My vision is Destination Bluff needs to be a tourism and aquaculture centre for this part of the country, somewhere tourists want to stay for days.
The businesses developing at Ocean Beach include growing paua, whitebait, kelp and seaweed, with a salmon farm to come later. There is also the award-winning Bluff Gin distillery. Add to that, in the future, a restaurant, overnight chalets, space for campervans and a jump-off point for tracks around the coastline and you have a unique experience that should include facility tours.
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones last week announced a $2.2million government loan for the site’s further development and all seems rosy.
The site also has huge potential for education and research, with students from both the Auckland University of Technology and potentially Southern Institute of Technology learning and becoming qualified in the industry.
And there’s more! The Bluff Adventure Park (Bluff Hill bike trails) is due to open on Saturday.
If we could get the Bluff Camping Ground (which the Invercargill City Council owns) upgraded to have campervans, there should be plenty of tourism, with visitors also including a trip to Stewart Island.
But on a sadder note, the behaviour of several MPs who challenged Act New Zealand leader David Seymour as he introduced the Treaty Principles Bill to the House upset me.
It takes a degree of courage to present this Bill and start the conversation about what the Treaty binds the Crown to. Of course, no version of the Treaty makes any mention about principles, which were developed by a series of MPs, Waitangi Tribunal decisions and court rulings, since 1975.
And while the Maori Party MPs may feel they have a licence to belittle and accuse Mr Seymour, how would it be if he (as a Maori descendant) walked over to that young female MP and ridiculed and threatened her? I suspect he would be hung and quartered in the media forever.
Some in our community have failed to recognise the "silent majority" who influenced the party vote swing from left to right at the last election did so out of frustration over the cultural divide created by a left wing coalition that supported separatism based on race and a belief Maori have a right to co-governance.
It also worries me that, going forward, how would we ever become a republic if we can’t even discuss our founding document and how that would fit into a new constitution.
Our country will never be well until we, as citizens, value each other through an equality lens.
I also sat through Parliament’s question time recently. Oh what a circus. After an hour-plus, and the Speaker constantly stating any further replies would be heard in silence, the opposition just kept yelling comments to drown out ministers.— Invercargill Mayor Nobby Clark
