It is unlikely National will support the next stage in the Government’s proposed gun law changes, party leader Simon Bridges says.

The second tranche of gun reforms were announced last month, with a gun register to be created, gun licence length dropping from 10 years to five and police being given additional power.

National supported the first tranche, but Mr Bridges told TVNZ1’s Breakfast this morning that since then “the buyback’s scheme has been a fiasco”.

“They haven’t put fair market value on the guns and so a small number of thousands have been handed in and there’s hundreds of thousands there,” he said. “That hasn’t worked.”

We’re very reluctant and I think unlikely to support the next law changes, simply put, because if you look at what the Government’s doing they haven’t heeded our warnings,” Mr Bridges said.

“They’re going after law abiding gun owners, they’re not going after – actually, I’ll say it this way – the baddies, the criminals, the gangs and the extremists.”

Mr Bridges said there was “a bunch of things” the Government could be doing to tackle the issue properly.

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by Margaret Stevenson-Wright

Our Lady of Fatima Church in Waikanae was the beautiful pastoral heart of its congregation whose relationship with their church has variously involved key passages of baptism, first communion, confirmation, marriage, extreme unction and burial.

Three days before the celebration of the last mass on 18 August, I felt compelled to capture images as a celebration of the richness that this church offered.

Some of these are shared within this post; they and others taken at that time will be published in print form.

A photo we took of the site today: one assumes there’ll soon be condos or townhouses here. —Eds

The unmistakable Klinks Garage campaign truck (the little alligator skull on the roof isn’t from a real alligator.)

On Monday we had lunch with Murray, who lives with his wife on a 10-acre lifestyle block in Reikorangi.  His campaign truck is a distinctive silver (given what could be called Mad Max treatment) 1951 Ford F100 pick-up and he tells us he’s not only a classic car enthusiast, but also a train fan; and he likes trees and birds — all of them things your editors like, too. 🙂

It’s obvious that he believes in evidence-based decision making, as opposed to the alternative of populist decision making. One of the two simple slogans on the truck is Good Decisions – if he gets on the council he will gather qualified information on proposals, will form a viewpoint based on cost to the Ratepayers, benefits returned to the community against those costs, risks and mitigations, while ensuring success criteria are well understood within council and, more importantly, to the ratepayers. “If it ticks the boxes I will support it, if not I won’t and will share my view.”

Sometimes, he says, the council actually does the right things, but misses the mark at communicating why those decisions were made.

When it comes to council infrastructure projects, he is critical: the council shows no evidence of project management, no project timelines, no milestones and no communication with the public on what is happening with them and why any delays might be occurring. “I want value for our money and this drives me to ask the questions and set timelines and success criteria.”

He grew up in Pukerua Bay where he was born 55 years ago, which he says was a very tight and friendly community culture. About the time the KCDC was formed in 1989 he moved up the road to Paraparaumu and raised his own family of three children there and for the last 3 years has lived in Reikorangi, not far from the St Andrews Church.

His background has been within the telecommunications industry — for the last 12 years at TelstraClear to Vodafone leading customer service groups supporting large enterprise and Government customers.

His desire for more business in council (and less council in business) comes from a Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Management with majors in Business Transformation, Change and Strategic Management.

Murray’s small part-time automotive business was set up in 1995 so when he was offered voluntary redundancy in April this year he took the opportunity to free himself up to pursue other interests. Most of his time is spent in the workshop, but he does a bit of relief truck driving. Being also a musician, he plays in not just one, but two local bands,

His views on key issues — 
Housing – I support council removing roadblocks to increasing opportunity for housing growth – BUT I don’t support council being a landlord and owning housing. Being a landlord is challenging today and is getting harder with increased regulations and costs imposed for no financial benefit for property investors. I don’t believe it is council core business, however Council and central Government can definitely make it easier for private landlords and building development using community groups and local trade business.
Climate Change – I believe humans adapt and the earth’s normal climate change cycles will help us prioritise things we need to adapt for. I don’t want to waste ratepayers money on something that might not happen or may possibly happen in 100 years – human adaptation will prevail over time. People tend to exaggerate to gain urgency – I am thinking of Al Gore’s bold predictions.
Economic Development – Kapiti is rich with successful small enterprises – this tells me we are doing well for operational businesses but I still believe we have challenges with red tape that could be removed to support more rapid growth. New housing initiatives can feed our locals and employ our young people. “Trades are the new Black” There is either too much bureaucracy, or we are not good at getting through it within timelines that are acceptable to the community.
Opportunities – I think there are still opportunities that can create our Kapiti brand as an international destination. I am thinking, Trams, Whaling History, Kapiti Island, Southwards [museum], Marine Environment Centre (the old Raumati Pool) tied in with the Kapiti Gateway, but they all need a good return like any business venture to get across this line otherwise rates will need to go up. This is where Council need to get smart to accelerate progress.

It is a help-yourself council-provided facility.

“Over the weekend we painted the exterior of the library building to make it look more presentable,” says the council in its latest newsletter.  Others think it now looks more like a power substation or a pumping station. We have put in an OI request to find out what is happening.

This stream in the Waikanae North subdivision (some of its houses on the right) runs close to the boundary with the established area (bushes along the background).

When it got down to 20 (runs needed to win), I started thinking I could rein it in a little bit, but when it was 70s, 60s, 50s, I thought I had to really try and go. I was so in the zone as to what I had to do. —England’s cricket hero, Ben Stokes

England win against the odds

By Roger Childs

Coming into the third test, England were one down in the series against Australia. It seemed very likely it would become two down when the English were out for a paltry 67 in reply to  the visitors first inning of 179 at Leeds.

The Australians made 246 in their second turn at bat, leaving England 359 to win – a total they had never made in the final innings of test between the two sides. All seemed lost when the ninth wicket fell with their score at 286. However, New Zealand born Ben Stokes, virtually single-handedly pulled off a remarkable victory with the help of the stubborn number eleven batsman, Jack Leach, at the other end.

So it is now one-all in the Ashes series.

The Ashes — establishing the legend

The 1882 cricket victory to Australia at The Oval in London, was regarded as a national disaster in the old country. 

England should have won the game as they needed only 85 runs in the second innings. But fast bowler F.W. Spofforth (right), who had taken 7 wickets in the first innings, took another seven second time around to leave the English 8 runs short.

The Sporting Times declared judgment. It regarded the defeat by the colonials as the death of English cricket and young journalist Reginald Brooks wrote a mock obituary with the punch line that “The body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia.” 

The image captured the public imagination, and the English team under Ivo Bligh (later Lord Darnley), went to Australia later in the year to “recover the ashes”. After their 2-1 victory in the series a group of Melbourne women presented Captain Bligh with an urn containing ashes.

After Lord Darnley’s death in 1927, his Australian-born widow, Florence gave the urn to the MCC to put in their museum at the Lords cricket ground.

Stokes to the rescue

So 137 years later, test cricket’s most famous rivals still play for the Ashes. Having lost the first test and drawn the second, England had to win at Headingley in Leeds to keep their hope alive.

Three wickets down for 156 starting the last day, the English needed a further 203. Captain Joe Root was quickly out, but Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow took the score through to 245 in an 86 run partnership. But then the wickets tumbled and needing 73 for the last wicket it seemed almost certain that Australia would win.

Stokes decided to throw caution to the wind and his next four scoring shots were sixes. At the other end Jack Leach kept the ball out when facing his 17 deliveries and scored just the one run. It was vital that he keep his wicket intact if England was to win the match.

The sell-out crowd couldn’t believe what was happening as Stokes battered the ball all round the ground and scored his last 74 runs off 42 balls. He had his share of luck when he was dropped in the deep with 17 runs still needed, and also when Aussie spinner Nathan Lyon dropped the ball 15 runs later when a run out seemed certain.

With one run needed, Stokes hit a four through cover and England had pulled off one of the most remarkable victories in the long history of cricket. In one of the great test innings Ben Stokes had scored 135 not out ensuring that England kept its Ashes hopes alive.

by Margaret Stevenson-Wright

On Friday as I walked through Mahara Place, a concerned resident drew my attention to a hazard within the update of Mahara Place — and in doing so asked that I photograph her at her point of identified hazard.  Having done so, I urged her to act upon her concern.

Troubled by what this resident had drawn attention to, I returned on Saturday capture a progression of images that illustrate the hazard — a description of which (backed by these images) follows:

Immediately outside the 123 Mart shop an attractive wooden slatted path at ground level invites one to walk towards the Book and Post Shop and Westbury pharmacy and in doing so follow the gentle incline of the slatted path to these businesses.

The reality is that this attractive low gradient wooden slatted path ends abruptly at a height of 0.6 metres above concrete below.  While double this height is often taken as a threshold for railing restraint, consideration of the public that are typically present, their frequently poor eyesight and the potential of wet wood for slips elevates this to a possible disastrous head injury fall (for young children particularly) onto the concrete, even if it occurred infrequently.