Far North council briefs
Heavy roading programme:
In excess of $5 million will be invested in the Far North over the next two months on improvements to the roading network. Major works currently underway include:-
Kohukohu Road ($846,000): Pavement rehabilitation work on 1.2 kilometres, including minor realignment, road widening, culvert replacements, new kerbs, footpaths and repairs to two minor slips. Further work on seawall repairs will follow, subject to Resource Consents.
Mangakahia Road ($500,000): Safety improvements and pavement strengthening work.
Mangamuka Road ($1 million): Safety improvements and pavement strengthening work.
Sandys Road ($180,000: Seal extensions
Sandhills Road ($450,000): Seal extensions
Waipapa Road ($1.7 million): Stormwater and footpath improvements, road widening to create a sealed shoulder for cyclists.
Old Bay Road ($410,000): Minor realignment and pavement strengthening work
Kaikohe pool a success:
People flocked to the Northland College swimming pool at Kaikohe which was open for public use over the holiday season, thanks to the efforts of the Far North District Council’s Western (Kaikohe/Hokianga) Community Board.
The board helped get a number of parties together to have the college pool opened, managed and provided with lifeguards during the holidays, resulting in around 90-100 people per day taking advantage of the facility.
An indirect outcome and added bonus was a downturn in youth crime and misbehaviour over the holiday period as over-exuberance was worked off in a supervised environment rather than on the streets.
NZ Police Youth Development Project officer at Kaikohe Wally Te Huia says the availability of the pool was an excellent community contribution towards the well being of young people.
"This has had some very positive outcomes. By providing a place for young people to go and enjoy themselves, there are less kids hanging out on the streets and this in turn is reflected in less unacceptable behaviour around town," he says.
Western Community Board chair Tracy Dalton says the project was a good example of community collaboration. The Northland College Board of Trustees made the pool available, local swimming club members were trained to qualified lifeguard status with the assistance of the Lotteries Commission, the NZ Police and Community Patrol encouraged young people to use the facility, and sufficient funds were raised to provide for a qualified pool manager to supervise the day to day pool operations.
"We are pleased to have had the opportunity to be involved," she says.
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A good result:
Te Uenga Bay was kept free of unsightly rubbish this holiday season due to increased collections by Wasteworks Ltd in conjunction with the council. The popular holiday retreat on the Russell Peninsula has suffered in recent years because of its relative isolation from services.
This season the waste management company increased its collections to provide a daily service and for local residents and visitors over the peak of the season. The result was a reduction in the number of complaints about illegal dumping and unsightly rubbish accumulations at the coin-operated collection point - and praise from the local community.
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Timber framing:
The first incidents of the use of framing timber which fails to meet the stress loading requirements of the Building Code have now been experienced by the Far North.
Three cases of builders using non-complying timber have recently been detected in the Bay of Islands area.
"A meeting has been held with the timber supplier and processes have been put in place to avoid this happening again. For the protection of people building in the Far North, we want to ensure that the non-load-bearing timber situation is rectified and that compliance with the Building Code is maintained.
"Builders should keep a lookout for unmarked timber in pre-nail assemblies to ensure that all framing timber used does meet the new standards introduced last year," council Development Consents Building Manager Paul Cook says.
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Don't shoot the messenger:
Like it or not, the council is required under the Fencing of Swimming Pools Act 1987 to maintain a register of all pools within the district which are more than 400mm in depth. The council is also required to make sure all home pools are adequately fenced.
However recent efforts to bring the register up to date and to carry out the inspections required by legislation have not pleased some pool owners and a number of complaints have
been received.
Development Consents Building Manager Paul Cook says to keep costs down for pool owners, the council was confining inspections to once every three years.
"The council doesn't make the rules. Pool inspections are something we do as a requirement of legislation – not by choice. We realise the legislation may be controversial, but would ask for community understanding and co-operation to enable us to get the job done," he says.