Our Council: e-newsletter

Council was pleased to receive more than 370 submissions (including more than 40 verbal submissions) on its 2018-28 Long Term Plan. One session of verbal hearings was held earlier this week, with a second session tonight. Mayor Bryan Cadogan said it was a tonic to have so many members of the community support and advise Council and give us their perspective of their hopes and aspirations for the future of our district. Councillors will now consider feedback and make decisions next week, before the final Long Term Plan is adopted on 13 June.

At today's Council meeting, Councillors also approved the Long Term Plan proposed performance framework. This sets out levels of service, performance indicators and targets for Council and helps elected members, staff and the public assess whether our services and policies are actually making a difference for our communities.

When Council sold its forestry assets it was always the intention that the proceeds be ring fenced so they could be used to off-set rates and maintain inter-generational equity over time. Consequently, at today's meeting Councillors noted that $170,000 from the Forestry Investment will be used to offset rates in 2019. In addition, Council has income from other investments, of which  as additional $128,000 will also be used to offset rates in 2019. Lastly, there is also an additional $440,000 of investment income that is available for Council to distribute during this Long Term Plan process. This is because our investment return for the year exceeded our budgeted return. For comparison purposes every $263,520 will off-set 1% of rates.

Also at today's meeting, Council agreed to distribute $6,000 to the Yellow-Eyed Penguin Trust from the Biodiversity Fund. The Trust applied for the funding to help build a perimeter fence around the proposed field base at Long Point in the Catlins. As part of our District Plan review process, Council has put more effort into supporting active protection for biodiversity.

Councillors adopted the Give Way and Stop Sign Register for 2018. As a road controlling authority we are required to authorise "traffic control devices" including give way and stop signs.

Councillors also agreed to delegate two operational activities to senior staff, these were authorising the installation, operation or removal of traffic control devices (such as give way and stop signs) and also imposing weight and speed restrictions on roads and bridges. Previously these decisions had been made by councillors, but the delegation of these is in keeping with other operational matters already delegated to staff.

Council has agreed to initiate a consultation process for the proposed part road stopping of the unformed section of Reid Street and Thurso Street in Lawrence. The Lawrence-Tuapeka Community Board has previously indicated its support for this consultation process to go ahead.

The Clutha District is now home to 12 new New Zealand citizens following today's citizenship ceremony, they include Kayleigh Broad , Judith and Geoffrey Finney, Samoanagalo Viliamu, Rowena Arce, Joanna Bryson, Hei Man Sanchia Lau, Zulkarnain Zainudin, Aini Adenan, Ummi Mohamad Tarmizi and Zolakmal Zulkarnain. Some of them are pictured here with Mayor Bryan Cadogan and the Kowhai trees they were presented with during the ceremony.    

Contract 781 -  this tender for the Rosebank Industrial Park was awarded to SouthRoads for $891,976. Work at the site on the outskirts of Balclutha has started and will be done in two stages with the underground work such as water, sewerage and power due to be completed in July. The above ground work such as road construction will take place after that. Chief Executive Steve Hill said the industrial park will subdivided into 11 freehold lots, and Council has already entered into a sale contract for one of the larger lots (3.74 hectares). Strong commitments have been made for six of the 10 other lots and priority will be given to those who are either current leaseholders or who have expressed an interest early on when Council first purchased the site.