June242010

EDUCATION RESOURCE QUESTIONNAIRE

We are researching potential demand for an online resource to provide information for education in the water sector, and would greatly appreciate your thoughts and ideas.

The questionnaire can be located from this link: http://www.waternz.org.nz/whats_new.html

Please take the time to fill out a short questionnaire and return to Hannah Dawson.

WATER NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL: WATER

July issue will be with readers Monday 19 July.

The main theme is Stormwater, Storage and Retention and the sub topics are Training and Recruitment.

To advertise contact Noeline Strange at n.strange@xtra.co.nz
Email the Editor, Simone Olsen with ideas and contributions simone@avenues.co.nz

NEW ZEALAND ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE AWARDS

Entries for the New Zealand Engineering Excellence Awards are now open. These are the premier awards for engineering professionals in New Zealand and they are presented in two major areas: Awards Recognising People, that recognise leadership, innovation, entrepreneurship and our young engineers; and Product and Project Awards that recognise achievement in the various industry areas.

For more information on awards categories and how to enter go to New Zealand Engineering Excellence Awards

Details on the 2009 winners found here

CURRENT AFFAIRS:

Wastewater issue still bubbling - After a walkout at last month's Thames-Coromandel District Council meeting, the contentious wastewater issue has effectively been left to the incoming council. At an extraordinary council meeting on Tuesday, Mayor Philippa Barriball withdrew a motion which, at the previous meeting, provoked the exit of four councillors and the early closure of the meeting due to lack of a quorum. The spat happened when half the councillors argued for a standard district-wide fee to pay for wastewater projects but the other half (who eventually left the room) wanted a 50 per cent district fee with 50 per cent based on the cost of the local scheme to the particular ratepayer. More

Water bid ‘greedy’ - Environmentalists are calling a Kaitaia dairy farm's plans to take large volumes of water from the Aupouri aquifer and Awanui River greedy and unsustainable. Landcorp and Te Rarawa Runanga are seeking resource consent to take up to 31,075 cubic metres of water a day from the 430 square kilometre aquifer to irrigate the 2246-hectare Sweetwater Station. The volume of groundwater sought is more than six times greater than the 5000 cubic metres a day the Far North District Council is seeking for its Kaitaia water supply. More

Maori make claims to control river - Several iwi in the region are making Treaty claims to try to take back more control over the Manawatu River. The groups want the sick river cleaned up, with some believing they could do a better job at managing it than Horizons Regional Council has. Rangitaane o Manawatu Iwi is the first in the region to reach negotiation stage on a Treaty settlement claim on the river.

Principal negotiator Danielle Harris said the more than 2000 iwi members would be looking to have a more involved role in the management and cleaning up of the river. The iwi was working positively with Horizons Regional Council on the clean-up of the river and wanted to continue to do so, she said. More

Water supply budget blowout - The cost to operate and maintain Queenstown's water supply is running 70% over budget, and will end the financial year about $650,000 in the red, the Queenstown Lakes District Council's utilities committee heard yesterday. There was a warning in March the budget was heading for a blowout, and this looked set to exceed $800,000, of which the Queenstown water supply accounted for the biggest portion by far, QLDC 3 waters manager (wastewater, stormwater and potable water) Gerry Essenberg said yesterday. He said the main reason was costly repairs on the old water network in Queenstown. For example, recent repairs to the Fernhill rising main cost about $200,000. More