Newsline 275 - 18 May 2012
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Download: Newsline 275 - 18 May 2012 (pdf, 1.6 MB)
Council Seeks Public Feedback
As part of its ongoing commitment to service delivery, Tasman District Council is once again conducting its annual survey of residents to ask what you think of the services Council provides you and the District as a whole.
“We have a responsibility to track how effective our services, and the delivery of them, are,” said Mayor Richard Kempthorne. “The best way to do this is through an independent and impartial interview of a representative cross-section of people from our District.”
The National Research Bureau (NRB) has been commissioned to undertake the survey. Using a random selection method residents from across the District will be telephoned and asked their opinions on the services Council provides, and how well it delivers them. The survey is totally confidential and takes approximately 30 minutes to complete.
Council appreciates the assistance of those residents chosen and would like to thank you in advance for your time.
Interviewing for the survey commences on Friday 25 May 2012, and is expected to be completed on Wednesday 6 June 2012.
The results of the survey will be made public and form part of the Council’s formal reporting, they will also be a critical ingredient in planning for further improvements to Council’s delivery of services.
Message From the Mayor
As we draw nearer to the new financial year in July we are getting closer to finalising the Long Term Plan. With over 900 written submissions and a large number of verbal submissions my fellow Councillors and I have had a great deal to consider when we are deliberating about what stays in the budget and what gets left out. We are well on track to deliver the final plan in June and I can assure you it will be focused on delivering essential services in an affordable package.
The delivery of the services will be the focus of the Council’s new Chief Executive Lindsay McKenzie. Coming from a similar role at Gisborne District Council, Lindsay will be taking over the reins on 14 May 2012 from Dennis Bush-King, who has been acting in the role since last year. In welcoming Lindsay, who brings the skills and experience to lead the Council in these very important times, I would like to thank Dennis for the role he has played in ensuring the Council continued to deliver amidst natural disasters and regional debates. It is often the caretaker who has the most difficult job in these times and Dennis has managed the role admirably and been a tremendous support.
Mayor Richard Kempthorne
Welcome to the First Edition of the New Newsline
Newsline is read by 95% of Tasman District’s ratepayers – that’s the equivalent of over 19,000 copies every two weeks being read by individuals in Tasman who want to keep up with Council’s news, views and updates.
274 issues of Newsline have been produced to date, and during that time Council’s communications team has ensured that the publication has evolved in both style and content to keep pace with what you, the reader, wants.
Firstly – we wanted to make sure that Newsline continues to provide you with the right level of information, in an easily read format. The articles are now snapshots of the Council’s recent activity. We also direct you to the website for sources of further information, such as reports, should you have a deeper interest.
Secondly – we have reduced the overall cost of production without reducing the number of articles, frequency or quality of the publication. To enable us to do this the standard page count has been reduced to eight, from the previous 12.
For those outside the District that receive Newsline, from July 2012 you will be given the option of being notified when the latest edition is posted online so that you can view it digitally, or paying a small subscription charge for a printed copy to be delivered.
As well as Newsline the Council has also taken a close look at its other regular publications, Mudcakes & Roses and Boredom Busters, and has been able to make similar cost savings to those titles without reducing the frequency or quality.
Reserves Are Flood Safety-valves
Some of Tasman’s reserves and playing fields have a secret role in an emergency, holding back floodwater until it can drain away harmlessly.
Washbourn Gardens in central Richmond is one such ‘retention’ system, says Tasman District Council engineer Dugald Ley. Bill Wilkes Reserve is another, whilst the playing fields of Garin College, on the corner of Champion Road and the Stoke Straight, have a slightly raised lip, allowing them to become a mini-lake to contain runoff during heavy rain.
In Nelson City, the playing fields at Ngawhatu have a higher embankment, and a sink-hole in Quarantine Road is disguised by trees.
Dugald says the larger the area of these emergency reservoirs, the better. They are designed to contain the water for anything from four hours to a day. Even so, during last December’s record-breaking downpour, the Washbourn Gardens storage “blew out” in an hour, sending water cascading down Oxford Street towards business premises.
“This approach to floodwater management is something that we will look to utilise more and more in the future,” said Dugald.
New Land and Water Website Launches
A Land and Water website www.landandwater.co.nz was launched last week. The website is an initiative of Local Government New Zealand’s regional council sector group.
Driven in response to the growing interest in water quality and the state of our waterways the site is designed to inform the wider public and stakeholders. It also includes a best practice guide on dealing with water quality issues.
Chair of the Regional Council sector group Fran Wilde said water is fundamental to New Zealand’s economy and way of life and that regional councils have key responsibilities to manage water on behalf of the people of New Zealand.
The website brings together water quality data from the 16 regional and unitary councils and presents it in a consistent way, allowing users to look at the water quality of a river, at the catchment, regional and national level. It carries information from 1000 monitoring sites around New Zealand.
Ms Wilde said further modules would be added to the website so that it becomes a hub for information on New Zealand’s natural resources. “Interest in water quality has been the catalyst for this website – but we see the need to make all of our insights into the quality of the environment accessible in this way.
“Everyone knows that regional councils set rules and regulations designed to safeguard and manage our freshwater resources. But it is clear that regulation alone seldom delivers improved water quality.”
Search is on for Tasman Voluntary Groups
The once a year opportunity to celebrate and recognise local volunteers has arrived, with entries opening for the TrustPower Nelson Tasman Community Awards.
Entries for the TrustPower Nelson Tasman Community Awards open on Monday 23 April 2012. The Awards, which are run in conjunction with the Tasman District and Nelson City Councils, are open to all voluntary groups and organisations working to make the Tasman or Nelson better places to live.
Since the TrustPower Nelson Tasman Community Awards began in 2000 more than $60,000 has been given away to deserving voluntary groups and organisations. This year more than $6,500 is up for grabs.
Tasman Mayor Richard Kempthorne says it is a great privilege and pleasure witnessing the huge positive impact community groups make on our District. “I encourage you all to take the time to enter the groups you work for, work with or have experienced the benefits of. Let’s shine some light on these unsung heroes of the community.”
Entry forms for the Awards are available from Tasman District Council office or service centres or by calling Teresa Partridge on Ph. 0800 87 11 11 ext 4851. Entry forms can also be downloaded from the TrustPower website or can be completed online at www.communityconnect.co.nz/enteronline.
Ramping it up to Make Road Culverts Fish-friendly
Large chunks of territory in Tasman – over 90km to be precise – have been opened up for migrating freshwater fish over the last few months. Using innovative and cheap solutions, 60 culverts under Council roads, and a further 10 on private land, now have “ramps” for fish to shimmy up.
New Zealand has 35 native fish species, 20 of which are present in Tasman District. Of these, 15 migrate between freshwater and the sea, but this journey can be disrupted by overhanging culverts, undercut concrete structures, degraded and/or rusting culvert pipes and tidal floodgates.
Some 1422 structures have been assessed in Tasman, with just over 350 found to limit migration pathways to habitat and spawning grounds. Thanks to some effective engineering with used conveyor belt material and mussel spat rope, more of these culverts are now cleared for passage.
Treated Timber is Toxic Firewood
Arsenic has been found during air monitoring in both Tasman District and Nelson City and experts have concluded that households are responsible by burning treated wood in their home solid wood burners.
Arsenic is released into the air when treated wood is burnt, and the practice is prohibited in both Tasman District and Nelson City. Arsenic is a carcinogen - over a longer period it will affect the nerves, blood cells and intestines.
Tanalised timber (CCA treatment) contains high concentrations of copper, chrome and arsenic. When it is burnt the copper and chrome stay with the ash (making it toxic to plants and animals) and the potentially toxic arsenic goes up the chimney with the smoke.
If someone is burning treated wood then the whole neighbourhood can be affected.
For more information about air quality in Tasman District and a list of local Good Wood suppliers, please go to www.tasman.govt.nz and search keywords ‘air quality good wood’.
Sell-out for Rec Centre Birthday
The Motueka Recreation Centre has a sell-out crowd for its 25th birthday bash on Saturday 19 May 2012. Brent Maru, Facilities Manager for Sport Tasman (and former Rec Centre manager), says the average age of party-goers must be late 40s, with many pioneers of the centre attending.
The evening will include live music, presentations to founding members, and tributes to the donors and volunteers who have helped to turn the former apple packhouse into the sport and recreation hub of Motueka.
‘The Rec’ clocks up 280,000 visits a year – in a town of 7000 residents – and is home to netball, martial arts, indoor cricket, roller hockey, roller skating, gymnastics, table tennis, volleyball, weight training and badminton, plus it has a fitness centre, youth programmes, a climbing wall, café and adjoining cinema. It hosts conferences and other large functions, including the Rugby World Cup Fanzone last year.
The centre was initially run as an independent trust, then gifted to the Tasman District Council in the early 1990s. It celebrates its quarter century in fine shape thanks to a $2.1 million refurbishment in 2010, funded by Council and various trusts.
Cycle Trail Bridge Taking Shape
The Richmond section of Tasman’s Great Taste Trail has been closed at the end of Pugh Road and down the gravel road on the east side of the Wairoa River, to allow the construction of an 80m suspension bridge linking the trail to Brightwater.
Steel towers are being made off-site and are scheduled to be lifted into position soon. The suspension bridge, designed by Nick Barber and Associates and constructed by Edifice Ltd, should be completed by the end of June 2012.
Meanwhile, Resource Consent has been granted for the ‘sister’ bridge across the Waimea River at the western end of Lower Queen Street in Richmond. When finished the bridge will link the Nelson Airport/Richmond sections of the trail with the new sections on Rabbit Island and on to Mapua, says Dugald Ley, the Tasman District Council’s engineer overseeing the project.
Programme Helps Make Your Car Safer for Small Children
Over the next month the Police in partnership with Tasman District Council and Plunket will be visiting Early Learning Centres throughout the district checking on child restraints and booster seats within cars.
They will be looking to ensure the restraints or seats have been installed correctly, are appropriate for the age of the child being transported and checking that the expiry date of the restraint or seat has not passed.
Many of the problems can be fixed on the spot, but if not the parent or caregiver will be referred to Plunket for further assistance.
This programme is not about catching people out; it focuses on preventing serious harm to peoples’ loved ones. No-one wants to cause harm to children, least of all their parents. We have found a little advice or help can prevent a lot of grief.
For further information please contact your local Plunket office or Krista Hobday Tasman District Council’s Road Safety Co-ordinator on Ph. 03 543 8400.
Review of Representation Arrangements
The Council recently reviewed its representation arrangements, as required every six years under the Local Electoral Act 2001, resulting in a proposal on how many wards and on how Council and Community Board representation will look for the elections to be held on the 12 October 2013.
The full proposal is available for viewing online at www.tasman.govt.nz/policy/public-consultation
Everyone is welcome to make a submission on the proposal and you have until Monday 11 June 2012 to do so. You can have you opinion heard by:
Filling out the form at the bottom of the online report,
Delivering/mailing a hard copy of your submission to:
Executive Officer – Strategic Development, Tasman District Council, Private Bag 4, Richmond 7031,
or emailing/faxing your submission to: info@tasman.govt.nz, or Fax: 03 543 9524.