Frost Fans Blog

Frost fan progress in Waihopai valley

2011-10-14T07:28:00.000+13:00

I see the Marlborough Express are reporting that there is progress in the long running dispute over frost fans up the Waihopai valley.
This particular problem area appeared to be mainly concerning the ludicrous (former) district plan rule that allowed fans within 100m of an adjoining neighbours house.
Don't get me wrong, that rule is still in place for existing fans (pre 2010ish). But nowadays the most recent plan change (currently under appeal by the whine growers) is anticipated to be a little more sensible.
I see they (Waihopai Holdings) want to have the fan pretty close still and have employed an acoustic expert to determine how best to achieve the process. As a result they intend to build a large hay bale wall.
That should be quite a sight! I imagine it would be effective in blocking noise, but I'm also imagining it would have to be pretty large. Interesting.
HOWEVER, what's caught my eye was the mention that one of the mitigation methods put in as a condition is INCREASING the speed of the fan!
I quote "Waihopai Holdings' expert witness Jeremy Trevathen said slightly increasing the speed of the fan would raise the noise level, but would reduce annoying special audible characteristics".
Increasing the speed decreases the SAC? At first blush that appears to be something straight from left field.
I honestly don't know how to approach it since it flies in the face of what I accept to be logic.
But I do know one thing.
Any testing that was carried out by Jeremy Trevathan (not 'Trevathen' as reported in the Express) is not independent.
He's a colleague of John Pearse from the University of Canterbury. The same bloke who designed and built the Defender (or at least the original MK1).
Dr Pearses testing relied on simulation of noise via the CONCAWE method, which frankly fiddled the numbers. Trevathan's his mate and he reckons that if you turn up the speed on a Defender the Special Audible Characteristics go down.
That smells.
That smells more that a 35m wall of hay that's beendecomposing too long

Frost Fan Activity 10 October 2011

2011-10-10T17:03:00.000+13:00

Another frost with fans going from about 2am. Hard work staying alert through the day.
In the Marlborough Express I see Andrew Naylor rates growing grapes above peoples health. Good man. Those meddling people are what's messing up the place. Drive 'em back to the cities where they belong!
But do not fear, the valiant frost fighters of Marlborough will continue to battle on your behalf to make sure that the overseas profits of big corporations are secured and you can enjoy the sweet nectar of the vine.

Frost Fan Activity 9 October 2011

2011-10-10T16:50:00.000+13:00

Noisy frost on the 9th. Woken up about 2am.

Frost Fan Activity 29 September 2011

2011-09-29T21:25:00.000+13:00

Fourth night in a row for the fans.
Really starting to notice the sleep deprivation now.
Trouble concentrating, making mistakes with simple tasks. Saw the valuations came out the other day and dropped values on vineyards by an average of 39%. Far from ideal for vineyards with large amounts of debt.
I hope their owners are sleeping better than I am. That won't be hard.

Frost Fan Activity 28 September 2011

2011-09-28T06:37:00.001+13:00

Third night in a row the fans have operated. I see Stu Powell reckons they'll be plenty more.

Frost Fan Activity 27 September 2011

2011-09-27T06:25:00.000+13:00

Fans going since approximately 3:30 am. Feeling tired in the morning now.

Frost Fan Activity 26 September 2011

2011-09-26T06:27:00.000+13:00

Fans going since approximately 4am. Daylight saving is not in their nature.

Frost Fans Active 22 September 2011

2011-09-22T06:37:00.000+12:00

The title says it all.
While not a very noticeable frost, there were fans active from about 3am till morning.

First Frost Fan Activity of the 2011 Spring Season

2011-09-20T06:31:00.000+12:00

Reports are coming in now of the first frost fan activity of the growing period.
Not too soon and not too late.

Isn't the answer obvious?

2011-08-03T16:57:00.001+12:00

So an article on stuff.co.nz about contamination from wineries being found at disposal sites is interesting.

But wait...

It says there that it takes 7.5 litres of waste water to make a single 750ml bottle of wine.
Surely we should be bottling the water and selling it instead of making the wine? Isn't this a win-win?
Bottled water sells like hot cakes. (or at least it's holding up better than wine prices)

Boom and Bust. It’s not bad luck. It’s bad management.

2011-02-21T01:55:00.003+13:00

This weeks Listener is carrying an article by Karl du Fresne which explores the career of Peter Hubscher. He is arguably one of the pioneering greats of the wine industry in the sense that he was at the forefront of the establishment of New Zealand as a producer of quality wines on the international scene. The peak of his achievements saw him running Montana for over 13 years in its heyday from 1991 to 2004.

The Listener article is a great read. I encourage those who wish to get an inside view of his opinions and philosophy to purchase a copy.

Sadly, the message that predominates throughout the feature is the recent mismanagement of the industry that saw it succumb to the worst aspects of greed and excess at the expense of sound planning and strategic thinking. To use a quote from the excerpt at the Listener site “An industry touted a few years ago as a glittering success story has fallen victim to the classic boom-and-bust cycle, led astray by short-term expediency, greed and feckless corporatism”.

Strong words and some might be thinking that there is a sense of sour grapes as a result of Hubscher’s experiences with the Te Kairanga vineyard. Here he took over a vineyard that was suffering as a result of poor crops and bad press (think back to the shipment of wine to Germany with excessive copper in 2007). He made good progress with his new project but he couldn’t escape the financial disaster of the wine industry and left the company in the middle of 2010.

The Listener article claims that he was advising caution of the possibility of a wine glut as far back as 2000. A quick search will supply just such a prediction. In May of 2000, the then managing director of Montana, Hubscher was brushing off the previous vintages lower than average crop which had affected Montana to a far smaller extent than many others. At this time he posted a warning that while the bigger players in the market could cope with the variation, “The bigger problem for some will be if there's a big crop the following year coming off a difficult financial base”. As it turns out 2001 was another troublesome year, but in 2002, there was a record harvest of 118,700 tonnes.

In 2001 Montana merged with / bought Corbans. This made the company the owner of 57% of the local market and responsible for 49% of international exports. At this stage, there was speculation of whether Lion Nathan or Allied Domecq was going to purchase the group. Ultimately the prospect of effectively purchasing the NZ Wine industry was too much for Allied Domecq and they purchased Montana later in 2001.

In 2002, on the back of the record harvest, the then chairman of New Zealand Winegrowers, Peter Hubscher predicted in the annual report that the “record” 2002 yield would be short lived, effectively changing the supply landscape for the industry. “It now seems reasonable to assume the producing vineyard area will reach 20,000 hectares by 2006, making vintages of 200,000 tonnes or more a real possibility within five years. A 200,000 tonnes vintage is two thirds larger again than this year’s record harvest and represents nearly three times the current total level of industry sales”.

Peter stayed on at Montana, but in 2003, further rumblings began to be felt. Martyn Nicholls helped design the vine cull subsidies that knocked out a fifth of New Zealand's vineyards in the mid 1980s. In 2003 he had just completed his Wine MBA, and was raising a warning that the country was entering into a global wine glut and will be hit hard. In his words “To meet the upcoming oversupply we will need to quadruple our exports in the next four or five years in some varieties. I challenge anyone to explain how that is going to happen.”. Not everyone was downbeat however. Allan Scott is quoted in the same article saying “Messages of doom and gloom had been circulating for the past 10 or 15 years and the region's wines had yet to take a hit. It is hard to know, but our experience has been that the market for sauvignon blanc is insatiable.” Those words must have a sting nowadays.

In 2003 Investigate magazine published the article interestingly titled “The Grapes of Wrath” (The same title as this weeks Listener article). In it, the surge of planting grapes as an investment is suggested by Hubscher as a trend to capitalize on the “current industry hype”. The article goes on to state “Statistics show that the New Zealand market for our own wine is not only small, but it is also static. Over the last decade, annual consumption per capita has, more or less, hovered around the 10 litre mark. Even Hubscher acknowledges that the domestic growth of sales is limited. Essentially what is happening is there are more grapes being grown, and more wineries producing greater volumes, but the same amount of wine is being consumed. As Hubscher says, "the principle growth opportunities for our wines are in the international marketplace," suggesting the only option is to export the surplus.” The article also quotes Professor Kym Anderson of the Adelaide University, who states that the predictions for World prices are dire. The only means for New Zealand to compete is in the upper end of the market. The bottom end is awash with wine that is cheaper than we can produce and at vastly greater volumes than we could hope to generate. Observes Neill Culley of Cable Bay Vineyards - there’s a market for large volumes of cheap wine and small volumes of quality expensive wine. “Because we are not a low quality producer, that’s one of our biggest assets.”

Observes Jon Harrey of Te Mania Wines - it won’t be the wine that suffers - it will be those speculative growers who don’t have a contract with a winery. Although the number of wineries has increased dramatically, he suspects there isn’t going to be adequate infrastructure to process the increasing volumes of grapes that the industry has predicted.

Further on the article states - some in the boutique industry reckon Hubscher’s warning is just sour grapes. They acknowledge the possibility of a fall in price but say bulk wine is going to suffer the most, like it has in Australia. Then again, Hubscher could be right.

Further in the article - only the future will reveal whether or not a wintry world wine market stems the prolific growth of our industry. But what emerges from the argument about a ‘wine glut’ is that some healthy balance, clearly absent at present, needs to be struck between supply and demand for grapes in the local market. If it isn’t, those landowners gate-crashing the party by planting more vines may end up with a bitter taste in their mouths when they find no winery needs their crop. As the saying goes, "Wine grapes are only good for one thing…"

Let’s remember, this information is from 2003. The warning signs of New Zealand’s involvement in a global market where we could never compete in bulk wine sales was evident. The industry at the time was concerned at the increase in planting and the lack of infrastructure to process it. It was recognised that New Zealand’s only hope of succeeding was to ensure that it’s wines were seen as high end luxury goods. The wine industry knew that they were overextending raw production at the expense of processing and that without NZ wine being seen as a quality product, the industry was going to be crippled.

In 2004 Peter Hubscher retired from Montana, just as it was being re-branded by its foreign owners “Allied Domecq Wines” In the 2011 Listener article he is massively critical of the disposal of the Montana brand. In a eulogy of sorts, Keith Stewart wrote in the Listener in 2004 that “In the wine industry, one of his legacies will be the co-operative organisation that he championed between the winemakers and grape growers. These two groups have little common ground. Because the merger improved the power of large wine companies who buy growers’ grapes, the ramifications are likely to trouble the wine industry for some time.” In today’s climate we can’t say the same thing. With the removal of Peter Hubscher the industry faltered. There was no strategic vision, there was no New Zealand Connection and the marketing of wine as an investment opportunity drove the market to an excess that ignored economic and practical signs of implosion.

The 2004 Listener article finishes by saying “Reflecting on Hubscher’s career in another generation, it could be that he will be remembered not for creating in Montana New Zealand’s largest wine company, but for creating the world’s largest wine boutique. That would be a fine achievement, indeed. ” It would have been, but for the greed and excess of those who would succeed him.

And so we come to today. Another bumper harvest coming up (the season has been extraordinary for growth) There has been no improvement in processing since 2008, yet the massive planting that was underway in the years up till then is now coming on stream. Little wonder then that we are filling shipping containers with bladders and sending them to Australia for processing as bulk wine. The vineyards are manned by machines, with the subsequent reduction in quality and costs. The strategic vision comes from NZ Winegrowers pleading (or demanding, depending on your viewpoint) with growers to reduce harvested volumes, but the relationships with the wineries is broken. Now it’s all about money. The small players are going under and the banks can’t even sell the mortgagee properties. New Zealand’s reputation as a producer of quality wines is all but eroded as investment monkeys scramble to salvage anything from the debacle and sell anything at any price.

This is not the legacy that Peter Hubscher wanted or deserves.

I assume you were misquoted!

2011-02-18T23:02:00.000+13:00

I'm sorry, but what sort of rubbish is being spouted in the media thats attributed to the lawyer for the New Zealand Winegrowers?
According to the news report here, The Hurunui District Council and the NZ Winegrowers came to an agreement to limit the noise from frost fans last year and the rat-bag local residents kicked up a fuss.
Err... Now correct me if I'm wrong. The Hurunui District Council did the whole consulting with the residents and local industry thing and put forward a plan change. But it wasn't the local residents kicking up a fuss was it?
No, you will find that it was the NZ Winegrowers who appealed parts of the change and and the HDC was the Respondent. There were local residents as section 274 (interested) parties, but it wasn't them that took the Council to Court.
Word on the street is that the plan remains pretty much the same as before the appeal with progressive moves on frequency of use and cumulative effects. I suppose if you've got your clients to spend all that money on legal advice, you've got to tell someone that you've won right? Especially in these hard economic times. I mean I'd hate for the people who actually paid the money to the NZ Winegrowers in the first place to think that their cash was going down the gurgler faster that 2010 Sav Blanc.
Well done. You're on a roll. Boy you really showed those locals! How dare they complain about the introduction of industrial noise to the peaceful countryside. They got what was coming to them.
And you know what? I think they actually did :-)

More progress in hot spot resolution?

2010-11-10T06:06:00.000+13:00

Further news (apologies for the delay) on one of the more prominent problem areas being addressed has surfaced in the Marlborough Express. Tidbits that hint at moves towards a resolution.
After this length of time is it really something that is going to happen or simply another delaying tactic that promises much, but fails to deliver?
I think all sides will be hoping for this to be a genuine effort, but if past experience has been an indicator, the bait and switch game is alive and well in the wine industry.

This is how it ends

2010-10-29T06:25:00.000+13:00

It starts with an industry offering to help a community.
To provide jobs, money, lifestyle.

It ends with rank industrialization blighting the landscape, poisoning the environment and sending what meager profits are left, off-shore.

Look to the Manawatu where Fontera are applying to continue to poison the river for a further 20 odd years. This at the end of a process that has already left the river trashed.

Sound familiar?

The New Dawn Chorus

2010-10-22T06:02:00.000+13:00

By my count this would be the 4th time this spring that I've had my sleep disrupted by the thumping of the frost fans. By anyone's count this is a spectacularly low number. Although I understand that there are some parts of the country that have not been so lucky. I say lucky, but its kind of like saying "Wow, that was a bad mining disaster. We were lucky only 4 people were killed.".
Additionally, the spring isn't over yet, so I suppose there's still plenty of opportunity for more.

Isn't that lucky?

First Decent Frost of the Spring

2010-10-12T21:55:00.001+13:00

That has been a long time coming.

And I suppose it provides the lead-in to the debate about how many frost fan events are too many?
There are no prizes for guessing what side of the fence I come down on.
I only have to wonder if it's possible for a person to be affected by a single night without sleep.
Should your nurse be administering medication? Should your taxi driver be taking the no-doze? Should the World be a reasonable place?
When in doubt, take the day off. Call in sick. You aren't responsible for your actions when sleep deprived. The body isn't designed to cope with the stress and strain and confusion. Call your boss and explain. Send your bill to the NZ Winegrowers and Horticulture NZ. They think its ok to make as much noise as they want. Don't forget to write into the paper and remind them of the lost productivity and the hidden cost to the rest of the community. Don't risk your life or those of others by doing something that could result in harm if your concentration is impaired.

Something is better than nothing.

2010-10-07T06:54:00.000+13:00

The recent article in the Marlborough Express which described the possibility of the MDC stepping in to help resolve the particularly heinous siting of frost fans just over 100m just next to a home in the lower Wairau Valley, is a step in the right direction.
To be perfectly frank the options were few.
The absentee owner of the vineyard Ross Low appears to have been reluctant to remove the fans because he believes he complied with the Council Requirements when installing.
The owners of the home shouldn't need to move because a neighbor has made their home unlivable.
The Council on the other hand have allowed the result of some sort of heinous clerical error when setting a rule in the District plan to stand (allowing fans within 100m of a home), when it was clear that this would produce unreasonable noise levels.
The group that has blood on it's hands most is the Council. Not the callous indifference of Mr Low or the Vineyard he supplies.
I can only hope that some common sense filters through and that whatever solution is enacted, it results in a reasonable nights sleep, because that's a pretty basic requirement for a human being.

Tentative Start to Spring Frosts

2010-10-04T18:09:00.000+13:00

Well, hasn't the weather been a mixed bag?
Plenty of rain and cloud cover keeping the frosty temperatures at bay.
This morning was the first slim sign of a frost and I have heard reports that there was the occasional sound of a fan going off. Pretty quiet in general though. I suppose both sides of the frost fan debate can share the desire to minimize the number of frosts :-)

I'm confused. How about you?

2010-09-07T22:11:00.000+12:00

In an article in tonights Marlborough Express, there were a few interesting observations.
Firstly, there's been a resource consent granted to use a Defender fan on a block out Seddon way. I'm going to assume that this means that the new Defender has been tested and has passed the requirements under the proposed plan changes. Good news for them.
I'm still a bit in the dark of course. I mean they appear to have a new fan doing the rounds, but it's a picture of the old one that appears on their web site along with their historical shocking propaganda 'testing' data from the University of Canterbury. It never fails to surprise me that people can spend a bazillion dollars on R&D and still expect to put up a public 'face' on a web site with incorrect data and in one case even a missing image.
Secondly, there's some information on the long running battle up the Waihopai with Waihopai Holdings or Mount Riley as the parent company's called. To be brutal, it would appear as if the person writing the article has got things a bit topsy turvy, unless of course there's been some RADICAL changes in the way that bun fight has developed. Interesting to see that they appear to have been granted a right to use one fan and are applying for another?? I thought this was all heading to court to sort out, so perhaps there's been some movement.
This all smells a bit fishy and half-baked fish at that.

Who's winning here? Not the Grape Growers. Not the Sleepless Residents.

2010-08-18T23:20:00.000+12:00

The Marlborough Express is reporting that the recent Hearing decision on the Marlborough frost fan rules is being appealed by the NZ Winegrowers and Horticulture NZ.
Hardly a surprise, since in these troubled times of receivership and strife, the only people who can make money are those who create strife. Bureaucrats.

Is it just me, or was there a considerable amout of trumpeting recently about the significant increase in export earnings from the wine industry?
Wine export growth outshines all others

New Zealand wines have gone from zero to hero
Yet for some reason, there are vineyards going down the gurgler and sav blanc may as well be hemlock
Wine Country over a barrel?
Twenty drinks to avoid in 2010

Wine hard to sell

Say it with me.... Dichotomy.

So in these incredibly successful, but financially crippling times, lets plough money into Bureaucracy. Here's the trick. Hype the profit margin and skim the surplus.

Grape growers sign off on industry levy

You're a grape grower under financial pressure. You voted to increase the levies to an organisation that skims money off you via an act of parliament right?

So back to Court they go. 'Cos that's where the money is. It won't matter if you're fighting a battle that is lost already. It's not the winning that counts. It's the fighting. I'd be increasing the levies again. They'll need it. If it's not here, it'll be in Tasman or the Hurunui or Otago or Hawkes Bay. Money going down the drain faster than 2008 Sav Blanc.

Why is there a Defender Blade on an Orchard Rite pole?

2010-07-21T23:28:00.004+12:00

So, why would we be seeing a Defender blade on an Orchard Rite pole on one of Royce McKean’s properties?

As I stated yesterday, the simple answer is that there is a new broom coming in terms of noise regulations and like the shrewd businessman Royce is, there is no doubt that he will be hedging his bets to provide options if he finds himself in a tight corner and being forced to actually COMPLY with a noise level.

But that’s not all.

This is an Orchard Rite pole, this is an Orchard Rite supplied engine and control and monitoring system. Royce went with Orchard Rite because “The length of time they’ve been in business and what they’d be like to work with longer term also contributed to our decision that these are the type of people we want to do business with.”

Yet what have Orchard Rite done lately to move their product forward? Sure there are commercial considerations to weigh up. Can we make it cheaper? Can we provide more coverage? I don’t know if Orchard Rite fans provide any advantage in either of these areas, but one thing is for sure, reducing the noise of these fans has not been Orchard Rites primary focus. They are renowned for being the noisiest of any fans and while some might blame the installer or the owner for turning the fans up to an unreasonable level, Orchard Rites attention to noise has been nil.

While the Amarillo has morphed into the Defender in an effort to get quieter and the already quiet 4 bladed Frost Boss has pushed the envelope with the C-49. What have Orchard Rite done?

Good news.

Their research and development department has been hard at work. They have burned the midnight oil, conducted countless aerodynamic tests and I hear that they used a supercomputer normally reserved for nuclear detonation simulations to finally produce this…

So what are you looking at?

Well, I’m no expert, but it looks like they took normal blades and extended them by inserting a longer centre section.

Seriously, this was installed next to one of the Marlborough noise hotspots in the Wairau valley. This is Orchard Rites answer to noise problems with frost fans.

For crying out loud. Is it any wonder that Royce McKean is going to risk voiding a warranty on an Orchard Rite frost fan by trying the opposition’s new blade when this is the best that Orchard Rite can come up with?

I can only hope that this is the product of Spanners Watson the retarded South Island mechanic rather than an example of the finest engineering brains of a country that sent men to the moon.

Pathetic.

A single 11 hour frost event is not strange, but this fan is.

2010-07-20T21:54:00.001+12:00

Royce McKean and Waiata Vineyards have often annoyed the residents around the Hurunui with their massive installation of Orchard Rite frost fans.

What a marvellous surprise it was to find the following (2007) article in the ‘Fruitfed News’ that espoused the wisdom and foresightedness of Royce in purchasing 53 of the 3000 series Orchard Rite fans for his Waipara vineyard.

This is the same model fan that when measured by Hegley Acoustics in 2005 could only meet the old noise restrictions of the Marlborough District Council if wound down to the point of uselessness. So you can safely assume that they have never been run at this speed and for some reason the residents have complained. The nerve.

But let’s take a moment to have another look at the ‘Fruitfed News’ article again.

What’s that they say?

“The 53 Orchard-Rite wind machines installed on Waipara vineyard this winter have already proven their worth during an eleven hour frost event says viticultural manager Dan Riddell.”

Gosh that’s interesting. You see one of the basic tenants that’s being pushed by the NZ Winegrowers Association is that because the fans are used for such a small amount of time, the disruption to sleep is minimal. In fact during the recent frost fan hearing in Marlborough, figures of less than 10 hours use in a year were submitted by growers.

That must be comforting to know for those Hurunui district residents who suffered through a single 11 hour event. This is not a cumulative total over a season. This is one night. One night without sleep and then back to work the next day. Driving to and from work, operating heavy machinery, trying to make decisions while sleep impaired. ONE night is intolerable. And it’s never just one night is it?

Good show.

What about Orchard Rite? Did they sell Royce a pup? In a quote from the advertising Royce went with them because “Not only were the technical considerations important, but also the philosophies of how the Orchard-Rite people do business. Ultimately, we had a lot of confidence in the key people at Orchard-Rite and that they’d stand behind their products.”

That’s given me a warm glow.

However, it was interesting to note in a picture donated from an interested citizen that Royce has begun testing a different fan up the Wairau Valley. If you look closely on one of his noisy Orchard Rites, you’ll see a brand new Defender blade sitting on it.

Now, to those not in the know, this is taking two competing companies and making their evil love child. To be perfectly honest that’s not fair to the Defender, since in spite of my serious misgivings about this blade and its woeful testing, there would be no doubt in my mind that it would be a generation ahead of the Orchard Rite blade it replaced (not that being less noisy than an Orchard Rite is anything to crow about).

So the question remains, why would you do it?

Well there’s the obvious answer and there’s the one that Orchard Rite would rather you didn’t know.

The obvious reason would be that Royce knows full well that the jig is up and that his current fans are stupidly noisy and are likely to get dealt to by the new raft of Council rules being enacted all over the place.

I will let you know what the less obvious and far more worrying reason is tomorrow.

NZ Winegrowers is your nose growing?

2010-07-18T21:41:00.001+12:00

12 July 2010.

It was released in the press that the New Zealand Winegrowers had been told off by the Commerce Commission for telling its members to limit the amount of grapes they harvested.
The commission investigated after receiving three complaints about New Zealand Winegrowers’ conduct during the 2010 harvest.

Apparently the Commission were concerned that the industry group had gone beyond making recommendations about volumes of grapes that were to be harvested and that they had effectively directed growers to harvest only set amounts.

It turns out that this would have been illegal and the Commerce Commission were therefore concerned. They went so far as to issue compliance advice to the New Zealand Winegrowers, which some assumed to be an indication that they had been guilty. However, New Zealand Winegrowers chairman Stuart Smith said he believed the commission’s statement cleared the group of any wrongdoing.

Additionally, Belly Gully (eminent Lawyers that act for the New Zealand Winegrowers) Proudly report on their web site that they have “Acted for New Zealand Winegrowers in relation to the Commerce Commission's investigation into the conduct of New Zealand Winegrowers, as the industry body, regarding grape harvest and wine production levels. The Commission concluded there was no breach.”

This seemed like a bit of an incongruous thing to do. One side (the Commission) says “Bad Winegrowers. Don’t tell growers what to produce.” and then the other side (Winegrowers) says “Good news! The Commission have cleared us of any wrongdoing”.

I for one was confused.

It got better.

15 July 2010:

It was released in the press that The Commerce Commission is offering an amnesty for wine growers (the people who ACTUALLY grow grapes) who own up to colluding over grape prices and harvest yields.

The commission sent New Zealand Winegrowers a letter after an investigation into complaints about the way the group advised members to restrict harvests to meet production targets for the 2010 vintage.

The commission noted it did not have evidence that individual members of New Zealand Winegrowers were setting prices or targets independently of the organisation, but offered immunity from prosecution to the first person to come forward and reveal examples of it happening.

At this point it looks like the Commerce Commission were dredging up a case of sour grapes (everyone loves a pun). I mean what’s going on with the Commerce Commission? Accuse a National body of an illegal act and then offer amnesty for any growers that come forward to confirm it? Frankly it smelled like a fishing trip.

Like any good tale there’s a twist.

Fade back in time……..

5 October 2009:

It was reported in the NZ Herald that “New Zealand Winegrowers has for the first time told wine producers how much fruit to harvest, in an effort to address the oversupply problem. Growers have been told they should harvest no more than 8 tonnes a hectare in the 2010 season. This compares with about 10 tonnes a hectare in the past couple of years.”

The article reports several facets of the reasons why this seemed like a good idea. But I’m pretty sure that the headline for the article sums it up succinctly;

“Winegrowers body sets harvest limits”

So here’s the corrected timeline;

October 2009: NZ Winegrowers appears to direct growers to limit their harvest.

July 2010: NZ Commerce Commission reports that NZ Winegrowers have breached some legal point by telling the growers to harvest a set amount.

July 2010: NZ Winegrowers claim that there was no limit imposed and that (in the words of Stuart Smith) “I do not know why complaints had been made to the commission about the association. Growers had come to the association for guidance after the 2008 harvest created an over-supply of grapes which had damaged the market”

DANGER SPIN ALERT!!

We didn’t tell the growers how much to harvest (like was reported in the press). We just gave them advice when they came to us with a problem.

I think that the smell that the Commerce Commission has picked up is not so much a delicate bouquet that tickles the nose, but a ripe, festering pong that assaults the senses

Apologies to Al Nisbet and The Press

2010-07-15T21:51:00.001+12:00

All hail Al Nisbet. I couldn't find the original on-line, but came across the attached perversion of his brilliant original that appeared in The Press a week or so ago dealing with wind farms.

NZ Winegrowers Heads to Court (In the Hurunui and Marlborough)

2010-07-13T07:03:00.002+12:00

As reported in the Christchurch press and in rumors coming out of Marlborough. The NZ Winegrowers are appealing decisions to amend noise levels from frost fans to reasonable levels and are heading to the Environment Court to try their luck.
So apart from being told by countless sleep deprived homeowners, apart from being told by acoustic experts, apart from being told by the local Councils, apart from the wine economy dragging respectable (wine-growing) businesses into the mire, they still think that they can make as much noise as they want whenever they want.
They would far rather spend more of the money that they have leached from the growers or have been handed from the government.
Who wins?
Administrators
Lawyers
Red tape connoisseurs
NZ Winegrowers (not NZ wine)

[Late edit]: It would appear that NZ Winegrowers will be appealing the Tasman District Council frost fan rules as well (why should they miss out).

Golden Hills. Excessive Noise.

2010-06-29T21:18:00.004+12:00

Jeff Marr has had an opportunity to defend the use of frost fans on his Golden Hills Estates vineyard in Nelson and has put forward an extremely compelling and thought provoking argument.
As reported in the Nelson Mail and featured here, Jeff has once again raise the bar on making sure that the community he so proudly calls his own is cared for and nurtured.
Quotes attributed to his golden tongue include...
"My neighbors hate my machines. I've no doubt about that at all, and it's inevitable"
"I use helicopters as well, and those neighbours hate them more. They're a lot noisier, and fly right over their house."
"We don't do this to annoy people – it's a necessity."
"If people choose to live here, they have to put up with it."
"If you don't like living in the country, f... off into town"
Ahh... Jeff.
Poster child for the responsible grape grower. How fondly I remember you from 2008.
Although, technically those rat-bag people who complain about the noise aren't Jeff's neighbors. He doesn't actually live on the property (who'd want to with those fans going). He lives about 4km away from that particular block. Closer to the other block that is over by the landfill.
I notice you're still running the old style Defenders (x3) on one block. How are they performing? Noisy? Must be quieter than the two Orchard Rites on the other place.

Painless Frost Protection

2010-06-27T21:24:00.001+12:00

Just thought it would be a good opportunity to update the blog with information on the progress of the Raytheon sponsored microwave frost protection system Tempwave.
It would appear that they have been running trials in an Ontario vineyard over the Northern Winter.
Follow the links for updated information and new pictures.
http://www.raytheon.com/newsroom/technology/rtn09_tmpwv/index.html
http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2010/06/25/raytheon-turns-swords-into-plowshares/
http://www.winesandvines.com/template.cfm?section=news&content=73695

A new Hope?

2010-05-28T06:53:00.000+12:00

Lester Hope, you're my hero.
Actually, I don't know if you are or not, but I'm willing to take a small punt that you know what you're doing.
Great to see the article on you in the Marlborough Express and to see the effort you've put into developing a frost fan blade.
Lester, I'm no expert, but I've had an opportunity to take note of a frost fan blade or two in my time, and I think you're on the right track. From the small picture in the paper, it is obvious that you understand something that some other manufacturers have missed. Aerodynamics matter.
Your design and that of the Frost Boss C-49 display an understanding of the principle that a frost fan blade is designed to operate at a specific speed and the airflow at that speed has specific properties.
This is where the older traditional fans with their essentially flat blades were pretty crude. The Defender with its aerofoil shape recognized that aerodynamics plays a part, but they failed to pick up the importance of the change in velocity along the length of the blade.
You clearly know what you are doing and I applaud you. Well done.
If you haven't done so yet, please get some acoustic testing carried out and if it's worth crowing about, let us know.
Good on you.

Frost Fan Plan Changes Here

2010-05-27T23:43:00.000+12:00

As indicated, the MDC released the Decision on the Plan Changes for Frost Fans today.
You can download your own copy from here.
I can see some good and some bad, some stupid and some really good.
The 100m rule is gone and replaced by a 300m or 55dBA Leq rule. At last some common sense after years of suffering over some idiots mistake when drafting a plan rule. However, there's some muddying of the waters with regards what areas have a 300m and which a 500m setback.
No cumulative effects taken into account. There's a lot of talk about why it wasn't included, and I suppose you can see a reasonable view-point there. However, the faith that is required to be put into the hands of the MDC to now make some sort of monitoring effort to consider the cumulative effects would seem a little misplaced.
The penalty for presence of special audible characteristics is reinforced as being in place.
The MDC are told that monitoring the noise from these things isn't really an optional activity. They are really OBLIGED to do it under the RMA.
There's a lot of twoddle in the report about making sure the frost fan blades don't exceed the speed of sound. They even say that Malcolm Maclean has stated that he has measured fans exceeding this speed. Well I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure that isn't likely. Not only that, but a quick check over Malcolm's measurements (published here), indicates that he's measured them exceeding a compliant speed, but not the speed of sound. (You may want to reply to this Malcolm)

However, the Biggie...
If you haven't demonstrated that your fan was compliant under the old rules and gone and gotten a certificate of compliance under section 139, then you might just be stiff out of luck.
To quote the Environment Court;

The onus is clearly on a person who relies on permitted activities status in the Plan to demonstrate that their activity is compliant

If you want to carry out a permitted activity and to subsequently be afforded the protection inherent therin, you need to have demonstrated compliance.
No demo, no permitted activity.
Jeez, that's about as much fun as a Katipo down the Y fronts.
If your resource management consultant looked after you properly, you'll have a certificate of compliance for your fans. If he or she cut corners, you could be made to SHOCK, HORROR, actually abide by a reasonable level of noise from your currently installed fans.
Wouldn't that be a shame.

Frost Fan Plan Change Released

2010-05-26T18:16:00.000+12:00

It has come to my attention that the decision of the hearing for the frost fan plan changes has been released this afternoon.

I would expect that if you put in a submission that you can expect something in the mail in a day or two.

I anticipate change that will make inconsiderate operators squeal, and the barn door will be set ajar. The horses are of course long gone...

Why are consent fees rising?

2010-04-22T21:43:00.000+12:00

Yes they went up. Quite a bit according to this article in the Marlborough Express.
So I suppose the Chairman of the New Zealand Winegrowers had good reason to wonder what was going on.
Now I don't know a lot about what makes a Council tick financially. But I do know that in order to properly monitor the rules and regulations of a District plan it will cost a bit of money.
So I suppose you would ask yourself just what are they monitoring and how are the Council maintaining compliance and who are breaking the rules?
Well good questions and good news. Because for a little taste of the evil doings that are going on around the District, the MDC released excerpts from "Environment Action 2008" last year.
Let's have a look....
Prosecution action:
Highfield Terrace Downs Limited for Unauthorised works in a wetland.
Infringement Notices:
Wither Hills Vineyards Marlborough Limited for Discharge of winery wastewater
Foxes Island Wines Limited for Discharge of grapes and wash water to the stormwater system which enters the Co-op Drain.
Spy Valley Wines for Discharge of winery wastewater to land.
Gareth Lynn for Discharge of RDV to wastewater system which enters the Co-op Drain.
Indevin Limited for Discharge of RDV to wastewater system which enters the Co-op Drain.
Robyn Tiller for Discharge to air from burning plastic and treated wood.
Michael Tiller for Discharge to air from burning plastic and treated wood.
Isabel Estate Limited for Discharge to air from burning plastic and treated wood.
Ashmore Vineyards Limited for Discharge of smoke from burning green vegetation.
Lynford Vineyards Limited for Unauthorised filling of a waterway.
Bronwyn Grant for Discharge of smoke from burning plastic vine guards.
Weta Estate Limited for Discharge of smoke to air by burning green vegetation.
Boundary Bay Vineyards Limited for Removal of trees from floodway.
Vines Development Company for Discharge of stormwater from earthworks without sediment traps.
McKean Estates Limited for Disturbing bed of a river.
McKean Estates Limited for Diverting water.
McKean Estates Limited for Tree removal in a riverbed.
McKean Estates Limited for Discharge of sediment from earthworks without sediment traps.
Matakana Estate for Discharge of smoke to air from burning green vegetation.
Weta Estates Limited for Discharge of smoke to air from burning green vegetation.
Saint Claire Estate Wines Limited for Discharge of smoke to air from burning treated timber and plastic.
Odyssey Vineyards Limited for Discharge of smoke to air from burning treated timber and plastic.
Delegats Wine Estate for Discharge of smoke from burning green vegetation.
Abatement Notices:
Alistair Shave for The take and use of water to irrigate a vineyard
Indevin Limited for Discharge of contaminates to a waterway, via the stormwater system.
Wither Hills Vineyards Limited for Discharge of winery wastewater to land in excess of 10mm/day.
Indevin Limited for Discharge of winery wastewater to a waterway via the Council stormwater system.
Indevin Limited for Dumping of grape marc to land.
Richard Campbell for Dumping of grape marc to land
Wairau River Wines Limited for Discharge of winery wastewater to land in excess of 10 mm/day
Anthony Moore for Discharge of grape marc to land
Boundary Bay Vineyards for Removal of trees in floodway
Weta Estates Limited for Burning of unauthorised materials.
Matakana Estate Limited for Unauthorised excavation and vegetation removal in a floodway
Matakana Estate Limited for Burning of unauthorised materials.
M & M Wairau Investments Limited for Taking of water for irrigation of vineyard.
Daniel Watson for Taking of water for irrigation of vineyard
Weta Estates Limited for Taking of water for irrigation of vineyard
Vines Development Company Limited for Taking of water for irrigation of vineyard.
McKean Estate Marlborough Limited for Taking water.

So I suppose the cost of monitoring and enforcing compliance has to cover the efforts of chasing the offenders mentioned above?
So I agree with the New Zealand Winegrowers. The fees have gone up a lot.
But I can sort of see why...

Fourth night in a row for fans.

2010-04-11T07:43:00.000+12:00

Fourth times the charm?
Not as many running last night. Quite a bit of on again, off again noise.
No wine can taste that good.

3rd night in a row. Whew!

2010-04-10T07:28:00.000+12:00

Feeling really good now.
3 nights in a row with fans operating. A good nights sleep is only a hazy semi-hallucinatory memory.
But I am only one person. Around the district there are hundreds like me. Semi awake, but driving on the roads anyway.
Great.

Frost Fan debate: The age of reason?

2010-04-10T02:39:00.001+12:00

I like the idea of the debate page in the Marlborough Express.
So I suppose it would have only been a matter of time before frost fans featured.
Young Malcolm took the 'reason' slant. And why not? It's kind of obvious when you boil the issue down. Frost fan operators should be just as responsible for producing a reasonable of noise as defined in the RMA as any other industry. Why should they be special? Perhaps the Chairman of the New Zealand Winegrowers has a reason? Let's take a look....
There is apparently a significant cost in running a frost machine. Frankly a few hundreds of dollars of diesel is pittance beside the potential earnings of the crop, so let's not mince words here. An operator will ALWAYS err on the side of caution when deciding whether or not to operate his fans. Some operators won't even take as much care as young Stuart. I mean why bother to wake up at 3am when you can simply tell your vineyard manager to turn them on at the first sniff of cool weather and turn them off at sunrise. Small price to pay (especially when you live in another part of the country).
Clearly every time he ran his machines he was faced with no other alternative. This is WAR! (have you noticed how the effort is described as frost fighting? This is genuinely how some growers approach the business of frost protection, no matter what technique is used. And as we know, in war, not everyone's following the Geneva convention (I mean history is written by winners isn't it?)).
I see that "landowners have a responsibility to ensure that the adverse effects of their viticultural practices are mitigated as far as practically possible" So there are adverse effects of viticultural practices, but if you've chosen to grow your crop in an unsuitable area, never fear, you only have to make an effort to mitigate adverse effects, not actually mitigate them.
All the hot air over national standards and complicated rules hides the fact that the New Zealand Winegrowers have not made any practical attempt to limit noise pollution. This includes their code of practice which doesn't even pretend to be enforceable. What Stuart is really saying is let's forget about this petty local squabbling and elevate the issue to a national level so that no affected individual will be inclined to participate and we can either write our own rules or simply drag the process out for longer.
Other Councils are less combative? How much less combative can they get. For crying out loud, they don't even monitor the noise, just the complaints!!

2nd night of fans. You've got to love it.

2010-04-09T06:47:00.000+12:00

So, second night of bing kept awake by fan noise. Lets hope I'm not the person operating the truck on the road that goes past you. Let's hope I'm not the person dispensing your medicines. Lets hope I'm not putting a filling in your child's mouth. Lets hope I'm not flying an airplane. Let's hope I'm not your accountant. Let's hope I'm not your lawyer. Lets hope I'm not your doctor. Let's hope I'm not trying to fix the XT network. Let's hope I'm not a fireman. Let's hope I'm not a police officer. Let's hope I'm not driving your kids to school.
Lets hope I'm not one of the myriad of people who need a good nights sleep to do their job well.
Because that's the second night in a row.

Frost Fan Hearing Tidbits

2010-04-09T02:28:00.046+12:00

A recent article in the Marlborough Sun newspaper, has shone a bit of light on some interesting aspects from the recent frost fan plan change hearing.
Actually there are some curious observations.
Complaints have increased as the number of fans has increased (that kind of makes sense).
Why Murray Hunt would be telling the world that the blades on the Defender frost fans were coming apart is a little beyond me, but he's a lawyer, so I presume that it's pretty much public knowledge (or at least Murray thought it was).
Could the Council end up ignoring cumulative effects in the plan change? Frankly that would be ludicrous. To pretend that the noise problem from frost fans is only due to single fans flies in the face of reason.
Is that right? A vineyard owner and an affected resident are both annoyed that a noise report has dodgy data in it? That would be worth seeing (still waiting for those documents).
And of course Councillor Hope appearing for the NZ Winegrowers. A Councillor representing a company with a vested interest in the outcome of the hearing appearing before the committee who are deciding on a district plan. I suppose this would mean he will need to declare a conflict of interest if the plan change has to be voted on.

Fans have a bit of a crack

2010-04-08T06:55:00.000+12:00

No, not an actual crack. Just trying to get a way of saying that there were a few fans running last night (not that I can see a frost).
You've got to think that some operators must feel that if they have a fan, they should run it. Irrespective of whether there is a serious risk of frost or not. Plonkers.

Can the Council clean up after itself?

2010-03-30T06:58:00.001+13:00

Well, judging by the article in last weeks "The Sun" newspaper - No.

In spite of being subjected to excessive noise by a Council rule that allowed multiple frost fans to be placed within spitting distance of their house, a couple up the Wairau valley have had much in the way of promises and little in the way of substance delivered.
You have to start asking yourself. "Could this be a case of there but for the grace of God go I?"
The Council have stuffed up here by allowing a blatantly stupid rule to torment average residents. Where does their responsibility lie?
You know, I'd like to know if anyone ever takes responsibility for that 100m rule debacle.

Ouch! That stings.

2010-03-27T03:51:00.038+13:00

I'm afraid that the hits keep coming.

Readers of the Marlborough Express (while they keep printing stuff like this, I'll be buying) will have noticed that yesterdays Editorial cut right through the crap (pardon my French) and produced some very interesting angles on the recent frost fan hearing information;
Wine industry crying wolf over job losses.
Wine industry invokes "nuclear option".
The fan sales companies have done a fabulous job in using the spectre of crop losses to proliferate their use throughout the region.
District Council passes the buck.
Critical mass of frost fans.
The focus on individual fans is almost a bait and switch tactic (that's such a cool phrase).
The idea that questioning fan use is a major threat to the industry becomes slightly ridiculous.
In a sustained downturn there will be casualties and looking for scapegoats won't change that.
There's a need to provide more to the province than a wine derived trickle-down economic model.

Nice bit of writing there.

Day three of the frost fans hearing

2010-03-26T03:19:00.003+13:00

Go the Marlborough Express! Great coverage of the hearings all the way up to the last day.

So more interesting stuff.
Predictably, the whine industry is crying poverty in these difficult economic times. And they're right times will be tough. Especially for what is essentially luxury goods.
$1billion of Marlborough wine put at risk in a frost event? Err.. I'm not sure that that would be right would it? I mean didn't all of NZ produce $1billion last year (as reported by NZ Winegrowers I think) so that might be a bit of a stretch. Also, how much of that is covered by frost fans? Surely the percentage being protected by frost fans is pretty small, So I would presume that a catastrophic frost event is going to still be catastrophic even if all the frost fans in Marlborough are whirling away. Kind of smells a bit like scaremongering :-)
And apparently Marlborough was a dust bowl before the wine industry transformed it. Actually, I kind of thought that the varied orchards, peas, garlic and the marvelous trees that were scattered across the plains were kind of pretty before the vineyard mono-culture crept in. If anything is going to make Marlborough vulnerable it would be reliance on a single industry to support it. Anyone remember seeing herds of cattle and flocks of sheep? Where did they go?

And to think, all this on the day when David Prestipino called New Zealand Sav Blanc oversupplied and to be avoided. Perhaps a catastrophic frost could assist?

Day two at the frost fan hearing

2010-03-25T06:54:00.002+13:00

It would appear that there were some more pertinent points raised again at the hearing.
Well done to the Marlborough Express again for coverage of the frost fan hearing.

Cumulative effects (again (surely the cumulative effect of all these people saying something about cumulative effect will have an effect?)).

Serious health issues (sleep deprivation could include cardiovascular disease, mental-health effects and impaired cognitive performance).
But the most interesting thing of the day appears to have come from a lawyer and his client and it's kind of a big deal.
The argument goes a bit like this;
If you have an existing fan that was installed under the old rules where effectively you just had to get a building consent and bung it on the ground, then if it was shown that your fan did not meet the standards in the district plan (that would be the old standard I presume), you wouldn't have any existing use rights (because you never had a resource consent to operate beyond the limit in the Plan. At that point you would be forced to apply for a resource consent for your fan and it would appear that you would need to meet the new standards.
Opps!
Let's see if I can paint an ugly picture here.
What if installers have been putting in fans for years and just bunging them on the ground and not bothering to set the speed of their fans to match the manufacturers recommendations for the required noise level?
Actually, this might have been happening already.
Young Malcolm Maclean has been measuring fan speed and his measurements seem to indicate that Orchard Rite and Amarillo frost fans are being run at speeds that would make them non compliant according to the manufacturers data.
The Frost Boss 4 bladed models look pretty good, but if the worst case scenario is true, those with Amarillo or Orchard rite fans should be getting their installers to set the fans to a compliant speed.
I'm picking they probably don't know what the compliant speed is.
If you have doubt, Malcolm included a look up table in his measurement document that provides a reference to the manufacturers data here.
Malcolm, you may want to make some comment?
Well done to the Marlborough Express again for coverage of the frost fan hearing.

Fun and Games at the Frost Fan Hearing

2010-03-24T02:54:00.033+13:00

I have to say there are some hold-outs out there. :-)
But the good old Marlborough Express has come to the party and provided a glimpse into the goings on in the hearing into the proposed change to Marlborough's District Plan (technically, that would be the Wairau/Awatere Plan and the Marlborough Sounds Plan).

It looks like a lot of affected folks have been having their say.
Good words used like;
"Flawed"
"Unacceptable"
"Heads in the sand"
"Sad indictment"

and my favorite;

"We're not just numbers, we're people"

Of course the focus should be on the proposed plan. So its good to see such obvious things being identified as cumulative effects and the dichotomy of having allowable night time noises louder than the daytime noises. How weird is that?
I'm presuming that the opposite side of the fence haven't had their say yet, so I suppose we need to stay tuned.
If anyone has some copies of the statements / evidence / submissions, send em through.

Hardly painting a pretty picture in Hastings

2010-03-20T07:57:00.000+13:00

Shame and a financial sting have descended on Morton Estate Wines Limited who have been fined $50,000 for taking water for irrigation after being expressly told not to by the local Council.
They thought they would just receive an infringement notice, so they went ahead and sucked water from the local river in what the Judge described as a "deliberate flouting of a perfectly well known restriction".
Unfortunately for them, the Hawkes Bay Regional Council took a dim view of that sort of arrogance and rightly took them to court.
$50,000 later the company is licking its wounds and hopefully getting a better appreciation of the finer points of playing by the rules.
The company owns vineyards in Hawkes Bay and Marlborough, but the most interesting thing is that the owner of the company doesn't live in either of these locations.
In fact he lives in Canada.
His name is Mark Coney.
He is the director of quite a number of companies in New Zealand
Stone Key Trading
Surfdale Beach Properties Limited
Rossana Projects Limited
Key Pacific Corporation (NZ) Limited
The Wine Portfolio Limited
Ascross Investments Limited
One Tree Hill Vineyards Limited

The Fans! The Fans Esmeralda!!

2010-03-18T06:30:00.003+13:00

There we go.
I think this definitely counts as the first real running of the fans for the year. (sure there were a few a couple of Saturday's ago, but it was a pretty average effort).
By my checking the temperature was about 3.5 degrees.
THAT WOULD BE 3.5 DEGREES ABOVE 0 CELSIUS. AND IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, THE LAWS OF PHYSICS STILL REQUIRE THE TEMPERATURE TO DROP BELOW ZERO BEFORE WATER FREEZES!!

Neil Wilson, You're my hero.

2010-03-17T21:40:00.001+13:00

New Zealand is a country where if you speak out of turn, typically you will be looked at askance.
We might all think a particular thing, but it is a rare soul who has the courage to call a spade a spade.

For those who read the Marlborough Express, the letter written in by Neil Wilson today covers a number of topics (some dear to the heart of this blog). What is the most comforting is that there are still people who will tell the emperor that they have no clothes.
Great quotes include;
"Bang, bang, bang - welcome to Blenheim"
"It's great to live in Blenheim now that grapes seem to rule the Council"
"Grape people whinge about the price they are getting. Tough mate."
"Toughen up, growers, and get over it because a lot of locals are over you"

Thanks Neil.

Orchard Rite fans vanish yet again

2010-03-17T06:55:00.000+13:00

Crikey, when will they make up their mind?

Waaaay back in September 2008 it was reported that an Orchard Rite fan that had what looked to be a suspect bent blade.
Then in February 2009, the units disappeared.
Then in April 2009, they showed up again.

Well, earlier this year (I'm going to estimate end of January), they disappeared again.
Where do they go every year?
Annual migration?
Holiday?
Scheduled fan re-bending maintenance?

Hearing of Submissions on the Use of Wind Machines for Frost Protection

2010-03-16T06:44:00.000+13:00

For all you submitters, by now you will have received your information pack that will direct you to the hearing where you can listen to the arguments for and against the proposed changes to the District Plan for the use of frost fans.

The start time is 9am on Monday the 22nd of March.
The venue is the Marlborough Emergency Operations Centre on Wither Road.

If you want to be heard in support of your submission then you will need to be at the venue at 9am on the Monday so that an appropriate time can be scheduled. If this is difficult, contact Mark Caldwell at the Council. (520 7400) He should be able to assist with timing and scheduling.

If you simply want to see what is going on or to wave the flag, this is also an appropriate time to attend. It will give you an idea of the length of the proceedings and some of the characters involved. (chances are there will be a few :)

Common sense prevails in preventing Frost Fan legislation

2010-03-15T17:18:00.000+13:00

No, sadly I'm not talking about the upcoming MDC frost fan hearings (on the 22nd at the Marlborough Emergency Operations Centre on Wither Road, 9am start).
Instead, alert readers will remember the article outlining the intransigence of a specific vineyard owner in respect of the alarming noise his fans were producing. The situation was so dire that the local body was having to draft legislation that would impact on all other growers.
Well, what do you know, it looks like common sense has broken out and the stubborn owner has been convinced to replace his fan with a modern quiet model.
As a result the imposing legislation has been dropped and everyone can go about their business.

Now there's a lesson there.
If the winegrowers in general were to recognise that there was a problem and apply a bit of commonsense to make sure that their colleagues were not going about and generating an unreasonable amount of noise, then this entire fiasco with rule changes would not even be happening and they would find themselves better off. Heavens forbid, they would probably be in a better position, since they wouldn't be coughing out lawyers and consultants fees left right and center and they may even find that they are taken a bit more seriously by the Council.
The alternative is that they are seen as intransigent 'dogs in the manger' to whom the only possible response is legislation.
So be it.

Council to whine for lax industry.

2010-02-18T21:25:00.000+13:00

Hard on the heels of yesterdays report of a meeting in Council today to vote on a proposal to levy the viticulture industry for environmental vandalism (an observant reader will note that these are my words not theirs) comes news that the Council have bravely backed out of making any decision and instead have put of any decision till next year.
I mean after all, this is an election year right?
And should I be suspicious about the Councillors meeting at the Vintners Retreat on Monday to go over the meeting points?
I mean, they certainly wouldn't have been pre-deciding any issues out of the public eye would they?
I'm sure that it must be very difficult to find a room that will hold 18 people at the Council Building.
This is an election year people. If you think that rate payers are interested in excuses for why you decided to shell out their hard earned money for you to have an afternoon at a retreat. Think again.
They want to see responsible use of their money.
They want to see accountability for decisions.
They want to see if you're a politician or someone that actually gives a damn about something other than themselves.
This will mean that you'll have to be seen to do something.
This will mean that you have to take a position
This will mean that you should be doing the right thing.

Good luck

Council to tax wine industry?

2010-02-17T21:58:00.002+13:00

Really?
(See here for the Marlborough Express article and here for the agenda at the Council)
What have they done wrong lately?
Actually, this might sound a bit facetious, but I disagree with this in a number of ways.

Firstly, why should decent, responsible vineyard owners be burdened with the fallout from the irresponsible polluters who should be the targets here? I don't see why the owner of a vineyard that is not keeping their neighbors awake or spraying them with chemicals should have to pay for the poor planning and rat-bag actions of those who could care less.
Secondly, Mayor Sowman is right, $5 per hectare is not a huge sum. Frankly it's insignificant. Considering that there is an anticipated return of many thousands per hectare and a frost fan owner is willing to spend $50,000 on a machine to protect approximately 6-8 hectares. Tax the machines and leave the sensible growers alone. $100 per machine should see you right.

And what's with the "He said", "They said" between the Council and the NZ Winegrowers? For crying out loud, it just demonstrates that the poor communication skills on both sides are unlikely to ever result in an equitable arrangement and the innocent public will be the ones wide awake in the middle of the night.

This is an election year, I thought there would be more constructive effort put in.

Getting out while the getting's bad

2010-02-02T07:10:00.000+13:00

In an article published last Wednesday (27 January 2010) in Blenheim's Sun newspaper, the dire state of the local wine industry was described by a grape grower.
One cannot help but feel sorry for those who have invested so much especially if they were the unwitting victims of operators who traditionally skim profits from these type of boom / bust ventures.
The larger established vineyards will endure and those who planned for good times and bad will survive. However those who borrowed deeply and were anticipating grapes to fruit gold will be hurting.
Either way, lets not forget. If you're going to be walking away from the property, take your fans with you if you're close to housing on another property. I'm sure there's a good market for second hand units.

It's not the frost protection, it's the way its done that's the problem.

2010-01-30T07:31:00.002+13:00

Alert readers will recall a short blog on the tragedy of the commons as it relates to a limited resource being abused and ultimately destroyed by individuals acting selfishly in an unmanaged environment. Another example has reared its ugly head in Northern California's Sonoma County wine region.
Here growers have traditionally provided frost protection via overhead sprinklers (which would obviously get my support on the basis of noise). However, they have been abstracting the water from a nearby river in such huge quantities that it has dried up the river on more than one occasion and the associated wildlife (including endangered species) are suffering..
So the problem appears to be that the growers need the water and the river doesn't have enough to allow all the users to draw it down. So how does it get solved?
It doesn't.
Not when you have a bunch of people ignorant enough to only see their own individual needs and ignore their contribution to the problem.
The same thing is happening here. Those that believe that the noise of frost fans either in isolation or proximity to residences is not their problem will continue to focus only on their own selfish needs and the industry as a whole will not self regulate.
This will ultimately be their loss as others will be forced to regulate them and decent growers will come under the yoke of more oppressive rules.
Selfishness, greed and ignorance. It doesn't matter if your using a frost fan, sprinkler or helicopters. It's not the protection method that's the problem, it's the way it's used.

Frost fans paint NZ in a bad light internationaly

2010-01-23T08:00:00.003+13:00

The say a change is as good as a break. Well I had a break, but it looks like there's been no change.

I have noted with some dismay a conversation appearing here on a web site that is pointing out the flaws in the 'clean green NZ' image.

Highlighted in there is a significant amount of poking the borax at the concept that New Zealand can have the cheek to call itself 100% pure and still have NZ Winegrowers Chairman Stuart Smith espousing that frost fan noise was part of living in the country.

Actually if truth be told, there was a quote in there that I had missed and I think it probably speaks volumes for the attitude of the most apathetic initiators of this problem. "The industry can never please everyone and it won't try. We believe we are good citizens".

Sadly, this has attracted a bit of negative publicity. But then it would, wouldn't it? And if you're wondering, I believe that the New Zealand Winegrowers response has already been given "The industry can never please everyone and it won't try".

The post ends with the question;

"You sure you want to live in NZ?"

Plan Change Submissions.

2009-11-26T21:49:00.003+13:00

Some interesting news of note.

The MDC have published the submissions on the proposed rule change for frost fans.

While I would like to say that they make interesting reading, at over 200 pages of text, it will take me a few days to go through them.

There are some interesting details that have caught my eye however.

Casting a glance over the list of submitters, there are a good range of the usual suspects. I.e those who have been vocal in the past from one side or the other, but there are a few interesting new players showing their interest.

For instance;

The Nelson Marlborough Public Health Service

Richard Karn (for those not in the know, I recommend a quick trip to Google)

and last but not least

The Marlborough District Council

I don't know about you, but I didn't know that you could put in a submission on a plan change that you had proposed in the first place. But hey, I'm sure they have some interesting things to say, so why not?

So where to get hold of these gems?

Click here for part 1 (4.8MB)

Click here for part 2 (3.6MB)

And if you want to go to a page where there are a few other links to some more info (including making a submission on submissions!) go here.

Enjoy.

Inversion layers and what was happening last night

2009-11-12T04:47:00.003+13:00

Interesting times.

It is not typical to have the frost fans operating as late as the 12th of November, but they are.

More interesting is the reason they are operating.

You see it is cold (approaching freezing), but the type of cold that can be warmed by a frost fan is very selective.

You see a frost fan relies on an inversion layer (see here and here) to work. It pulls down slightly warmer air from about 15m above the ground.

But what if there is no inversion layer? Well then you end up blasting your vineyard with cold air. Yes, that would mean making a bad situation even worse.

Now a strange thing happened yesterday. In Marlborough, a cold air mass moved in from the South and brought with it rain and low temperatures. So throughout the day, air temperatures were low and as a result the temperature of everything else was low.

A typical day in September/October in Marlborough sees sun warming the ground and the air. Then at night the warmth from the ground is radiated away as infrared radiation and the warm air mass traps the cold from the ground near the surface. Hence the effect of a rise in temperature with an increase in height.

Last night there was no warm air and the temperature dropped towards freezing. As a result the frost fans that were running were probably moving cold air over their vineyards. Creating exactly the effect they were designed to prevent. Needless to say, the residents they woke up were annoyed. It would be even more annoying to know that the fans shouldn't have been running at all because they were only making the situation worse.

That man deserves a Methodes Traditionelle!

2009-11-09T06:25:00.004+13:00

In a follow up to the advert seen for a system for providing frost protection through heating, it would appear that the news is picking up the story.

One of the really interesting aspects is that the heat transfer utilizes the transfer of sap in the vine to aid protection. Smart stuff.

Find attached an article from Blenheim's 'The Sun' newspaper (click on the picture for a readable version).

You can also see articles from stuff.co.nz here and from the NZ Herald here.

Yet more proof that the removal of frost fans from sensitive areas is not the end of viticulture. Simply using a responsible method of frost control means that everyone gets along.

Good effort to Daniel Le Brun at No 1 Family Estate and Cresswell Electrical.

Responsible Actions by Frost Fan Manufacturer

2009-11-06T21:58:00.004+13:00

I'll be honest.

I had serious doubts that a company who could have easily clammed up and refused comment or even gone on the offensive (irrespective of the final outcome) would have had the moxie to confront his accuser and reply in a honest and open way.

But I was wrong.

I have received a full and frank description of the problem that has recently occurred with a particular brand of frost fan and the description of the steps taken to identify the problem, mitigate the risk and implement a resolution are both commendable and verifiable.

I have no doubt that the resolution is being implemented in a method that mitigates risk and this mitigation has involved co-ordination with another independent group that specializes in safety.

I am not a friend to this company and I have little reason to expect them to regard me as benign. Yet I will tell you that they have acted responsibly in this matter.

Their product and those of other frost fan companies are still being used recklessly and where this occurs they will anticipate having unwelcome attention.

There is little doubt I will receive grief for not outing the company publicly, but to put it bluntly, that's tough. Some will not accept that there is a larger picture that requires industry and affected persons to interact to try and improve the situation for all. Bad luck.

There is a chance... A good chance... that this situation will provide an impetus for real improvement.

The likelihood of any of the frost fan manufacturing companies launching into a song and dance about the safety of one of their competitors blades is relatively slim on the grounds that those in glasshouses should not throw stones.

There is a strong case to suggest from this incident and from those that have affected all manufacturers of frost fans, that a suitable stand off distance should apply to the machines from residential properties.

If statistics teaches us anything it is that given enough opportunity, stuff happens.

Remove the opportunity (remove the fans from nearby residential properties) and you remove the problem.

Frost Fan Failures

2009-11-06T06:42:00.003+13:00

After consideration of the potential for harm to others I have contacted the manufacturer of the frost fans that have been reported as failing.

This is to provide an opportunity for him to confirm the steps being taken to address the issues so that the product can be relied on.

It is quite probable that the issue is being dealt with appropriately and if so, this would indicate a reasonable approach to the situation.

I await his response.

There will be those who regard this as a cop-out. That is a fair call. I won't try to justify it other than to say that it has been made with the ultimate goal of providing a better outcome for all.

And perhaps with a more open relationship between manufacturers (all manufacturers) and the environment into which their products are deployed things can improve.

Here's hoping.

2nd Abatement Notice Location Identified

2009-11-04T17:43:00.003+13:00

And guess what?

It wasn't McKean Estates.

Faced with a 50-50 chance of who would be the offender, Mckean estates have wriggled off the hook. (See previous post here)

But into the firing line comes Paul Vegar (Auckland investment fellow) and his able Manager Daniel Watson.

The quick witted amongst you will recall the previous article here about "reckless, irresponsible and deliberate" taking of water in the Wairau Valley. And the stuff. co.nz article here on the same topic.

Well guess what?

Same fellows.

The land is cleverly tied up in investment speak parcels so that the title holder gets stung for the legal stouch while the investment manager wrings his hands. Real viticulture artisans. The sort of people to whom wine-making is not so much a calling as an art form to be elevated to the highest levels. I've no doubt they are skilled at making money. If you want a successful investment, see this guy.

In fact, if you're a lawyer, he's probably looking for some extra help too. And you know what? That's probably what will happen here. He won't decide to operate the fans at a compliant level. He'll fight it in court and chew up your hard earned rate dollars.

Frost Fan Blade Failures

2009-11-02T22:41:00.003+13:00

Just hypothetically, suppose that you were administering a blog.

The thing is with blogs, you can find out a lot simply by seeing what traffic goes in and out of the site. I won't bore you with the technical details, but it is possible to gain an impression of the trends that viewers have (not individual viewers, but in general).

So, back to the interesting part. There has been a trend of late for people to look for information on the failure of frost fan blades. There has even been a snippet of information that would lead me to believe that people are looking for information on a specific manufacturers frost fans.

Now, because this is all hypothetical I took an opportunity to make an external inquiry or two. They had nothing to say, which makes me suspicious.

If the traffic is any indicator, something has happened.

Feel free to post a comment if you've got something to say. If it's speculation, you may rest assured I won't be publishing it until I can confirm something.

The data doesn't lie. Someone knows something. It's possible that they don't think it's important. But in the spirit of keeping the public aware of what's happening, I recommend fessing up sooner rather than later. The longer the secret is concealed, the worse the public reaction.

Somewhere...

Someone...

Knows...

2nd abatement notice issued in Marlborough

2009-11-01T07:41:00.004+13:00

Radio New Zealand is reporting a second abatement notice being issued for excessive noise from frost fans.

In addition to the notice that was issued earlier in the year to Waihopai Holdings in the Waihopai Valley (which is currently under appeal), this one has been issued to a Wairau Valley offender (which comprises about 40 fans on two properties).

Now, I have no idea which property this would be.

However there are a limited number of possibilities.

One would be McKean Estates which was profiled in stuff.co.nz here and a little bit more about the machines they use here They are described as a property up the Wairau Valley that has 46 frost fans.

Of course it might not be them, they might well be operating their machines compliantly, unlike their efforts in the Hurunui (Waiata Vineyards) where Mr Mckean has been operating his fans in contravention of the resource consent that was issued to them for years.

Now irrespective of which property this is, the question has to be asked. Why has it taken so long?

Also, the Council have been reported as saying that it believe that the number of excessively noisy fans that are operating in the area is in the minority.

I beg to differ.

They have no evidence of this. Quite the contrary, they have done no testing to make this assumption. The only survey I am aware of which was done last month showed that almost ALL Orchard Rite and Amarillo fans were running at excessive speeds.

I'll make a bet here. I bet that the property that has just been issued the 2nd abatement notice is running Orchard Rite or Amarillo frost fans. If these fans are not the problem, I will shut down this blog site.

The Marlborough District Council: Where the bleeding obvious goes to be ignored

2009-10-29T21:39:00.005+13:00

Meet Hans Versteegh. Regulatory manager for the Marlborough District Council.

He is indeed in the hot seat. Frost fans must keep the plate pretty full I suppose.

Well I suppose if you had a rule in your district plan that you couldn't enforce, that would be troublesome wouldn't it?

Actually it would only be troublesome if it caused a nuisance or something. Kind of like if the rule was aimed at keeping a really loud noise quiet.

So if people thought the really loud noise was unreasonable, they could complain and get it sorted right?

Oh, hold on, you can't test the noise. Darn it.

Wait, what if someone demonstrated a way to tell if the noise was to loud?

Ahh.. I see the master at work... Agree with him that the method does show non compliance, but then wring your hands because it might be a bit scary to ask if the operators or the installers would they please set them to a correct level.

Thanks again to the Blenheim Sun Community newspaper for this follow up article to the previous piece on checking compliance.

I see that Hans mentions that prosecuting offenders means dealing with the court and criminal jurisdiction system. I presume that those who run their fans at a non compliant level are actually criminal offenders.

Sorry Hans, would that be the Criminal Court or the Environment Court?

I like your explanation better. If the fans are being too noisy, call the police. Hans said it's the right thing to do. It's a criminal act after all.

Can you get a finding beyond reasonable doubt on an unreasonable noise? (you're not ACTUALLY the legal expert are you?)

P.S. Hans: I see you're the Marlborough contact for the protection and recovery of the pygmy button daisy. Those daisy's really need our help. Really.

Inspector Frost. Nice. Very Nice.

2009-10-29T21:29:00.004+13:00

Good on you Malcolm for providing a method for checking if fans are breaching the District plan. The attached scans are from the Blenheim Sun Newspaper, who ran a story on his efforts which he also posted here recently.

Of course there was also a reply from the Council which will follow in a separate post...

The Pursuit of Technology II: Frost Fan alternatives

2009-10-27T19:30:00.003+13:00

Hard on the heels of the previous post about exploring alternatives for frost protection, is an advert pointed out to me by an alert reader for providing frost protection using electrical heating elements. It's targeteing areas specifically with fan / noise problems as a viable alternative.

Nice idea.

I would presume an initial infrastructure cost and then simply rent a generator for the frost season. It would be interesting to see the cost per acre for installation / running.

Well done to Daniel Le Brun at No 1 Family Estate (web site here and selection of undoubtedly fine wines (responsibly produced)).

Kudos also to Cresswell Electrical for installation services.

Frost Fan Myth: The problem is caused by lifestylers moving to the country

2009-10-26T21:14:00.007+13:00

This is a common piece of misdirection put about by those who would have you believe that the noise from frost fans is a normal agricultural activity and that it's only since the the countryside has been overrun with people seeking a country lifestyle that the problem of noise has surfaced.

The way to identify that this is a false statement is to quietly examine the facts.

First of all the section 32 report that was released with the recent proposed rule change shows the increase of frost fan numbers in Marlborough. This shows that before 2000 there were practically no frost fans. The number climbed slowly to 100 in 2005. Then it picked up a bit of pace. By 2007 there were 300. By 2009 there were 1000.

So lets not fool ourselves here. The problems have blossomed because frost fan numbers have blossomed.

The second way to identify this as a myth, is that the myth automatically puts the blame for the problem onto anything other than frost fan use.

It couldn't possibly be something as simple as lots of unregulated frost fans being installed? It certainly wouldn't be something as simple as frost prone land that would normal be discounted for viticulture being used for growing grapes (irrespective of who's living next door)?

Here's the test for finding out who's to blame for when a frost fan is keeping you awake.

Did you build your house next to a frost fan? If the frost fan arrived after you built your house, then the problem is hardly of your making. (bonus marks if there wasn't even a vineyard nearby when your house was built)

Are the frost fan's near to you running at the right speed? This is a tricky one since the Council's track record at monitoring and compliance has been (how shall we put it), below expectations.

Is the operator a reasonable fellow or does he live in Sumner / Remuera? If they don't live on the property, the chances are that they probably don't much care about you or whether you're being kept awake.

Sorry, its a rambling blog post, but after seeing Stuart Smith spout his typical ' go back to town' speech, I had to get it off my chest.

Frost Fan Issue National News

2009-10-24T18:46:00.005+13:00

TV1 viewers would have seen an article on the frost fan issue on tonights news broadcast

The text version of the story is here or you can watch the video segment here.

Stuart Smith couldn't help himself and touted the same tired scaremongering.

Likewise wine grower Chris Simmonds claimed that it was just 1% of the frost fans that were causing the problems. Err... Chris, have you checked out the results of the test of frost fan compliance lately? That would be more like 90% of them do not meet the requirements.

Sorry Chris, frost fan users in Marlborough have been running their machines at too high a level for years and as a result they have defecated in their own nest. THAT's why the Council is being forced to impose new regulations. It's the irresponsible users who thought they would set them to any level they wanted because the Council never checks them. It's not a few... It's almost all....

The chickens are coming home to roost.

Submissions Close Tomorrow

2009-10-22T07:16:00.001+13:00

Have your say.

Support or oppose. If you don't put in a submission, the Council doesn't know what direction they will go in.

Your voice matters.

Handy Hints for Completing a Submission on the Frost Fan Plan Change

2009-10-19T22:08:00.004+13:00

No doubt you are working through your submissions for the plan change (if not. you need to get moving).

Here are some handy hints from the form for making sure that your submission is formatted in a manner that makes reading and understanding your suggestions clear.

These words of advice are from the front of the submission form itself and should therefore be a pretty good guide

When preparing your submission you need to include the following:

“This part of my submission relates to …” - state the name of the plan change and the part(s) of the plan change that is/are the subject of your submission.

“I support (or oppose) this part of the plan change.” – state whether you support or oppose (in full or part).

“My reasons for supporting (or opposing) this part of the plan change …” - tell us what your concerns are and the reasons why you support or oppose the provisions in the plan change.

“The decision I seek from the Council is …” - How do you want the Council to respond to your submission? It is very important that you clearly state the decision you wish the Council to make as the Council cannot make changes which have not been specifically requested. Start by indicating if you want the provision to be retained, deleted or amended. If you want an amendment (including additional provisions) then specify what wording changes you would like to see.

REMEMBER - the clearer you can be, the easier it will be for the Council to understand your concerns and take them into account.

For example;

Plan Change 58:

Wairau/Awatere Resource Management Plan

Volume Two

This part of my submission relates to;

Definitions

1. Add a new definition as follows:

Frost fan means a land based device, designed or adapted to control frost by fanning warmer air over potentially frost-affected surfaces, and includes the support structure.

I support this part of the plan change.

Or perhaps...

Plan Change 58:

Wairau/Awatere Resource Management Plan

Volume Two

This part of my submission relates to;

Definitions

1. Add a new definition as follows:

Frost fan means a land based device, designed or adapted to control frost by fanning warmer air over potentially frost-affected surfaces, and includes the support structure.

I oppose this part of the plan change.

My reason for opposing this part of the plan change is that frost fans could evolve in form, shape or nature in many different ways and that this description need to be broader.

The decision I seek from the Council is to amend this provision to read the following;

Add a new definition as follows:

Frost fan means a device, designed or adapted to move an inversion layer of air to control frost at ground level.

Frost last night

2009-10-19T22:04:00.002+13:00

I hope everyone enjoyed the frost last night. Not a big one, but enough to set the district alight (almost literally and figuratively).

If I read MetVUW correctly we could be heading for more noise on Wednesday and Saturday Morning. Fingers crossed!

Bladeless Fans and the Pursuit of Technology

2009-10-18T06:54:00.005+13:00

Bladeless fans I hear you say. That doesn't sound right.
Well, the concept is unusual, and if it hadn't come from Sir James Dyson himself, I would be more concerned.

But if you have a look at the product home page here, or the related video where Sir James explains the principles here or (my favorite) a wonderful explanation of how it works here you will see a concept that is strange, but obviously effective.

Now I'm not going to expect that the concept will scale to something suitable for frost protection. However, it is a very real and somewhat related example of engineering applying solutions to problems that are out of the square.

This same development needs to continue for frost fans.

In short, the concept of using an inversion layer to provide warmth to a crop is a good one. Frost fans are an effective means of achieving this end. However, they have side effects.

The Defender has taken a step to reduce those side effects by employing a more aerodynamic blade and making it rotate more slowly and then compensating for the reduced flow by making the blade larger with a higher pitch.

The C49 from Frost Boss has taken a step further by using their already quiet 4 bladed technology and implementing an aerodynamic blade in conjunction with cleverly examining the airflow from the perspective of the actual job that the fan is doing (this is a relatively low speed fan compared to aircraft propellers) and designed their blades to suit. This is what puts them one step ahead of the Defender.

The end result for both these manufacturers is quieter fans that do the same (or perhaps better) job than before. This same evolution needs to continue but with an even bolder change in direction to allow for greater reduction in noise. A bladeless Dyson fan will probably not be the answer, but the answer WILL be something different from a conventional fan. Keep your thinking caps on.

Frost fans and the tragedy of the commons

2009-10-15T21:22:00.004+13:00

If there's one overriding impression I've got from reading the paper (especially the letters to the editor), its that the effect of sleep deprivation on the people of Marlborough due to frost fan operation is a issue.

These people are annoyed. They're annoyed at absentee vineyard owners, they're annoyed at arrogant growers, they're annoyed at irresponsible frost fan operators, they're annoyed at an apathetic Council.

Make no mistake. The only reason a rule change is currently being mooted it that the Council are only now realizing that the problem has gone too far. people are going to get hurt and someone will have blood on their hands. It's the typical situation commonly described as the 'Tragedy of the commons".

This is a situation where a limited resource (in this case a level of noise low enough to allow sleep) is abused and ultimately destroyed by individuals acting selfishly in an unmanaged environment.

The Council set a rule that they failed to enforce. Selfish owners / operators / growers took advantage of the situation to try and maximize their own individual needs (by having their frost fans turned up too high and putting them too close to other residents). The end result is an environment so poisoned that they have made it unfit for use and ultimately hurt themselves by ending up looking like arrogant polluters. Obviously in an industry with a focus on a clean, responsible, product, this image is undesirable. Sadly they have maintained the attitude that the problem is not theirs, its the people who can't sleep's problem. A failure to engage in a proactive management of the issue from a collective perspective means that the district that so many people have enjoyed for so many years (yes, since before frost fans arrived in 2000) is now having to try and rescue itself from ruthless industrial greed.

Not farming.

Industry.

Have your say. Put in a submission on the proposed change to the frost fan rules.

You are being abused

2009-10-15T06:42:00.003+13:00

A quick look at the testing data that was provided in the compliance checks that Malcolm posted shows that two of these NON COMPLIANT fans are right on the boundary of Blenheim!
In fact, to say they're on the boundary is being kind. One is practically in your back yard!

This is one reason why it's noisy in Marlborough

2009-10-12T21:47:00.005+13:00

OK, It's fair to say that there has been some pressure applied to release this information (thanks Jack), but it goes to the heart of explaining one of the reasons why there is a noise problem from frost fans in Marlborough.

In short, Orchard Rite and Amarillo frost fans are being installed and run at speeds that result in noise that exceeds the limits laid down in the District Plan.

This information was a long time in the making and further testing would help represent the scale of the problem, however, in the short amount of testing done to date there is no doubt that two of the three frost fan brands are being installed in contravention of the District Plan.

The document that is here describes the results of the tests and provides the figures to back up the statement.

The data has been offered to the Marlborough District Council for independent checking. However, I encourage anyone to do the testing themselves to confirm the problem. The instructions for doing so are here.

Regards Malcolm

Practical observations on evaluating frost fan noise

2009-10-12T17:26:00.002+13:00

Thanks for having me back on the blog again Jack.

This has obviously been a busy time for frost fan users and people concerned with their noise. I had previously posted a description of a method for evaluating the noise from a frost fan by measuring its rotation and a reason that this is necessary. This is a follow up to that description to describe the practical aspects of the measurement system.

The recent frost events (6^th,7^th,11^th of October 2009) provided an opportunity to evaluate the method for testing frost fans for compliance with Council regulations.

The evaluation was very useful in that it highlighted some improvements, limitations and successes of the method. It also threw up an unexpected piece of data that will be relatively important in evaluating the current noise environment and potential improvements.

The testing has confirmed that the measurement of fan rotation at night is possible and practical. It can easily be carried out at a distance of over 200m, depending on the type of fan (the dark green of the typical Amarillo means that the practical recording distance of these machines is reduced).

Recording using infrared is possible at 100m, but unless there is a specialist requirement for it, visible light gives an easier result to work with.

Noting the direction that the fan is facing is important, and often it is easier to note that verbally when recording as a note for later analysis.

The use of GPS to track location is very useful when recording in some remoter areas when familiar geographic references are absent.

It was found that in spite of the success of recording fans at night, it was remarkably easy to record a large number of fans just before and after sunrise as the ‘nightshot’ capabilities of some cameras provide suitable illumination for recording.

As the results of the evaluation have the potential to cause a certain amount of interest from more that one side of the frost fan noise debate, they will be posted separately at the time that the Council is informed of the issue via the complaint process.

Regards Malcolm

Brace Brace Brace

2009-10-12T06:24:00.003+13:00

Several little birds have independently told me that this could be an interesting week.

There are rumours of Council meetings, head scratchings and finger pointing's.

Typically I'm as in the dark as ever, but everyone keep their ears open.

Ahh... helicopters at night are a vineyard's delight

2009-10-10T19:36:00.005+13:00

Sadly, they're not quite as exciting if you're trying to sleep.

Hovering helicopters fall in the 'too hard' basket in terms of regulation for noise.

The CAA are only concerned with aircraft safety and the RMA specifically precludes aircraft in flight.

There's options there for exploring, but as yet there's no organisation with enough moxie to try and prevent them doing whatever they want to do. And frankly they're a better option than frost fans in many ways. They don't get used unless they're REALLY needed. As opposed to frost fans which will be switched on just because they can be in some cases.

Anyway, there's plenty flying about this evening, so I suppose it's time for another frost, By my count this will be the 5th night this season that I've heard them running, and I believe that others have had it much worse (a quick check of the letters to the editor will confirm that).

While I'm here I note that MetVUW has painted a not so pretty picture for the next few days. Could this be four nights in a row coming up?

Update: This prediction was correct (the fans ran). Although it seemed a bit warm to me!

This prediction was incorrect: No frost on Monday morning. That's nice

Update: this prediction was correct. Frost on Sunday Morning.

The frost sure does get people fired up!

2009-10-08T19:08:00.002+13:00

There have obviously been a LOT of press articles recently on account of the frost and associated noise.

Here is a selection;

Night frost fans anger

Frosty reception for noisy frost fans

Vineyard to supply fan-free lodgings

Needless to say there have also been a string of letters to the editor. It would appear that sleepless nights give people a perfect opportunity to write what's on their mind.

Let's not forget to spend a bit of time on that frost fan rule change submission though!

And it's not even really cold!

2009-10-07T03:36:00.003+13:00

Last night's frost has once again raised the ire of people trying to sleep across Marlborough. At least that is the story run in the Marlborough Express.

Small wonder. Tonight's frost and noise is currently in full swing and no doubt the tolerance of residents will be eroded even more (2nd night in a row and all).

Do try to remember, that no matter the provocation of unreasonable frost fan owners, there is no situation that would justify anything other than purely legitimate actions. As much as phoning the Mayor in the wee hours of the morning seems like a good idea at the time, unless he states that he's really interested in the plight of residents affected by the excessive noise, I think phoning him in the dead of night is harassment. Your time could be better spent drafting a submission to the plan change on frost fan activities (see here and here).

It's a small World

2009-10-05T06:47:00.003+13:00

Napa Valley.

Nice place. Lots of wine. Up market.

Noisy.

At least for the neighbours of one particularly ornery vineyard operator who is apparently using an elderly and noisy frost fan. You can read plenty in the Napa Valley Register here and here.

His neighbours are crying foul, and many of them own frost fans (read the comments after the stories).

Two things from this article are interesting to note.

Firstly the bloody mindedness of this particular operator who simply doesn't appear to care about his neighbors (and why should he. He lives in San Francisco) .

Secondly the reported impact of his activities on the wine growing community. As a result of his intransigence, legislation will probably have to be passed to limit the noise of the fan to the detriment of many other fan owners.

It's kind of like the gun control debate. The old adage of "Guns don't kill people. People kill People" seems to hold water. In the case of frost fans. The fans aren't the problem. Its the people who use them irresponsibly.

Frost tonight?

2009-10-04T19:22:00.004+13:00

Sure there's a lot of helicopter activity, but the forecast seems a little iffy. A quick look at metvuw makes it look a little like there may be some associated wind.

Oh well. Time will tell.

MORNING UPDATE:

With the distinct lack of frost, I'm going to call it metvuw 1: Helicopters 0.

Which is very interesting, because a similar pattern is predicted for tonight...

Who should be putting in a submission on the Council Plan for Frost Fans?

2009-10-03T08:03:00.006+13:00

It's hard to know isn't it?

Should I put forward my opinion?
Will anyone care?
Will I make a difference?
Does my opinion matter?

So many people will pussy foot about wondering about the answers to those questions that I thought I would make it easier for you.

Answers:

Even if you've never noticed the problem before, with the increase of frost fan numbers, you will notice it in the future if you do nothing now. And don't expect to get much sympathy from money hungry lawyers, consultants, Councillors and fat cat foreign winery investors. "You had your chance to do something back in 2009" they'll say. "Why didn't you do something then?". And they'll be laughing at your plight while ravaging the environment.

How bad is it?

The following picture is from the Council and shows what they believe to be frost fan locations (but not all) in Marlborough. Click on it for a larger image (approx 250kB).

Overlaid on this (in red) is a representation of the areas that will be affected by their noise (that part wasn't in the original Council picture).

If you're in this red area, you need to put in a submission.

If you're close to this red area, you need to put in a submission.

If you like sleeping, you need to put in a submission.

Check the previous post for details on the submission, and I will post more in the future.

Annoy your neighbors and move on

2009-09-26T12:10:00.009+12:00

Is it some sort of sport?

Set up a vineyard complete with frost fans just outside your neighbors houses.
Don't actually live on the property (who would want to with all that noise).
When you get one bad year, sell up and move on.

If readers want to peruse the list of vineyards for sale in Marlborough, I can recommend a quick trip to the Bayleys web site will give them a pretty accurate impression of the state of the wine industry in Marlborough.

If I was a betting man, and from looking at the properties for sale, I would presume to think that investors who thought "I'll but in 20 acres of grapes and rake in the profits" have been sadly let down.

The big players who used to buy of the little boys have now got their own vineyards producing, so why would they be buying grapes off the small fry who want a larger slice of the almighty grape dollar. So they simply give their contracts the flick and leave them twisting in the wind and forced to sell at a low rate on the spot market or to let the crop fall to the ground.

So take a good look at the Bayleys site and even check out the two properties here and here(pretty pictures attached).

Both these properties do not have the owners living on them and both have installed multiple frost fans ridiculously close to their neighbors.

Funnily enough both these sets of neighbors are mightily annoyed and are actively engaged in discussions with the Marlborough District Council whose Current rules allowed the installations.

Products of greed, arrogance and the poor planning that resulted in a crop being planted in a frost prone location without appropriate protection.

I almost feel sorry for them.

Almost.

It's time to have your say

2009-09-26T08:19:00.003+12:00

The proposed changes to the Wairau Awatere District plan are now able to be commented on.

This is your opportunity to tell the Marlborough District Council what's right and what's wrong about the proposed changes and to make suggestions yourself if you don't think everything's been included.

This is king of a big deal since if you have an opinion on the noise generated by frost fans then now is the time for you to speak up.

You can get hold of a primer on the changes from here (beware 552kB). Just be aware that this is not the sum total of information on frost fans and the noise they generate. Your opinion and thoughts are important.

The submission form for putting forward your case can be found here. This is one of those silly electronic forms that people who think they are clever make up. If you want, just print it out, write on it and attach your comments to separate sheets.

You may rest assured that the NZ Winegrowers Chairman Stuart Smith has already had talks with the Council and indicated that they will be opposing the changes. So it's not enough to simply think that the proposed changes are good and then leave the Council to it. The need to hear from you that you support the changes (if you do) or that you may think that the changes don't go far enough.

Remember that the District plan need to be a robust document to allow the implementation of both the Resource Management Act and the Health Act for the community so that they are protected. The plan cannot be in contradiction with the Acts. If you think that being kept awake at night constitutes a nuisance, then the Council should make sure that this is reflected in the District Plan (nuisance is a specific term in the Health Act). Likewise if you believe that the volume of noise is unreasonable then the Council should make sure that this is reflected in the District Plan (The Resource Management Act states there is a duty on land owners to avoid unreasonable noise).

The final date for submission (must be received by the council) is the 23rd of October.

There is plenty of information on the form to assist in knowing the sort of thing to write, but feel free to place a comment on the blog if I can help.

There is nothing new under the sun.

2009-09-24T23:03:00.003+12:00

Further to the previous post on the unusual funding of projects by Council, the attached letter to the editor also appeared earlier in the month in the Marlborough Express;

The good news is that the local knowledge gained by residents of Marlborough over many years of living on the land has some fantastic suggestions for the type of wood that would be suitable for vineyard posts.

The bad news is that the vineyards cut down the trees and burned them to make room for more grapes.

The good news is that the rate payers pockets are deep enough to fund an initiative to discover something we already know for an industry who's involvement is most notable for the fact that they have destroyed the evidence.

Don't fence me in

2009-09-24T06:27:00.003+12:00

Further to the previous post (yes, that is a deliberate pun) on the request to the Marlborough District Council for funding to support research into the growth of eucalyptus for fence posts, the attached letter appeared(click on it to enlarge) in the Marlborough Express on the 10th of September and it raised some pertinent questions.

Questions along the lines of;

If the wine industry isn't supporting the effort why should the ratepayers of Marlborough?

If this is the development of a commercial product (it's project spokesman / developer is the owner of at least two timber companies), is the Council right to fund it?

Have the Councillors involved in the grape industry recused themselves from the debate?

All good questions. The MDC declined to comment. Luckily a rate payer thought it was a good idea to comment.

The MDC shows intestinal fortitude

2009-09-22T21:53:00.003+12:00

In the Marlborough express today is a report of the good folks from Mount Riley Vineyards having a bit of a squeal about being found in breach of the noise rules for frost fans.

It would appear that not only is it ridiculously difficult to get any testing done on a frost fan, but when it is carried out and doesn't go the way the winery wants, they want to carry on with business as usual anyway.

Per the suggestion from an earlier commentator, here's some info from Mount Riley Vineyards website.

They own seven vineyards. The offending vineyard in this case appears to be the Waihopai Vineyard. There is a picture of it on their website, but the frost fans do not feature. Pity, since any publicity is good publicity right?

The winery is owned by John and Lyn Buchanan and their daughter Amy. Amy's husband (Matt Murphy is the wine-maker). Possibly one of the reasons that they are keen to explore legal proceedings is that Amy is also a solicitor. Very handy when faced with unreasonable neighbors that seem to go on and on about trifling things like being kept awake at night.

It can be assumed that the quote from their website "At Mt Riley we believe in winemaking by minimal intervention" should be taken in context that minimal intervention can take the form of multiple twirling blades of metal operating throughout the night and keeping our neighbours awake.

If you want to find out more about their wines you should go to this page.

And don't miss an opportunity to read their vintage reports here. True to form for winegrowers, it would appear that every year is special.

Thank you Mount Riley for your compassion in dealing with this matter in a responsible manner. In fact could this be the industry/individual discussions alluded to in the Council meeting on the 24th of August? Or could it be the actions of persons that were described by Councillor Maher at the same meeting?

Irrespective, there is kudos to be handed out to the Marlborough District Council for recognising the situation for what it is. Simply a case of a landowner breaching the rules. Are they special?

The real pity of the entire episode is that even if Mount Riley did the right thing and set their fans to a responsible noise level they would still breach the noise level set by the World Health Organisation for healthy living.

Who's right? Defender Advertising or Defender Testing data?

2009-09-21T21:02:00.004+12:00

Further to the information in the Defender testing document, I note that there is an inconsistency in the technical data supplied.

In the University of Canterbury document the nominal engine speed is given as approximately 2000rpm and the fan speed as approximately 360rpm.

In the Defender/FMR advertising the gear drives that are reported for the upper and lower gears are UD105 and W85 respectively.

So here's the deal. The ratios specified for the gears on the Amarillo web page are 1.64:1 for the UD105 and 2.25:1 for the W85.

And so in theory 2000/(1.64x2.25) should equal 360 if both the UoC and FMR Advertising were talking about the same product.

But it doesn't.

FMR are either still peddling the same specifications for the Amarillo in the Defender advertising or the University of Canterbury are having problems with an equation that a 9 year old could get right. I'm picking that the FMR advertising bureau have covered themselves in glory once again.

This wouldn't be too bad, but as part of checking compliance of these machines, one of the methods is to measure the speed of the engine with a tachometer and to calculate the fan speed from the supplied gear ratios. It's not going to be a pretty sight if the calculation for a Defender fan shows it to be turning at 542rpm. Not pretty at all.

But wait!!

It get's more interesting.

On the same web page that provides the gear ratios, is a small note near the bottom that talks about the electric powered wind machines. A UD105E, of which there is a variant that is exported for use on 50 Hz systems, has a ratio of 2.47:1.

And guess what?

2000/(2.47x2.25) equals 360. Which would be correct according to the UoC figures. So I'm going to presume that in spite of what the Defender advertising says, the University of Canterbury figures are correct and that the model of upper gear used in the Defender is the export model UD105E.

Now this might all seem like nit picking at the expense of a company that is more interested in a glossy brochure than the accuracy of the figures in it, but there is a slightly more worrying side.

The Amarillo gear company are justifiably proud of their sturdy gears. So much so that they specify their mechanical rating for both the UD105 and the W85. And both of these units are used in the Amarillo frost fan which is rated at 125HP at the fan.

But the electric powered fans are a different kettle of fish. They are rated at either 100, 75 or 50hp at the fan. And as a result the mechanical rating of the gears can afford to be less.

So what would happen to a gear that is rated for a light load on a frost fan designed to run electrically when it is used in a diesel powered fan which runs at a heavier load? What is the subsequent load when the thrust of the fan is increased when a larger fan is put on the tower?

I'm sure all these trifling mechanical matters have been carefully considered by the manufacturer and that they have sought the advice of the parts suppliers in making sure that the device is safe for use. I mean, that would be the responsible thing wouldn't it?

Fans operate for second night in a row

2009-09-21T07:00:00.003+12:00

The fans were operating again lats night / this morning. More interestingly, there was a fair breeze blowing from about 1am, so these would have been operating in conditions that were outside those considered safe by manufacturers and the Department of Labour. Of course, most fans are too primitive to know if the wind was blowing and one day in a good sou-wester, there will be widespread carnage as fans disintegrate.

First fan operation of Spring.

2009-09-20T22:14:00.002+12:00

Early morning of the 20th of September was the first confirmed operation of frost fans in Marlborough for the spring season.

Good times are here again.

Good news. Some testing data on the Defender fan has arrived

2009-09-18T22:24:00.004+12:00

Well we finally have some information from the boffins at University of Canterbury. Specifically a K. Shaw and Dr John Pearse.

The testing report can be downloaded from here.

The first thing I would like to say is that is appears to be a quieter machine than the Amarillo. This would not be difficult of course, but credit where it is due, any improvement is not to be sneezed at.

The second thing of note is that it appears that FMR has been publishing incorrect data on the machine in its advertising. In the latest brochure (here (~500kB)) they state that "At full operating rpm the new Defender fan is producing less than 50dba(L10) at 300mt". I could be nit picky and poke the borax at the advertising wienie's understanding of basic physical measurements (that should be 50dBA (L10) and 300m (there is no 't' in the metres abbreviation, clowns)). However, an astute reader will note that I would seldom stoop to such a thing. Instead I will quietly point out that no test shows that the Defender ever produced less than 50dBA (L10) at 300m. In fact the testing states that the only test carried out at 300m produced 52.0dBA (L10). Almost twice as much as claimed. (on the basis that a 3dB increase is a doubling of noise energy).

There are several other tests at various distances, (100m and 200m) but only one at 300m.

The last point and the most interesting is that the claim of "less than 50dba(L10) at 300mt" was most likely derived from a predicted value for noise from the fan. Not measured.

More interesting still was the method of prediction. You see the 300m test wasn't done in frosty, inversion layer conditions. Instead they were done in 11 degrees centigrade and a cross-wind. There is a prediction method that allows for compensating for differing climatic conditions when measuring noise. This is the CONCAWE method (1MB) (there are infact several different methods).

Sadly this method does not allow for the presence of an inversion layer with it's associated noise refraction properties and worst of all it is not designed for the noise from frost fans. Instead it is designed to be applied to petrochemical installations. Now I would be happy to say that the prediction methods for frost fan noise using the CONCAWE method were valid, but that has never been demonstrated, and quite frankly when the testing presumes to predict that noise from a frost fan will be quieter when an inversion is in place on a calm frosty night, I have my doubts.

By the way, what frequency ranges were being considered in the noise report? I couldn't see any stated, yet it appears to be a big deal when doing the CONCAWE calculations. I suppose the frequencies most likely to be associated with a frost fan?

I'm sorry Dr Pearse, some testing to validate the CONCAWE model against the noise characteristics of a frost fan in frost conditions would be required. Otherwise any predicted values are assumptions, not conclusions.

We come in peace. Give me your water.

2009-09-16T06:36:00.003+12:00

When they couldn't get it legitimately, they just took it.

This article in stuff.co.nz is the sort of activity that simply puts a bad face on the wine industry in general and some of the rat bag, out of town financiers that are infesting Marlborough and other parts of New Zealand (Hello Waiata vineyard in Hurunui).

A classic case of absentee owners (hello Auckland) trying to invest into the 'glamour industry' that wine is being marketed as. High rolling, great investment, know all the right people, you know the score.

Well let's throw a little bit of poor planning and bad management into the mix.

Que the failure to secure sufficient water for the vineyard.

"Never mind the water, lets plant the vines!"

"Oh, hang on, you mean they need water??!?"

"Don't worry about getting permission, just take the water. It's easier to pay the fine than to let our poor planning cause loss of revenue."

Nice. Really nice.

So. The wine industry. Turning wannabe viticulturist investors into law breakers who committed an environmental incident labelled as "reckless, irresponsible and deliberate".

I know this story is not about frost fans, but the mind set is just the same. Loot and pillage.

What they said in the Council Meeting on the 24th of August

2009-09-06T11:50:00.004+12:00

Although it has already been reported that there was universal support for the proposed changes to the frost fan rules in the recent Council meeting, please find a selection of quotations from that meeting here;

Councillor Bowers;
“I’m pleased that they’re called frost fans now, not wind machines, because in actual fact they’re being used for a lot of variety of things when there’s no frost.”

Pere Hawes;
“The existing wind machines (or frost fans as we’re now calling them) are covered by existing use rights, that is, if they comply with the existing permitted activity standard, they can continue to operate in accordance with that permitted activity standard.”

Councillor Bunting;
“Councillors, you will be aware that this is an attempt to put council on the front foot with this one, because it’s made it very difficult for Council staff members to achieve compliance, and this way any new frost fans will have to prove that they comply, rather than as it currently stands whereby members of public need to prove they don’t comply, which is a difficult, difficult thing for people to do."

Councillor Taylor;
"That’s a concern that I’ve got one on the graph here that shows nearly a thousand already in place, and that is a concern regarding the existing ones which are of course the problem”

Councillor Jerram;
“As you will note, I am a rural person and I am traditionally in favour of… ahhh I’m sympathetic to rural causes, but I support this motion on the grounds that this is not traditional rural noise, it is new rural noise. It’s something that we haven’t seen before. It’s not headers at night or weaned calves, or whatever noises that have always been accepted in this country, it’s something quite new, and it’s significantly worse than anything we’ve seen before.”
"Where these are used, it’s a need to grow grapes in areas which are either marginally environmentally correct, or right outside their natural environment. So I think it’s not reasonable to then, say to anyone who lives in the area, “oh and you’ve go to put up with this noise as well, we’ve moved into your area to grow a crop for which we have to significantly alter the environment”. So I’m supporting it on those grounds. Really Madam chair I think we should have done this a long time ago, and also for gas guns”.

Councillor Bunting;
“The industry has taken on board concerns and are starting to make moves to discuss it with the affected parties, discuss their individual issues, because quite a lot of them are quite subjective issues due to the climatic conditions that the situation of the buildings nearby to hills or with echo effect on hills and also cumulative effect of a number of machines. So industry did indicate at our last meeting that they were interested in discussing with individuals and I believe that some of those discussions have started.”

Councillor Bunting;
“Can you say why we’ve referred to the 100m?”
Pere Hawes;
"The 100 metres has been removed really on the basis that it didn’t relate to any noise management provisions at all. In fact the genesis of that standard was very unclear.”

Councillor Maher;
“It’s great that we have actually got to this stage where we are able to deal with some of the rogues that there have been, as most of these machines have not affected people. Mostly good will has been used, and common sense has been used. Unfortunately it hasn’t in some cases and some of those people that have been aware of the usual rural rules have tried to hide behind the right to farm and the fact that this is a farming environment. What they’ve got to learn (and some of these people are not locals) is that there are standards that have been, over a long time, have been built up, and they’ve been built up on reasonableness and consideration for others and whatever industry you’re in, if you move away from those, Council will be required to legislate as in this particular case. And I as a rural person find it a real pity that this good will is actually being milked and probably abused by people without blatant consideration for others and I think that’s a great pity that Councillors have to go through this process and those few people have caused this and they’ve cause considerable hardship to a number of individuals too and it’s a great pity that we aren’t able to do something retrospectively but I think with the new regulations and once we do get our forensic stuff done, that we can actually quantify and qualify these things more accurately than we’ve been able to do in the past. So overall I think this is unfortunate but it will have a positive effect on people living in the rural environment.”
“I’ve been rural environment for a long time myself, but these things ,when they start springing up near me, I actually start to question, and actually, aren’t tolerances actually stretched when it comes to these machines being installed incorrectly and abusing the good will that there has been.”
Councillor Bunting;
“Thank you, the deputy chair, I certainly would echo your sentiments and that has been motivation for driving this item along. As you know it has been driven fairly rapidly, and I think the Industry does have a belief now that they do need to discuss with the affected people, the most affected people, what their concerns are and perhaps even experience it themselves for a little while.”

There's a new Boss in town. Frost Boss

2009-09-04T18:30:00.003+12:00

Yes indeedy, a couple of the new C49 four bladed Frost Boss fans have apparently touched down in the Waihopai valley.

To my knowledge this would be the first sighting in the wild and how about the timing? A few nights of frost coming up (although it may be a bit early for most vines).

Some will have noticed only a couple of fans running last night.

So will these be noticeably quieter? They certainly look the part. Time will tell if they sound the part.

Is it going to be frosty?

2009-09-03T23:02:00.003+12:00

You betcha!

See the latest on the weather here at metvuw.com

It's a mixed up confusing world.

2009-09-01T22:41:00.006+12:00

I really don't know what to think about this particular issue, so please accept that I have no opinion and am really only interested in providing information.

My attention was grabbed by the article in stuff.co.nz on the Marlborough District Council indicating funding being given to an organisation called the Dryland Forestry Initiative to investigate the use of eucalypts as posts in vineyards in preference to treated timber (seems like a great opportunity to decrie the vineyards poisoning of the ground (who can forget the arsenic in the ground water at Rarangi?)).

So well done on the part of the DFI. Right?

Even better, a quote in the article has the spokesperson for DFI reporting that he had approached the wine industry several times for funding, but was told that they were "in the business of growing grapes not trees". Golly those rat bag wine industry types. Right?

But a quick look at the DFI web site shows several wine industry types involved;

Colin Ross of Seresin Wines

Andrew (or) Ngaire Lawson (viticulturist)

And an interest from Organic Winegrowers New Zealand.

So it does kind of look like there is an interest and support from the wine industry. So it seems like a strange comment from Paul Millen (the project manager for DFI).

So, cue a bit of quick Googling;

The story does not appear to be entirely accurate. While it reports that "Last year the Marlborough District Council agreed to fund the project for three years with $10,000 per year, conditional on a review being carried out at the end of the first year.", what it fails to mention is that waaay back in 2005 the Marlborough District Council approved funding of $10,000 per year to support a Sustainable Farming Fund (SFF) research proposal into the potential use of eucalyptus timber for vineyard posts.

Does that sound familiar? It should do it was from the same Paul Millen. Now I don't want to appear to detract from Paul's outstanding efforts in investigations into forestry and wood use. It is to be commended. This is of course driven (I assume) from his consultancy firm Millen associates. (Also known for their work in the Kaikora area on consulting in biodiversity areas for the Council down that way).

It would also complement his work with the other companies he is a director of (Vineyard Timbers Limited and Marlborough Timber Limited).

So in total it would appear to be receiving funding from the Marlborough District Council to the tune of $10,000 per year from 2005/06? I'm not entirely sure that is the case however, since it would appear from the meeting of the Community and Financial Planning Committee on 12 June 2008 that MAF actually declined the project support from the Sustainable Farming Fund on the grounds that they were not perceived as "Value for money".

I would have thought that was obvious as they are trying to provide a more sustainable means of providing fence posts. Not a cheaper way.

So, what I think has occurred is that no money has changed hands yet, but that now the Council is considering handing out rate payers dollars to fund research into solving the problem created by the vineyards which they refuse to acknowledge. Now it sounds familiar.

But wait, there has to be a twist. And sure enough there is.

Enter stage left the;

Executive Officer of the Marlborough Research Centre Trust;

Member of the Marlborough Wine Research Centre Board,

Wine Marlborough Executive Officer,

Environmental Policy Committee Member,

Marlborough District Councillor,

Former Mayor

Gerald Hope.

Never a man to let an opportunity pass by, he is also the Financial Officer for Drylands Forrest Initiative (DFI).

I would say if there was a man that could organise funding from either the Marlborough District Council (he sits on both the Council proper and the Environment Committee) or the Wine industry, he would be the man.

I would assume that funding for research into Eucalyptus tree growing is assured Paul. So long as Councillor Hope is recusing himself from a multitude of meeting agenda items.

There's a bad smell coming from Orchard Rite

2009-08-29T20:21:00.005+12:00

Too much time spent on the Internet will rot your brain. But before you leave....
Have a look at the following article (click on the thumbnail).

It describes the use of Orchard Rite fans to disperse sewage smells.

It turns out they were pretty successful, however people stopped complaining about the smell and then started complaining about the noise (some people would complain if their rear end was on fire!).

Interestingly, Orchard Rite (which in their two bladed form is widely regarded (at least hereabouts) as the noisiest model of all fans) made modifications to their fans to make them quieter by adding blades to use 3, 4 and then 5 bladed models (the picture shows the 5 bladed models).

So they can be made quiet, but first you have to raise a stink. Sound familiar?

It's grim times. But don't expect judgements to be clouded.

2009-08-27T17:51:00.004+12:00

There is no doubt the the fiscal realities of growing a crop that serves as a 'luxury' foodstuff can be a bit of an issue in times of economic hardship.

So the question has to be asked are those who are hurting those who's poor planning means that they can't withstand a year or two of poor returns?

Anyone from a genuine farming background will know that there are good years and bad years. You reap in the good so that you can survive in the bad. If you have an expectation that all years will be good and plan accordingly, you will get stung. It's called greed. You can smell it on some people.

It therefore comes as a surprise to read the following from the manager of the Cheviot Kirribilly Vineyard Property Group.

Grape growers in Australia have arrived at the Rubicon.
In the latest 2009 vintage, it is now clear that grape prices have collapsed, with numerous district weighted average (“DWA”) prices some 25% below the prior 2008 vintage, despite the marginally lower tonnages of grapes produced. Whilst a reduction of DWAs was envisaged, the quantum is well above most reasonable forecasts and represents the culmination of a concerted campaign by grape buyers – mainly the larger wine producers – to lower their input costs and de facto reduce Australia’s wine surplus. Their behaviour is, of course, being driven by factors such as the higher Australian dollar, retailer consolidation and desires for further efficiencies.
The fact now remains that many grape growers face the choice of four unpalatable alternatives:
Bankruptcy;
Government financial assistance to remove vines, turn over the land to alternative use and move on;
Attempted sales at well below perceived values four or five years ago, into a vineyard market swollen by the desires of at least two major integrated wine producers to reduce their levels of fixed capital; or
Subsistence living with no return on capital given that grape prices in some varietals and areas appear to reflect little more than the basic cost of production.

So, for one manager at least, it looks a little like one bad year means disaster. While I would normally focus on frost fan issues, it pains me to see practices such as viticulture, which are touted as agriculture, cry "disaster" after years of greed have produced a poor return in one year.

Genuine farmers know better. They have managed their properties sensibly and responsibility, ever mindful that the fickle nature of the climate, be it physical or financial, can throw a curve ball every now and again.

If you're sitting in Remuera bemoaning the poor investment you made in wine, you have got everything you deserve.

More hand wringing. Can you ever have enough?

2009-08-25T23:14:00.002+12:00

This article in the Marlborough Express has a couple of comments from Councilors at yesterday's meeting;

Peter Jerram; "We should have done this a long time ago."

Francis Maher; "Frost fans had caused, "a lot of hardship to people""

I would like to think that in the words of L.V. Martin "It's the putting right that counts". The people of Marlborough have suffered. Some of them have suffered tremendously because of this issue. While the 1000 or so fans in the district are still a huge issue, having a system in place to enforce responsible use of new fans is a positive step. In all reality this mirrors steps being taken in Tasman and The Hurunui. The environment has suffered enough. The residents have been pushed to breaking point. Change is coming.

So how'd the meeting go?

2009-08-24T21:02:00.003+12:00

Well by all accounts not to badly.

In fact I am informed that the tone of the discussions centered on the fact that it appears that all the councillors were mightily concerned at the effects. They appeared to basically agree that the situation is out of control with the current regulations and that it needs putting right. The was also talk of concern that the fans that are already installed could not be legislated against, but there you go. The best that could be done there appeared to be monitoring the scale of the disaster rather than putting it to a stop.

Sorry we all told you so for so many years. You may assume that it provides the public a cold comfort indeed to be proven right. No sign of any apologies form any councillors who had previously been involved in granting consents for fan installations.

There you go.

For those so inclined, a copy of the section 32 report on the plan change can be downloaded from here;

Suddenly its gone quiet. Too quiet.

2009-08-22T22:23:00.004+12:00

There is a possibility, that I was mistaken. Yes, I know hard to believe.

In this post two days ago, I claimed that there had been no monitoring of frost fans by the Council except for an abortive (and embarrassing) debacle about two years ago and one earlier this year for which the results had not even been published.

A small bird has told me that the results HAVE now been published. I have yet to have a copy hand delivered, but I understand there is something in there that will come as a bit of a shock.

You might want to sit down.

Both fans measured were found to be non-compliant with the District plan.

I know, I know, it came as a shock to me too.

Surely the growers were taking great pains to make sure they were protecting the environment and their neighbours?

Surely the frost fan installers (I presume that this was FMR as I understand that they are Amarillo fans) were professional in making sure their clients weren't exposed to breaching the District rules?

Wait! I know what's happened! By some amazing fluke they have selected the only two non-compliant frost fans in the district. Curse their bad luck!

Apparently there's still more (trust me, I'm still reeling). Both fans apparently exhibited special audible characteristics (tonality and impulsiveness), which make them particularly annoying.

Wow! That's not the best is it?

I suppose it could have been worse, there could have been someone (perhaps even a family) living next door who had been there for many years before the grapes were planted and the fans put in. This family could in theory be 100m away from these fans. Boy, it's lucky that's not the case and that they didn't measure the noise outside their house!

Hang on. There IS a family living next door who had these fans planted 100m away from them?

And the noise was measured at 74dBA L10?

Wait a minute, that can't be right. That level of noise is the same as having an un-silenced wood chipper running outside your bedroom. Surely they would complain? Oh they did? Years ago? and the Council wrung their hands for how long?

So now they're going to do something right?

Right?

Meeting 1:30pm Monday in the Council chambers. Item 1. Frost fans.