Foxton96
Foxton Beach panorama
A Thursday, July 9th, view of the sand dunes at the beach frontage of the Foxton Beach carpark under which today is buried the concrete sea wall that was constructed along the beach front of the carpark to stop sea erosion of the carpark frontage, and which was officially opened in November 2009.
This must now be a pleasing sight to Foxton Beach couple, George and Christina Paton, who campaigned against the construction of the seawall, prefering instead grass covered sand dunes along the carpark beach front.
It could be said however that with the construction of the sea wall it did help considerably in the formation of the sand dunes under which it is now buried.
An example of the some of the Press stories surrounding the Foxton Beach seawall controversy at the time:
FOXTON BOARD CHAIR UNREPENTANT OVER PHOTO BURNING
30 November 2009
The chairman of the Foxton Community Board says he will not apologise to a couple whose image he publicly burned 'until hell freezes over'.
Basil Vertongen set fire to a photo of Christina and George Paton at the official opening of a beach seawall in the Horowhenua town earlier in November.
The Patons and 16 others had opposed the wall, which was completed more than a decade after it was first proposed.
Mr Vertongen says 6,000 people signed a petition supporting the completion of the wall and the opposition caused the project's cost to rise from $150,000 to $350,000.
The Patons are seeking legal advice over the matter.
The couple maintain they followed normal processes to lodge their opposition at no cost to other community members. They say Mr Vertongen's actions are 'sick'. - Radio New Zealand
FORMER FOXTON BOARD CHAIR APOLOGIES TO SEAWALL OPPONENTS
Friday, 9 May 2014
Former Chair of the Foxton Community Board, Basil Vertongen, has apologised to Christina and George Paton in a settlement of their defamation case against him.
At the official opening of the Foxton Beach seawall in 2009, Mr Vertongen burned a newspaper photograph of the Patons and accused them and other seawall objectors of causing delays and $200,000 in increased costs to ratepayers. He later repeated these claims in the media.
The Patons were very distressed to learn of these actions, which they believed were deeply misleading and unfair as well as an attack on the democratic rights of people to participate in decision-making. They called on Mr Vertongen to retract and apologise for this actions, but he initially refused.
In their defamation claim, the Patons argued that they were not responsible for any increased costs or delays. They noted that the Department of Conservation had also opposed the seawall consent applications. The district and regional councils refused consent because the application provided too little evidence of how adverse effects on the environment would be dealt with. Following court-assisted mediation, all the parties agreed that the seawall could go ahead, but only with conditions attached. Mr Vertongen accepted all of this, but denied that he had defamed the Patons.
Mr Vertongen has now provided an apology to the Patons and the defamation claim has been settled.
Under the settlement, the wording of the apology and the other terms are confidential. - Scoop Media
BEACH SEAWALL DEFAMATION FINALLY SETTLED
13/5/2014
Former Foxton Community Board chairman Basil Vertongen once said "hell would freeze over" before he apologised for burning a photo of a couple who objected to a seawall project.
But it appears he has now been forced to do just that.
At the official opening of the Foxton Beach seawall in 2009, Vertongen burned a newspaper photograph of Christina and George Paton and accused them and other seawall objectors of causing delays and $200,000 in increased costs to ratepayers. He later repeated these claims in the media.
The Patons sued Vertongen for defamation and nearly five years after the original act, the couple has announced that the case has been settled.
In a press release, they said Vertongen had provided an apology, but the wording and other terms of the settlement were confidential.
When spoken to by the Manawatu Standard, Vertongen would not say if he had apologised. He instead offered no comment on the grounds that he was not allowed to say anything about the case.
The Patons said they were upset and humiliated by Vertongen's action which they believed were deeply misleading and unfair as well as an attack on the democratic rights of people to participate in decision-making.
In their defamation claim, the Patons argued that they were not responsible for any increased costs or delays.
They noted that the Department of Conservation had also opposed the seawall consent applications.
The Horowhenua District Council and Horizons Regional Council refused consent because the application provided too little evidence of how adverse effects on the environment would be dealt with.
Following court-assisted mediation, all the parties agreed that the seawall could go ahead, but only with conditions attached. Vertongen accepted all of this, but denied he had defamed the Patons.
Vertongen remains a member of the Foxton Community Board. - Manawatu Standard
Foxton Beach panorama
A Thursday, July 9th, view of the sand dunes at the beach frontage of the Foxton Beach carpark under which today is buried the concrete sea wall that was constructed along the beach front of the carpark to stop sea erosion of the carpark frontage, and which was officially opened in November 2009.
This must now be a pleasing sight to Foxton Beach couple, George and Christina Paton, who campaigned against the construction of the seawall, prefering instead grass covered sand dunes along the carpark beach front.
It could be said however that with the construction of the sea wall it did help considerably in the formation of the sand dunes under which it is now buried.
An example of the some of the Press stories surrounding the Foxton Beach seawall controversy at the time:
FOXTON BOARD CHAIR UNREPENTANT OVER PHOTO BURNING
30 November 2009
The chairman of the Foxton Community Board says he will not apologise to a couple whose image he publicly burned 'until hell freezes over'.
Basil Vertongen set fire to a photo of Christina and George Paton at the official opening of a beach seawall in the Horowhenua town earlier in November.
The Patons and 16 others had opposed the wall, which was completed more than a decade after it was first proposed.
Mr Vertongen says 6,000 people signed a petition supporting the completion of the wall and the opposition caused the project's cost to rise from $150,000 to $350,000.
The Patons are seeking legal advice over the matter.
The couple maintain they followed normal processes to lodge their opposition at no cost to other community members. They say Mr Vertongen's actions are 'sick'. - Radio New Zealand
FORMER FOXTON BOARD CHAIR APOLOGIES TO SEAWALL OPPONENTS
Friday, 9 May 2014
Former Chair of the Foxton Community Board, Basil Vertongen, has apologised to Christina and George Paton in a settlement of their defamation case against him.
At the official opening of the Foxton Beach seawall in 2009, Mr Vertongen burned a newspaper photograph of the Patons and accused them and other seawall objectors of causing delays and $200,000 in increased costs to ratepayers. He later repeated these claims in the media.
The Patons were very distressed to learn of these actions, which they believed were deeply misleading and unfair as well as an attack on the democratic rights of people to participate in decision-making. They called on Mr Vertongen to retract and apologise for this actions, but he initially refused.
In their defamation claim, the Patons argued that they were not responsible for any increased costs or delays. They noted that the Department of Conservation had also opposed the seawall consent applications. The district and regional councils refused consent because the application provided too little evidence of how adverse effects on the environment would be dealt with. Following court-assisted mediation, all the parties agreed that the seawall could go ahead, but only with conditions attached. Mr Vertongen accepted all of this, but denied that he had defamed the Patons.
Mr Vertongen has now provided an apology to the Patons and the defamation claim has been settled.
Under the settlement, the wording of the apology and the other terms are confidential. - Scoop Media
BEACH SEAWALL DEFAMATION FINALLY SETTLED
13/5/2014
Former Foxton Community Board chairman Basil Vertongen once said "hell would freeze over" before he apologised for burning a photo of a couple who objected to a seawall project.
But it appears he has now been forced to do just that.
At the official opening of the Foxton Beach seawall in 2009, Vertongen burned a newspaper photograph of Christina and George Paton and accused them and other seawall objectors of causing delays and $200,000 in increased costs to ratepayers. He later repeated these claims in the media.
The Patons sued Vertongen for defamation and nearly five years after the original act, the couple has announced that the case has been settled.
In a press release, they said Vertongen had provided an apology, but the wording and other terms of the settlement were confidential.
When spoken to by the Manawatu Standard, Vertongen would not say if he had apologised. He instead offered no comment on the grounds that he was not allowed to say anything about the case.
The Patons said they were upset and humiliated by Vertongen's action which they believed were deeply misleading and unfair as well as an attack on the democratic rights of people to participate in decision-making.
In their defamation claim, the Patons argued that they were not responsible for any increased costs or delays.
They noted that the Department of Conservation had also opposed the seawall consent applications.
The Horowhenua District Council and Horizons Regional Council refused consent because the application provided too little evidence of how adverse effects on the environment would be dealt with.
Following court-assisted mediation, all the parties agreed that the seawall could go ahead, but only with conditions attached. Vertongen accepted all of this, but denied he had defamed the Patons.
Vertongen remains a member of the Foxton Community Board. - Manawatu Standard