CATCHING UP: News in brief from around the Bay

Coal shed protest group after judicial review
A newly-established protest group has taken the first step towards securing a judicial review over the construction of the Port of Tauranga's big coal shed in Totara St.
The 80-strong Coal-ition Monitoring Group, formed by Mount Maunganui resident Judith Bell, is asking the Ministry for the Environment to fund the judicial review and has made an application to its environmental legal assistance fund for up to $30,000.
The monitoring group will receive a decision on its funding application in six weeks - by that time the 8200 sq m coal storage building, 150m long and 55m wide, will be nearly completed.
The group is challenging Tauranga City Council's decision not to notify the resource consent application that was granted to the port in December last year.
The consent allowed the port to build the coal shed, hopper and mid-air conveyor system to a height of 25 metres, five metres above the level permitted in the district plan.
The council decided the port's coal operation would have only minor environmental impact. But residents along the Oceanview Rd ridge became alarmed when the coal shed started going up in August and the roof line blocked some of their view to the Kaimai Ranges. They were also concerned about the glare from the roof and any possible dust pollution.
Mrs Bell said it was important to push ahead with a judicial review "perhaps to remind the council planners that they need to consult the public on big decisions that impact on the environment in the future. I've had really good support over this."
The council has made a submission to the Ministry for the Environment over the eligibility of the monitoring group's application to its legal assistance fund. The council also claimed there had been some misleading media attention that might have enticed some people to join the monitoring group.
The $25 million storage facility, with a capacity for 70,000 tonnes, is being built to handle Genesis Power's coal imports, mainly from Indonesia. The coal will be railed to the Huntly Power Station.
- Graham Skellern Dinner raises funds
A women's charity dinner organised by Tauranga Soroptimist International raised about $1500 for cancer patients this week.
The club, made up of business women, hosted a dinner on Monday night as a fundraising venture for Canteen and Project Hope to help support cancer treatment for youth and the Western Bay's proposed $2 million cancer centre.
The black and white themed evening saw about 90 people gather for a dinner, raffle and to hear guest-speaker Sheryl Dawson, the chief executive officer for Netball Bay of Plenty.
Vice-president Laurene Boyd said the community-focussed club was delighted with the fundraising take for the night.
"It was excellent, it really went well. The speaker was very good, she held everybody captivated."
The 10 tables were decorated with black and white floral arrangements that were later auctioned off to raise extra money.
In the past, the Tauranga Soroptimists have raised money for an annual Tauranga Girls' College scholarship, Waipuna Hospice and Tauranga Women's Refuge.
- Anna Bowden
Shops brace for Xmas
The advertisements continue and the phone calls grow by the day as Bay retailers brace themselves for the onslaught of Christmas.
Last week, many local businesses were already cashing in on Christmas despite it being over two months away and since then, more Christmas stores have popped up such as Habitat Christmas Shop in Bayfair.
A spokesperson for the shop said they had been busy and people were putting items on layby to avoid worrying about money later on.
Jeni Mudgway of The Christmas Heirloom Company said her shop had been full with a steady stream of shoppers.
Advertisements in the Bay of Plenty Times were now calling for more store helpers as the holidays begin.
- Justine Turner
Car sellers warned
Roadside car sellers have been reminded it is an offence to use the grass verge outside the Harbour Bridge Marina as a make-shift car yard.
Tauranga City Council parking department team leader Kevin Nally said as of this week, warning signs were put up to deter potential car sellers from parking their vehicles on council reserve.
Mr Nally said the signs indicate to sellers that they may be slapped with a fine or have their vehicle towed if they disobey the warning.
"In normal circumstances a car seller will be issued with a $40 fine, while repeat offenders may have their vehicle towed."
He said those parking their vehicles on the grass need to be aware it was deemed a "traffic hazard."
"The problem is that people are driving along and not paying attention to the traffic, causing nose to tail accidents."
The grass area was under council jurisdiction and was regularly monitored by city parking wardens. The marina carpark, on the other hand, was on private land meaning the council could not force car sellers to shift.
"It's up to the marina to ask sellers who use their carpark to leave."
- Yvette Wakelin
Brief reprieve for staff
Some staff at Mount Maunganui company Invensys Appliance Controls have been given a slight reprieve.
On October 3, 15 workers were made redundant and another 24 were due to leave at the end of next week. The company's bosses had made the decision earlier this year to wind down the Mount-based operations and move them to China.
Because of the availability of inexpensive labour there, the work can be carried out 18 times cheaper than in New Zealand.
But assistant accountant Tania Rickard said this week that only three staff would now leave next Friday. Of those, one has already found other work. The rest - about 26 in total - would leave either on November 19 or December 17, Ms Rickard said.
- Lesley Staniland
Care providers angry
Western Bay aged-care providers are "outraged" at the Government's lack of funding, and believe it will seriously effect the quality of care offered to the elderly.
Last week the Bay of Plenty District Health Board offered local operators a 2 per cent increase in allocated funding - well below the 33 per cent asked for. Tauranga Aged Care Providers Action Collective spokesperson Robert Lee said the amount was little compared to what was required.
"These increases are required to improve the wage rates for the caregivers and nurses employed in our facilities," Mr Lee said.
"The Health Board and Ministry are aware that there is a critical shortage of qualified and experienced staff, and facilities which are under pressure cannot afford to provide significant wage increases."
Mr Lee said the situation would only get worse as the health board was not funded appropriately for the number of older people in the area.
"With an aging population the critical situation will become a crisis very soon," Mr Lee said.
"Since the government has not accepted responsibility to pay an adequate amount for the services, rest home operators will have to seek solutions to their problems on their own."
A Lakes and Bay of Plenty District Health Board spokesperson said funding amounts were agreed upon at a national DHB level.
- Matthew Torbit
Business as usual
Building certification in Tauranga is not under threat following the deregistration of a national certifying company, although changes are looming following the introduction of new leaky homes laws.
Last month, the Building Industry Authority deregistered a major Auckland certifier following complaints from the North Shore and Waitakere City councils.
But council environmental services manager Terry Wynyard said certification would continue as usual in Tauranga.
However, the new Building Act has introduced changes to the way inspection and certification would be carried out, and council staff were investigating the impact on Tauranga. The new requirements would be phased in gradually.
The Act stipulates that private certifiers must be licensed practitioners - a process which could take up to three years to achieve. People would also be protected from shonky building practices by closing the legal escape route in which "phoenix" building companies were set up for the duration of individual projects.
Mr Wynyard said building inspection and certification in Tauranga was carried out by private companies on behalf of the council. He was working with certifiers to ensure the service could be maintained when their contracts with the council expire next June.
- John Cousins