CATCHING UP: Doors of Hope raise $17,000 for charities

The Doors of Hope charity fundraiser brought in $17,000 for various charities last month.
The event, co-organised by Tracey Tume, matched local artists with charities and gave each a full-size door to paint as artwork.
The winning entry was judged to be the effort by Finela Moore on behalf of the Women's Refuge. The People's Choice award was won by Caren Glazer's creation for Breast Cancer Support Services.
"We haven't done the post analysis yet," says Ms Tume, "but the money is all dished out."
She said the event could be repeated because it succeeded in providing a forum to get new partnerships and networks going in the community.
Ten of the 13 doors were sold at auction on a rainy night, which probably kept the attendance down, she said. Two others had since been sold on trade.me and the final door is still on show at its sponsor's, Barry Muir Furniture Gallery at the Mount.
The charities to benefit were Waipuna Hospice, Breast Cancer Support Services, Women's Refuge, Project Hope, Autism NZ, Avalon Training Centre, Arthritis Tauranga, Homes of Hope, Camp Quality, Habitat for Humanity, Child Cancer Foundation, Parent to Parent, and Cancer Society.
Paul Dykes
Feedback on review
Western Bay residents have until 5pm on April 28 to object to the outcome of a review of how many councillors they should have and how they will be elected in 2007.
On March 13, the council considered submissions regarding its proposed review of its representation arrangements for the 2007 triennial elections and proposed no change to its 12 members elected from five wards and the mayor elected at large.
However, two meshblocks or some 93 people will be transferred from the Kaimai ward to Te Puke ward to ensure the population of each ward is within the range of 3185, plus or minus 10 per cent, as required under the Local Government Act.
The five existing community boards and their membership election system will also remain unchanged, but the boundary of the Omokoroa Community Board will be extended to State Highway 2. The boundaries of three community boards - Waihi Beach, Katikati, and Te Puke - will now be the same as that of each ward. Elected membership on the Te Puke Community Board will be reduced from six to four.
Copies of the council resolution and maps setting out the areas of the proposed wards and community boards and objection forms can be obtained from council offices, or via the website www.wbopdc.govt.nz
Submissions can also be sent to Democracy Manager, Private Bag 12803, Tauranga. All appeals received will be sent to the Local Government Commissioner for review.
Sandra Conchie
Landslides discussed
Debris flows and landslides are on the agenda for the next Waikato University Cafe Scientifique on April 3.
In the past decade, the effects of mass movements have caused unprecedented financial and personal hardship in southern hemisphere countries.
The International Federation of Red Cross reported that the 1999 inundation of coastal Venezuela resulted in landslides that destroyed or damaged about 30,000 homes in Vargas state and killed up to 30,000 people. A further 80,000-100,000 people were affected by the two-day deluge and the United Nations estimated economic damage at US$1.9 billion.
Landslides in Quezon City and the Southern Leyte province of the Philippines have killed hundreds, and thousands more were affected by loss of homes and infrastructure services. In the past year, the Bay of Plenty has witnessed the awesome force of nature, with some residents of Matata and Tauranga city suburbs of Otumoetai and Welcome Bay losing their homes in landslides.
Next month, Waikato's Earth Sciences Department Dr Vicki Moon and engineering geologist Sally Hargraves discuss the cause of mass movements focussing on how the combination of steep slopes, high rainfall and young geology increases the risk of mass movement. Cafe Scientifique features at The Palms Restaurant & Bar, Grey Street at 7.30pm, April 3. For further information, contact Nyree Sherlock at the University of Waikato at Tauranga 577 0620.
Anna Bowden
GreenFleet succeeds
Project GreenFleet, an initiative with the potential to save Bay businesses millions of dollars a year in transport costs, is quickly gathering momentum.
The Sustainable Business Network has signed up 11 more Bay companies to the scheme in the past month - leaving just three opportunities for businesses to have their first year's costs met by Environment Bay of Plenty.
Sustainable Business' regional manager Calum Revfem said Project GreenFleet was attracting a lot of interest from companies with larger vehicle fleets. The initiative aims to lower transport costs through better travel planning, more economical driving techniques and by accessing the latest fuel-efficient technologies. Mr Revfem said they were now getting calls from fleet managers who, faced with steadily increasing fuel bills, were starting to see Project Greenfleet as a must-have rather than nice-to-have.
Some had fleets of 50 or more vehicles, which meant they already had good information on which to measure the difference GreenFleet would make to fleet running costs.
"The risk of taking part in this programme are zero because the writing is on the wall for fuel and other general transport costs."
Mr Revfem plans to hold a workshop in July where the key ideas of GreenFleet would be discussed. He said they want to build a knowledge base for companies striving for best practice in lowering transport costs.
John Cousins