Seen to be green

| Mahurangimatters 14 August 201320

Is your family & dairy farm water SAFE?

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seen greento be

FEATURE

A renewable energy school has opened in a Kaiwaka shed and it’s being launched with a solar energy conference.The school and inaugural event is the brainchild of master environmental solar engineer Eric Jansseune who emigrated from Belgium seven years ago.The aim is to provide education on a range of state-of-the-art environmentally efficient technologies and to make people more aware of solar power.Mr Jansseune admits Kiwis are sceptical about solar. It isn’t used often and when it is, the technology can be “first generation” — code for unreliable and inefficient. “Systems often fail within five years – they overheat or pipes burst.”He points out examples like the three-year-old public swimming pool in Dargaville. Kaipara District Council spent $100,000 on solar panels to heat the water but they don’t work properly and it is spending $250 a day on electricity.“New Zealand looks green but it has one of the highest ecological footprints in the world. Households use more than 25kW a day. That should be more like 5-10kW.”

Solar energy conference to be held in Kaiwaka

Eric Jansseune says Kiwis are sceptical about solar energy but if they set the technology up properly it can save them lots of money.

In summer, half of all German electricity generation comes from solar roofs, while Belgium produces more than 20 percent. Here the figure doesn’t even register 1 percent.Mr Jansseune says New Zealanders who put solar power back into the grid aren’t rewarded, as there’s no compulsory feed-in tariff. In other countries, people get $1 or more back

for every $1 of electricity they share.“I produced 1800kW at 31 cents per kW last year and this year that was down to 10c. Energy providers say they’ll stop paying for exported energy but I say that’s prehistoric. If you look at the rest of the world, the whole grid in Europe is concentrated on distributed generation. New Zealand could look more renewable

with distribution that includes solar power.”Before considering going solar, people need to make energy savings of around 30 percent in their homes, without losing comfort. One example is using gas bottles instead of electricity to heat water; another is to use a more efficient showerhead.“By changing to portable gas bottles you can save $528 a year, and by changing your showerhead from 16 litres per minute to 8 litres per minute you can save more than $700 per year.”Mr Jansseune believes the Government has a disincentive to reduce energy use, because it owns electricity generators.He emphasises that older solar technology will only produce savings of around 20 percent: “It must be state of the art.”Common “solar blunders” include retrofitting existing water cylinders and placing them on roofs on a horizontal angle.The conference is being held on September 7 at the Kaiwaka War Memorial Hall and the school will start in January with a five-day seminar from a shed on Windmill Lane.

Mahurangimatters 14 August 2013 | 21

Phone (09) 425 0641OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

Mon-Sat 8am-5.30pmSun 9am-5pm

4/ 44 Morrison Dr, Warkworth

Oil Recycling1Ltr to 20Ltr

For larger quantities phone ahead

WARKWORTH AUTO WRECKERSCall in & see us at 2 Glenmore Drive, Warkworth

Phone 09 425 7835

WE WILL TAKE ALL YOUR• FRIDGES/FREEZES • STOVES • DRYERS

• WASHING MACHINES • OLD BATTERIESAND ANY UNWANTED STEEL

WARKWORTHAUTO WRECKERS

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WE RECYCLE BATTERIES • WHITEWARE • ANYTHING STEELComputer linked to over 250 autopart supplies

$$$$ CARS FOR WRECKING ALWAYS WANTED $$$$Phone (09) 425 7835

CALL IN & SEE US AT 2 GLENMORE DRIVE

WOF

ASON BINSA DIVISION OF NORTHLAND WASTE LTD

Lawrie Rd Snells Beach Transfer Station

Open 7 days 9.30am to 4.30pm

(Except Xmas day/Boxing day/Easter Friday & Sunday)

Rustybrook Rd Wellsford Transfer Station

Open Thursday 1.30pm to 3.30pm, Saturday 10.30am to 2.30pm

(Except Xmas day/Boxing day)

Hakaru Transfer Station

Open Wed to Mon 10am to 4pm (Closed Tues)

(Except Xmas day/Boxing day Easter Friday & Sunday)

RECYCLE WITH USRECYCLE WITH US

425 8567 | Mason Bins | www.northlandwaste.co.nz

ITEMS ACCEPTED:Recycling – cardboard / paper / glass bottles / plastic / tin Steel / aluminium / car batteries / gas bottles / engine oil Old tube TVs • General waste, green waste Clean/hard fill (soil/rock etc) • Car tyres No hazardous waste/paint

ITEMS ACCEPTED:Recycling – steel / tin / glass bottles / gas bottles Car batteries • General waste, green waste No hazardous waste/paint/oil

ITEMS ACCEPTED:General waste • Recycle – cardboard / glass bottles / paper Plastic / tin / steel / aluminium / gas bottles Car batteries No hazardous waste/paint/oil

Old tyres could fuel the Huntly Power Station for five months of the year, a local recycler says.Warkworth Autowreckers owner Nick Sharp says in the United States they melt tyres down and use them to make roads, while tyres in Europe are burnt in an environmentally friendly way. Mr Sharp says he believes the system could be used to fuel the Huntly powerstation. But he says if trucks were transporting tyres for long distances, the amount of diesel being pumped out might cancel out any savings in pollution. Around 3.2 million end-of-life tyres enter the system every year in NZ. Most are made of rubber, and include black carbon and silica, and metal. Small amounts of hazardous materials, including copper, zinc, cadmium, and lead can also be part of their mix.A significant number are dumped, while others are used on piles, at marinas, recycled into rubber mats or sent to landfill. If a person is caught dumping tyres they can face a fine of up to $500. Old tyres can become fire risks or habitats for disease-carrying mosquitoes. The Ministry for the Environment says tyre-dumping in Auckland is a growing problem. It is reviewing what

Getting rid of old tyres

Nick Sharp says old tyres are burnt in an environmentally friendly way in Europe.

to do about the issue and describes a situation at a North Auckland property as an example of how current arrangements aren’t working. A property owner caught an operator dumping 250 tyres in an area where 8000 had already been dumped. The operator was required to remove the tyres and pay $100 reparation but because there was no proof he had dumped the other tyres, he only had to remove the 250. The owner then faced removal costs of more than $8000. Auckland Council refused to pay for removal of the extra tyres and is threatening to prosecute the owner if he does not do so. Other problems include increased recycling difficulties, increased costs for storing tyres in authorised landfills and the fact a potential resource is being wasted.

seen greento be

| Mahurangimatters 14 August 201322

Rodney Septic Tank CleaningPhone 09 422 7166 or 027 494 6370

DOES MY SEPTIC TANK NEED CLEANING?

DON’T WAIT TILL IT’S TOO LATE!

NOT JOB TOO BIG OR TOO SMALL!

Get your septic tank smelling sweet for summer!

Yes, every 2-3 years. Why? Because septic tanks

are a filter. You clean your car filter and your water filters

regularly and yet one of the most important filters

gets forgotten - your septic tank. Keep your environment

clean and green.

If it’s local, let us know!Mahurangi Matters 425 9068

Discover the latest in Solar Energy Technologies

NORTHLAND SOLAR ENERGY CONFERENCESaturday 7 September 2013, Kaiwaka

INFORMATION & ENROLMENTEmail: [email protected]

A boy from Birkenhead who made a fortune creating DJ technology is pondering the health of the planet while building an “off the grid” house at Matakana.When Steve West, 37, became a multi-millionaire he decided to make himself redundant, giving him the time to work on what he feels passionate about: tinkering with technology. His Canadian wife Dee, whom he met in 2002 and with whom he has three children, describes him as a “mad scientist”. The couple, who also own a lodge at Ohakune and a home at Greenhithe, bought land on the side of a steep hill at the end of Smith Road in Matakana in 2007. They have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars building a concrete bridge and driveway to get building consent.They could have spent more to have power lines installed but decided to put in 15 solar panels instead. In sunny weather, the panels provide enough power for up to 10 days, but in winter they use a diesel generator.The two-storey wooden eco-house has breathtaking views towards Omaha and is equipped with a wetback, heated tiles and wireless broadband.Diana, 35, says the family will move there semi-permanently in 2015, once

son Daniel is ready to go to high school. They are planning a communal “food forest” and a garage with solar power to sustain their two electric vehicles: a Nissan Leaf and Tesla Roadster.Steve says he dismantled every electrical thing he could get his hands on as a child and his parents would dread inorganic collection day. “I’d bring home so much junk. I always had a fascination with electronics.”He looked into electric cars as an adult and found they were a “viable thing that was going to happen”.He removed the petrol engine from a Toyota MR-S five years ago and replaced it with an electric motor. Although the car could “burn rubber” it was a “rolling science project” and couldn’t be driven legally.“At the time there was a very sexy electric car being marketed and sold in the US called the Tesla Roadster. I was lusting after it but it was impossible to buy here.”A small number eventually became available and Steve was one of two Kiwi buyers. The Tesla is based on a Lotus chassis, takes around 12 hours for a full charge on a household socket and goes from 0 to 100 in 3.9 seconds. “Particularly worth the price is driving past a gas station and giving

Couple keen to set

COST $5 PER TV

0800 44 44 88 22 Queen Street, Warkworth

seen greento be

Mahurangimatters 14 August 2013 | 23

3 Glenmore Drive, Warkworth (Opposite Warkworth Wreckers)

Phone 0800 425 800

TradextraExtra for the trade

THE PAINTERS GEARHOUSE

packaging suppliesCardboard Roll $59.50 900x75m

Cardboard Roll $79.00 1200x75m

Bubble Wrap $65.00 900x100m

Packaging Tape $3.30 Clear - 48mmOther sizes available

Price excludes GST

Phone 425 8567 • Mason Bins • www.northlandwaste.co.nz

ASON BINSA DIVISION OF NORTHLAND WASTE LTD

Based on per weekly empty for 80 litre bin. Available in 80, 120 and 240 litre bin sizes for general refuse.*Special conditions apply.

From$2.45*

per week

WHEELIE BINS

*10c from every bag you buy will be donated to your local hospice - an estimated $15,000 per year!!

Clever software a smash hitSteve started Serato Audio Research with his friend AJ Bertenshaw in Auckland in 1998. The duo revolutionised the industry with a tempo-changing algorithm called Pitch N Time in 1999, vinyl-emulating software called Scratch Live in 2004 and an all-in-one DJ control kit in 2007. The equipment is used by the world’s top DJs.“Scratch n Live literally changed the club scene overnight,” Steve says. The software, which mimics mixing, allows DJs to appear as if they are playing vinyl records, but they are really playing digital files.The specially coded records surprised their creators by becoming a sought-after collector item with people trading them on eBay for hundreds of dollars.Last month Serato launched an app that allows DJs to mix music remotely from an iPad. It became the top-grossing iPad music app in Germany and the UK within two days.Steve and Dee West have made a conscious decision to stop over-consumption and be gentler to the planet.

them the finger,” Steve jokes.He is bothered by NZ’s dependence on foreign oil and the fact we import up to three times the amount we export.“If every single passenger vehicle went electric our total power consumption would increase by 10 percent – the

size of Tiwai Point. We could swap Tiwai point and go from $10b of overseas oil to $2b of locally produced electricity. It would cost one fifth of the price per km to drive electric than petrol.”Dee, who works in public relations, says she is constantly on a sustainability

soapbox but admits she doesn’t use a compost bin in Auckland, and her frequent international travel leaves an “appalling carbon footprint”. The Matakana property is a way to show to people she can walk the talk, she says.“We’ve made a conscious decision to

stop over-consumption and be gentler to the planet.”Dee believes the planet has big problems. “CO2 has hit levels we haven’t seen for two-and-a-half million years. We need 1.4 Earths to sustain life at its current level at current consumption but we don’t have 1.4 Earths.”

a green example in Matakanaseen greento be

| Mahurangimatters 14 August 201324

Taraire, Puriri, Karaka, Cabbage Tree, Griselinia, Kahikatea,

Akeake, Nikau, Pohutukawa, Pittosporum and more

BIG TREE CLEARANCESECONDS & END OF LINES

$5 • $10 • $15 • $20

Delivery service available. sorry no creDit carDs

90 Jones Road, Omaha • Ph: 09 422 7307 • Fax: 09 422 [email protected] • www.libertypark.co.nzMon-Fri 8am-4.30pm, Sat 9am-3pm, Sun CLOSED

Flatten the hills and enjoy

your cycling!

Come and take one for a spin at 17 Bute Road Browns Bay 09 479 9274

NZ’s largest range of

Electric Bikesincluding

Smartmotion, designed

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Growing up in Germany, Klaus Lotz cultivated a love for environment and ecology — a passion which has since taken him to Bolivia and brought him on to New Zealand.He now teaches sustainable rural development (known as SRD) at NorthTec, and is keen to spread the word that it involves more than just growing your own tomatoes and vegetables.“It is more about working with our natural systems so that you get the most out of them without damaging them,” says Klaus. “It is also about developing practical sustainable systems which reduce risk and harm to the environment.”One of the things he teaches is holistic land management. “At a

time when you can see the effects of climate change, it becomes even more important to look at better ways of doing things,” he says.Klaus, who practises what he teaches by growing bananas and cherimoya for the market on his permaculture site at Matapouri, says learning SRD allows students to become innovative.“For instance we have a student in Kaitaia who is looking growing sugarcane for producing ethanol as a biofuel; once the juice is extracted the fibre can be used to grow oyster mushrooms, or used in biogas production,” he says. “We’re also involved with a number of other projects through our students.”Info: [email protected] or call 0800 162 100.

Building your own hothouse is one way of

ensuring sustainable rural development.

Students learn green techniques

183 SANDSPIT RD, WARKWORTH • NOW OPEN 7 DAYS! Mon-Fri: 7am-5pm Sat: 7am-4pm Sun: 9am-3pm

Living Earthgarden mix$90/m3

Living Earth compost$90/m3

Cambian bark$50/m3

Topsoil$55/m3

Post peelings$25/m3

Valid for the month of August & September. All prices include GST

• Gap 65• Gap 40• Gap 20• Gap 8

PLUS, WE STOCK THE FOLLOWING PRODUCTS:• River pebble (5 grades)• Gabion rocks• Decorative rocks (2 grades)• Sand/Pumice sand

• Drainage gravel (2 grades)• Pothole mix• Builders’ mix• Scoria (3 grades)

• Tirau Gold (2 grades)• Shell• Lime chip• Cement products

• Living Earth garden mix• Living Earth compost• Living Earth bag products• Top soil

• Mulch (3 grades)• Black mulch• Bark (2 grades)• Cambian bark

• Ponga logs• Hardwood sleepers

seen greento be

Mahurangimatters 14 August 2013 | 25

Reports of people becoming sick from raw milk aren’t dampening Mangawhai dairy farmer Sandra Grayson’s enthusiasm for the product.Ms Grayson has fed it to her family for the past 15 years. She started a company called Raw Milk Mangawhai from her Bagnal Road property in February, establishing a small honesty-based shop that also sells natural cleaning products and free-range eggs.“We kick-started the business by offering free milk samples at the Mangawhai Market and it’s been word-of-mouth since. People say it’s what milk used to taste like and it’s much better than the watered down stuff in shops.”The milk costs $2 a litre and lasts for up to 7 days, compared to homogenised milk that lasts up to 15.The family own a “fruit salad” herd of 30 cows, made up of jerseys, friesians and milking herefords. The farm is not certified organic but follows organic principles.“Our cows are very healthy animals and require a minimal amount of vet intervention.”Unlike homogenised milk, raw milk is not pasteurised or boiled to kill bad bacteria. Ms Grayson says the problem with the process is it kills good bacteria as well. She explains homogenised milk has calcium added to it whereas raw milk has the full uptake of minerals. “With our milk, the cream sits on the top. Good fat can’t be used properly by the body if it’s homogenised.”The law allows customers to buy up to five litres of raw milk a day, but they have to drive to farm gates to buy it. “If you take it elsewhere there’s issues around temperature control.”Ms Grayson has signs in her shop reminding people

Raw milk sales are booming in Mangawhai

Sandra Grayson says Aucklanders visit her farm honesty shop to stock up on raw milk.

the milk is raw and it needs to be kept below 6 degC.Ministry of Health data shows a total of 36 cases of food-borne diseases and outbreaks linked to raw-milk consumption between 2011 and 2012. Ms Grayson says the Ministry “jumps” on raw milk, but the most common cause of sickness is from e-coli when cows defecate and spray faeces on to their teats, possibly ending up in the milk. “Our cows are TB-tested and we stop e-coli with good cleaning.”

The Ministry of Primary Industries says current rules are difficult to interpret, apply and enforce. Consultation with the public in 2011 attracted 1700 submissions, mostly supporting continued sales. Then Food Safety Minister Kate Wilkinson asked the Ministry to undertake further work to investigate potential changes that would allow people to seek out raw milk, while still protecting public health. The public will be consulted again before any law change occurs.

seen greento be

| Mahurangimatters 14 August 201326

Tree felling & Pruning Chipping & Mulching Hedge Trims Driveway Clearing

TREE REMOVAL AT HOME & BACHESGraham Rauner Owner/Operator

Phone 09 425 9639 Mobile 021 525 073

Markir Drainage Ltd

Mark WharfeCertifying Drainlayer

[email protected]/Fax: 09 431 4907Mob: 027 477 8678

Domestic DrainageSeptic Tanks & Effluent FieldsSecondary Treatment SystemsStormwater / Watertanks

We cover Tomarata, Mangawhai, Kaiwaka and Langs Beach

Matakana Re-vegetation & Landscape Services

Phone Greg Courtney09 422 6106 or 021 886 732

Site PreparationPlanting • Tracks • Property Maintenance

Specialists inNatives: Replanting and Wetland Planting

Matakana Re-vegetation Matakana Re-vegetation & Landscape Services

Erosion Control

Chris Speady first became interested in electric bikes when a friend with post-polio syndrome was struggling to get to his local pub at weekends.“He couldn’t walk because of the polio, and he couldn’t drive because of the alcohol,” he recalls. “He ended up importing a $9000 electric bike from America. I had a ride on it and I never forgot it.”Several years later, Chris is now the sales manager for Bute Bikes, based in Brown’s Bay on Auckland’s North Shore — a role that has led to electric bikes becoming a big part of his life.Originally, the company imported Wisper and Pedego bikes from overseas. It still sells Pedego, but now makes its own brand as well, Smartmotion.In conjunction with Reiker Cycles in Timaru, Bute Bikes also makes electric bikes for NZ Post.After extensive trials and several redesigns, it has now settled on a final design which will soon be seen all over the country.The company has also just launched its third version of the Smartmotion bike “and we’re over the moon with it, really” says Chris.

The bike costs just $1800, which is well below many of its foreign rivals, he says.The development of lithium batteries and the brushless electric motor has given modern electric bikes a “phenomenal range and power”, says Chris.Smartmotions can travel as far as 60km at up to 40km/h, which is faster than anyone would really want, he says. “Their real value is on the hills — that’s where they’re really brilliant.”For many people, buying an electric bike is a life-changing experience, providing mobility without the need for a driving license, he says, and rehabilitating those who need gentle exercise and fresh air.Most interest is from older people who want to find an energy efficient way of commuting without getting too hot and bothered, but there has also been a lot of support from central and local government organisations.“It’s all about getting one driver out of one car and finding them an alternative. When you look at Europe, there are so many thousands of people on bikes – it makes the roads much more friendly and less threatening.”

The Bute Bikes store on Auckland’s North Shore.

Get on your bike, mate

seen greento be

Mahurangimatters 14 August 2013 | 27

SPRING-CLEAN GARAGE SALE(one-off extended hours)7am - 1pm Wednesday4 September

Hospice House51 Woodcocks RdWarkworthPh 425 9535

TREASURES GALORE TO RE-USE OR RESTORE!

09 422 9059 [email protected]

www.revivalboutique.webs.com989 Matakana Road

Matakana VillageOpen Tues-Fri 9.45-4.30, Sat 9-3.30

Under New ManagementFresh new look

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Getting grass carp to clean up your pond or waterway will become cheaper and easier once the Department of Conservation relaxes its rules, an aquaculture expert says.The owner of New Zealand Waterways Restoration, Gray Jamieson, has been farming the exotic species in Warkworth since the early ’90s and says they’re the only environmentally safe option available. But at present it can cost up to $2000 in compliance costs for $100 worth of fish and Mr Jamieson says many customers have decided it isn’t worth it.Grass carp, also known as white amur, come from East Asia. They consume aquatic weed, but can’t breed in New Zealand because the climate is too cold. A similar fish the company uses, silver carp or silver amur, have gills that bind algae and turn water clear. Depending on whether waterways have weed, algal blooms or both, the fish can be used alone or together.They should not be confused with omnivorous koi carp, which breed millions of babies, degrade water quality and displace every other species of fish. Mr Jamieson says people assume the worst when they hear the word “carp,” which is why the Ministry of Primary Industries has approved a name change.He started his business in 1992 after buying around 2000 grass carp from the Government. It had purchased the fish from Malaysia in 1971 with a view to controlling weed problems without using chemicals or mechanical harvesters. Mr Jamieson has cleared a string of lakes and waterways around the country, including Lake Omapere at Kaikohe and Lake Swan at Dargaville. A 1.2ha pond at the Omaha Golf Course is currently being cleared.

Changes in pipeline for weed-eating fish

Gray Jamieson of New Zealand Waterways Restoration says the Department of Conservation’s grass carp approval process is a money-making exercise.

He says silver amur are edible and taste similar to salmon or gurnard. There’s a push to farm them more intensively indoors and export them.New Zealand Waterways owns all the white and silver amur fish in New Zealand but if people want to use them, they need to obtain approval from DOC.

“When they were first introduced, DOC erred on the side of caution. It’s important with new species, but after 10 years with good results and no problems they should say they’re okay now,” Mr Jamieson says. “Instead they’ve hung on for no valid reason.”He says given that Ministry recommends using his fish to control aquatic weed, DOC’s tough stance no longer fits.A Ministry spokesperson says grass carp are occasionally used as “just one part” of its toolbox to clear waterways of aquatic weeds. “More frequently aquatic herbicides are used. Grass carp are used on a case-by-case basis and always in co-ordination with other interested parties, like councils.”Department of Conservation fresh water manager Rosemary Miller says grass carp are a useful aquaculture weed tool but they don’t work everywhere and aren’t a silver bullet.“If they try to remove all plants from a lake system, that removes habitats for native fish. It can also lead to a change in water quality. In some places it doesn’t matter, but in others it does.”Ms Miller says NZ has a long history of introducing species where in hindsight it wasn’t a good idea. Approvals required payment, but the cost of removing fish from places they weren’t wanted was far more expensive.“We’re approving dozens of permits and we’ve worked constructively with Mr Jamieson over the past 10 years to smooth the path for simple approvals where there aren’t conservation effects.”Mr Jamieson is having meetings with DOC and the Ministry this month to discuss legislative change.

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