24 June 2021
Long Term Plan
Clutha District Council formally adopted its 2021-2031 Long Term Plan at yesterday’s Council meeting (24 June 2021), rates were also officially struck. The district's overall rate increase for the 2021/22 year was finalised at 3.93%. Auditors (from Deloitte New Zealand) spoke to the meeting via video conferencing giving the Long Term Plan an unqualified audit opinion with an emphasis on uncertainty over three waters reforms and the Council’s ability to deliver the capital programme. A recent reduction in funding from Waka Kotahi, which is influencing all councils and their ability to fund roading work in the next 10 years, was accounted for in the final Long Term Plan. You can read the final Long Term Plan which will be available on Council’s website by July 1, 2021.
Concerns raised about rating for home salons
Dee Nicol and Rebecca Scott spoke to Councillors in public forum about their concerns about being charged rates for their home salon businesses. An increase to their rates had come about through Council discovering that they were being incorrectly charged as per Council’s rating policy, regarding rating by SUIP (Separately Used or Inhabited Part Use). Council acknowledged their concerns and requested staff do further investigations about the SUIP rating mechanism, including legal advice and bring this issue back to Council with a report.
Lawrence Reserve Management Plan 2121-31
Councillors approved the draft management plan for Lawrence and for it go out for public consultation. Legislation requires Council to prepare management plans for reserves that they administer. The process is a two-stage one. The initial consultation period was run concurrently with the Our Place Lawrence community consultation in 2020. Council staff then created this draft plan and people have two months to provide feedback, which will kick off on July 1 2021. The plan describes the gazetted reserves and cemeteries under Council’s administration in the Lawrence/Tuapeka ward, outlines their purposes, and the overarching policies used to guide decision-making and community engagement. The Plan will return to Council for consideration and adoption in October.
Proposed road stoppings to be consulted on
Council agreed to public consultation on two proposed road stoppings.
Poole Street and Reid Street, Kaitangata
Mr Shelby Braidwood has requested the proposed 2,683m2 of road stopping of Poole Street and Reid Street in Kaitangata. These are unformed legal roads are adjacent to Council freehold properties. In a report to Council Mr Braidwood requested the road stopping based on being able to purchase the adjacent Council freehold properties, as well as the stopped road.
Old Stirling Bridge Approach Road, Stirling
It was also brought to Council staff’s attention that a historic road stopping of 703m2 for the Old Stirling Bridge Approach Road was initiated in November 1968 but was never completed. It is proposed to now complete this process. With the closure and potential sale of the Stirling Bowling Club, the completion of this historic road stopping needs to be finalised. The main buildings of the Bowling Club are constructed on the legal road reserve and as such, the proposal to complete this historic road stopping is necessary.
People will be able to give their feedback as part of Local Government Act 1974 Schedule 10 procedures on both proposed road stoppings.
New road named
Councillors agreed to the naming of a new legal road at Taieri Mouth, “Otuarae Drive”. Cathcart Limited has developed a subdivision on Moturata Road, Taieri Mouth and provided the proposed name for the new legal road to be vested with Council. The proposed name was agreed in consultation with local Moturata Taieri Whanau, who were original submitters to the subdivision, and with local Kaumatua Edward Ellison of Otakaou Runaka, who before responding also engaged with a number of others. Otuarae is the recognised Ngai Tahu placename for the headland that borders the development and is considered a good cultural and historic fit as the name for the new road. There are also no other roads within the Clutha District named Otuarae Drive.
Fluoride reinstated update
Council approved an additional budget of $156,000+GST, including 10% contingency to progress with fluoridation upgrade for Balclutha, Milton, Tapanui and Kaitangata. This was decided to be funded through Three Waters Stimulus funding pending approval from Department of Internal Affairs. In 2010 Council agreed to fluoridate the townships following public consultation, but had ceased in July 2019 due to Contractor health and safety concerns relating to the fluoridation equipment. At a Council meeting on December 12, 2020 it was agreed to reinstate fluoridation, as a more cost effective solution that met health and safety requirements, had been found. At the time it was noted that it was not a decision about whether to fluoridate or not, because fluoridation had only ceased due to health and safety issues, but rather a decision around the cost. It was brought back to this Council meeting because the actual cost was a 10% increase and whether to fund through Central government stimulus funding.
Contracts Awarded
Contract 808 – Pavement Rehabilitation 2020/21 has been awarded to The Roading Company Ltd, $1,633,422.69+GST. A total of three tenders were received with prices ranging from $1,633,422.69 to $1,767,710.55. The preferred tender was 3.7% above the engineer’s estimate of $1,575,144.68 but below the Council’s budget for the works of $1,652,399.00 for subsidised roading. The Roading Company Ltd has successfully undertaken this type of work in the past for Council to a good quality and standard, the most recent being the Rosebank Industrial Subdivision Slip Lane.
Additional accommodation for Taylor Park Camping Ground
Mayor and Councillors were delighted to agree to a trial partnership with the Otago Corrections (OCF), where prisoners will learn and build transportable prefabricated accommodation at the facility, that Council will purchase at cost. These cabins will then be transported to the Taylor Park Camping Ground in Milton to provide additional accommodation. Sherie Lucke (Principal Adviser Rehabilitation and Learning) and Mark O’Kane (Facility Carpentry Instructor) attended the meeting to talk about the trial project. OCF currently has Level 1 and 2 Carpentry accreditation courses already running and would establish a Level 3 accreditation course for the inmates, responding to a national labour shortage in the medium and long term. The training is solely aimed to help with the re-insertion into society for those that have earned the right to study (good behaviour) and give them a chance to hit the ground running upon release. The units would be sustainable, low maintenance, relocatable, favouring local and sustainable materials such as wool carpet, locally processed wood, and wool insulation. Each 15 sqm unit would cost $25,000 + GST allowing for structure, plumbing and electrical, aluminium sliding doors and windows. The development would be paid off completely in the short term (within 3.5 years) with the rent collected from the units. The actual number of units is dependent upon the OCF production capability however a low number is expected in the first year.