TUIA Mentoring Programme
Bronson Blackbourn presented at the Clutha District Council to discuss his participation in the TUIA Mentoring Programme.
Mr Blackbourn has been Clutha District Council’s participant in the programme for 2020 and is an ex-chair of the Clutha District Youth Council.
The Tuia programme is an intentional, long term, intergenerational approach to develop the leadership capacity of young Maori in communities throughout New Zealand.
The programme involves local Mayors selecting a young Maori from their district to mentor on a one-to-one basis, to encourage and enhance leadership skills.
The relationship also provides both partners with the opportunity to gain a deeper insight into inter-generational issues, cultural values and experiences.
Mr Blackbourn told Councillors he gained great “personal development” reconnecting with his whakapapa and appreciated the opportunity to be involved in the programme.
He also challenged Councillors to strive for further development with Maori.
His suggestions included speaking more Te Reo, a Karakia to open and close Council meetings and to consider making the district’s road signs bilingual.
He presented Council with a koha, a native southern Rata to be planted in the garden at Council.
Fluoride to be reintroduced in Clutha township water supplies
Fluoride will be reintroduced in Balclutha, Milton, Kaitangata and Tapanui townships.
In 2010 Council agreed to fluoridate the townships following public consultation.
When Citycare Water commenced Council’s Three Waters Operations and Maintenance Contract in July 2019, after operating the fluoridation systems for several months, they identified that the systems were not up to an appropriate standard to current health and safety standards.
They ceased fluoridation, removed the equipment, stripped the dosing rooms and removed all powdered fluoride.
The equipment was rendered unusable as part of the removal and clean-up process.
Initial discussions to replace the fluoride equipment were held with Citycare Water and early estimates to reinstate fluoridation at the four sites were $1.2 million to $1.4 million.
This was considered not economic for the scale of these sites with other significant compliance work on the horizon for Council.
Options for lower cost systems have since been explored with Citycare and another supplier – Filtec for a powdered fluoridation system.
At Thursday’s Council meeting, 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 Council’s response to the cost of reinstating fluoridation.
Public Health South Medical Officer of Health Dr Susan Jack spoke to Councillors at the meeting about the importance of fluoridation for oral health, highlighting that fluoridation at the recommended level was safe.
She said it was proven to be cost effective for supplies with over a population of over 500 users.
Council approved a budget of $352,000+GST for the reintroduction of to be funded from a loan
and noted that increased operating costs of approximately $57,000+GST per annum would also be included in budgets.
Fluoride Free NZ had noted in their submission that the maximum acceptable value for fluoride was exceeded previously in Tapanui on three occasions in 2019.
The report said that the new systems would include better controls and as such these exceedances should not occur in the future if the systems are reinstated.
Our Place Kai consultation to begin
Balclutha, Waihola, Milton and Lawrence have all been put under the “Our Place” consultation lens and now it’s Kaitangata’s turn.
Councillors approved the implementation of its Consultation and Engagement Strategy for the Kaitangata community which enables the development of the Our Place Kaitangata Community Plan.
Kaitangata is the third largest town in the Clutha District, and is located on the bank of the Matau Branch of the Clutha River, 10 kilometres from Balclutha.
The Strategy detailed the public consultation and engagement to be undertaken with residents and ratepayers, to take place from late January till March 2021.
This will be designed to provide all interested parties with an opportunity to provide feedback to help shape the development of the Our Place Kaitangata Community Plan.
Council’s goal is to promote living and working in the Clutha District and a focus of the Our Place Kaitangata Community Plan will be to identify what Council can do to apply the Living and Working Strategy in Kaitangata.
New legal road named Te Kāhu Ridge
Council agreed to name a new road “Te Kāhu Ridge” which is situated at a new subdivision at Taieri Beach.
The name was proposed by the Developer and Te Kāhu is the Maori name for the Harrier Hawk.
This road has been constructed by the Developer to Council’s requirements and upon
vesting will be included in Council’s maintained roads network.
There are no other roads in the Clutha District named Te Kāhu.
The decision was subject to agreement by Aukaha.
Freedom Camping Policy and Bylaw adopted
Councillors adopted a new Policy on Freedom Camping and the Freedom Camping Bylaw 2021.
Under Schedule 1 of the Freedom Camping Bylaw 2021 the Florence Hill carpark and the Wilsher Bay domain have been included as prohibited areas.
To help visitors understand the freedom camping rules in the Clutha District Council has employed two season Responsible Camping Rangers and has produced a brochure to help people understand the available options for camping in self-contained and non-self-contained vehicles.
The development of the policy and bylaw included extensive public consultation from 30 July to 1 September 2020.
This consultation included:
- Five drop-in consultation events held across the district.
- Clutha Development conducted a survey through their database of businesses to gauge their feedback.
- Meetings and discussions were held with stakeholders including Clutha Development, New Zealand
Motor Caravan Association (NZMCA), Responsible Camping Association, Department of
Conservation, Catlins Coast Inc, and Owaka Going Forward.
- Informal discussions were held with camping ground owners in The Catlins during the 2019/20 summer.
- Submissions were received via online survey, email and hard copy.
Council also agreed to continue to work with Department of Conservation, Catlins Coast Incorporated and Southland District Council to ensure consistent messaging around the ability to freedom camp, particularly in The Catlins.
Appropriate signage will be installed at locations where freedom camping is prohibited or restricted, and at key locations where freedom camping occurs regularly.
Council will continue to maintain and operate the Restricted Freedom Camping Area on Inn Street Owaka, with permission of the landowner.
Council will also prepare a submission to Central Government which incorporates the submissions received on the proposed policy and bylaw, and addresses any other issues previously identified.
The policy and bylaw come into effect on January 1, 2021.
Capital project updates approved
Council approved updated budgets for Capital Projects to be delivered in the Annual Plan for 2020/21.
The updates included the following changes to the current 2020/21
Approved Budgets:
Projects that requiring revised budgets include:
- Richardson North Pipeline
- Moa Flat Crookston Reservoir Renewal
- Moa Flat Haughs Airstrip Reservoir Renewal
- Moa Flat Haughs Booster Pump Station
- Council Hub Sewer Pump Station
- Gabriels Gully Sewer Line Extension
- New Campbelton Street Sewer Line
- Kaka Point Hall Upgrade
- Owaka Hall Upgrade
- Balclutha Council Building Upgrade
Council also approved:
- A project budget of $1.53 million plus GST for the North Bruce Water Treatment Plant Upgrade funded from existing budgets and $700K of government water stimulus funding subject to the North Bruce Rural Water Scheme approval.
- A project budget of $1.46 million plus GST for the Moa Flat Water Treatment Plant Upgrade funded from existing budgets and $700K of government water stimulus funding subject to the Moa Flat Rural Water Scheme approval.
- Filtration Technology Ltd as the nominated contractor for the North Bruce Water Treatment Plant Upgrade based on recent tender processes, an assessment that it provides best value to Council and approval from the North Bruce Rural Water Scheme.
- Filtration Technology Ltd as the nominated contractor for the Moa Flat Water Treatment Plant Upgrade based on recent tender processes, an assessment that it provides best value to Council and approval from the Moa Flat Bruce Rural Water Scheme.
Council to support KaiBuild initiative
Council approved a proposal to support KaiBuild in purchasing 10 sections in Kaitangata to help secure the land to control escalating land prices.
Evan Dick and Joyce Beck of Kaitangata Promotions spoke to Councillors about the need to encourage more young families to live in Kaitangata and their desire to keep home ownership affordable.
The KaiBuild Plan is to build ten turnkey houses, over the next three and a half years or sooner, enabling ownership of affordable family homes.
Kaitangata Promotions were not looking to profit from the project with all houses to be sold on a cost recovery basis.
The sections would remain in Council ownership until paid for over three and a half years, including the cost of finance, ensuring the total project was rates neutral.
Council delegated to the Chief Executive to purchase 10 sections at an average of $40,000 per section.
The request does not include Council building houses under the Kaitangata House and Land
package (which will continue) but envisages other funders or providers stepping up to assist the project.
While Council would have the risk of purchasing sections, with the current very low finance rates and because the sections purchased would form a complete House and Land package Council could be confident of re-selling the land for the packages to recover all costs.
Clutha Development will provide ongoing support and advice to the working group for this project.
Draft Policy on Gambling Venues to go out for public consultation
The Draft Policy on Gambling Venues has been approved for public consultation with the following option:
Sinking Lid – which does not allow for any new venues or machines. Once a venue closes, any machines cannot be replaced.
They can relocate to another venue in certain circumstances, but no relocation of machines between premises.
Sinking Lid policy for TAB, i.e. no new TABs may establish in the district.
Contracts awarded
The following contract was awarded:
Contract 818 – Plantation Heights Landscape Management Plan
This contract was awarded to Monowai Ecological Ltd for $94,942.85+GST. Two tender prices were received.
Proposed road legalisation and road stopping at Wangaloa Road
Council agreed the proposed legalisation of a section of Wangaloa Road, and proposes to stop part of unformed legal roads associated with Council’s properties fronting Wangaloa Road, Reid Street, Branksea Street and Saint Albans Street in Kaitangata.
This proposal was the direct result of a historical encroachment of Wangaloa Road onto private land (Ministry of Education) and Council owned land and the on-sale of Council owned land.
In a report to Council it said an anomaly regarding the legal status of a section of Wangaloa Road was highlighted during a process of confirming the sale of existing Council owned land adjacent to Wangaloa Road, Reid Street, Branksea Street, Saint Albans Street, Kaitangata.
This process raised further potential for the stopping of adjacent unformed legal roads, where these unformed legal roads are deemed superfluous to Council requirements.
Council agreed to initiate the required consultation process to proceed with a road stopping and legalisation.
The road stopping and road legalisation process is at Council’s cost and is an activity that would normally attract financial assistance from the Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency.