WONDERFUL AFTERNOON – WITH OUR NEPALESE SISTERS & BROTHERS.
This afternoon the M & M’s were special guests of the Nelson Nepalese community as they celebrated their very important “Dashain” festival. The festival celebrates the victory of good over evil – a victory of the gods over the demons. The festival in Nelson lasts for one day but in Nepal it may last 10 or even 15 days.
When speaking with them this afternoon I said I was proud that Nelson is a place of many cultures and I’m particularly proud of the way, the Nepalese people & their families have settled so well into our community.
Finally I encouraged them to always maintain a positive attitude as they make their way through life - this will lead to success & happiness.

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GOOD NEWS - UPDATE - PICNIC TABLE UPGRADED AT SUNDAY HOLE.
Tom Wright you will be pleased to learn the Nelson Youth Council have come to the rescue & installed an amazing, locally made picnic table at the Maitai River Sunday Hole ready for summer.
NYC's prior achievements of winning the 2017 Trustpower Community Awards (Nelson Award) and a koha received from interacting with the community, helped make this project possible. Thank you Nelson Youth Council members for another successful community project.

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NEWS UPDATE - LET'S TREAT EACH OTHER BETTER
I spoke with Nelson Community & Whanua who are a group of caring professionals & volunteers working tirelessly to lift up the less fortunate in our community. I reminded them of the words of a great person Mahatma Gandhi who once said "a society is judged by how it treats its weakest member".
I said Council's priorities are skewed when it spends more money on Freedom Campers than it does on the less fortunate in our community. I suggested that some of the $80,000 spent on providing wifi for Freedom Campers at the Port & used for one summer only, could have been better spent on providing vouchers to homeless women & men for a weekly shower & to wash their clothes, amongst other things. This would have helped them retain a sense of self-worth.

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WELL DONE THE MAKOS TODAY AT TRAFALGAR PARK.
The Tasman Makos were down at halftime but came back with a winning score of 21 to 17, continuing their unbeaten run. They had the belief in them selves, congratulations for a great team effort.

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NEWS UPDATE - PRIVATE SECTOR HOUSING PROVIDERS.
I had the pleasure of introducing myself & sharing thoughts/ideas with our private sector housing providers earlier in the week. I told them that housing is a basic human right & yet a home is out of the reach of so many of our people.
I said we believe community is everything & that nothing does more to strengthen the individual, the family & the community than when people have the security of a home – a roof over their head.
I advised that we intend to bringing together expertise from within the community to develop an action plan & they will work alongside Councils management team & Central Government to relax the resource consent & other planning processes in an effort to get the job done.
I also suggested the private sector could assist in providing a greater number of two level homes on the fringe of the central city & some 2, 3 or 4 storied residential developments in the central city – with more people living in our city centre it will help give us the buzz & vibrancy we are searching for.
Let's get started - the time for speak is over, the community wants action.

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WONDERFUL ONAM FESTIVAL.
We attended (on your behalf) the important Onam Festival yesterday at the Richmond Town Hall. Onam is an annual Harvest Festival in the state of Kerala, southern India. According to legends, the festival is celebrated to commemorate a kind & benevolent King Mahabali, whose spirit is said to return at the time of Onam Festival.
As a Nelson City Councillor I said I am proud that Nelson is a place of many cultures & I'm proud of the way Indian people & their families have settled so well into our community. We admire you as individual because you possess many admirable qualities - love of families - a strong work ethic & bring with you different ideas & ways of doing things. Importantly you add a wonderful richness called diversity & that offers us the opportunity to learn about other cultures & to accept & value contributions from people from all walks of life & to appreciate the beauty & strengths in our difference.

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IRST FOR NELSON - FREE LATIN AMERICAN & SPANISH FILM FESTIVAL.
We joined with the Latin American community yesterday evening at the launch of their free Latin American & Spanish film festival - the first to be held in Nelson. It was a pleasure to welcome (on your behalf) the new Peruvian ambassador Javier Prado to Nelson on his first official duty outside of Wellington since taking up his position at the Embassy of Peru four months ago. You will be pleased to know the Embassy has been re-established after a ten year absence.
The organiser of the festival Pablo Salas says the Film Festival will run from Sept.9 to Oct.27 & is being held at the Victory Community Centre. Entry is free, but people are welcome to contribute a koha for the music & dance performances.

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FESTIVAL TO CELEBRATE THE WELL-BEING OF THE SPOUSE & CHILDREN.
I went (on your behalf) this afternoon to join with our Bhutanese community in the Happy Teej Festival to celebrate the well-being of spouse and children and purification of one's body and soul. The festival is a celebration that combines sumptuous feasts as well as rigid fasting. It was a pleasure to spend time with such beautiful people on an equally beautiful sunny Nelson afternoon.

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ACCOUNTABILITY & RESPONSIBILITY ARE ESSENTIAL WHEN SPENDING YOUR MONEY.

I spoke with members of the Nelson Tasman Chamber of Commerce this afternoon & stressed how important it is for Council to be accountable & responsible when spending your money. I stated that when major projects fail costing millions dollars extra nobody is held accountable or responsible. I told the Chamber this lack of accountability would not be tolerated/accepted in the corporate world, business or any other organisation, so why should Nelson ratepayers have to pickup the costs of these continual project failures.

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MEL'S MAYORAL CAMPAIGN OPENING - THANK YOU.
Thank you so much for coming to the opening of my Mayoral campaign yesterday.
Having you there, your words of encouragement and positive response to the plans for Nelson I'm offering you means a lot to me.

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EXCITING NEWS - UPDATE - Four Lanes Festival.
Is going to be held in our central city on Saturday 31 August 3-9 pm.
This is a late-winter festival event of family fun for everyone.
The four lanes will be linked: Kirby Lane (with a noodle market); Fiddle Lane (featuring art creation and projections on the walls); Old Bank Reserve laneway (a live performance space including circus acts and kapa haka); and Morrison Square (a Latin Quarter of dancing, live music and themed food) – with a ferris wheel and (demonstration only) hot air balloon in Buxton carpark.
The Four Lanes Festival themes are Food, Dance, Art and Adventure.
Let’s make this a regular event.

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LET’S MAKE OUR CENTRAL CITY AN EXCITING/FUN PLACE TO BE.
Debbie Hamilton, thank you for sharing with me your ideas/thoughts for a more vibrant central city. You are absolutely correct when you say our central city should be greener, cleaner & more fun to visit. Debbie you are not alone with your thoughts on the need to make our city centre a place where everyone really wants to come & stay awhile, play awhile, shop, meet friends & make new ones. Yes there needs to be green spaces where people can sit/relax, and children and our youth can be active with music/performance areas, entertainment & space to play.
Our cities success depends on it having a healthy heart, doesn’t it?

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GOOD NEWS - UPDATE - TREES TO BE INSPECTED IMMEDIATELY. 
The sun was shining brightly upon Brian McIntyre & his amazing team of volunteer/helpers when I visited them (this morning) to say thank you on your behalf for the job they are doing. These wonderful people are cleaning graves & restoring the headstones of the people who have gone before us. I also thanked Brian for raising with me his concerns regarding dead & dying trees in the Wakapuaka Cemetery & the associated health/safety issues. 
I told Brian NCC has advised they will undertake an immediate visual inspection of the Cemetery trees & that this will be followed up with a further detailed arborist inspection in spring in line with the spring growth. I’m told the 40 days of continual dry weather earlier in the year contributed to the sad/serious loss of trees in the Nelson/Tasman area.
When a tree dies, we should plant another to take its place.

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IF TAHUNA CAN - STOKE CAN TOO.
Lauchlan Miller, you & so many other people have been calling (for sometime now) for more activities for people living in the Stoke community & you suggest a skate park be one of them.
You are correct a skatepark would provide a safe environment for skateboarding & be a great place for people to socialise (meet friends & make new ones).
As you say a skatepark will have so many positive benefits.
With the support of the community & volunteers let’s make this happen for Stoke.

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MEMORIES OF VISITS TO HAULASHORE ISLAND.
Judith McKenzie thank you for sharing with me the very happy childhood memories you have of your visits to Haulashore Island.
You suggest that NCC should promote/publicise the island more as a destination for parents with young families, so they can enjoy (as you did) the adventures of taking a boat ride, exploring, jumping off the jetty & picnic/birthday parties on the island. You also suggest visitors would appreciate having an historic panel (interpretive panel) tell the history/story of the island & for emergencies a discretely positioned toilet (similar to the DOC toilets in Abel Tasman) would be a good idea too. Judith we are most fortunate having dedicated staff working at NCC in both our Heritage & Parks/Reserves departments, who will I’m sure give your suggestions the serious consideration they deserve. Everything begins with an idea, doesn't it?

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Linda Marshall thank you for drawing to my attention the deteriorating state of the heritage panel at the entrance to your street eg damaged perspex covering with a red mould beneath plus illegible photo's & story.
Linda you will be pleased to learn that NCC will replace this Interpretive Panel. It is one of the older style panels which used perspex. The way the photo's & associated artwork is presented has also improved.
It's important to remember our past as it helps shape our future, doesn't it?

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You will be interested to learn there is a new wooden skateboard ramp being built at the Tahuna Beach Reserve. The ramp is replacing the old ramp that wore out some years ago from enthusiastic use. The project has received a huge amount of volunteer support - thank you volunteers you've done it again.
Planned opening is Monday.

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GOOD NEWS - UPDATE - MAKO STREET PLAYGROUND COMPLETED.
Julie Robertson you will be pleased to learn the Mako Street Playground has now been completed.
The property at 19 Mako Street (near Champion Road) has been transformed into an adventure playground and greenspace area with a picnic table and park benches for residents.
The playgrounds most innovative feature is the log scramble constructed out of the existing logs on the property. 
Nelmac have excelled with the landscaping, playground construction & bring the project in on time & within budget.
Community playgrounds are important because they provide an opportunity for people & families to come together, don't they?

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