Newsline 261 - 7 October 2011

Friday 7 October 2011

Read articles from the October 7 version of Newsline.

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Tasman District Council Annual Residents Survey 2011 – results

Council gets a 75% approval rating and identifies areas for improvement

Since 1996, Council has regularly commissioned a survey of Tasman residents to get their views on a range of the services it delivers. The results from the survey cover satisfaction with Council services and compares these against results for similar size local authorities around New Zealand to get a feel for how Council is performing. The results are taken for the District as a whole and are also broken down across the wards.

The 2011 report concluded that nearly three-quarters of Tasman residents are satisfied with the way rates are spent on services and facilities provided by Council within the District.

Commenting on the survey findings Mayor Richard Kempthorne said: “What is interesting is the level of positive feedback we have received regarding our initiatives and work to preserve and enhance the lifestyle in Tasman. Through the development of parks, walkways, beautification and restoration works and access to and protection of natural areas we are enhancing the ability of residents to enjoy what the District has to offer”.

Read the full survey results.

The independent residents survey was conducted by the National Research Bureau for Council during May/June 2011.

Rates Issues

Overall, 73% of Tasman District residents are ‘very satisfied’ or ‘fairly satisfied’ with the way rates are spent on services and facilities provided by Council while 22% are not very satisfied.

Very satisfied (10%)
Fairly satisfied (63%)
Not very satisfied (22%)
Don’t know/Unable to say (5%)

Contact with Council

Residents are most likely to contact Council offices or staff (82%) first if they have a matter to raise with Council while 10% would make contact with a Councillor. These are similar to the 2010 figures. Of the residents who had contacted Council in the last 12 months, 77% were satisfied with the service they received.

Seen, Read or Heard Information from Council

97% of residents say they have seen, read or heard information from the Council in the last 12 months in the form of:

Newsline – The Mag 95%
Council advertisements in newspapers 66%
Information available from Council offices or libraries 40%
The Annual Plan 40%
Ten Year Plan or LTCCP 42%
Information sent with the rates demand 51%
Council advertisements on the radio 35%
Council’s website 33%

Sufficiency of Information Supplied by Council

79% of residents feel that there is enough or more than enough information supplied by Council while 16% feel there is not enough or nowhere near enough information supplied.

Tasman District residents are more likely to feel there is enough or more than enough information supplied to the community than residents nationwide.

Council Consultation and Community Involvement

Satisfaction with the way Council consults the public in the decisions it makes… The very satisfied/satisfied is similar to the peer group average and slightly above the national average.

Very satisfied (9%)
Satisfied (45%)
Neither satisfied/dissatisfied (24%)
Dissatisfied (16%)
Very dissatisfied (4%)
Don’t know (2%)

Frequency of Use – Council Services and Facilities

Recreational facilities (85%) and Council’s kerbside recycling service (83%) are the facilities or services surveyed which have been most frequently used by residents or members of their households in the last year. Public libraries (65%) and public toilets (50%) were also widely used.

Local issues

Internet Access 85% of residents say they have access to the Internet.

Place To Live

39% of residents think Tasman District is better, as a place to live, than it was three years ago, while 50% feel it is the same and 7% say it is worse. 4% are unable to comment.

Perception Of Safety

Is Tasman District generally a safe place to live?

Yes, definitely (58%)
Yes, mostly (39%)
Not really (2%)
Don’t know (1%)

Natural Environment

Satisfaction that the natural environment in the Tasman District is being preserved and sustained for future generations…

Very satisfied (17%)
Satisfied (58%)
Neither satisfied/dissatisfied (13%)
Dissatisfied (10%)
Very dissatisfied (1%)
Don’t know (2%)

About the Survey

This NRB Communitrak survey was conducted with 401 residents of the Tasman District and was framed on the basis of the wards. All interviews were conducted on the telephone. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 4%. Figures do not always add up to 100% due to rounding.

Read the full survey results.

Mayor’s Comment

Last Wednesday Deputy Mayor Tim King and I presented the Council’s submission regarding the Local Government Commission’s draft reorganisation plan to the Commission itself. It was on the first of five scheduled days of hearings of submissions by the Commission as they decide whether to continue with the proposal to form a union between Tasman District and Nelson City.

The Council’s submission is made up of two parts. The first being why the Council does not believe the current proposal provides for the benefits depicted by the initial petition and the second being focused on the changes required to the draft plan if the proposal goes forward. A number of comments have been made about this Council’s position throughout the amalgamation process. Some have cited intransigence and having our ‘heads in the sand’ regarding what some believe is an inevitability.

We believe we are doing our duty in representing the best interests of the District.

We are putting forward the case that the two areas, Tasman District and Nelson City are markedly different. They are served well by Councils who are charged with meeting quite different aspirations and needs managed through representation that takes into account the unique and distinct communities that make up each area.

Amalgamating these two areas will dilute the current representation models taking residents and ratepayers a step away from important decision-making. We currently have a situation where our Community Boards have agreed to a number of delegations in excess of what the Commission proposed in their draft plan and wards that have clearly stated they do not want a Community Board to replace their effective Community Associations.

Right from the start of the process we have heard of the potential savings that could be made from such a union that have ranged from $10 million though to $5 million and recently to a comment that any savings are the responsibility of the new Council. We have always queried the supposed savings with a mind to achieving any possible savings now without the cost of amalgamation. The details have yet to surface and it is our belief driven by this lack of detail and historical experience that they do not exist.

If the proposal does proceed to the two polls, one in Tasman and the other in Nelson, where over 50% in each poll has to vote for amalgamation for it to happen, we are asking the Local Government Commission to identify the full costs involved before people are asked to vote because once that vote is taken there is no turning back. People should have all the facts so they can make an informed decision.

The question most asked of us as a Council is ‘what is this going to cost me?’ Without detailed facts and scenarios that have been provided in previous amalgamation debates we can only provide historical examples and make assumptions based on information provided to us by the Commission. That is responsible logic, not intransigence. Much of the debate has been centred on ‘lost opportunities’. Like the purported costs and savings, despite constant requests, the ‘lost opportunities’ have yet to be defined or presented. It appears many of them are based on one name for the region. We have lived with that since 1989 and both areas seemed to have maintained an economic growth beyond most other regions.

What is important is serving the best interests of each areas’ residents and ratepayers and we believe the current governance arrangements achieve that. It is also important that Tasman’s communities retain their identity.

To reiterate, we remain determined to achieve the best outcome for the residents and ratepayers that this Council serves. We do not believe the draft plan goes any way to improving this aspiration and in its current form it will only result in lost representation at an increased cost with no definable benefit.

Mayor Richard Kempthorne

Plantings Enrich Island Playground

Rabbit Island is in a growth spurt and a hive of activity, with three significant planting projects and the new cycle path on the go. Nine seedlings of Lone Pine* have been planted in preparation for the centenary of the Gallipoli battle in Turkey in 1915.

Richmond-Waimea RSA members intend to plant 100 of the pines in total at Conifer Park, near the Mapua end of the island. They are being assisted by Tasman District Council Reserves Officer Steve Richards. RSA president Terry Richardson says the nine initial plants were donated by Appletons Nursery and he has managed to find more seeds (or cuttings) from the only two other Lone Pines that he knows of in New Zealand, at Taradale and Stratford in the North Island.

The RSA hopes descendants of Gallipoli soldiers will take part in planting days at Rabbit Island.

“It was a terrible, terrible war” that killed and maimed many Nelsonians, says Terry.

Further east on Rabbit Island, near the central toilet block, Richmond Lions are helping to plant native trees in a new picnic area that has been cleared of pines. Grassed areas will be ready for summer. Over the next two or three years more picnic tables, barbecues and shade sails will go in at the front beach reserve, says Steve. Volunteers from another community group, Keep Richmond Beautiful (KRB), are mucking in with their spades to plant out the coastal sand-dunes in grasses and other stabilising plants. The project is in its eighth year, and “KRB assist us every year with that”.

The new cycle trail runs through both Council reserve areas and pine plantations on its way from the Rabbit Island entrance (Rough Island) to the western end, connecting with the new ferry service to Mapua. The path – wide enough for two cyclists to ride side-by-side – is a joint project between the Council and the Nelson Tasman Cycle Trails Trust. It is part of the planned Tasman’s Great Taste Trail, a triangular route that will eventually link Nelson, Motueka, Kaiteriteri, down to Kohatu and back to Richmond.

The 1000ha Rabbit Island is a mixed-use success story for the Council – a source of revenue from logging, and a playground for Tasman residents.

*(According to Wikipedia, the original Lone Pine was a sole survivor of a group of trees that had been cut down by Turkish soldiers who used the timber and branches to cover their trenches during the battle. The last tree was obliterated during the battle, but pine cones attached to the cut branches over the trenches were retrieved by two Australian soldiers and brought home – becoming a symbol of Gallipoli. The seedlings were found to be Turkish Pines, but usually classified as a distinct species, Pinus brutia.)

Community Service Award Recipients

Continuing our portraits of Outstanding Community Service Award recipients, who were honoured by the Tasman District Council recently. This time, Will Rickerby and Peter Woods.

Hunter restores the hills

A love of hunting spawned his love of the outdoors, says Will Rickerby, who has a piece of the Richmond foothills named after him.

Twelve years ago Will’s Gully was “a real jungle” – a mass of weeds such as old man’s beard and banana passion vine. The key to native restoration is “hard work”, says the fit 74-year-old.

His tried and tested method is to clearfell the noxious growth, spray the smaller weeds and then plant fast-growing natives such as lemonwood, ake ake and kanuka. As the canopy establishes he sprays any remaining weeds. Will is involved in a host of conservation groups, including the Friends of Rotoiti, Keep Richmond Beautiful and Native Bird Recovery Richmond, plus has put in many hours of restoration work at the Aniseed Valley Twin Bridges Reserve.

He is a member of Forest & Bird and the NZ Deerstalkers Association. In his “spare” time, the retired builder makes rat and stoat traps – 233 last year – suggesting improvements as he goes. He also puts out a monthly conservation newsletter that covers a wide area.

As a hunter and tramper, “you are aware of what’s around you”, soon becoming adept at identifying trees and plants, he says.

For one who has enriched the Nelson region so extensively, Will is not a native himself. He and wife Shirley – “a great help” – moved from the Waikato about 13 years ago, attracted by the wealth of national and forest parks on our doorstep.

Busy in the Bay

“Without the support of Lorraine I wouldn’t have been half as effective,” says Golden Bay farmer Peter Woods. The couple have a long history of community involvement. He was a member of the Takaka volunteer fire brigade for a decade before farm work took precedence, and has been in the Pohara Boat Club for a quarter century, mostly with a trailer-sailer and now a powerboat.

Peter was in the Takaka Citizens Band for a decade, including a stint as drum major. He and Lorraine have a weakness for old cars (VW, Jaguar, MG and now a 1978 LTD Ford). Peter is president of the Collectable Car Club “for my sins”, and the 30 or so members head off on weekend trips. With commercial truck-driving experience, he has found himself at the wheel of buses for the Collingwood and Takaka rugby teams, the band and schools.

Peter is a volunteer driver for the “Wrinklies Express” minibus service over the hill for medical appointments. It started as a community funded initiative to fill a need, and two years ago the second-hand van was upgraded to a new model, thanks to funding from other agencies. Locals can join the service for a small annual fee, request the van when needed, and pay a donation for each trip. The new van has already clocked up 55,000km.

“It’s not uncommon to do a trip with just one person,” says Peter. Jaycee (10 years), Takaka Bowling (15 years, 3 as president) and the Catholic Cemetery Committee (5 years) complete his roll call of community service

Archdeacon Andy Joseph invited to the Role of Kaumātua

Tasman District Council has invited Archdeacon Andy Joseph to become Kaumātua for the Council.

“This is an important appointment for the Council, recognising the role the Council has in the District and the importance, and the need for recognition, of iwi and the Treaty of Waitangi in Tasman”, said Mayor Richard Kempthorne.

“I have for many years identified the need for such a relationship and am extremely happy that Archdeacon Joseph has agreed to fulfil the role of Kaumatua.

“This is an important new role at Council and was not arrived at without due and considered process. I would like to thank Manawhenua ki Mohua and representatives of Ngati Rarua, Te Atiawa, Ngati Koata and Ngati Kuia for their invaluable assistance and advice throughout this process.”

As Kaumātua Archdeacon Andy Joseph will provide the Mayor with support around tikanga Māori at civic events, enhance Council’s understanding of Iwi and Māori place in the District and supporting the Community Outcome of “Our community understands regional history, heritage and culture”.

Old Sawdust Tip Gets Second Chance

An old dumping ground for sawmill waste at Motueka is being restored to saltmarsh, thanks to thousands of hours of volunteer labour.

The northern part of the Motueka Inlet Walkway, near Old Wharf Road, was a gorse-infested tip site for sawdust. Keep Motueka Beautiful (KMB) volunteers got to work, creating walkways by clearing gorse and blackberry.

An Adopt-A-Plot scheme, where individuals, families or community groups plant out and maintain their own small piece of land, has been very successful, with 38 plots so far. KMB provides the plants – mostly “eco-sourced” (local) natives to the coastal inlet environment. Adopt-A-Plot volunteers put in about 1800 hours of work in the year to July 2011, with KMB volunteers contributing more than 1100 hours, and Department of Corrections workers 3360.Tasman District Council funds the project for equipment hire, plant purchase etc, and staff provide advice.

More than 1000 plants (of 20 species) have been planted in three weed-free areas close to existing paths. Most of these are “terrestrial” plants suited to the higher, salt-free, zones, with raupo (bulrushes) lower down.

The area is becoming increasingly popular with Motueka residents and tourists. Those numbers should increase when the final loop of the Inlet Walkway from Link Park to York Park is completed in the 2012-2013 year. The future growth of both gorse and blackberry will be controlled by spraying, but the sawdust is very soft in places, creating problems for wheeled machinery.

You can access the walkway from Old Wharf Road, opposite the main entrance to the Motueka Recreation Centre. KMB volunteers are now working on the new walk/cycleway along Wharf Road, which should be completed within the next few weeks. This extension will become part of Tasman’s Great Taste Trail. A second humpback bridge will also be placed in the Adopt-A-Plot area.

Community Grants Recipients 2011

One of the objectives listed in Council’s mission statement is to enhance community development and the natural, cultural and recreational assets relating to Tasman district.

One of the ways that Council sets out to achieve part of this objective is to administer a number of community grants schemes, scholarships and awards. Some of these are administered on Council’s own account. Others are funds administered on behalf of Creative New Zealand and SPARC ( Sport and Recreation NZ).

Below is a list of this year’s annual Community Grants from Rates recipients.

Organisation	Amount Allocated
Community Development and Employment Initiatives
Nelson Tasman Cycle Trails Trust	$2,500
Rotoiti District Community Council	$500
Nelson Tasman Business Trust	$10,000
Adult Learning Support Nelson Inc	$2,000
Golden Downs Golf Club Inc	$1,000
Tasman Regional Sports Trust	$500
Mens Shed Waimea Inc	$3,000
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Arts, Culture and Heritage
Dramatix Theatre	$2,500
Mapua Show Incorporated	$1,000
Collingwood Memorial Library	$1,000
Golden Bay Community Arts Council	$1,000
Guide to Artists in Golden Bay	$1,000
Motueka District Brass Inc	$2,000
Takaka Citizens Band	$2,000
The Village Theatre Society	$1,000
Friends of Flora Inc	$2,500
Whenua Iti Trust Inc	$1,500
Mapua Community Library	$2,500
Te Awhina Marae	$2,000
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Youth/children
Gateway Housing	$1,000
Scanz	$250
Nelson Bays Tennis	$760
Mapua Community Toy Library	$300
Family Education Network Inc	$1,000
Richmond Waimea Toy Library	$500
Kidpower Teenpower Fullpower Trust	$850
Richmond Group Riding for the Disabled	$2,000
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Nelson	$2,000
Murchison Community Toy Library	$300
Tapawera Sport & Recreation Society	$5,000
Golden Bay Riding for the Disabled	$1,000
Takaka Amateur Athletic Club	$1,500
Q-Youth Inc	$1,000
Golden Bay Toy Library	$300
The Gifted Education Centre	$500
Tamaha Sea Scouts	$1,200
Murchison Playcentre	$350
Wakefield Playcentre	$200
Motueka Riding for the Disabled Inc	$1,000
Brightwater Playcentre	$250
Nelson Free Kindergarten Association	$750
Richmond Playcentre	$500
The Nelson Ark	$2,000
Scout Association of NZ Riwaka Scout Group	$500
Girl Guide Association - Twin Peaks District	$500
Tapawera Playcentre	$300
Motueka Toy Library	$200
Speld Nelson Inc	$500
Motupipi Tennis Club	$1,000
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Social Services
Alzheimers Society Nelson	$1,000
Nelson Bays Citizens Advice Bureau	$1,000
Hearing Association Nelson	$1,000
Epilepsy Association of NZ	$1,000
Golden Bay Community Workers	$2,000
LifeLine Nelson	$1,000
Parent to Parent Nelson	$1,000
Golden Bay Community Service Vehicle Trust	$1,500
CCS Disability Action Nelson	$3,400
Richmond Senior Citizens Association	$1,000
Fifeshire Foundation	$12,000
Nelson Multicultural Council	$1,500
ME/CFS Nelson Support Group	$500
Nelson Region Hospice Trust	$1,500
Beneficiaries and Unwaged Workers Trust	$500
NZ Council of Victim Support Groups	$2,000
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Festivals and Events
Waimea Sports Trust	$1,250
Wanderers Rugby Football Club	$1,000
Nelson Kart Club	$2,000
Moutere Hills Sub Branch of the Nelson RSA	$200
Rainbow Rage Ltd	$2,500
Top Team c/- Sport Tasman	$1,500
NZ Tree Crops Association	$500
Motueka Recreation Centre	$1,500
Te Awhina Marae	$2,000
Nelson Radio Controlled Car Club	$500
Murchison Agricultural and Pastoral Association	$1,500
CEEDS	$500
Nelson Radio Controlled Car Club	$1,000
Moutere Hills Community Centre	$1,500
Hills Community Church	$300
Nelson A & P Association	$2,000
Dovedale Country Affair	$1,500
Tasman Regional Sports Trust	$1,000
Nelson A & P Association	$1,000
Golden Bay Community Board	$1,200
Golden Bay Community Workers	$3,000
Tasman Invitational Sevens	$1,000
Tasman Regional Sports Event Trust	$5,000
Ako-a-Rongo	$500
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Beautification
Keep Motueka Beautiful Committee	$3,000
Keep Richmond Beautiful	$3,000
Golden Bay Workcentre Trust	$500
Wakefield Bowling Club	$500
Tasman Environmental Trust	$2,000
Te Wharerangi Trust	$1,000
Our Town Motueka	$2,000
Keep Golden Bay Beautiful	$2,000
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Emergency Services
Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter Trust	$5,500
Wakefield & Districts Community Health Centre	$1,000
Motueka Search & Rescue	$421
The Order of St John South Island Trust	$3,323
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Community Newsletters
Tapawera and Districts Community Council	$300
The Grapevine	$300
Association of Blind Citizens (Nelson)	$200
Autism New Zealand	$200
Motueka Branch of the SPCA	$200
Museums
Golden Bay Museum Society	$1,350
Pigeon Valley Steam Museum	$2,500
Collingwood Museum Society	$4,695

Beach Clean-up Raring to Go

Service clubs, council teams, boat and outrigger clubs, political parties, media teams, tramping clubs, sea scouts, church groups and businesses – all flocking to the beaches.

This year’s Big Beach Clean-up, from 10.00 am to 3.00 pm on 19 November 2011, has already drawn a large muster, which is a reflection of how much Kiwis love their coastal playgrounds. The community spring-clean covers about 50 beaches between Marahau and Cable Bay. Last year more than 1000 volunteers collected 10.4 tonnes of rubbish from 293km of beach.

The Department of Conservation project, in partnership with Tasman District Council, Nelson City Council and Nelmac, will run along the same lines as last year, with interested groups visiting the DOC website and staking their claim for a particular section of beach. Organiser Rudy Tetteroo, of DOC, says they were “very pleased… ecstatic, really” with the full turnout for last year’s inaugural clean-up, and many of those groups have been quick off the mark in registering again.

Tasman Mayor Richard Kempthorne says the clean-up is “a great way for the community to show they care about the environment. Last year's effort was outstanding.” Sections of beach are still available so register your team now. “Toi tu te marae o Tangaroa? Toi tu te marae o nga Tangata.” (If the domain of Tangaroa is healthy? Then the people will be healthy.)

Mapua in Line for New Pumpstation

Mapua’s ageing and vulnerable sewage pumpstation is to be replaced, at a cost of $1.6 million, to tie in with the development of the new waterfront park.

The existing pumpstation at the wharf is in poor state and under capacity, has no emergency storage, no back-up power generation – so could overflow to the estuary in a power cut – no odour control and is close to cafes.

The new station will have emergency storage, a high-tech odour control system, a backup generator, advanced electronics, and be located further away from the seashore and eateries. The above-ground components (electrical cabinet, odour control etc) will be out of view behind the existing water pump building, and disguised with a decorative timber-slat facade.

Chamber lids will be low-lying and shrouded in landscaping. Construction contractors have been shortlisted and are ready to submit tenders. The work is expected to take three months.

Have You Lost Your Dinghy?

A grey coloured 2.5m fibreglass dinghy was found and salvaged at Ruby Bay on 21 September 2011. If you have the key that fits its lock, please contact the Harbourmaster at Council’s Richmond office to claim ownership. If unclaimed by 21 November 2011 the vessel will be disposed of.

For further information contact Steve Hainstock, Harbourmaster, Ph. 03 543 8433 or 027 246 1904. E-mail: harbourmaster@tasman.govt.nz

Pest of the Month – Argentine and Darwin’s Ants

Argentine Ants

Argentine ants (Linepithema humile), is a native of South America, and one of the world’s most successful invasive species. It was identified in Auckland in 1990 and is now widespread throughout the North Island and in the Nelson-Tasman region, in Marlborough and in Christchurch.

They live in colonies in a series of inter-connected nests just under the soil surface. They have been called tramp ants because of their success with human-assisted dispersal in pot plants, plant cuttings, bark and soil products.

New colonies are also established by natural spread as queens and worker ants move on from existing colonies, moving up to 150m/year in urban areas along footpaths and across roads. They are relatively small, 2 – 3 mm long, with a honey brown to dark brown colour, moving quickly in trails up to five ants wide, along the edge of paths and fences and up into plants and trees where they cultivate scale insects and aphids for nectar. This can create problems in horticultural crops with pest management.

During the warmer weather when they are actively breeding, they consume protein usually from other insects but they have attacked caged birds and reptiles. They will invade houses for food and water, feeding off crumbs and entering food containers. They disrupt outdoor activities and invade compost heaps and have over-run beehives in the Gisborne area.

Darwin’s Ants

Darwin’s ants (Doleromyrma darwiniana), a native of Australia, have been in New Zealand since 1970 and in the Nelson-Tasman region since the late 1980s.

They are similar in appearance to Argentine ants but slightly smaller (2 – 2.5 mm). Their most distinctive characteristic is the strong smell of formic acid they exude when squashed.

They are less aggressive than Argentine ants but are still a significant nuisance and of concern in horticulture and viticulture where their formic acid could affect product taste.

Controlling Argentine and Darwin’s ants

It is not possible to eradicate these ants in urban situations with the tools that are currently available to householders.

Effective short-term control can be achieved by using bait such as Xstinguish and longer-term control can be achieved by authorised pest controllers using sprays containing specially-formulated synthetic pyrethroids. However, properties can be colonised within three months by invasion from adjoining properties if these properties are not treated at the same time and re-baiting may be necessary if numbers build up again.

The Council has been writing to those living on infested properties asking residents to coordinate their baiting. Those with Darwin’s ants have been asked to undertake baiting with Xstinguish on a specified weekend in early December. Those with Argentine ants have been asked to undertake baiting with Xstinguish on a specified weekend in mid-February.

At the same time, a Council contractor treats the edge of footpaths to slow the rate of spread. Under the rules in the Council’s Regional Pest Management Strategy, residents with these ants are required to bait to control their numbers. The Council has been working with other councils to co-fund research into new tools for controlling ants and further trials will be carried out during spring and summer.

The Council can assist landowners in identifying these two species of ants. Ants can be collected in a small screwtop jar containing some sugar and peanut butter and left out for 30 min. Please label with your name and contact details.

Further information

Further information on Argentine and Darwin’s ants, and on baiting with Xstinguish and other products, is available on the Council website (under Environment/Pests-weeds/Pest-animals) and from the Landcare Research website (http://argentineants.landcareresearch.co.nz/).

Amalgamation Views Heard

The Local Government Commission is holding hearings of submissions on the draft reorganisation scheme for the amalgamation of Tasman District and Nelson City. The next meeting is in Murchison on Tuesday 11 October 2011, followed by Takaka on Wednesday 12 October 2011.

The hearings are a chance for submitters to speak to and expand on any points made in their submissions. Commission members can also ask questions of submitters. The hearings are open to the public. Copies of all submissions can be viewed online at the Commission website, www.lgc.govt.nz or in hardcopy form at Tasman District Council offices.

The Commission received 393 submissions on the draft reorganisation scheme. After the hearings and consideration of submissions, commissioners will decide whether to issue a final reorganisation scheme or not.

If they do, separate polls will be held for the electors in Nelson City and Tasman District. In each case, more than 50% of the votes cast must endorse the proposal.

Possible timeline:

October 2011 – Hearings
December 2011 – Commission’s final decision
March 2012 – Polls held
April 2012 – Order in Council prepared to give effect to the scheme (if poll successful). The Order in Council would constitute the Transition Committee
October 2012 – Elections
1 November 2012 – Council takes office

Second Lights for Salisbury Road

Access from Arbor-Lea Avenue on to Salisbury Road will soon become easier soon with the installation of traffic signals on busy Salisbury Road.

This work was instigated with the expansion of Waimea College and its need for a new access at the northern end of the college.

The traffic signals are being co-funded 50:50 by Tasman District Council and the Ministry of Education. They will have SCATS capability, meaning they can be coordinated with the Talbot Street traffic signals further along Salisbury Road in future, providing efficient traffic flow.

Contractors Fulton Hogan began the work in early September 2011. It is relatively straightforward and the signals are expected to become operational on Monday 10 October 2011. As part of the work ducts for utility upgrades by Network Tasman and Telecom were laid across Salisbury Road, Arbor-Lea and the new College access. The new intersection will have right-turn lanes for traffic from Salisbury Road into Arbor-Lea and the College.

Pedestrian crossing signals will be provided for both Salisbury Road and the Arbor-Lea/College accessway. Temporary warning signs indicating the new road layout ahead will be installed for up to one month. This is just the second set of traffic signals owned by the Council, the first being the lights at the Talbot Street intersection, switched on in July 2009.

The other three sets of lights located in Richmond, which are all on Gladstone Road (corner of Oxford Street, Queen Street and McGlashen Avenue), are the responsibility of the NZ Transport Agency.

Are Your Address Details Correct and Accurate?

With the increasing number of properties in the Tasman District, especially in rural areas, it is important that you update your address to ensure that it is correct and accurate.

In recent years Council has numbered all of the properties in the District, but some addresses are still identified only by the road name i.e. Joe Dirigible, Smith Road, RD1 Takaka.

These addresses were originally created by the Post Office, and subsequently used by the White Pages, which has no responsibility to update its information unless you ask them to.

Without the correct address logged for your property it can be difficult for emergency services, couriers and postal delivery staff to find you when they need to.

Your new address number – for example 146 Smith Road, indicates to the emergency services that you live 1.46kms from the start of Smith Road – a vital bit of information in an emergency situation. You can find your property number at www.topofthesouthmaps.co.nz or www.myaddress.co.nz.

Changing your address in the White/Yellow pages

White pages – Ph. 123 from a Telecom phone or dial 0800 800 123, ask for a new connection and explain that you want to change your address details in the White Pages.

Yellow Pages – Ph. 0800 803 803 and provide your correct address details. If you have any queries please contact Lindsay Skinner at Tasman District Council, Ph. 03 543 8448.