Northland has considerably fewer earthquakes because it bends away from the main seismic zone.
“The Christchurch earthquake has forced us to think how cities should be built and where they should be located. The rest of the country has a higher overall risk of urban destruction. ”
Dr Bardsley says rather than focus on the complex seismic detail of individual earthquakes at different localities, it is simpler to consider this risk as an average in terms just of those few important earthquakes which have resulted, or will result, in extensive urban damage.
Ruakaka Economic Development Group (REDG) has in the last year achieved Incorporated Society status and in turn has increased its membership to approximately 40 members.
The coming year will see a change in format which it is hoped will involve more small businesses having involvement with REDG.
We have struggled to some degree fitting within the bounds of our Constitution and allowing people to have involvement without taking the focus away from the very reason we exist. While members of REDG put huge effort into promoting their business and what it has to offer, it is very much a long haul situation which needs all the support we can give.
Being an election year certainly doesn’t contain the same hype and promise that it used to.
Click here to visit Topicshow.com and view their article and photo gallery on Northport.
The CEO of the Whangarei District Council is to propose the mothballing of the Northland Rail Line. He will argue that only the construction of a Marsden Pt rail link would drive the retention of rail in Northland and no-one including KiwiRail and the Government is putting up their hand to pay for it. CEO Mark Simpson will make the proposal at the Council’s meeting on Wednesday. He says: “Given the realities of the national economy and the heavy investment in rebuilding Christchurch post-earthquake, Northland is not going to attract central government investment in both rail and road transport.”
Mr Simpson says Northland local bodies are united in the stance that shortening road travel times between Northland and Auckland is their leading concern for the economic and other benefits of the region and support the Government’s Puhoi to Wellsford roading proposal.
“Rail supports some 20 jobs in Northland, not all of which would be lost by mothballing, as the line would still need to be maintained during its period of inactivity,” Mr Simpson said. “The cessation of rail operations would mean an average extra 30 heavy vehicle movements per day on SH1 through Whangarei, which is not significant. There would be an average extra 23 heavy vehicle movements per day on Portland Road, which currently averages a minimum 260 daily heavy vehicle movements in the carting of logs, woodchip, limestone, cement and coal.”
Mayhem at Marsden Cove
Racing was cut short today with the intrusion of not one, but two large cement ships heading through the course and, despite being asked by race officials, refusing to wait for the race to finish. This was disappointing for everyone as the organisers go to a lot of trouble several weeks before the race to ensure the waterway is closed to traffic and official notice given to vessels so the boats can race in a safe environment. The Whangarei Harbour Master had given special dispensation for the powerboat race to go ahead by raising the speed restriction for the duration of the race and closing the waterway to all traffic.
On February 17th, 2011 there was a worrying article in the NZ Herald about the future of the North Auckland Railway Line:
The Whangarei/Auckland railway line could be mothballed for an indefinite period from next year, after talks KiwiRail plans to have with the region’s businesses and local authorities. KiwiRail CEO Jim Quinn delivered the facts about the route to yesterday’s monthly meeting of the Northland Regional Council. A final decision on mothballing the route or keeping it open is up to a year away. He told councillors the cost of running the trains on the route was almost exactly the same as the service was earning ($8 million to $9 million) and that the route was “a barely used asset in terms of the amount of investment”.
9 February 2011
8 April 2011
15 October 2010
15 October 2010
11 February 2011
