Newsline 252 - 3 June 2011

Friday 3 June 2011

This page contains articles from Issue 252 of Newsline.
Download as a PDF: Newsline 252 - 3 June 2011

Matariki Celebrates Past and Future

Matariki, huarahi ki te oranga tangata (pathway to the wellbeing of people).

The Maori new year is marked by the rise of the constellations known as Matariki (or Pleiades; Seven Sisters). Matariki occurs at the end of the harvest season and marks the time for people to gather, remember the past and plan for the New Year.

Conservation and respect for the environment are strong themes for Matariki celebrations, which include education, remembrance and the planting of new trees and crops signalling new beginnings.

Over the month of June a number of Matariki-themed environmental events will take place around the Waimea Inlet and Tasman Bay. They involve community tree plantings, storytelling, bird spotting, exploring early Maori life on the inlet, displays at libraries and a photography competition.

On Saturday 18 June 2011 a Family Fun Day will be held at, and near, the ASB Aquatic Centre in Richmond, with entertainment, storytelling, stream monitoring, tree planting, discounted pool entry, games and more.

For more information and updates go to www.tasman.govt.nz/link/Matariki or contact Rob Francis on Ph. 03 543 8484.

What is Matariki?

There are two explanations of the name Matariki: either mata-riki (small eyes) or mata-ariki (eyes of a chief) and is traditionally an important time for navigation and marking the change of the seasons.

The first rising of the star constellations Pleiades (Seven Sisters) and of Rigel (Puanga in Maori) occurs just prior to sunrise in late May or early June. The actual time for the celebration of Matariki varies – some iwi celebrate it immediately, others wait until the rising of the next full moon, or the dawn of the next new moon.

In traditional times, Matariki was a season to celebrate and to prepare the ground for the coming year. Offerings of the produce of the land were made to the gods, including Rongo, god of cultivated food. This time of the year was also opportune to instruct young people in the lore of the land and the forest. In addition, certain birds and fish were especially easy to harvest at this time...

Mayor’s Comment

We now have to wait until 16 June 2011 to hear what the Local Government Commission has in store for the District regarding the proposal for a union with Nelson City. Whatever the outcome the role of the Council will be very limited. The Council’s very clear stance on the proposal has not changed and all submissions to the Commission are publicly available on its website www.lgc.govt.nz. If they do put a draft reorganisation proposal out for submissions the role of residents and ratepayers will be paramount whatever camp you fall into – this is about how you wish the place you live in to be governed.

The Annual Plan submission process finished last week with the last of the public hearings. The Council will now have to take all the submissions into account and decide what is to be included in the plan for 2011/2012 and what is to be excluded. This is a difficult exercise with the need to manage expectations within a very clear directive to minimise increases to rates made all the more difficult by the recent natural disasters and the economic recession. In addition to the work already identified within the Long Term Plan, the Council received requests for additional services, initiatives or support to the value of an extra $24 million, making the prioritisation process just that little more testing. I will assure ratepayers, however, that this Council is committed to the objective of delivering excellent services at an affordable cost.

– Mayor Richard Kempthorne

Tasman Freedom Camping Bylaw Passed

The Tasman District Council passed its Freedom Camping Bylaw at its Council meeting on 19 May 2011.

The bylaw, which came into effect on the 31 May 2011, has been established as a response to public demand for controls and enforcement surrounding the well publicised problems caused by a small minority of freedom campers throughout the District. Of note, it aligns very closely the Central Government’s response to the issue, through legislation currently being proposed, which still requires Council to put in place a Bylaw to enable it to deal with the problem.

“In establishing this bylaw we recognised that this issue was not limited to Tasman with many of the other popular tourist spots throughout the country experiencing the negative effects created by a very small number of individuals”, said Tasman Mayor Richard Kempthorne.

“It was also very prominent in our minds that tourism is a major revenue earner for Tasman and is only going to grow and we should be at pains to protect the opportunities it provides. Coupled with the Kiwi tradition of camping we needed to tread carefully, however, the few were spoiling this distinctly New Zealand opportunity for the many.

“We are not anti camping, on the contrary. We are against irresponsible camping and this is where this bylaw is focused. Previously the Council did not have any ability to enforce what most would believe is inappropriate behaviour – now we do,” concluded Mayor Kempthorne.

The Council will review the bylaw 12 months after its inception.

Freedom Camping Bylaw 2011

Army of Masters Athletes to Invade Region

Thousands of competitors will converge on our region to take part in the South Island Masters Games from 15-23 October 2011.

The nine-day celebration of sport features both fierce and friendly competition and a jam-packed entertainment programme. The tournament is predicted to have a bigger local impact than the three Rugby World Cup matches in Nelson.

The Masters involve more than 50 events, with an estimated 3000 participants plus 1000 supporters generating an economic spinoff of $1-2 million. This is the first time the Nelson/Tasman region has hosted the event, which will be based at Saxton Field.

Tasman District Council has contributed about $30,000 “in kind” to the games, with more funding likely from the Community Grants scheme.

Masters entrants range from novices to ex-world record-holders. You don’t have to qualify or belong to a club to enter, and you compete for medals in your own age-group.

Some of the sports on offer are: bowls, golf, netball, hockey, mountainbiking, kart-racing, cycling, croquet, petanque, motocross, swimming, smallbore shooting, athletics and racquet sports.

Entry forms are now available at Tasman District Council offices and Saxton Stadium or go to www.simasters.co.nz to register online or for a full sports programme. If you enter by 1 July 2011 you go into the draw to win a trip for two to Sydney. All registrants are in to win a new Toyota Yaris.

If you don’t want to participate as a competitor, why not become a volunteer to help run the event (full training given). Contact jill@specialevents.co.nz

Motueka Stormwater and Wastewater Work

The upgrade of the stormwater system along Motueka’s High Street has started and will be completed in August 2011.

As part of the same work programme the Council’s contractors will take the opportunity to renew wastewater sewer pipes identified in a recent CCTV survey to be in poor condition in High Street, Eginton Street and Fearon Street.

Traffic flows and travelling times will be affected but two lane flows will be maintained when possible. When the works require traffic to be restricted to one lane the flow will be managed to ensure the restrictions disrupt as little as possible, however, there will be some disruption on High Street during May to July 2011.

The days and hours of work are restricted to week days only between the hours of 7.00 am and 6.00 pm.

The successful contractor, Ching Contractors Ltd., has just completed the Takaka Fire Main installation along Commercial Street and will be applying the same process throughout this contract aimed at minimising the disruption.

The description and programme for works are as follows:

Isolated excavation works to investigate and verify the existing underground pipes and services - 16 May to 27 May 2011
Start of installation of stormwater pipes from Parker Street to Poole Street - 20 May 2011
Progressing south along High Street (excavation of large trench to install stormwater pipes - opened trench length will be around 20 metres per day. The trench will be backfilled and temporarily sealed to allow traffic use as soon as possible.)
Road sumps and pipe links will be connected as works progress along the street.
Sewer pipe replacement will commence in each street as indicated below: (dates are weather dependent):
- High Street, 31 May to 22 June 2011
- Eginton Street, 16 June to 4 July 2011
- Fearon Street, 13 July to 15 July 2011
Access to properties will be maintained other than when the trenches are open for the pipes to be installed. The contractor will visit properties before vehicle access is temporarily restricted.
The final sealing coat of the road surface will require the entire length of the works on High Street to be affected by traffic controls – towards the end of July or early August 2011.

The purpose of the stormwater upgrade works is to increase the pipe size as well as deepen the present pipe network to provide for increased drainage capacity and improved inlet availability to reduce surface ponding and the risk of flooding from rainfall events. The stormwater work is a continuation of drainage improvements from Fearon Street to Poole Street. A further stage is planned to extend the stormwater pipe improvements up Poole Street in the following year.

The sewer upgrades are designed to reduce the risk of blockages and overflows which can adversely affect the environment and be a significant public health risk. Similarly, there are other sewer pipes planned for replacement in Lowe Street, Moffatt Street, Boyce Street and York Street in the near future. These will be replaced as part of another contract to commence in July 2011.

Floods Highlight Need for Preparedness and Adequate Funds

On Monday 23 May 2011 the third Severe Weather Warning in six months was issued for Tasman District with heavy rainfall predicted.

Between 3.00 am on Wednesday 25 May and 6.00 am Thursday 26 May 2011 close to 500mm of rain fell in areas of Golden Bay, 152mm in Motueka and up to 187mm in the Richmond Ranges. As a result river levels across the District rose rapidly and roads were closed in several places to ensure the safety of drivers. A number of families were evacuated either by Fire Service or by choice from their homes in Hope and Brightwater for fear of the river there breaking its banks.

Tasman District Council, being a Unitary Authority, has responsibility for civil defense/emergency management, river and flood control and environmental protection (amongst many other duties around the provision of services for residents across the District) and part of this responsibility is ensuring that it has the funds available to deal with any ‘general’ disasters that may occur in the District. For this purpose Council has its General Disaster Fund and River Funds.

The flooding events that took place on 28 December 2010 in Murchison, Wangapeka and Golden Bay, combined with the flood event in Tapawera earlier in 2010 and last week’s floods have eroded these funds considerably with over $6m of damage estimated. Some of this cost will be picked up by central government and insurances however, there is still a significant shortfall of approximately $2m to be funded directly by Council through its ratepayers.

Council is of the view that it needs to replenish the funds quickly in case of further severe natural disasters in the coming years. In order to do so, it proposed in its 2011/2012 Draft Annual Plan that 1.98% of the general rate increase would be needed over the next two years to help replenish the General Disaster Fund. The money raised will go into a closed fund that can only be used for addressing damage received from natural disasters.

This proposal is included in Council’s 2011/12 Draft Annual Plan. Verbal and written submissions on the Draft Annual Plan have been received and decisions on what changes need to be made are currently underway prior to the Plans adoption in June 2011.

Rainfall and River Flow Statistics From 25/26 May 2011 Flood Event

Rain started to fall in Golden Bay on the evening of Tuesday 24 May 2011 and progressed eastwards, the heaviest falls were recorded over Wednesday night.

Peak intensities of 20-25mm per hour were recorded in the ranges behind Golden Bay around midnight Wednesday, and 15-20mm in the Richmond Ranges early Thursday morning. These intensities are not particularly high, although localised rainfall may have been heavier than this at times.

Rainfall totals of 250- 400mmm were recorded in the ranges behind Golden Bay, and 498mm was recorded at the Paradise rain gauge above Boulder Lake during the 34 hours of the event. Further east, 50-150mm was recorded in the headwaters of the Motueka River, 90mm at Longford near Murchison, and 150-180mm in the Richmond Ranges.

River Levels

Residents in the Aorere Valley were advised of the heavy rain event on the morning of Tuesday 24 May 2011. Aorere River levels remained high from midday Wednesday to early Thursday morning, when Devils Boots peaked at 5.697m at 3.00 am, below the level of a Mean Annual Flood event of approximately 6.0m.

Martin Doyle and Steph Bowis from the Hydrology department at Tasman District Council monitored river levels throughout Wednesday night and Thursday morning, and provided information to various emergency management authorities and members of the public. Road closures were put in several places throughout the region due to high river levels and surface flooding.

Nominate Your ‘Unsung Hero’

Each year Tasman District Council honours the “unsung heroes” among us through its Outstanding Community Service Awards – recognising residents who work quietly away without pay (often for decades) and with little request for recognition, to make our communities better places to live.

Last year’s seven recipients of the award comprised:

Ruby Aberhart, tireless advocate for senior citizens
“Double act” Heather Best and Gwenneth Carter for resurrecting seniors indoor bowls in Richmond, plus service to Ladies RSA and resthome residents
Tarakohe harbour manager and Golden Bay search-and-rescue co-founder Allan Kilgour
Motueka sports organiser Brent Maru
Farm forestry pioneer Ross Higgins
Wakefield community stalwart Chris Smith.

Nominations for the 2011 awards close on 30 June 2011. Nomination forms are available from all Council offices and libraries, and give an outline of the type of information you need to include.
Download the forms, and find further information.

Nominees must be residents of Tasman District. They must have been involved in a range of voluntary activities that have benefited their community for 20 years or more. (Note: Fire Service personnel must have served 35 years to be eligible.)

The nominations are assessed by a panel of Mayor Richard Kempthorne and two Councillors. Award recipients are honoured at a special ceremony in the Council Chambers, with a light lunch to follow.

For more information on nominating your neighbourhood “hero”, contact Tara Cater - Executive Assistant, Tasman District Council

Tasman Prepares for Grey Wave

New Zealand’s population is ageing. In Tasman, the number of people aged over 65 is projected to double by 2031, and comprise 28.6% of the population, compared with 13.6% in 2006.

The reason for the increase is the baby-boomer generation (born between 1946 and 1964), who are now starting to retire.

Planning for the future is always a challenge and the Tasman District Council, like all local authorities, looks far beyond this year or next. Tasman growth planning goes out 20 years or more as staff try to predict what changes will occur and who will live where. The reason for such long-term planning is that for a District as large as Tasman there are significant differences between the 17 larger settlements in the region, including the rate of population growth, the age of residents, their incomes and their aspirations for the future.

Some key statistics that influence the Council’s planning are:

Tasman’s population is projected to increase from 45,800 to 53,200 over the next two decades – yet the working age population is expected to fall from 29,810 to 29,150.
The number of households is likely to rise from 17,900 to 23,500.
The median age in Tasman is tipped to increase from 40.3 in 2006 to 47.3 in 2031.

As an example of settlement variations, Mapua/Ruby Bay currently has a median age of 45.3 (meaning half the population is aged less than 45.3 and half above that figure). This is expected to increase to 55.1.

Brightwater has a median population of 34.7, and by 2031 that is likely to be 38.8.

In 20 years time Brightwater is expected to have more children per household so may require more playgrounds, and Mapua/Ruby Bay may require more recreation cycleways for the retired population.

The Statistics New Zealand data used for the projections shows the highest income per person settlements are “Ward Remainder Richmond” – Ranzau, Hope, Aniseed Hill, Richmond Hill – ($47,440), Brightwater ($44,500) and Richmond ($44,066). The lowest medium income per person settlements are Tapawera ($29,000), Takaka ($32,600) and Collingwood ($33,100).

E-Recycling Scheme

The new recycling service for your old electronic appliances is off to a good start.

Nelson Environment Centre waste manager Karen Driver says the e-Cycle depot, open on Sundays at the Nelson transfer station in Pascoe St, Tahunanui, has taken 11 televisions, six computer monitors, seven PCs and three printers already.

“We’ve had really good feedback, basically saying, ‘About time – we need this system’.”

The service also takes microwaves, stereos and even photocopiers. Valuable materials in them such as gold, silver, platinum and palladium can be recovered, but devices such as TVs and monitors contain toxic heavy metals like lead, mercury, cadmium and beryllium, plus hazardous chemicals in flame retardants. These no longer need to go into the landfill.

The depot charges a small fee for taking appliances: $5 for a desktop computer, $6 for a stereo, $11.50 for a microwave or desktop printer, $20 for a television and $46 for a small photocopier. Cellphones are free. These charges cover costs such as labour, freight and the use of dismantling equipment.

The new service is likely to replace the free eDay collections. At least 20 e-Cycle depots should be open nationwide by the end of June 2011.

The venture is being funded by the Government's Waste Minimisation Fund and run in conjunction with Auckland e-waste recycling company RCN. The Nelson Environment Centre manages the local depot.

E-waste is the fastest growing type of waste in the world – 80,000 tonnes a year in NZ – and is more toxic than normal household rubbish.

More information on the e-Cycle project can be obtained from the website www.e-cycle.co.nz, which explains the pricing policy and what will happen to the materials collected.

New Face to Transfer Station

The new entrance to the Richmond Resource Recovery Centre opens on Wednesday 8 June 2011.

Vehicles will enter from Fittal Street, replacing the existing entrance on Beach Road.

The realignment is part of a major revamp for the rubbish transfer station, which has already provided a new and bigger home for the “re-use” shop. Tasman District Council bought the building two years ago and leases it to the Kahurangi Employment Trust, which runs the recycling operation.

Stage Two of the refurbishment, the new layout, will make it easier for users to separate their recycling and reduce waste going to the landfill. Commercial and private vehicles will also be kept apart.

(Greenwaste will continue to be received and processed at Greenwaste to Zero in Cargill Place.)

The alterations will benefit both public and commercial users providing:

An improved re-use facility
A more efficient layout, meaning fewer queues
Easier recycling, with more room
A safer site

Finally, a new carpark will provide access to the new walkway/coastal area at the end of Fittal Street.

Follow the progress of the upgrade by webcam.

Saxton Almost Run Off its Feet

Saxton Stadium is almost booked out in the busy winter season, with just one court free on Friday nights.

Manager Tony Naylor says the five netball/basketball courts or 12 volleyball courts are fully used from Monday to Thursday evenings, and very busy during weekends. The table tennis pavilion is also well used.

On the weekend, hundreds of netballers swamp the Saxton Field complex, using 13 outdoor courts in addition to the five indoors, he says.

During weekdays the new 7000 sq m stadium hosts exercise classes for seniors, parents and “tots”, with various public events taking place on weekends.

Tony says more than 210,000 people have come through the doors of the $13 million stadium since it opened in October 2009.

The stadium is a joint project between Tasman District and Nelson City Councils, plus sporting codes. It is also now home to Sport Tasman.

The four major codes of basketball, netball, volleyball and table tennis raised $2.7 million towards the cost of the building, says Tony. (Grouped as the Saxton Field Sports Stadium Society, they came runner-up in the Sport and Leisure section of the last TrustPower Community Awards.)

“The codes have been tremendous.”

That joint effort saw the Stadium make the finals in the Project Collaboration section of the recent New Zealand Sport and Recreation Awards.

The awards recognise individuals and organisations throughout the country who make outstanding contributions to the sport and recreation sector. Former All Black Sir Wilson Whineray chaired the judging panel.

Saxton Field also includes facilities for football, hockey, athletics, tennis and softball. The 65ha complex in Stoke is a showcase of the two councils working together for the benefit of ratepayers.

(The Project Collaboration Award went to Sport Auckland and Auckland libraries for the Wriggle and Rhyme scheme.)