The 10th of July should be made a New Zealand public holiday because on the 10th July 1985 French secret agents, posing as interested supporters or tourists toured the Rainbow Warrior. Later they planted a bomb on the hull of the ship. When the bomb detonated it sank the boat and killed crewmember Fernando Pereira. This tragic event was the spark that ignited the anti Nuclear movement in New Zealand and helped to define a great part of the New Zealand identity. The sinking of the Rainbow warrior is as much a part of New Zealand's great history as is the Queen's (official) birthday. We should use this year, the 30th anniversary of that fateful day, to remember and to set into law the 30th of July as a public holiday.

We think the Government should STOP FRACKING NOW because we want to preserve everything that is good about our way of life in Aotearoa New Zealand; our beautiful lands, forests and beaches; clean, pure air; rivers and lakes with water that is fit to drink and healthy food grown on unpolluted soil. Scotland and New York State recently joined Vermont State, France, Bulgaria and many other states, regions, counties, cities and towns in countries around the world with a ban or moratorium on fracking. The New York fracking ban was declared in December 2014 after state officials conducted a thorough, two-year investigation and found the potential health and environmental impacts are too great to allow fracking to proceed. Scientists have documented the damaging effects of human and animal exposure to fracking contamination in surface waterways, groundwater aquifers, air and soil. During every aspect of fracking dangerous toxins enter our environment: • Toxic chemicals used in fracking, methane, radon and hydrogen sulphide gases, radioactive particles, hydrocarbons and heavy metals can escape into groundwater and are brought to the surface in produced water, fracking flowback, gas, oil and sludge. • Accidental spills pollute land and waterways. • FLIR camera studies show fugitive emissions of methane and other gases continuously escaping from drilling rigs, well-sites, compressor stations, pipelines and other industry infrastructure. • Volatile organic compounds are released into the air from wastewater pits, evaporation pits, misting and the industry practice of burning excess gas and waste fluids (flaring). • Contaminated fracking waste is entering the foodchain through discharges to waterways, landfarming and other disposal methods. Other serious dangers from fracking include: • Earthquakes - seismically induced quakes that result from fracking are generally of low intensity but the widespread practice of injecting fracking waste fluids into deep disposal wells has caused moderate to strong earthquakes in the USA, resulting in structural damage. • Water Depletion - each fracking operation uses between 7 and 20 million litres of water (sometimes more) and a production well can be fracked up to 10 times in order to maintain the flow of oil or gas. The water cannot be used for any other purpose. Weather extremes from rapid climate change bring increased danger of drought. We should protect and ration our precious supplies of fresh water for essential use in primary industries like food production, not squander them on a sunset industry. • Climate Change - the production, transport, and burning of gas, along with fugitive emissions, produces significant air pollution. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas and is over 20 times more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide. More and more fracking will undermine efforts to reduce greenhouse gases. We can join other progressive nations and lead the world in reducing our reliance on dangerous fossil fuels. We can Stop Fracking Now as the first step in our transition to clean renewable energy. Petition created by Frack Free Aotearoa New Zealand and supported by: Stop the Drilling on our East Coast Climate Justice Taranaki Te Uru Pounamu Frack Free Bay of Plenty Frack Free Whanganui Don't Frack the Bay Greenpeace NZ Frack Free Hawkes' Bay Frack Free Canterbury Thanks to Fiona Clark for the photograph. References and more information: https://www.facebook.com/notes/frack-free-aotearoa-new-zealand/stop-fracking-now-petition-references-and-more-information/699692466810387

For more than 30 years (1) NZ has been fighting fire with fire. We keep sending troops to fight in the Middle East and it has only succeeded in bringing more death and destruction, not only to the innocent people in those countries, but more recently, to our friends and families closer to home. A 2008 report (2) found that only 8% of terrorist groups, since 1968, have ended their activities as a result of military force. In fact, more terrorist groups ended due to completing their goals (10%) than as a result of military force! So the question is, what are we hoping to achieve by sending Kiwi troops to Iraq and Syria? So far all we’ve heard is that joining the fight is the “price of the club” (3). In the 1980s, allowing United States ships to dock in our country was also the ‘price of the club’. But then we stood up. New Zealanders decided to be nuclear free despite our obligations under the ANZUS treaty (4). We knew nuclear weapons made the world a more dangerous place and we took action. As a New Zealander, I am proud of what we did then and throughout our history we have always been a nation that has done what is right. I believe that we need to continue this trend. Parliament will be debating sending troops to Iraq soon. We need to stand up and say "no more fighting". We need to let our government know that we are done supporting wars which make this world a more dangerous place to live in. We need to let them know that we do not support sending our troops to Iraq. (1) Tucker, S. C. (2010). The Encyclopedia of Middle East Wars: The United States in the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, and Iraq Conflicts. ABC CLIO: Santa Barbara, CA. (2) Rand Corporation (2008). How terrorist groups end: Lessons for Countering al Qa’ida. Retrieved from http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/monographs/2008/RAND_MG741-1.pdf. (3) NZ Herald (2015). Prime Minister John Key: Isis fight 'price of the club'. Retrieved from http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11389202. (4) New Zealand bans nuclear material (n.d.). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ANZUS#New_Zealand_bans_nuclear_material.

The Dome Valley is not the ideal place for a landfill due to environmental, climate conditions and traffic risks. The proposed mega landfill is to service Auckland and Northland's waste landfill for the next 30 years and beyond. It is situated in a high river valley of 156 hectares with a tributary of the Hoteo running through the bottom of it. This runs into the Kaipara Harbour, New Zealand' s biggest harbour and main breeding ground for many species of fish and bird including 80 % snapper stocks traced back to Kaipara. The proposal includes up to 300 truck/ trailers per day transporting waste to Dome Valley on SH 1. At present an area of native forest, and multitude of waterways that flood with extreme rain events common in the Dome. This area is a haven to many endangered species (native) including the very rare and unique Hochstetters frog.

The deposit is $40, and should be paid within 2 days of submitting this registration form. Please pay to: L SHERRELL 38-9008-0266680-06 . Please put your name/names of whom you're paying for, and 'deposit', in the reference. Let us know if you're unable to pay the deposit within two days, and we can arrange an alternative timeline.

The Council is seeking your feedback so they can make decisions on new or amended provisions in the Mackenzie District Plan. Here is the link to their website and the plan change documents: Link to Consultation Documents Here are the options outlined by Council for your consideration and feedback: Amend Permitted Activities Outdoor Recreational Activities rule 7.1.2 by removing the statement referring to commercial recreation on or within waterbodies being a permitted activity. AND/OR Create a new rule for commercial activities on or within water bodies recognising the sensitivity of the waterbodies to disturbance. Reduce the character, intensity and scale limits for recreational activities with regard to activities on or within waterbodies i.e. cause consent to be required for a lesser scale of operation than is currently the case. Here are the options outlined by Council for your consideration and feedback: Amend Permitted Activities Outdoor Recreational Activities rule 7.1.2 by removing the statement referring to commercial recreation on or within waterbodies being a permitted activity. AND/OR Create a new rule for commercial activities on or within water bodies recognising the sensitivity of the waterbodies to disturbance. Reduce the character, intensity and scale limits for recreational activities with regard to activities on or within waterbodies i.e. cause consent to be required for a lesser scale of operation than is currently the case. In essence, this means they are looking to make important rule changes to control activities in on the surface waters of lakes in the Mackenzie, including Lake Pukaki, and are asking the public for feedback. Some people won’t like these changes and it is important that you let Council know your views on the need for rule changes that provide the highest level of protection for Lake Pukaki.

The fact is, as plastic weathers it breaks down and is easily mistaken for food by fish. A document produced by the Seafood Industry Council and Maritime New Zealand states that in parts of the world "fish are becoming seriously contaminated by plastic pollution". Plastic ingestion also kills turtles and seabirds. It's time New Zealand played its part in curbing the scourge.

Plastic bags do not break down, they fill up our landfill and end up in our water ways contributing to a global issue of pollution that is killing our marine life. Up until late last year we had plastic bag recycling in the Rotorua district and the removal of this service is a huge step backwards for our community and the clean green image that New Zealand presents to the world. Other district councils support the recycling of plastic bags and our council needs to resolve this serious problem.

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It increases impatience in other drivers, causes congestion, and is tiring on other drivers by both increasing their journey time and placing them in high stress situations.

It is very important that all New Zealanders are treated the same and that rugby players are not exempt from the law. When Losi Filipo made an unprovoked attack on 2 men and 2 women in October 2015. Filipo also punched two women. "He kept repeating us that he wanted to fight. I was smashed to the ground and then my head was stomped on over and over." However, Filipo has been discharged without conviction to protect his rugby career and Wellington Rugby, despite saying it does not condone Filipo's violence, has condoned it by keeping him in the Wellington team. A person from any other occupation would not have received a discharge without conviction. Reports show that Filipo has learnt nothing from this incident by threatening one of his former victims after being discharged. "Hayden Williams, 22, another of Filipo's victims, saw the rugby player about a week after the court case while standing outside a bar in Wellington. "He walked passed me and I asked him if he was still punching girls," says Williams. "He signalled out to his friends and two of them came over and yelled at me asking for a fight." "Losi was laughing at me and kept saying he'd been through court. I felt like he was laughing that he'd been through court and got off." This petition is important because it tells Filipo that he hasn't got off and by removing him from rugby you also pass the message that rugby everywhere in the world is a sport that does not condone brutality and violence.

Should Losi Filipo be allowed to attack 4 people, ruining one's rugby career in the process? Ironically, post this attack, he will go on and play for the same team that his victim was aiming to play for? Should we set the precedent, that if you are a professional rugby player, you can get away with crimes due to your on-field talents? Stomping on a mans head while he is unconscious, and taking away his ability to play the sport he loves, is more than enough reason to consider boycotting WRFU as they continue to support a man who has proven to commit violent crime. Nevermind the fact, that he assaulted 3 other individuals that evening, two of them female. CRIMES THAT LOSI FILIPO PLEADED GUILTY TOO: -Assault with intent to injure -Male assaults female x 2 -Injures with intent to injure Let WRFU know, that we care about who represents our region.