NEWSLETTER
|
UNITED KINGDOM Association NEWSLETTER |
| No 159 | July 1999 |
As incurnbant secretary and editor of the newsletter I would like to get my apologises and excuses in. The Newsletter is coming out later than originally planning simply because my desktop publishing skills are not developed enough to print booklets properly. If you have to stand on your head to read this edition then I apologise in advance. In a radical change of livery we are in black and white this time. This is simply because my colour printers' (and mine) familarity with Lotus Wordpro is a bit suspect. The CPD continues !!
Back in June 1994, Joanna Saywell innocently came along to her first IPENZ UK Association engagement, which just happened to be our AGM and Annual reception. Eagerly spotted by seasoned committee members, Joanna's potential abilities shone out like a bright light. Before Joanna knew it, she had agreed to be coerced onto our committee and straight into the hallowed position of Hon. Secretary of the IPENZ UK Association.
In the five years since then Joanna has become a key member in our Association and has put in a great deal of time and effort into doing a splendid job as our Hon. Secretary.
Ably assisted by her husband, Alistair, the Saywell duo took up the challenge of modern technology, and soon reaped the benefits of the computer with the use of e-mails and databases. Communications to members and our central Wellington parent office have all benefited from the streamlined Saywell operation. In more recent times Joanna also took over the production of the newsletter and this was soon rolling off the Saywell p.c.
Joanna and Alistair are planning to return to New Zealand very soon, and Malcolm Davidson has stepped into the breach to take up the position of Hon. Secretary. We thank Joanna for all her contribution to our Association over the last five years, and wish her and Alistair all the very best in the future.
Ian Kirker for The Committee IPENZ
Feeling upset at the Black Caps snatching defeat from the jaws of victory? Concerned that tennis is a dieing art at home? Disappointed that terrestrial television will not be showing Tri-nation rugby? If so console yourself with the prospect of the annual IPENZ barbeque on 8th August 1999.
Last year we visited the fine setting in the Henley Rowing Club grounds on the bank of the Thames. Happily the same prospect beckons this year. All that is required from the social subcommittee, apart from supporting beverages and foods barbecued to their customary perfection is a clear fine day.
So put Sunday 8th August into your diary and come along to Henley Rowing Club and forget your worries while dangling your feet in the water and watching a slow moving scene of varied shapes and sizes of boats gliding past.
Note the details.
| Location: | Henley-on-Thames Rowing Club, about a mile from the town centre across the river and right into Wargrave Road (A321) as shown on the enclosed map. |
| Date: | Sunday, 8 August 1999 |
| Time: | 12.00 noon onwards |
| Price: | £6.00 per head (children free) plus some help please with salads, deserts, and furniture as described below |
Please gather your guests, complete the reply slip and return it without delay so that preparations for your delectation can proceed in good time. Dinah Barber (Tel 01932 866 710 in evenings) will co-ordinate your offerings to avoid, as far as possible, imbalances in our provisions. Please let her know what you propose to bring. In general, requirements are:
| from committee members and partners | - a salad or desert plate |
| from other members and partners | - a desert plate if you wish |
| from all of you | - some garden chairs, tables, sun umbrellas, if you have them, games and a helping hand on the day |
Finally be sure to come and enjoy a nice day out. Don't forget hats, sunscreen, etc.
1999 Annual General Meeting AGM and Annual Reception
The AGM at New Zealand House on 1 June was well attended. With plenty of food and drink to ensure the success of the evening. Like last year, we broke from tradition to organise the catering ourselves in order to reduce costs. A special thanks to Joanna and Alistair Saywell for their assistance in the kitchen to ensure that the lack of professional waitress/bar maid and chef went unnoticed. Thanks also to everyone who helped with the clearing up afterwards.
A new committee was voted in as follows:
| Chairman: | Graham Barber | |
| Honorary Secretary: | Malcolm Davidson | |
| Honorary Treasurer: | Selwyn Aickin | |
| Committee Members: | Brian Anderson | Ian Kirker |
| Lindsay Barr | Robert Minchin | |
| Chad McCarthy | Nicholas Smith | |
| Gerry Hetherington | Graham Withers | |
| Gordon Weir |
Fred Hughes and Graharn Barber proposed a vote of thanks to the outgoing Secretary, Joanna Saywell, and the meeting all expressed their appreciation of her efforts.
This year's combined technical talk was hosted by the Australians and was entitled;
"Some aspects of the relationship between society and the disposal of radioactive waste".
Their speaker was Mr ]an J Duncan FTSE FAusiMM FIEAust.
Ian Duncan is a mechanical engineer, born Kaigoorlie, Western Australia, 1939. He started his career as an engineer with Dunlop Rubber Australia Ltd where he stayed for 10 years. He joined Western Mining Corporation in 1971 and stayed with them until 1996, progressing from Operations Manager, Exploration, to Chairman and General Manager (WMC) Olympic Dam Marketing Pty. Ltd. (During this period the Olympic Dam project was commissioned and was expanded twice). In 1994 he became President Olympic Dam Marketing, and Chairman of the Uranium Institute. (The Uranium Institute is a London based International body specialising in the civil nuclear fuel cycle.)
His talk was stimulating and focused on the need for the current generation to clean up its own waste rather than leave it for future generations. However, Mr Duncan noted that we have failed to establish a strategy of disposal that is satisfactory for the general public. One of the main obsticals being the perception of time in relation to the life of the material concerned. Mr Duncan's research finds that most of us think into the future to a point equivalent to the lifespan of our grandchildren. However the life of storage of this waste material is much much longer. By contrast, a perception of policy makers is that a need to focus on the future in making difficult decisions regarding waste may be limited to the term of office.
Mr Duncan noted that The House of Lords had recently completed an 18 month study into the Management of Nuclear Waste and its findings were published in March. The report quantifies the UK waste issue and criticises the past performance, particularly of UK NIREX, the designated disposal organisation. The report outlines the way forward for the UK was not dissimilar to his own assessment.
We thank Mr Duncan and I EAust for providing such an interesting speaker.
Our financial year ended at the end of March and many of you have already renewed your subscriptions. It is understood that there are still a few who have not paid your monies. Those of you are will need to send your payment to the new Secretary's address before he deletes you from our mailing list.
http://www.ipenzuk.freeserve.co.uk
This a bit more convenient than both the previous two URLS. There are re-directors at both the old addresses so people can still get to the website using the old URLS. There is also a POP3 email postbox with the account that we can use for 'official' Association email. We are currently in the process of setting up email addresses for the committee so that in a short period of time you will be able to send email direct to the person responsible without having to change your addresses whenever there is a change to the committee.
Whilst on the subject of the lnternet, the website
has links to most of the world's on-line newspapers, including 20 or so from New Zealand.
The dairy industry is confident that its application to the Commerce Commission to merge most of the manufacturing co-operatives with the New Zealand Dairy Board will satisfy any concerns over domestic market competition.
The merger would create New Zealand's largest commercial entity. This was the latest step in a reform process initiated last year in response to a request from the Government to prepare the industry for eventual deregulation, and to lift farmer incomes.
The submission, in addition to a big lift in industry earnings, also identified annual public benefit gains of $20Om.
There have been concerns that the creation of a mega dairy co-op would create a dominant position in the domestic market and stifle competition.
Bid to cut power prices
Rural electricity consumers are being given the power to save on electricity bills. A joint initiative between Federated Farmers and Energy Group Ltd, called the The Power Club, will offer opportunities to save money by collectively securing lower power prices. The club will operate in a similar way to an insurance broker, by placing its members business with the lowest-cost energy supplier.
| Summer Barbecue | Sunday, 8 August 1999 |
| Tour of Greenwich | September 1999 |
| Graduates Evening | October/November 1999 |
| Christmas Soirée at New Zealand House | Friday, 3 December 1999 |
| Possible failure/problem evening | To be decided |
| Trip to Greenwich | To be decided |
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