Our Council: e-newsletter

Councillors endorsed the membership and leadership of the coordinating groups for the Memorial Hall and Naish Park Community Plan projects at today's (21 September 2017) Council meeting. At its last meeting, Council approved the project plans for these two endeavours and agreed to advertise for members to be part of these groups.

Following public meetings, a strong field of candidates put their names forward and today councillors endorsed leaders and members to be in both groups. These names will be announced next week once the individuals have been contacted. Mayor Bryan Cadogan and the Balclutha ward councillors wanted to thank everyone who was willing to put their hand up to be part of these exciting and important projects.

Anyone keen to know more about these projects can check out the Our Place Balclutha Community Plan page on our website. 

At today's Council meeting the Balclutha Reserve Management Plan was also formally adopted. This plan sets out how we will manage and develop the reserves, parks and green spaces in Balclutha for the next 10 years. The Our Place Balclutha Community Plan feedback and projects were taken into consideration as part of this.

Council approved zoning plan changes for Balclutha, Stirling and Milton under the Reserve Management Act. Two rounds of consultation have been undertaken to get to this stage and the issues canvassed with affected landowners and key stakeholders. These changes will now be publicly notified giving anyone an opportunity to make a submission before the end of the year. The changes are to create more opportunities for residential and industrial development in certain areas.

Council did not approve an agreement by the Otago councils for contributing funding to the Otago Museum in Dunedin. There are some historical inequities about the amount contributed by Clutha District Council compared with other Otago councils and as a consequence councillors voted to fund only the amount required under the legislation. This brings the amount Clutha District Council funds down from $181,570 to $121,000 approx. Council stresses this is not a lack of support for the Museum, but rather a determination to move towards a fairer way of spreading the funding costs throughout the Otago region.

Councillors adopted the Corporate Plan, which sets out Council's work programme for the 2017/18 financial year, this also highlights the significant projects being undertaken by Council that have greater reporting requirements to allow them to be monitored more closely.  Some examples of these significant projects include sewerage treatment plant upgrades, rural water treatment upgrades, the Long Term Plan and the Plantation Heights subdivision.

Council approved approximately $4,000 to go towards the Clutha Country Christmas Parade creative workshops - this money will come from the Opportunities Fund. The plan is to hold a series of workshops in the lead up to the parade. These workshops will be aimed at giving Year 1-8 children the opportunity to the learn circus skills and make their own props to use when taking part in the parade.

Contract 774 - The Plantation Heights residential fencing has been awarded to C Demie Contracting Ltd for the sum of $111,636.

The Creative Communities Scheme November round is now open. We have a partnership with Creative New Zealand to promote, support and increase participation in community arts and cultural activities in the Clutha district. Each year Creative New Zealand provides Creative Communities Scheme funding to Council to distribute. There is no maximum amount you can apply for, however grants usually range between $200 - $5,000. Any group, organisation or individual that can meet the grant criteria can apply. Grants are not for individual gain or fundraising. Applications close at 5pm Friday 3 November 2017. Download the application form and application guide from Funding Schemes page on our website or pick up from Clutha District Council office or service centre.

Contact Karen Piercy at Clutha District Council on 03 419 0261.

A big congrats to the Owaka Museum where their volunteers celebrated 10 years of volunteering at a special morning tea this week, those volunteers that have been working there since the beginning received a certificate from the Mayor in recognition of their contribution.