Bay Harbour: July 25, 2018

PAGE 10 Wednesday July 25 2018
BAY HARBOUR
Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Your Local Views
Foundation marks 25 years of giving
Sumner
Ferrymead
Foundation
chairman John
Taylor writes
about its 25th
anniversary
celebration next month
THE SUMNER Ferrymead
Foundation will celebrate its
25th anniversary next month
and look back on the financial
contributions it has made to
many groups and individuals
within our community.
Since its launch in 1993,
many have benefited, including
donations for education, music,
youth, arts and entertainment,
the environment, health
and welfare, and sport and
COMMUNITY: Francesca Beaton, Ray Steele, Denny
Richardson, Felicity Backhouse, Daryl Sayer and Seb Johnson. ​
recreation.
Funds are derived from returns
on invested funds which
are held in perpetuity and, after
considering an application,
the trustees make donations
within the “catchment area”.
Donations have been made towards
rebuilding the Mt Pleasant
Community Centre, the Heathcote
and Mt Pleasant school
pools, the Sumner Lifeboat
Institution, the Sumner Theatre
Group and Sumner Bridge Club,
the hockey, yacht and cricket
clubs, and numerous students.
Last year some representatives
of groups and individuals who
had recently received assistance
met with trustees. Seb Johnson,
who represented New Zealand at
the world surf lifesaving champs,
Francesca Beaton, a student who
attended an Otago University
summer research programme,
the Sumner Volunteer Fire Brigade,
the Sumner Cricket Club’s
Ray Steele, Sumner and Redcliffs
libraries’ Denny Richardson and
Felicity Backhouse all used donations
to purchase equipment
and materials.
The objectives of the foundation
are to support and enhance
the community for the future
and this is made possible by the
generous donations or bequests
from groups and individuals.
To learn more about the foundation,
visit the website www.
sumnerferrymeadfoundation.
co.nz or phone the secretary,
Daniel O’Carroll, on 3844153.
Readers respond to an
article on Birdlings Flat
residents opposing the
city council’s plans to
replace 90 per cent of the
streetlight network with
brighter blue/white LED
lights within the next three
years
Ian Orchard – The city
council needs a wake-up call –
blue-white LEDs are the wrong
colour for street lights. The excessive
blue component disrupts
melatonin and sleep patterns
and creates unnecessary glare for
motorists. It is also possible that
they actually use more electricity
than the sodium lamps they
are replacing (haven’t checked
this, hopefully they have). If the
majority of ratepayers don’t want
(LED lights) to protect their dark
skies, it can be a big saving in
electricity and installation and
maintenance costs.
Frances Malcolm – We live
in Birdlings Flat and love the
natural feel of it here. We love
how dark it is at night, especially
when we get a clear night and
can see all the stars and also
hear the waves crashing down
STAR-GAZING: The Milky Way
over Birdlings Flat, where the
majority of residents want to
see less street lighting.
the beach. We would be very sad
to lose this unique feel through
the addition of street lighting.
As can be seen already, the
bright amber street lights down
the southern end of Birdlings
Flat do not enhance the natural
surroundings, but rather make
that end of the village feel less
in tune with nature and less
attractive. I am hugely in support
of preserving our dark sky
zone with no lighting in most
places here. However, if there is a
need for lighting in more public
zones like the playground/carpark/community
centre area, I
would like to see the lighting be
a means to enhance and attract
people to the area, but not impose
on the dark sky zone. Low
boulevard-style lighting like they
have in Tekapo would be much
better than tall street lights.
Kathy Kise – The dark skies
of Birdlings Flat is one of the
many reasons why my family
and I moved to Birdlings Flat.
This “place” provides a more
natural experience while living
amidst our natural world under
threat. What we have at Birdlings
Flat is precious and rapidly
diminishing worldwide. My
home at Birdlings Flat has no cell
phone reception either, which I
hope to safeguard as well. For
the past four years I have been
working on my PhD on ‘how
people and things produce
subjective well-being (it’s longer
than this, but I gift you the short
version).’ Particular to well-being
is “place” and this place has all
the right appeal for reconnecting
with the basic and fundamental
elements of our natural world
with all its
raw, uncomplicated
and
complex
brilliance.
Currently,
this can be
experienced
‘both day
and night’
from my side
of the village
(with no
street lights
and no cell
phone coverage).
This “place” provides all the
‘wonder and awe’ that produces
the serotonin that uploads our
biological systems toward wellbeing
when we nightly view
our relative position within the
entire universe. Many nights, the
dark sky takes me to my knees
out of respect for what is already
here without us. This place needs
no artificial light, simply the recognition
of “our place” in whatever
“place” we find ourselves in.
(Abridged)
Kyra Xavia – I’m an active
member of the Dunedin Dark
Skies Group and I’m delighted
that residents in Birdlings Flat
are lobbying
against the
introduction of
new, disruptive,
white blue-rich
LED streetlights.
Current
LED streetlights
recommended
by the New Zealand
Transport
Agency are inappropriate
and unfit
for purpose for
many reasons. As
you are aware,
lighting is complex, there are valid
justifications why people need
to be concerned about existing
LED technology, and much is at
stake. It’s our responsibility to
consider the broader, long-term
negative costs of LEDs that far
outweigh energy, maintenance
and operational savings.
•More Local Views, page 12
jo hayes
National list MP based in Christchurch East
Keep well and warm
this winter
Call to make an appointment:
Phone 384 9459
www.national.org.nz
Authorised by Jo Hayes
Unit 6/950 Ferry Road, ChCh