Kia ora everyone Welcome to Sustainable Wellington Net's seventh newsletter SITE NEWS The home page has been revamped and the Table of Contents page now includes viewing recommendations tailored to different audiences We surveyed the Election parties on their environmental stances and the results are on our Government Election Survey 1999 page. These pages will be moved to the Historical section of our Campaigns section were we'll leave them to see how many promises get broken! Who is the WTO? 1,200 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have formed a coalition calling for a halt to the World Trade Organisation's drive to cut trade tariffs and open up markets. Our latest Editorial investigates this scary organisation CHRISTMAS IDEAS How about a Forest & Bird gift membership? Membership includes 4 issues a year of the excellent Forest & Bird magazine. This full colour magazine weighs in at around 50 pages and always includes interesting and well researched articles on our native flora and fauna. Membership is also available to their Kiwi Conservation Club where kids aged 5 to 12 can learn about the fascinating world of nature whilst being challenged to read, draw, or decipher puzzles The ECO Store is an Auckland retail store and mail order company whose primary aim is to make it easy for you to use authentic green products in and around your home. Free catalogue Karori Sanctuary is selling plaques on the fence posts surrounding the Sanctuary. Some families are reserving posts in the name of their children and grandchildren. Phone 920 9200 or e-mail IT TAKES COMMONSENSE TO CROSS ONE OF WELLINGTON'S BUSIEST STREETS Commonsense Organics has moved just across the road from the old shop to 260 Wakefield Street. The new shop greatly increases floor space and brings more of a supermarket look to the store. Commonsense sell organic food from around New Zealand including fruits, vegetables, and meats KARORI SANCTUARY ON TARGET After 2 successful helicopter poison drops, Karori Sanctuary is expected to be pest free by March next year and is on target to reintroduce wild Kiwi to Wellington: "For Wellington, 2000 will be the year of the return of wild Kiwi" * 3 tonnes of possum carcasses (1,072 in total) were removed by 44 volunteers before the helicopter poison drops * 2.8 tonnes of bait was dropped by helicopter in 4 hours * In total 120 volunteers and staff were involved in the operation The Karori Sanctuary web site is back online at but you'll need graphics turned on to access it KILBIRNIE BUS DEPOT SOLD Wellington City Council has decided to appoint the joint bid from Stagecoach NZ and Ryman Healthcare as preferred tenderer for the Kilbirnie Bus Depot, a deal worth over $7 million. The Council's acceptance of the Stagecoach/Ryman tender for the Kilbirnie Bus Depot site not only returns to the City $7 million (well in excess of the site's $4.4 million Government Valuation), but also protects Wellington's current public transport needs, and means new jobs and increased business for Kilbirnie. "The Stagecoach/Ryman deal will provide accommodation for 178 buses and a brand-new, high-quality retirement complex built by an experienced developer that will house up to 305 residents. This will bring 85 new jobs into Kilbirnie and up to 305 new patrons for local businesses", says Mayor Blumsky. OWHIRO BAY QUARRY TO BE CLOSED The council has purchases the Owhiro Bay Quarry from Milburn NZ for $705,000. Once essential work to maintain safe access to the site has been completed, the Council aims to spend some $570,000 on a staged rehabilitation and landscaping programme. A further $200,000 may be spent on revegetation later on. LIVING EARTH AND THE WEAKENED RMA On a more depressing note, Southern Environment has been rebuffed after recently appealing to the Environment Court against the granting of changes to the Resource Consent Conditions for the Living Earth sludge composting operation. Living Earth sought a change in the consent conditions to allow, amongst other things, higher levels of some heavy metals and of Dieldrin in the compost they produce from sewage sludge. The changes to the RMA that were introduced in the RMA Amendment Act 1996 allow for the granting of orders for security of costs against appellant groups. Living Earth sought an order for security for costs against Southern Environment (they initially wanted $50,000 security). Environment Court Judge Kenderdine on the 6th of December decided, solely on the basis of Living Earth's evidence, that Southern Environment and its Chairperson had to pay a security of $30,000 (payable to the Court by 13th December). Not surprisingly Southern Environment do not have these funds so they have had to drop their appeal. The actions of Living Earth are about a millimetre away from the typical US corporate practices of using what are called SLAPP writs (Strategic Law Suits Against Public Participation). So much for the RMA facilitating public participation in environmental decision making MAGPIE TRAPS Magpie Trip-Traps. If you have problems with magpies, you might like to consider one of these. They sell for $130 including GST and freight. Martin Hunt from Forest & Bird has some brochures available. RAT GROUNDS AIR NEW ZEALAND You may have read about a plane having to be grounded recently while they searched for a rat. According to Forest & Bird's Conservation News #116 it was actually a pet rat smuggled on board a Los Angeles -> Auckland flight. MAF says the rat could have carried fatal diseases such as rabies or bubonic plague. A regular stream of passengers try to smuggle pets (and plants) on board aircraft bound for New Zealand, in defiance of quarantine laws. Rare birds, cats, reptiles, and even a wallaby have been found on aircraft. The rat episode is particularly ironic as Air New Zealand, "our airline", is showing their own sanitised biosecurity message rather than the inflight quarantine video supplied by MAF BOOK REVIEW: Pests and Weeds: A Blueprint for Action For the first time, the impact of pests on the economy has been estimated. "Pests and Weeds - a blueprint for action" puts the cost of animal pests, weeds, and pathogens at $840 million a year, or 1% of the Gross Domestic Product. The report, commissioned by the New Zealand Conservation Authority (NZCA) says the private and public sectors spend about $400 million a year on pest control, while the economy loses about $440 million a year due to existing levels of animal pests, weeds, and pathogens. The cost of pest damage to public conservation lands is additional to this. The report challenges organisations and industries to help save New Zealand's natural heritage and combat the dangers posed to farming, forestry, and public health. For a copy of the report contact Catherine Tudhope, phone 471 3211. RESOURCES We've received a couple of publications this month both of which are very useful: 1. A US of A organisation, Sustainable America, have produced an information kit on the issue of environmental taxation (polluters pays taxing). It's called the "Environment-Friendly Taxes Organizer Kit". It looks at a number of environmental taxes and gives ideas on organising campaigns to lobby for these taxes at a local and central government level. Sustainable America are happy for the kit to be copied for use by public-interest groups, so if you'd like a copy of please e-mail us - cost of copying would be approximately $25.00. 2. We also received a copy of a book on food irradiation. "Biology of Food Irradiation" by David R Murray. This is the best book Mike has read on the dangers of food irradiation. It gives a very detailed discussion of the problems of food irradiation - ranging from effects on the flavours of food to the production of carcinogenic byproducts. With the decision by ANZFA to allow the entry of irradiated foods on a case by case basis this book will be an invaluable resource for submissions on the inevitable applications by the food industry. If anyone is interested in a copy please e-mail us . GET YOUR GREENS HERE ;-} http://www.sustainable.wellington.net.nz/ Ka kite ano, See you again