Tararua District Council chief executive's report

Fire Report:

As the fire indices climb permits are now being issued on a case by case basis and Tararua is on the verge of a very high fire danger rating. Fires are prohibited in the coastal strip east of Route 52 and of Waitawhiti Rd and Tahuokaretu Rd. A restricted season applies to the rest of the district. For updated details refer to the council’s website www.tararuadc.govt.nz.


Healthy Homes:

The Healthy Homes project continues to attract applications. So far 40 homes were retrofitted in 2007 out of 66 applications. The current contract for the 2007/08 year is for 79 homes.


December Building Consents:

48 building consents were issued in December 2007 including 14 new buildings. Of these four were houses and nine were farm buildings. New consents were valued at $1,049,600 with the total amount for building consents being $2,236,367. The average value for December 2007 consents was $46,590.98 compared with $32,758.45 in December 2006.


Seal Extension:

While a further 1.428km of subsidised seal will be added to Coast Rd as part of the 2007/08 Capital Developments programme, two other proposed seal extensions – Tower St and 200 m on Knight Road have failed to qualify. Council is now considering whether to spend local share of $110,000 on some of Knight Rd, a new project, or more on Coast Rd which still has around 20km of gravel road. Options will be provided at the council’s February meeting.


Water Supplies:

Low river flows are reflecting the current lack of rain and the consequent pressure on the district’s water supplies. To ensure that the total hosing ban is before the public, notices are in all service stations, supermarkets, shops and information centres, backed up by a radio and newspaper advertising campaign. Meanwhile a leak detection survey is being undertaken in Eketahuna to identify any leaks in the town’s reticulation system.


Paper Rd Progress:

The formation of a council policy on the stopping and sale of unformed (paper) roads was deemed not be urgent by councillors. A discussion paper by Planning Solutions consultant Anne Hilson was presented late last year and has already been the focus of discussions among some community organisations including Federated Farmers. As a result a “small number” of requests have been received from people wishing to register their interest in purchasing adjoining paper roads Ms Hilson reported. Hand in hand with paper roads is the need expressed through the Community Outcomes process in 2005 for more walking tracks in the district. Councillors had varying views about the necessity of a paper road policy. While Cr Keith Fenemor believed it was “stirring up a hornets nest” Cr Claire Matthew believed that “was not a reason not to pursue it.” Councillors agreed to proceed with the policy but not urgently.


Horizons Regional Council:


Pest Management Strategy:

A possum control operation will be phased in over the next 10 years as the Animal Health Board starts to wind down TB vector control. The strategy will apply to all land except DOC land and what remains under the original AHB programme.

As Tararua has the majority of the national rook population, (86% in 2002) eradication in the district is likely to take until 2017. In other parts of the country eradication should take about three years, Horizons chairman Garrick Murfitt reported. Horizons’ funding for pest management control has increased threefold since 2002.
Mr Murfitt said that the urban rabbit population was also coming under the Horizons spotlight.

In an update on the hearings for the One Plan councillors learnt that the process is likely to take six months with hearings starting in the mid year. An independent chairman will be appointed at ratepayers’ expense.