If you live in Auckland and you have a dog, no doubt you have your favourite dog walk places; on the leash and off the leash. Yes, we all know the favourites, like the Big King Reserve, Meola Reef, Onehunga Bay and Waiatarua and some of you may even head out west to Kakamatua Inlet. Today I took Perdy to the Orakei Basin and that's a lovely walk too.
BUT---I keep finding others that there is no reference for that I can find anywhere. Within a few kilometres of my home in Mt Roskill I have found some, like two that are very small and just down the road. then I came across the one near the Mt itself--not big, but enough space to let Perdy stretch her legs.
I am sure many of you know your local areas well, so come on--fess up and let us know. We will all be very responsible and pick up you know what! There must be many local secrets out there. Put up your suggestions in the add a comment or reply on FB. Your dogs will love meeting mine and I am sure its a win win for all. Yip, Auckland really is going to the dogs! www.authorneilcoleman.com
I am saying three things in this blog. First, we are all totally bored with the stupidity surrounding KDC (Kin Dotcom) and the crazy visits that some of our opposition politicians are making to his sprawling rented mansion They have totally missed the mark. What is it about this guy that drives the likes of Norman, Peters, Banks and others like moths attracted to light. We all know what happens when moths fly into those traps. A message here guys---moths get 'burned' in some traps.
OK, back to the solar power offer from the Greens. Good, I like that and maybe it will restore some sanity to the political scene. I can vouch for the efficacy of solar water heating and if I had my way, I would like to see a law requiring all new homes to have solar power. (As long s it is possible for the building, that is)
My third point is that, rather than just providing cheap loans for solar power, I would like to see some NZ investment in making SP cheaper as a total option. Surely, the more we sell the cheaper the units get and there must be ways to bring about ever more efficient and cheaper units.
The clean, non-polluting SP systems have to be the way of the future, along with wind turbines. I saw a small 'screw-shaped' unit the other day and it was non intrusive or noisy. Lets see initiatives on that score too.
Got the message, Greens and NZ First? Stop the bullshit and get on with bringing us good ideas that don't need silly visits to the big man. You are just playing into his somewhat seedy hands. Nothing comes for free! www.authorneilcoleman.com
The article below describes what is becoming a huge problem in NZ; for the owners of such properties and those who either buy or rent them after a 'P' lab is busted. The long-term damage is a lurking time bomb. When you read about people who used homes for this nasty trade, living with the chemicals and often having small children in the same home, it is beyond belief, but it happens. We must follow through and do what the article that follows this says---establish a data base so that would be buyers or renters know the history of a home. We also need adequate compensation for innocent owners. Read my book, ROSKILL to see other effects of 'P' on a family; a must read for parents and their teenage children. You can download if from my website
Homeowners seek compensation for thousands of tainted properties.
Zita Cameron, her husband Anthony Cameron and their daughter Alexia Cameron, 3.
A leading property firm is setting up a team to fight for compensation over houses that have been contaminated by methamphetamine.
National valuation company Prendos was first to highlight the leaky homes crisis in the mid-1990s. It now says that hundreds of millions of dollars could have been wiped off the value of residential properties used as P labs.
Prendos director Gordon Edginton said the firm had set up a specialist section for people who have lost money on a meth-contaminated home, after noting a sharp increase in the number of people seeking help and advice.
"It is believed that in the past 15 years up to 20,000 properties in the Auckland region alone could be affected," Edginton said. "That would equate to about $600 million being lost as these properties become stigmatised.
"The situation is reminiscent of when the leaky homes debacle first started to break." Edginton said reparation could come from vendors, insurance companies and the Government - or from cash or assets seized as proceeds of crime.
Edginton also called for an accessible national database to record meth-affected properties.
Police currently notify councils about addresses contaminated by meth and this is noted on property files. Real-estate agents must also disclose the presence of contamination if they are aware of it.
Miles Stratford, from the Auckland Regional Methamphetamine Working Group, wants a national scheme similar to the Earthquake Commission's agency.
However, Housing Minister Nick Smith is ruling out Government intervention, saying if it bailed out people whose properties had been affected by P it would take some of the responsibility off owners and landlords to keep a close eye on their tenants and properties. Family home tainted by drugs
Zita and Anthony Cameron have kissed goodbye to about $385,000 since the family home they rented out was used as a P lab.
The Camerons - who have five kids - planned to return to their eight-bedroom home in Alfriston, South Auckland after two years working in Tauranga.
Instead they were plunged into a nightmare when police raided the Auckland property in July 2010 and one of the tenants was jailed for making meth. The Camerons then sold the house for far less than it would have returned had it not been tainted by drugs.
"The market value was about $1.1million but it went for $715,000," Zita said. "The fact the house had been contaminated by meth was put on the Lim report and that devalued it significantly."
Zita said they were still struggling to recover. The large family now lives in a three-bedroom house. "My kids keep asking if we will ever have a home as nice as our old one and it is heartbreaking, the chances are we won't. People should be properly compensated for something like this."
