Marlborough District Council

The Voice of Youth in Marlborough

Wed, 22 May 2013 23:57:03 GMT

The Marlborough Youth Council provides a channel to the Marlborough District Council for the young people of this region.

Made up of representatives from the secondary schools in Blenheim and Picton, the Community College and the Business Management School, the Youth Council meets regularly with Mayor Alistair Sowman, deputy Jenny Andrews and Councillor Jessica Bagge.

Their meetings enable councillors to hear the views of young people on issues which affect their generation at the same time encouraging younger people to take part in civic processes.

The Youth Council gets involved in public tree planting, an ‘inter-generational’ event that brings together young and old, and groups like CACTUS and SADD. The Youth Council also has a small budget to help in cases where hardship is involved for local young people who have been selected at a national or international level to represent Marlborough.

Youth Council website www.myvoicemarlborough.co.nz/Youth-Council

Picton Foreshore Reserve Management Plan

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

You are invited under s.41 of the Reserves Act 1977 to send to the undersigned by Friday 26 July 2013 written suggestions on the development of a management plan for the area known as the Picton Foreshore Reserve.

Submissions can be made in writing and sent to:

Elisha Oldridge
Reserves Planner
PO Box 443
Blenheim 7240

Submissions can also be emailed to elisha.oldridge@marlborough.govt.nz.

A discussion document has been created to give an idea of the types of issues that can be covered by the reserve management plan. There are no limits to what can be submitted on and this document has been provided as a guide to encourage feedback. The document is available from Council offices in Blenheim and Picton and is available on this website. See Picton Foreshore Reserve Management Plan Discussion Document.

Submissions close Friday July 26.

Making progress in getting 'Smart and Connected'

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Last week the Marlborough District Council released a piece of research which shed new light on what’s happening in Marlborough; an economic profile of the region.

It shows us not only where the strengths of our economy are but where the gaps exist.
It confirms the Council’s decision to commit to economic development support for Marlborough.

Part of that economic development work has been to develop a vision for the region:

Over the next decade Marlborough will become a globally connected district of progressive, high value enterprise, known for our economic efficiency, quality lifestyle, desirable location and natural environment.

We’ve also worked on a ‘Smart and Connected’ economic strategy to help fulfil this vision.

This is what the Council has achieved so far:

A business unit inside Council – with some good runs on the board for business activity inside and outside the region
Some re-prioritising inside Council for project work which meets ‘Smart and Connected’ aspirations
Support for a deal between the Marlborough Research Centre and Massey University for future research into some exciting potential high-value businesses here
Preliminary information-sharing with a series of community discussion groups about a vision for the region
A follow-up series of consultations with more specialised sector groups to help them develop their own targets to work toward achieving that vision
The release of the Infometrics report ‘Economic Profile Marlborough 2012’ - research and analysis of the Marlborough economy which will inform anyone interested in our region’s economic development. It is available on the Council website Your-Council/Marlborough-Smart-And-Connected/2012-Marlborough-Economic-Profile.aspx

One of the challenges with economic development is to maintain the forward momentum. The Council has helped to bring together the vision and strategy. The future success of this work is going to be in the hands of the wider community; industry groups, businesses, organisations and community groups. If you want more information, contact MDC Strategic Planning and Economic Development Manager Neil Henry, Ph: 03 520 7400.

Marlborough Economic Profile

Graphic Growth in output per employee (2002-2012)

This shows how well Marlborough has done in terms of productivity over the last decade compared to other parts of the country including a group of districts of similar profile to Marlborough (comparator districts).

In the last 12-months alone, Marlborough’s productivity grew by 3.1% compared with 1.1% in the national economy.

This shows how Marlborough has managed to make efficiency gains to keep productivity improving even in difficult times. Our Smart and Connected strategy aims to use that ability to shore up the resilience of our local economy so we’re well placed to confront future economic downturns.

Positive Ageing - Communicating with Council

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

There are many channels open to older members of the community who want to communicate with the Marlborough District Council.

The Older Persons Forum meets each month at the Council chambers. Representatives from groups that provide services for the elderly attend this meeting. The Forum provides a communication channel between the Council and the community to address any issues that relate to the well-being of the elderly in our community.
The Access and Mobility Forum meets quarterly with representatives of groups working in the disability sector including consumers. This Forum helps the Council with feedback and advice on matters such as access for mobility scooters, walking tracks on Council reserves, design and accessibility of public toilets and footpaths and pathways.
Mayor Alistair Sowman meets regularly with the leadership of Grey Power Marlborough to discuss issues that its members have raised.
Marlborough District Council meetings, including committee meetings, are public meetings and any member of the public is entitled to attend. The meeting schedule is on the Council website www.marlborough.govt.nz in the Meetings section under the Your Council tab, or contact the Council or a councillor directly.
People may report matters that need attention (such as a footpath in need of repair, a missing sign or a Council tree that needs trimming) by using a ‘Fix It’ request form. They’re available from the Council website or at the Customer Service Centre. For an urgent issue that needs immediate attention, call our 24-hour number, Phone 03 520 7400.

Deputy Mayor Jenny Andrews takes a particular interest in matters relating to older residents, or contact the Council, Ph: 03 520 7400, to speak to our Customer Service staff who help the public with a wide range of enquiries.

Help available to low-income homeowners to pay their rates

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

A rebate on household rates is available to people on a very low income who own their own homes.

This help is available to, not only many senior citizens and most other beneficiaries, but also to those employed on a minimum wage with a single income coming into the home.

Mayor Alistair Sowman says it’s important that people are not reluctant to claim something to which they’re entitled.

“People apply for an income tax refund if it is due to them and this is really no different – its government policy to offer the rebate on local authority rates to people who qualify. Council simply handles the paperwork.”

Contact the Council to see if you qualify for this rebate. You will need to provide details of

Your rates property number, your before-tax income to 31 March 2012 and the number of any dependent children (under age 18).

Email mdc@marlborough.govt.nz or phone 03 520 7400 for more information.

Queen's Birthday Public Holiday Services

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Marlborough District Council, Blenheim office will be closed on Queen's Birthday.

Kerbside Collection:

Rubbish and recycling scheduled to be collected on Queen's Birthday, Monday 3 June will be collected on Tuesday 4 June 2013.

Please have your recycling crate and Council rubbish bags placed on the kerb by 7.30 am.

Transfer Station hours:

Blenheim Transfer Station, Resource Recovery and Re-use Centres will be open between 8.00 am and 4.30 pm.

The E-Waste Centre will be closed.

Picton Transfer Centre will be open between 8.00 am and 4.00 pm

Havelock Transfer Centre will be open between 8.00 am and 2.00 pm

Seddon, Rai Valley and Wairau Valley Transfer Stations will be closed

Public holiday opening times for 2013

Library Services

The Blenheim and Picton Libraries will be closed.

Flower Beds in Seymour Square

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Our Council gardeners take a special pride in the flower beds of Seymour Square and much work goes into preparing the bed for each round of planting.

One of the bigger jobs, done every few years, is to ensure the many mature trees in the Square don’t encroach on the beds. Their root systems have to be kept under control to ensure the roots don’t deprive the annuals of nutrients and water and stunt their flowering.

Head gardener Brad Molony, assisted by Heremaia Pederson and Julie Murphy, brought in a small digger to do the root trimming last week.

The beds will now be composted and given a dressing of Nitrophoska Blue, ready to take 18,000 individual new flower plants.

This winter, Viola, Pansy, Poppy, Myosotis, Calendular and Tulips will be bringing a bright splash of colour to our Seymour Square gardens.

Taskforce Herbicide

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Field visits with Bill Dobbie

Council invites you to attend a field visit with Bill Dobbie, New South Wales farmer and the manufacturer of Taskforce Herbicide, on Wednesday 5 June 2013, to discuss the results of the application of Taskforce Herbicide to control Chilean Needlegrass and Nassella Tussock since its registration in November 2011. A visit to look at Chilean Needlegrass control will be run in the morning and a visit to look at Nassella Tussock control will be run in the afternoon.

Please RSVP to Sue Bulfield-Johnston by the 31 May at 03 5207 400 or sue.bulfield-johnston@marlborough.govt.nz.

Morning and afternoon tea will be provided.

Chilean Needlegrass Control

Wednesday 5 June at 9.00 am – Meet at Tim Struthers property at 191 Merrifields Road in Blind River to look at the results of both the ground and helicopter application of Taskforce Herbicide to control Chilean Needlegrass since November 2011. Please bring a 4WD.

Nassella Tussock Control

Wednesday 5 June at 1.30 pm – Meet at the State Highway 1/Redwood Pass Road turnoff to look at the results of the helicopter application of Taskforce Herbicide to control Nassella Tussock on the ‘Rathgen’ block farmed by Warrick Van Asch. Taskforce was applied in two separate blocks to compare the 2L/Ha and 3L/Ha rates in August last year. We will be travelling in via Ugbrooke Road. Please bring a 4WD. There is a walk of about 15 minutes to look at the block sprayed at 2L/Ha so good footwear is essential.

If you have any questions regarding the field visits, please give me a call.

Ben Minehan
Senior Biosecurity Officer (Plants)

Phone: 03 520 7400

Cell: 021 344 045

Making Picton Safer

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Councillor David Oddie and Mary Cooper view footage at Picton Police Station

The new CCTV cameras installed around Picton by the Marlborough District Council earlier this year are proving to be a valuable aid to local police.

There are now ten cameras in place around Picton’s central streets and the foreshore. Two crimes were resolved in the very first week of operation thanks to the presence of the cameras.

Since then police have been able to use the footage to help them deal with matters ranging from street fighting, shoplifting and lost property to gas-and-dash drivers and bill-dodging travellers.

Staff at the Picton Police watch house keep an eye on the cameras during working hours and the Blenheim watch house is able to monitor the Picton streets after hours. The recorded footage can be reviewed when a crime is reported, helping the police to track offenders.

The Council installed the CCTV cameras after requests from police and the local business community, who hoped they would help deter criminal activity and vandalism. Two more cameras may be installed although the exact locations have not yet been decided.

Tyre Collection Fees at Transfer Stations

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

The cost of tyre collection and recycling has been reviewed because there has been an increase in the costs of collecting the tyres from our transfer stations and getting them to Christchurch for shredding and baling them so they can be recycled.

Tyre Type	Charge per Tyre
Car	$5.50
4 x 4	$6.50
Light Truck	$9.50
Heavy Truck	$17.50
Truck Tyres with Rims	$30
Tractor Tyre (small)	$47.50
Tractor Tyre (medium)	$60
Tractor Tyre (large)	$70.50
Loader Tyre (small)	$60
Loader Tyre (medium)	$70.50
Loader Tyre (large)	$82

Marlborough Soil Science Information

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Council holds vital soil science information on Marlborough

A great deal of technical information and analysis of the soils of Marlborough is held by the Marlborough District Council. Soil science data is compiled as part of the Council’s role in the sustainable management of the region’s resources – which includes our soils.

It’s important that our farmers and grape growers are aware they can get vital information – at no charge - on managing their soils from Council’s Environmental Science department, says Council’s Environment Committee Chair Peter Jerram.

“Many land users are not aware of the progress that is being made in understanding our soils, nor are they aware of the practical advice which is available from Council thanks to the excellent work of our senior soil scientist, Dr Colin Gray.”

Council compiles some of the most definitive soil data available in Marlborough; its environmental scientists collect samples from a network of sites across the region, looking at soil properties and the impact of various types of land use.

That data is valuable because it can help those managing the land to develop strategies to protect their soils while making economic returns from their land, says Councillor Jerram.

For example, he said, the detrimental effect on production of soil compaction is not well understood. Recent papers from Dr Gray have highlighted the problems and, importantly, what can be done to manage them.

This information is available to land owners, farmers, viticulturists and anyone else with an interest in soil quality and the impact of land use on soils.

“Soil Quality in Marlborough 2007-2012” is available on the Council website under Environment/Land/Soils/What-is-Good-Soil-Quality.

Seddon and Wairau Valley Transfer Stations

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Change of Opening Times

The Seddon and Wairau Valley transfer station opening hours are changing. With effect from 10 June 2013 the opening hours will be as follows:

Seddon

Day	Time (Open)
Sunday	Closed
Monday	Closed
Tuesday	8.00 am to midday
Wednesday	Closed
Thursday	Midday to 4.00 pm
Friday	Closed
Saturday	Midday to 4.00 pm

Wairau Valley

Day	Time (Open)
Sunday	Closed
Monday	Closed
Tuesday	Closed
Wednesday	Midday to 4.00 pm
Thursday	Closed
Friday	Closed
Saturday	Midday to 4.00 pm

Awatere and Seddon drinking water

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Boil water notice

The water from Council’s reticulation in the Awatere and Seddon areas is not fully treated and does not meet the Drinking Water Standards for New Zealand 2005. This water may contain bacteria and/or protozoa that are detrimental to human health. All water used for drinking, food preparation or cleaning teeth should be boiled.

Marlborough District Council is currently working with the Nelson-Marlborough District Health Board towards lifting this permanent boil water notice as a MIOX treatment system was recently installed to meet the bacterial compliance requirements. It should be noted that this system will not inactivate protozoa.

Water treated with UV is available at the public tap on the school fence, Marama Road and Foster Street corner.

For further information contact our Customer Service Centre Ph: 03 520 7400.

Community News - Asthma Marlborough

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Asthma Marlborough provides services in the community along with ongoing education and support for respiratory illness sufferers. Asthma Marlborough also holds exercise classes.

For more information contact Ph: 03 579 1609.

Environment Awards 2013

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Thank you to all participants

Field day at Yealands Estate winner of hte Business Innovation Award

The 2013 Marlborough Environment Awards ended with a series of interesting field days in clear autumn weather. The Marlborough Environment Awards Trust thanks all participants including the 32 entrants, our sponsors, judges and all of those who attended the Awards dinner and field days.

The Awards recognise and promote positive environmental initiatives and businesses in Marlborough.

Information about the Awards is available on the Council website.

The Awards will be open for entries again in spring 2014.

Notification of Meetings - June 2013

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

The Marlborough District Council hereby gives notice pursuant to the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 of the following meetings:

Special Hearing Committee (Hear submissions on Draft Annual Plan 2013/14)
Tuesday 4 June 2013 at 8.45 am
Wednesday 5 June 2013 at 8.45 am
Thursday 6 June 2013 at 8.45 am (if required).
Full Council (Consider submissions on Draft Annual Plan 2013/14)
Monday 10 June 2013 at 9.00 am
Community and Financial Planning Committee
Tuesday 11 June 2012 at 8.30 am
Assets and Services Committee
Tuesday 11 June 2012 at 1.30 pm
Environment Committee
Thursday 13 June 2012 at 1.30 pm
Full Council (Adopt Annual Plan 2013/14 and set rates)
Thursday 27 June 2013 at 3.00 pm.

The above-listed meetings will be held in the Council Chambers, District Administration Building, Seymour Street, Blenheim. The times and dates may be subject to alteration and confirmation thereof prior to the meeting is advised by contacting Judith North, Support Services Administrator, Ph: 03 520 7400.

Updating the picture on Marlborough's Unemployment

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

The latest data on Marlborough’s economy shows that unemployment in this region is about 3.9%, nowhere near as high as national statistics suggest and below the rate of our neighbouring regions, says Marlborough Mayor Alistair Sowman.

The Mayor says, for the first time, Marlborough has some data which relates directly to this region and does not group Marlborough in with Nelson, Tasman and the West Coast.

“It means we have a much more accurate picture of Marlborough than the recent information provided by the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment which suggested our unemployment rate was 5.2%, the same as Nelson, Tasman and the West Coast. But I think we all suspected there was a big variation between the regions and this new data confirms that,” said Mr Sowman.

The new data has come from research into Marlborough’s economic profile, commissioned by the Council from independent research and analysis company Infometrics, to provide baseline data for the Council’s economic development strategy. The figures are for the year up to March 2012.
Infometrics also indicates that Nelson’s unemployment rate is 6.2% with Tasman at 4.2%. It estimates the West Coast at 4.7%.

Mr Sowman says the numbers do present a more positive picture of Marlborough than would be assumed from the MBIE data.

Agriculture (including vineyards), forestry and fishing were the largest employers here in 2012, accounting for almost 19% of jobs. Manufacturing (including winemaking) is the second largest employer at 14.6% of jobs with almost 10% of the Marlborough workforce employed in the retail sector.

“The analysis we’ve received suggests the unemployment we have here is not because of a lack of jobs but because the jobs that are available are those that people are not willing to take up, due to the pay rate or conditions. That underlines the importance of the economic development work we have underway to try and lift growth here in order to create more high-value business,” said Mr Sowman.

“We can use our ‘smart and connected’ strategy to encourage a focus on adding value to all areas of our economy, including primary industries, so that we can generate more high-quality, better paid jobs – which would create new opportunities for people in Marlborough.”

“Marlborough has already shown that it can create value-added industries that improve the standard of living of our people. We are not just good at growing things. We are capable of producing world-class value-added products that are respected internationally. That’s the direction our economic development strategy will encourage.”

Alistair Sowman
Mayor

Temporary Road Closures

Mon, 20 May 2013 20:17:32 GMT

Proposed Temporary Road Closure - Sunday 26 May 2013

Redwood Pass Road

Pursuant to the Transport (Vehicular Traffic Road Closure) Regulations 1965, notice is given that Redwood Pass Road from the start of the gravel to a point 3.0 km past the summit will be closed to all vehicular traffic on Sunday 26 May 2013 from 7.30 am to 5.30 pm for the purpose of the Marlborough Car Club car racing.

During the period of closure, ordinary vehicular traffic may use the road being closed between events under the supervision and authority of an officer of the New Zealand Police (Traffic Safety Branch).

It will be an offence under the above regulations for any person other than under the authority of an authorised permit to use the road for ordinary vehicular traffic during the period of closure.

Any enquiries should be addressed to Sandra Boyd, Marlborough Roads, Ph: 03 520 8330.

Landowners need to know they have access to Council soils expertise

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Marlborough District Council Environment Committee chairman Peter Jerram wants more rural land owners to be aware of the pool of valuable information on managing soils that is available free of charge from the District Council.

In years gone by, the Ministry of Agriculture used to provide much of this information, and would pass it on to landowners at field days, workshops, and via newsletters and the rural press, he said.

“Those days have gone, and while there is some assistance available from private consultants, well qualified ones are pretty thin on the ground these days in Marlborough. The result is that a lot of land users are unaware of the progress that has been made in recent years in understanding Marlborough’s soils. Nor does there seem to be widespread awareness of the practical advice available at Council from the excellent work done by its soil scientist Colin Gray.”

Councillor Jerram says, in particular, the detrimental effects on production of soil compaction is not well understood but recent papers from Dr Gray have highlighted the problems, and importantly, what can be done to manage them.

“In the absence of any other obvious place to go for this knowledge I would like to alert land owners to the good work that is being done in soils by the Council’s technical staff, not only on soils but also in ground and surface water flows.”

It was important that this information was passed to those who worked the land, he said, because the expertise could help make our land more productive, and our practices more sustainable for the long term.

“As an agricultural science graduate myself, these things have always been of real interest to me, and I have noted with some alarm the gradual diminution of the on-farm services which used to be more widely available.”

Dr Grey’s latest technical report, “Soil Quality in Marlborough 2007-2012”, is now available from the Council.
The report notes that many of the trends in declining soil quality can be offset by better land management practices on which the Council can offer advice.

Peter Jerram
Chairman Environment Committee

Ugrading Blenheim's Sewerage Infrastructure

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:26:00 GMT

A multi-million dollar project to advance the treatment of the town’s residential and commercial wastewater through the sewage ponds at Hardings Road east of Blenheim is well underway.

The project involves new pump stations, pipelines and upgraded treatment ponds and, when complete, effluent will no longer be discharged into the Opawa River. There will be an effluent irrigation system to discharge treated effluent to land when weather and soil conditions allow. When discharge into the estuary is necessary, the extended treatment processes will mean only highly treated wastewater is ever discharged.

A newly created wetland area will carry the treated wastewater to a new outfall. A temporary stone causeway and gantry has been put in place so the new outfall pipeline can be installed. It will be removed once the outfall construction is complete.

A Plan for Picton Foreshore

Sun, 19 May 2013 21:45:46 GMT

Council is planning to develop a management plan to guide any future development of Picton’s foreshore reserve.

The foreshore reserve with its play area, gardens and public facilities is the focal point of Picton and is the link between the port and the town centre - but there is currently no plan specifically aimed at managing the area.

That’s to change now that local residents and business owners, and the Picton Regional Forum, have called for an agreed overall vision for the town’s beachfront area to guide the way the area might be developed in future.

Council has agreed to draw together a discussion document which will go out for public comment for a couple of months. Feedback will be incorporated into a draft plan and there’ll be meetings in Picton to allow everyone to participate.

All feedback will be welcomed and people will be able to offer ideas on anything from the location of attractions and facilities, access and safety in the area, the entranceway created by the war memorial, and parking and open spaces.

More details about the process for developing the Picton Foreshore Reserve management plan will be released in the next month. In the meantime, enquiries may be sent to Elisha.oldridge@marlborough.govt.nz or call the Council, phone (03) 520 7400.

For further information go to the Plans, Policies and Documents page on this website.

Easy Parking at Airport Car Park

Sun, 19 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

The new pay as you exit parking system at Marlborough Airport will be implemented during the week beginning 20 May.

The barrier arm is very simple to use as is the ticket machine – just be sure to drive right up to the ticket machine at the entrance, so the driver’s car window is parallel with the machine, before taking a ticket.

The system will mean that people arriving for their flight do not have to worry about getting something to display on their dashboard. The ticket travels with them (or can stay in the car!) until they return.

There will be two machines where you pay before returning to your car but remember; once you have paid you have 15 minutes to exit the car park.

Parking is $10 a day (or $1 an hour up to 5 hours) – frequent parkers can discuss options by calling Marlborough Airport on 03 572 8651.

Remember;

On entering the car park, drivers must drive right up alongside the machine at the entrance barrier arm.
Press the button at the entrance barrier machine and take a ticket - then the barrier arm will lift.
Pay before you get back in your car by inserting the ticket and paying at one of the automatic pay machines.
As you drive out, place the ticket in the ticket barrier machine and the barrier arm will rise.
The automatic pay machine in the baggage claim accepts eftpos and credit cards and the machine in the kiosk accepts coins and notes as well as credit cards and eftpos.

Do not store the ticket next to anything magnetic (including your cellphone) otherwise it will become corrupted.

Marlborough Economic Profile 2012

Thu, 16 May 2013 21:04:29 GMT

The first in-depth examination of the Marlborough economy has been prepared for the Marlborough District Council to inform its economic development strategy.

The report Marlborough Economic Profile 2012 has been prepared by Infometrics Limited, an independent company specialising in economic research and analysis.

Marlborough Mayor Alistair Sowman says the report is the most comprehensive assessment of the Marlborough economy he has ever seen.

“It separates out detailed data on the Marlborough economy instead of leaving us to rely on figures that are grouped together with those of Nelson and Tasman as routinely happens with most of the government-driven statistics and analysis. It means we have in this report an accurate picture of what is really happening inside our economy.”

“We need good data if we are to make good decisions, both within the Council and out in the business community.”

The report was commissioned by the Council as part of the groundwork to establish a ‘smart and connected’ economic development strategy for Marlborough.

The report shows that Marlborough’s economy is far more diverse than might have been thought; it is the ninth most diverse economy of New Zealand’s 66 local authorities.

“There’s much talk of our monoculture here but this report shows that Marlborough is a more diverse economy than can be seen in most parts of the country. That said, we know all that New Zealand needs to diversify further to become economically strong and I want to see Marlborough out in the lead on this,” said Mr Sowman.

Initial research into the local economy indicated ‘business services’, covering a range of consultancy and advisory activity, was contributing a larger-than-expected share of local GDP. That information has been further analysed to see how these services, for example in the professional, scientific and technical fields, are all becoming increasingly valuable contributors to the local economy.

The Mayor says one of the key findings is that the report confirms the significance of manufacturing to Marlborough’s economy - and its growing importance.

“Much of that manufacturing revolves around the wine industry but we have embryonic high-tech manufacturing businesses and signs of more diversification beyond winemaking itself. This is a welcome development because it’s a sign that Marlborough is beginning to develop this next layer to its economy,” said Mr Sowman.

Growth in Marlborough’s important agriculture, forestry and fishing industries has helped to insulate the local economy in the last few years and the Mayor says they are all areas where Marlborough can build on its strengths.

“If these industries can focus on efficiency gains and also on the potential for value-added processing they are going to be able to further expand their contribution to Marlborough’s GDP,” said Mr Sowman.

He points to the work being done at the Marlborough Research Centre and within some of our local businesses to produce more advanced products and to make use of by-products and waste products as examples of how the region can move to a higher-value economy.

“Clever innovators exist in many industries and one of the useful things the Council can do is to help link up these people because there is much to be gained by sharing knowledge across industry,” said Mr Sowman.

A stock-take of industries and innovation occurring across Marlborough is currently being compiled as part of the Council’s economic development work and that information will be made public later this year.

“Everyone knows the last couple of years have been tough economically for Marlborough and this report confirms that. It’s why it is so important for Marlborough to develop an economic development strategy that will enable it to smooth out the effects of the bumps in the economic cycle,” said Mr Sowman.

A combination of diversity and innovation was necessary to make Marlborough economically robust with the resilience to withstand outside factors like the movement of the dollar and fluctuating markets, he said.

Alistair Sowman
Mayor

Parking at Marlborough Airport

Thu, 16 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Pay as you exit will make it easier to park at Marlborough Airport

A new parking system will be in place for people using the Marlborough Airport from Monday (20 May).
Drivers will no longer need to get a ticket in advance to display on their dashboard while their car is in the parking area.

Instead, they will take a ticket from the ticket machine as they enter the car park. On leaving, drivers will place that ticket into one of the automatic pay machines and pay before placing that same ticket into the ticket barrier machine to active the barrier arm to exit the parking area.

The ticket will activate the barrier so long as it’s used within 15 minutes of making payment; plenty of time to get luggage and passengers into a vehicle and drive out of the car park.

There will be two automatic pay machines to choose from; one at the baggage claim area which accepts eftpos and credit cards and one in the parking kiosk which accepts coins and notes as well as credit cards and eftpos.

It’s the same system that operates at the Alfred Street parking building.

Parking is $10 a day or $1 an hour for up to five hours. Long term parking is also available by contacting Marlborough Airport Ltd.

Positive Ageing - Avoiding Isolation

Wed, 15 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

A chance to chat

Maintaining social contact can become increasingly difficult as people reach the latter stages of their life, especially when health and mobility begin to fail. As the months begin to get colder, it can be hard to find the incentive to get out of the house yet staying in touch with others is important to a sense of wellbeing for most people.

The Totara Marlborough programme, run by Presbyterian Support, offers a friendly, relaxed opportunity for dependent, elderly people to spend time outside their home in the company of others. Five days a week (10.00 am-3.00 pm) the programme hosts people at its Muller Road rooms, where there’s opportunity for conversation, some entertainment, perhaps a game of cards or some light gardening. Transport can be provided and morning and afternoon teas and a home-cooked lunch are served. Families can talk to their GP or NMDHB Support Works (Ph: 03 579 2187) about the Totara Programme or contact Libby MacAskill, Enliven Services, Ph: 03 577 9005.

For those who’re still able to get out and about, joining a club or organisation is a good way of maintaining social contact and a sense of ‘belonging’. Our libraries maintain a database of information about the clubs and groups in Marlborough. More information: www.marlboroughlibraries.govt.nz and go to the Quick Link to Community Information. If you don’t use the internet, either phone or go to the information counter at the library.

St John Caring Caller service is a way of ensuring a person living alone regularly hears a friendly voice. A telephone call may be the only personal contact for some people who are isolated or without family. The St John service will call at an agreed time, either just to check that the person being called is well or for an extended chat. There’s no charge. Contact Helen Faulkner, Ph: 03 578 0797.

Protect Our Air Quality - Burn Only Dry Firewood

Wed, 15 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Most of Blenheim’s air pollution is created by household woodburners and fireplaces.

This pollution can be minimised by maintaining bright hot fires, not smoking chimneys.

Dry wood burns more efficiently, producing more heat, while wet wood is harder to get going and creates smoke.

Firewood can take up to a full year to dry properly and suppliers should be selling dry wood only – but check when it was cut (it will still be very wet if it was within the last two months) and how it has been stored (it should have been protected from the recent rain).

Wood is dry if it has cracks in the end of it and makes a hollow sound when two pieces are knocked together. Dry wood weighs lighter than wet wood and should catch fire quickly if you put a small piece onto hot embers.

Don’t release toxic smoke into the air by burning:

Painted wood
Treated timber
Household rubbish
Driftwood

Don’t forget fireplace maintenance. The chimney and flue should be swept in the interests of household safety. Check the seals on fireboxes too.

Burning dry wood only will mean less soot in the chimney. Don’t turn your fire right down overnight as slow smouldering produces more smoke and also clogs the flue.

More information about good burning practices is available from the Marlborough District Council or the Environment/Air Quality page of the Council website.

Community News Strengthening - Families

Wed, 15 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Strengthening Families provides co-ordinated support to families/whanau with children under 17, who are working with two or more agencies.

Participation is voluntary and meetings can only happen with the custodial parent/caregivers' consent. This is a government funded initiative with no cost to families.

Referrals can be made by any agency or the family.

For further information Ph: 03 578 1355 Ext 9.

Street Clean-Up Project Stratford Street

Wed, 15 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Marlborough District Council and the Police would like to thank all of the individuals and organisations who were involved with the Street Intensive Project (Clean up) in Stratford Street. It would not be possible to undertake this project without the assistance received from the following people and groups.

ACC
Active Dads Programme
Assembly of God Church
Ben Moore
Blenheim Metal Recyclers
Blenheim Riverside Rail Society
Care Marlborough
Container Sales and Leasing
Councilor Jessica Bagge
Councilor Francis Maher
Craig Shanks
Dean’s Lifting
Elim Church
Employment Plus students and Ash Sword
FYD Marlborough – Kelvin Watt
Gateway Foundation Trust
Graeme Percy
GreenFingers Compost
HirePool
Housing New Zealand
Marcel Rood Raupo Riverside Café
MGC students and teacher Ian Thomas
Marlborough Roads

Mr Green - Brian Milne
Mr Green - David MacGregor
Mr Green - Steve Gullery
Mr Green - Chris Oakman
Mr Green - John Bradshaw
Mr Whippy
Nativity Church
Nativity Youth Group
Neighbourhood Support Marlborough
New World Supermarket
NZ Fire Service
Oasis Family Church and Ross Banbury
Robin Harris
Salvation Army
Seymour Kindergarten
Simcox Construction
SPCA
Synergy Youth Mentoring
Tracy Creswell and Super kids
Trevor Emmett
Whitney Street School
Youth Services Marlborough

Thank you to all of the residents of Stratford St for welcoming us into your street and for working alongside us to clean up your street. We are pleased to have provided an opportunity for people to get to know each other better and help build a stronger community.

Local Alcohol Policy

Wed, 15 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Random sample of residents to be surveyed

The introduction of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 allows Council to develop a Local Alcohol Policy.

This policy will help to tailor some of the rules on how alcohol is supplied in our region.

In order for us to understand the views of people in our community in preparation for the policy, we have selected a random sample of 2000 residents to complete a survey around alcohol supply.

The survey is being sent out by post this week.

You can complete the survey even if you are not part of the random sample, by downloading the copy below or by phoning our Customer Services Centre on 03 520 7400 and asking for a survey to be sent to you.

We hope you take this opportunity to have your say on how alcohol is supplied in your community.

If you have any questions please contact the Liquor Licensing Team on Ph: 03 520 7400.

Public Community Survey for Liquor Issues (138 Kb)

Youth Week - Inspiring Teens

Wed, 15 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Marlborough Mayor Alistair Sowman and deputy Mayor Jenny Andrews were down at the Alfred Street parking building on Sunday to cheer on the members of the Marlborough Youth Council, including Queen Charlotte College representative Tamsin Woolf, as they abseiled down the side of the building to celebrate Youth Week.

The parking building drew big crowds from early on Sunday when 17 Marlborough business people took part in the Drop Your Boss leg of the event, raising more than $16,000 for the Foundation for Youth Development Marlborough, which runs the Project K programme for teenagers here.

In the afternoon, Project K teens and members of Marlborough District Council’s Youth Council took the big step outside their comfort zone to drop over the side of the three-storey parking building wall.

It’s not too late to donate to Foundation For Youth for its Project K work in Marlborough: go to www.everydayhero.co.nz/event/dropyourboss2013 to see who took part and how the fundraising is going.

eBooks At Our Library

Wed, 15 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Marlborough District Libraries have joined a consortium with 12 other South Island libraries to offer a range of eBooks and audiobooks to library users.

Currently, the collection is small - 967 eBooks and 319 audiobooks – but is constantly being expanded.

Library members can access the ‘South Island Downloadable Zone’ via the OverDrive link on the home page of the library’s website: www.marlboroughlibraries.govt.nz.

Up to five resources may be downloaded and borrowed at one time.

Our librarians say the eBook reader comes into its own when readers are travelling. No need to have hardback books or paperbacks taking up baggage space; simply download your choices onto your eBook device and you’re all set to go.

Unfortunately, the Amazon Kindle is not compatible with our library eBooks due to licensing issues.

Join Marlborough District Libraries by filling out a form at the library; there’s no charge to become a member. Audiobooks and eBooks are free to borrow.

Winter Driving

Thu, 09 May 2013 21:29:02 GMT

Take your time and plan your journey

Take your time when driving in winter, always allow extra time, the Marlborough District Council web site is a good source of information, to find out if there delays or road closures on our road network.

If you want to report or check current road conditions on the state highway call 0800 4 HIGHWAYS (0800 44 44 49) or check online at www.highwayinfo.govt.nz.

Roads can be slippery with snow, frost or ice, drive to the speed limit unless conditions dictate that you should slow down and importantly use your common sense.

At this time of the year you will have noticed our winter signs being opened highlighting to the road user the potential hazards ahead.

Drive sensibly. Avoid abrupt accelerating, braking and quick steering. Most skidding is caused by sudden stops and turns.

Cloudy weather reduces visibility so use extra caution when passing other vehicles. Maintain a minimum distance of four to eight seconds between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you.

A lot of our rural roads are unsealed with a gravel surface, high shoulders, overgrown water tables and blocked culverts can cause flash flooding during heavy rainfall.

Do not drive through flooded areas unless you are sure the water is below the bottom of the wheel rims. If you must drive through high water, drive slowly. You have limited traction and the tyres may lose contact with the road. If this occurs, hold the steering wheel steady and lightly apply the brakes. After your wheels regain contact with the road, slow down until you have full control of the car.

Rating Information Database

Wed, 08 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Pursuant to Section 28 of the Local Government (Rating) Act 2002 the Rating Information Database of the Marlborough District Council is available for public inspection at the Marlborough District Council Office, 15 Seymour Street, Blenheim and the MDC Picton Service Delivery Centre, 67 High Street, Picton between the hours of 8.00 am and 5.00 pm Monday to Friday.

An electronic version of the database is also available on Council’s website http://www.marlborough.govt.nz/Services/Rates/Rates-Search.aspx

Taylor River Floodway Reserve Draft Management Plan

Wed, 08 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

You are invited under s.41 of the Reserves Act 1977 to send to the undersigned by Friday 7 June 2013 written comments on the draft Taylor River Floodway Reserve Recreation and Amenity Plan.

The document is available online at:
www.marlborough.govt.nz/Recreation/Parks-and-Reserves/Reserves/Blenheim/Taylor-River-Plan

Hard copies are also available from Council offices in Blenheim and Picton and the Blenheim Library.
Submissions can be made in writing and sent to:

Elisha Oldridge
Reserves Planner
PO Box 443
Blenheim 7240

Submissions can also be emailed to elisha.oldridge@marlborough.govt.nz . Please indicate whether you wish to speak to your submission. The closing date for submissions is Friday June 7.

Further information regarding the Plan can be obtained on request from Marlborough District Council.

Community News - Red Cross

Wed, 08 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Red Cross Marlborough provide a range of services including equipment loan, 1st Aid Courses, Meals on wheels, Community Visitor's , Community Van as well as rooms available for hire.

For more information phone 03 578 6134.

Positive Ageing - Get repairs done before winter

Wed, 08 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Doing repairs and maintenance around the house can be overwhelming for elderly people but the cost can be even higher – to personal health and safety – when a house is cold, uncomfortable or unsafe.

The Good Homes Project has created three practical checklists to help people to assess what repairs or maintenance work is needed on their property.

These checklists are available free - print them out from www.goodhomes.co.nz

If you don’t have a computer, go to your local library and ask for help at the Information Desk.

There’s also a ‘solutions’ section with tips about getting repairs done. The Good Homes Project suggests

Talking to family or friends about who they use and the quality of their work
Going to Citizens Advice Bureau, RSA, Age Concern or Grey Power for a list of local tradespeople
Always getting at least two written quotes for a job - unless you know the tradesperson well and are confident in their work.

Contact Work and Income (WINZ) if you cannot afford to get the work done; you may qualify for help to pay for essential house repairs. Phone: 0800 552 002 or go to www.workandincome.govt.nz.

Taylor River Floodway

Wed, 08 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Taylor River floodway designed to save town from being awash in a storm

Marlborough District Council’s rivers and drainage engineering manager Geoff Dick has asked people to respect the Taylor River floodway and understand that a big deluge can create damage that could be a safety risk in the immediate aftermath of a storm.

“It’s only common sense to take great care during and after a flood, especially at night, as this is a floodway and when there’s flooding there can be damage.”

Sunday night’s rain did wash out a gap in the riverbank path but Mr Dick said that the repairs were done promptly.

“This was an intense but very localised easterly storm; the front face of the Withers took the brunt of it which meant it put pressure on the town’s drainage and stormwater system with drains and culverts at capacity,” he said.

Marlborough’s long history of floods is why the Council maintains a couple of hundred kilometres of stopbanks and a 160-km network of streams and channels across the district.

Mr Dick says the Taylor River floodway is part of that network– designed to take the floodwaters that would otherwise sweep across town. The bridges were designed to cope with that environment, including the crinoline bridge near Raupo, which will swing free when river flow reaches a certain level.

The path and cycleway along the Taylor is a relatively new addition to the town’s landscape and it’s possible that some people were not aware of the corridor’s primary role as a floodway, he said.

“Newer residents may not realise that in earlier times, the centre of Blenheim was regularly under water, as were lower-lying parts of town.”

However, decades of flood protection work by various councils has hugely reduced the flood threat, he said.

Geoff Dick
Rivers and Drainage Engineer

Positive Ageing - Volunteering

Wed, 01 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Helping Your Community

Maintaining a sense of usefulness is important once you retire from the paid workforce.

Have you ever thought about volunteering?

Volunteers make a valuable contribution to our community and there are many different ways you may be able to help; through an organisation, a service or at individual level.

It doesn’t matter how much time or energy you have to offer – there are many tasks and roles that depend upon volunteers. Volunteers say they get great satisfaction from continuing to contribute and it’s a good way to stay in touch with others.

Volunteers provide support in many areas from social and health services, sports and leisure clubs, heritage and arts, environmental protection and advocacy, emergency relief and stronger neighbourhoods. In fact, the work of volunteers holds the key to building a resilient community.

Friends of the Emergency Department at Wairau Hospital is currently looking for more volunteers. Volunteers work a four hour shift at ED, either from 11.00 am-3.00 pm or 6.00 pm-10.00 pm, assisting the waiting families where there’s been an emergency admission to hospital. Volunteers need to be able to help people under stress, anything from providing a listening ear to making a cup of tea for them. Training is provided. For more information contact Helen Faulkner, Ph: 03 578 0797.
The volunteering opportunities section of the Volunteering New Zealand website www.volunteernow.org.nz has a list of roles needing volunteers in Marlborough. There are currently more than two dozen roles needing to be filled.

Middle Renwick Road Redesign

Wed, 01 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Annual Plan includes Redesign of Springlands Main Road

Marlborough Roads has completed concept design work for planned changes to traffic flow along Middle Renwick Road to State Highway 6 as it passes through Springlands – where traffic congestion at the intersections has attracted on-going complaints.

It is a project for which the Council would not usually have direct responsibility.

However, NZTA has indicated that the work has low priority and it is likely to be years before the work would otherwise be done because of higher priorities elsewhere in New Zealand.

So the Council is considering a proposal that it fund the $1.6M project, which includes the installation of three roundabouts. It’s the largest item of new spending proposed in the Council’s Annual Plan for 2013-14.

ouncillors will be asked to make a decision on whether or not to go ahead with this project when they consider the Annual Plan.

Submissions on this and other matters in the Annual Plan will be accepted up until 5.00 pm on Thursday 9 May. See 2013-2014 Draft Annual Plan.

The new design includes a roundabout at the Battys Road-Middle Renwick Road intersection and also no right turn from Colemans Road into Middle Renwick Road.

NZ Post Children's Book Awards

Wed, 01 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Join us to celebrate the 17th annual New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards!

The New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards encourage NZ children to read and enjoy books. Activities and events are planned nationwide in a celebration of our best books for children and teens

Marlborough Festival Programme 17-24 June, 2013

The Great New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards Roadshow!

The books are coming to you…

Bringing the finalist’s directly to local schools for a feast of reading, crafts, activities, story-theatre, and fun!

The Great New Zealand Children’s Book Awards Roadshow will be rolling through Blenheim and Picton between the 10th and the 21st June.

Contact Emily for details and session times.

Touring Author visits Marlborough

David Hill, author of Junior Fiction finalist My Brother’s War will visit Marlborough District Library on Tuesday 18th June for a writer’s workshop for invited years 7&8 students. He will also be visiting Bohally Intermediate School in Blenheim and Queen Charlotte College in Picton for writer’s workshops and book-talks!

Also on Tuesday 18th June

NZ Post Lit Quiz 2013

This exciting, annual competition is open to teams from all local schools (years 5-8.) We have spaces for up to 3 teams per school… Who will walk away with the hotly contested Hunter cup this year?

2013 Festival week is shaping up to be a whole lot of fun! This will be a celebration of some fabulous books, written by today’s very best New Zealand children’s writers.

Contact Emily Fredrickson, Children’s & Young Adults Services Library Assistant, Marlborough District Library. Ph: 520 7491 or email emily.fredrickson@marlborough.govt.nz

For more information about the New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards visit www.nzpostbookawards.co.nz

Surfaces to Ensure Soft Landings

Wed, 01 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Rubber matting like this example at the Holdaway Street playground is to be laid under equipment at all Council-administered playgrounds so children get a soft landing if they tumble.

One of the bigger items of new spending planned in the draft Annual Plan 2013-14 is to meet the cost of upgrading the safety surfaces in playgrounds around Marlborough.

Almost $300,000 is needed to install new matting under playground equipment in 16 of the 36 playgrounds maintained by the District Council.

The new surfaces are necessary to meet the national standard designed to reduce playground injuries.

There is a NZ Standard for both the equipment and the surfaces in our playgrounds, aimed at promoting challenges for children while still ensuring an acceptable level of safety.

The Council is always mindful of potential hazards in the playgrounds and if you notice any equipment in need of repair, please contact us, Ph: 03 520 7400.

Have your say on this or any of the other proposals in the draft Annual Plan 2013-14 by making a submission to the Council. Submissions close at 5.00 pm on Thursday 9 May.

See 2013-2014 Draft Annual Plan

Marlborough Promoted with Lonely Planet Author

Wed, 01 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Alistair Sowman with Destination Marlborough Manager, Tracy Johnston and Lonely Planet writer Errol Hunt.

Found in the backpacks and suitcases of travellers around the globe, the blue volumes of Lonely Planet are perhaps the most exhaustively-researched travel guidebooks around, trusted by travellers worldwide to give them authoritative advice on almost every destination – including Marlborough.

Each year at TRENZ, Destination Marlborough seeks out the travel writers who contribute text on New Zealand - to update them on what’s new in Marlborough and invite them south. This year Marlborough Mayor Alistair Sowman joined the DM team to promote the attributes of our region to Lonely Planet author Errol Hunt.

Request for Expression of Interest for Event Management

Wed, 01 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Marlborough Women's Triathlon

Marlborough District Council is seeking registrations of interest for management of the above event.

The arrangement involves managing the Marlborough Women’s Triathlon event for the current (and possibly next two years).

Registrations of Interest close at 5.00 pm on Friday 31 May 2013.

Registration of Interest documents can be obtained from Marlborough District Council at:

15 Seymour Street
Blenheim 7201
Ph: 03 520 7400

See the Tender page for documents.

All inquiries should be directed to:

Rosie Bartlett
PO Box 443
Blenheim 7240
Ph: 03 520 7400
Fax: 03 520 7496

Email rosie.bartlett@marlborough.govt.nz.

Driving Innovation In Marlborough

Wed, 01 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Marlborough Research Centre Board chairman Ivan Sutherland, Marlborough Mayor Alistair Sowman, NMIT chief executive Tony Gray, Massey University vice chancellor Steve Maharey.

Marlborough Mayor Alistair Sowman has welcomed the formal partnership set up between the Marlborough Research Centre and Massey University’s Riddet Institute to develop a food and beverage cluster in Marlborough to link our primary producers with the scientists who can advance those products.

The Council supports the Marlborough Research Centre through an annual grant and is working closely with the Centre under the umbrella of Marlborough’s ‘Smart and Connected’ economic strategy to advance this project.

Speaking at the launch of the Riddet report on Marlborough, Massey University Vice Chancellor Steve Maharey suggested this region could greatly increase its income by making the shift from commodity producer to the high-value sector – using clever science to create new products for the health and bio-food sector from materials like mussels and seaweed and grape waste.

“Businesses need to get smarter at innovation and take more control of the value chain,” he said.

Different Sources Of Our Town Waterways

Wed, 01 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

You may have noticed that, after heavy rain like we had last week, not all of the streams in Blenheim and the Wairau Plain are turbid. Those fed by up-welling groundwater remain clear while those like the Taylor River, which receives most of its flood runoff from the hill catchment, is silt-laden.

You can see the contrast between muddy Taylor River water and the clear flow in Murphys Creek where the two waterways meet downstream of the High Street Bridge. Other groundwater-fed springs, such as Spring Creek and Fulton Creek, behave in the same way.

However the flow in Doctors Creek is a mixture of water from hill catchment runoff and groundwater - so it tends to become turbid after rain.

Another special feature of groundwater-fed springs is the cooler and constant temperature of their water, which is moderated by the large volume of aquifer water, regardless of how warm it is at the surface.

The clarity and constant cool temperature of springs water is important for fish, plants and animals so it’s important to maintain these natural conditions.

New research is being planned into the water quality of the Taylor River - and the impact on it of the town’s stormwater – so we can do more to protect the waterways that are a special feature of the town.

Community News - Marlborough Community Hospice Shop

Wed, 01 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Marlborough Community Hospice Shop (Déjà vu) operates Monday to Saturday selling good quality secondhand clothing, furniture and bric-a-brac. Proceeds go directly to supporting the provision of services of our local community hospice.

For more information Ph: 03 579 4686.

Don't spread freshwater pests this hunting season

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 03:59:19 GMT

With the duck shooting season starting on Saturday 4 May, Marlborough District Council and the Ministry for Primary Industries are reminding hunters in Marlborough of the importance of cleaning their equipment between waterways to avoid the spread of unwanted freshwater pests.

“Unwanted freshwater pests such as didymo, hornwort, and lagarosiphon pose a serious threat to our rivers, streams and lakes. Once in a waterway they can disperse rapidly and destroy the environmental, recreational and aesthetic values of our waterways,” says Biosecurity Coordinator, Jono Underwood.

“We are asking hunters moving between waterways to Check, Clean, Dry any equipment that has come into contact with river or lake water – particularly boots and decoys. Some freshwater pests are microscopic and can be spread by a single drop of water. Even if you can’t see the pest you could be spreading it.”

Jono says before leaving a waterway, people should check items and leave any debris they find at the waterway.

“All items should then be cleaned for at least one minute with a five percent solution of biodegradable dishwashing solution. That’s about one tablespoon of detergent per 250ml.”

“Water absorbent materials such as boots require longer soaking times to allow thorough saturation.

“Drying will kill most freshwater pests, but even slightly moist items can harbour microscopic pests for months. To ensure cells are dead by drying, the item must be completely dry to the touch, inside and out, then left dry for at least another 48 hours before use,” says Jono.

“Following these simple procedures will help stop freshwater pests from spreading throughout New Zealand waterways. It’s everyone’s responsibility to try to preserve the environmental integrity of our waterways for future generations.

“Just remember to Check Clean Dry when moving from one waterway to another, anywhere in New Zealand.”

For more information about freshwater pests and the Check, Clean, Dry programme go to www.marlborough.govt.nz or visit www.mpi.govt.nz

Public Notice of Plan Changes 27 and 62

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 21:31:00 GMT

Public Notice of a Plan Change to the Wairau/Awatere Resource Management Plan and Plan Change to the Marlborough Sounds Resource Management Plan

In accordance with the First Schedule of the Resource Management Act 1991, the Marlborough District Council has prepared the following Plan Changes to the Wairau/Awatere Resource Management Plan and the Marlborough Sounds Resource Management Plan.

Schedule of the Proposed Plan Change to the Wairau/Awatere Resource Management Plan and the Marlborough Sounds Resource Management Plan.

Plan Change No

Subject

27 & 62

The purpose of the proposed plan changes is to introduce new objectives, policies, definitions and rules to the Wairau/Awatere and Marlborough Sounds Resource Management Plans. The new provisions will introduce consenting requirements for the conversion of land to new dairy farms. The consenting requirements will allow for controls to be put in place through the resource consenting process to manage the effects of new dairy farming on water quality.
The proposed changes have effect from the date of this notice, pursuant to Section 86B of the Resource Management Act 1991, as the proposed changes are Section 9 (land use) provisions for which the purpose is to protect water quality.

The proposed plan change may be inspected without fee at any of the following locations at any time that these places are open to the public:

The Council’s Office, Seymour Street, Blenheim
The Marlborough Library, Arthur Street, Blenheim
The Havelock, Seddon, Ward and Rai Valley Community Libraries
The Council’s Picton Office and the Picton Library, High Street, Picton
Elma Turner Library, Halifax Street, Nelson
The Wellington Public Library, Victoria Street, Wellington
The Kaikoura Public Library, Kaikoura

Any person may make a submission but, if the person could gain an advantage in trade competition through the submission, then the person may do so only if the person is directly affected by an effect of the proposal that –

Adversely affects the environment; and
Does not relate to trade competition or the effects of trade competition

Submissions must be in the form prescribed (Form 5) by the Resource Management Act (Forms, Fees, and Procedure) Regulations 2003 and must state whether or not they wish to be heard on the submission. Submission Forms are available at the places listed above or from the Council website. The closing date for making submissions is 5:00 pm Friday 24 May 2013. Submissions on the proposed plan change can be lodged –

By delivery at:
Attention: Planning Technician
Marlborough District Council
Seymour Street
Blenheim 7201

By mail to:
Attention: Planning Technician
Marlborough District Council
P O Box 443
Blenheim 7240

By email to:
PC62@marlborough.govt.nz

By fax at:
03 520 7496

Once the closing date for lodging submissions has passed, all submissions received will be summarised, publicly notified and made available for public inspection. Any person who, represents a relevant aspect of the public interest, has an interest in the proposal greater than the general public may make a further submission in support or opposition to any submissions already made.

The Council will then hold hearings to consider submissions that have been lodged and issue decisions on the matters raised. Anyone who has made a submission and who has indicated that they wish to be heard will have the right to attend the hearing and to present their submissions.

The Council will then issue a decision on the plan changes. On receiving notice any person may refer the decision to the Environment Court for further consideration if they are in disagreement with or are dissatisfied with the decision made by the Council. For further information contact Mark Caldwell Ph: 03 520 7400 or Fax: 03 520 7496.

Dated at Blenheim on the 25 April 2013.

Andrew Besley
Chief Executive

Open Fire Season

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 20:20:26 GMT

Public notice is hereby given pursuant to Sections 19, 22 and 23 of the Forest and Rural Fires Act 1977 for the Marlborough District Council area south of the Wairau River, including the area south of the Diversion and the area around and including Rarangi, and pursuant to Section 807.1 of the Marlborough District Council Bylaw 2010 for the Urban Marlborough District Council areas of Blenheim, Renwick, Seddon and Ward except for the restricted rural fire zones detailed in the schedule below:

that as from 8.00 am on Thursday 25 April 2013 the Restricted Fire Season (Fire by Permit only) has been lifted and replaced with an Open Fire Season which will remain in force until further notice except for the restricted rural fire zones detailed in the schedule below:

The Restricted Fire Season will remain in force in the Restricted Rural Fire Zones detailed in the following schedule:

Schedule

Zone 33 – Wither Hills/Taylor Pass/Redwood Pass
Zone 40 – Waihopai Sweet Stream area

To apply for a fire permit in the restricted rural fire zones in the schedule above please phone Customer Service at the Marlborough District Council Ph: 03 520 7400.

The Open Fire Season means that fire permits are not required for all fires in open air. However, this does not diminish the responsibility or potential liability for those who light fires. This means that you can still be held liable for the costs to extinguish a fire if you were responsible for lighting a fire that escapes or endangers neighbouring properties.

You are reminded you are not to burn plastics, car tyres, treated wood, food scraps, any oil based products, hazardous substances, aerosol cans, wet or green vegetation.

All land clearing burns will still require a Burn Plan – Please contact your local Rural Fire Officer.

Fire is not a permitted activity in an Industrial Zone; the owner of the property will require resource consent before applying for a fire permit to burn.

For more information view the current fire status for Marlborough fire zones.

For all rural fires ring 111.

You are reminded if you cause a fire you can be held responsible for the costs of putting out.

Richard McNamara
Principal Rural Fire Officer

John Foley
Emergency Services Manager

Lease Tender - Viticultural/Horticultural Land

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT

The Marlborough District Council is offering a long term lease of 24.748 hectares of flood protected land by way of tender.

The land is suitable for viticulture and horticulture development being situated between Jeffries Road and Giffords Road, Rapaura. There is a current water permit to take underground water from a bore situated on the lease land. An electricity supply exists nearby.

All enquiries and requests for copies of the tender document should be directed to:

Stephen Folster
APL Blenheim
PO Box 185
Blenheim 7240

Phone: 03 577 7780

Email: steve.folster@aplproperty.co.nz

New Freshwater Quality Initiative

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Another important building block in Marlborough’s clean water aspirations will be put in place when the Marlborough District Council requires water and nutrient management plans for any new dairying unit in the region.

Council’s Environment Committee Peter Jerram says the new provisions will put Marlborough to the forefront of the push for higher standards of water quality.

“This is a proactive step which sends a very clear signal to the dairying industry: with these specifications, it is now possible to make informed decisions prior to investment in dairy development.”

“It is much easier to pre-empt any deterioration in water quality from the outset rather than clean up afterwards. Marlborough will be setting a great example if we can send this strong signal that we are protecting our freshwater supplies.”

The Council’s monitoring results showed that there was still some way to go before Marlborough could boast pristine water standards but measures like this would take another big stride in the right direction, he said.

For details of Plan Change 62 to the Wairau/Awatere Resource Management Plan and Plan Change 27 to the Marlborough Sounds Resource Management Plan and submission period see the Public Notice of Plan Changes 27 and 62:

Plan Change 27 - Marlborough Sounds Resource Management Plan

Plan Change 62 Wairau Awatere Resource Management Plan

Water Quality Project Funding Sought

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT

One of the few new spending proposals in the Draft Annual Plan 2013-14 is a major research project into the water quality of the Taylor River and the small waterways that run into it.

Marlborough has a number of rivers where water quality is affected by land use, human activity and natural processes and water quality has been noted as an issue in the Taylor River and its major rural tributary, Doctors Creek.

A $120,000 budget has been put forward to enable a study of the Taylor’s catchment area, looking at the way rural land use is affecting water quality and examining the town’s stormwater system and its effect on the river.

The Council already has a stormwater strategy but it will back that up with this monitoring programme, collating information from 23 sites across Blenheim to identify the pollutants and their sources.

Much of the funding will be used to cover the cost of laboratory analysis of samples collected by Council staff.

Marlborough Mayor Alistair Sowman says the project shows the Council is serious about tackling the issue of water quality in Marlborough.

Have your say on this or any of the other proposals in the draft Annual Plan 2013-14 by making a submission to the Council. Submissions close at 5.00 pm on Thursday 9 May.

Community News - Community Information Database

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT

The Community Information Database is an up-to-date listing of community groups and organisations in the Marlborough region.

Information and a link to the database can be found on Council's on this website under the Our Community section. The database has a wide range of clubs and groups representing the extent and health of our community including art, culture, sport, recreation, heritage, schools, health, welfare and many others. This tool allows you to easily find information about these groups and how to contact them.

Positive Ageing - Falls Prevention

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Staying steady on your feet

Tripping, slipping, losing your balance – the consequences can be frightening, even life threatening, as we age. Posture, strength and balance, and vision all tend to deteriorate with age.

Falls are the major cause of injury requiring hospital treatment for older people and, in the oldest age groups, it’s the single biggest cause of hospital admission. Women figure most heavily in the statistics.

Tai Chi classes are run in Marlborough and they can be a big help in gaining stability.

A ‘Stable and Steady’ falls prevention programme is promoted through Marlborough’s various community hubs. It’s a six week programme of exercise and information. GPs can refer people to this programme or for more information contact:

Marlborough PHO, Ph:03 520 6260
Marlborough Community Hubs advisor Tina Fortune (Sport Tasman) Ph: 03 577 8855 Extension 5.

Linkwater Enviroschools Silver Winner

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 20:00:00 GMT

Mayor Alistair Sowman presenting the Enviroschools Silver Award to Principal Deb Leov and the Linkwater Envirogroup

Marlborough Mayor Alistair Sowman presented Linkwater School with its Silver Enviroschools award this week.

Linkwater School joined the Enviroschool programme in 2007 and was one of the first schools in Marlborough to establish its edible garden.

Mr Sowman congratulated the school and its children for all the work they have done as an Enviroschool including building a school bike track, establishing an orchard and native plantings and creating natural play spaces for huts.

Marlborough is a leader in the New Zealand Enviroschools programme with more than 80% of our schools taking up the programme. St Mary’s is the latest school to sign on and the Marlborough Kindergarten Association is now introducing the Enviroschools programme to their children.

The Marlborough District Council works alongside local schools on this programme, providing resources and workshops for the schools to teach the environmental care message. Council sees this project as a way to promote the Council’s strategic goals of reducing waste, improving water quality, creating more edible and natural habitats, and encouraging everyone to think about effective energy use in the way buildings are design and built.

For more information contact Council Education 0fficer Annie McDonald: Ph: 03 520 7400 annie.mcdonald@marlborough.govt.nz

Anzac Day Commemorations

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 23:15:18 GMT

A wreath-laying service to mark ANZAC Day will be held at the War Memorial clock tower in Seymour Square on Thursday, 25 April.

Veterans and the families of those who fought in past conflicts will be joined by personnel from RNZAF Base Woodbourne in the parade through the town’s streets to Seymour Square.

At 11.00 am, Marlborough Mayor Alistair Sowman will open the ANZAC Day service. This year, addresses will be given by Royal New Zealand Navy Surgeon Captain Alison Drewry and Marlborough Girls’ College student Nerys Udy who will deliver her winning speech from the Nelson/Marlborough/Westland regional final of the annual ANZ/RSA Cyril Bassett VC Speech Competition.

Blenheim’s central streets will be closed from 10.00 am for one hour while the area around the War Memorial from High Street through to Alfred Street will not re-open until noon.

Earlier in the day, the Mayor will attend the Anzac Day Dawn Parade in Seddon while Deputy Mayor Jenny Andrews will attend the Dawn Parade at Picton.

In Picton the service will be held at 6.00 am at the War Memorial and street closures will include London Quay (from Auckland Street to Wellington Street) and High Street (from London Quay to the intersection of Dublin Street/Waikawa Road/High Street) from 5.45 am to 6.30 am.

In Renwick, the main road, along High Street, from Inkerman Street to Alma Street, will be closed from 8.40 am to 9.40 am so a service can be held at the War Memorial at 9.00 am. Traffic will be diverted to an alternative route.

The wet weather venue for the Blenheim United Memorial Service will be the Marlborough Convention Centre, Grand Hall.

Services will be held at:

Picton	6.00 am	War Memorial
Awatere	6.30 am	Seddon War Memorial
Renwick	9.00 am	War Memorial
Spring Creek	9.30 am	Spring Creek Hall
Havelock	10.00 am	Town Hall
Rai Valley	11.00 am	War Memorial
Kaikoura	11.00 am	Memorial Hall
Blenheim	11.00 am	War Memorial

Notification of Meetings - May 2013

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 12:00:00 GMT

The Marlborough District Council hereby gives notice pursuant to the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 of the following meetings:

Environment Committee
Thursday 2 May 2013 at 1.30 pm
Full Council
Thursday 16 May 2012 at 3.00 pm

Community News - Returned Services Assocation

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 12:00:00 GMT

The Returned Services Association provides welfare, support, fellowship and social activities for ex-servicemen and their families.

For more information Ph: 03 578 5230. A reminder that tomorrow (19 April) is Poppy Day.

Draft Annual Plan Summary

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Your chance to consider Council's draft Annual Plan

Residents and ratepayers have a chance to speak directly to councillors considering one of the Council’s most important planning documents, its Draft Annual Plan.

The 2013-14 Draft Annual Plan sets out the services and activities that the Council intends to provide during the coming year. It also includes an annual budget to show the community how Council intends to pay for those services and activities.

The Draft Annual Plan and a summary of its main points are on Council's website www.marlborough.govt.nz.

The summary was delivered to Marlborough households yesterday inside the Marlborough “Midweek” newspaper.

Submissions may be made in writing, directly to the Council, or online through the Council website.

The deadline for submissions is 5.00 pm on Thursday 9 May.

Anyone making a submission may also ask to be heard in person – time for that has been scheduled on 4, 5 and possibly 6 June.

Submissions may support or object to all or part of a proposal in the Draft Annual Plan.

Please note that all submissions, including the names of those who make the submission, are available to the public and media.

A full meeting of Council formally considers submissions on 10 June with a further meeting of Council scheduled on 27 June 2013 to formally adopt the 2013-14 Annual Plan and set rates.

Improving pedestrian and cycling access to Westwood

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Plans have been put forward to improve the walking and cycling access to the new retail centre at Westwood.

With the opening of the new supermarket at Westwood, Marlborough Roads has been looking at the issues of footpath access along State Highway 6 and a location for a pedestrian crossing point as well as an off-road cycle lane. The matter was also raised earlier this month by the Bike Walk Marlborough group.

Council’s Assets and Services Committee chairman Councillor Graeme Taylor says there doesn’t seem to be enough demand yet for a footpath linking Severne Street and Westwood and a shared cycle/walking path could be a good compromise in the meantime.

Should the Council approve the concept, Marlborough Roads may be able to begin this work later this year if there’s money left from other projects but, if not, funding would be available next year for the work.

The matter is due to be discussed by the Assets and Services Committee on Wednesday 24 April.

The Plan Guiding the Future of Our Region

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 12:00:00 GMT

The Growing Marlborough Strategy is now available.

In this comprehensive document you’ll find the overview of all the planning and design work undertaken for Blenheim Town Centre and for the Wairau-Awatere and Marlborough Sounds areas. The district-wide report documents the recommendations for the three sub-regional reports that collectively form the Growing Marlborough Strategy. Drawn from the community-wide consultations that began in 2009 and fine-tuned by further research and expert advice, the strategy document addresses a wide range of issues including stormwater and flooding, transport routes and traffic behaviour, residential growth and urban character, and industrial and commercial land capacity.

It sets out aspirations for the region and explains how they can be achieved.

It will provide everyone with the guidelines and principles to be considered for all strategic development and investment decisions for the next 20 years. It’s a guide for the Council and for the community.

One of the three sub-regional reports, The Southern Marlborough Urban Growth and Development Strategy, deals specifically with plans for residential and industrial growth around Blenheim, including the location of future subdivisions.

This strategy identified the need for additional land around the town to be zoned to cater for residential growth and to identify future space suitable for light industry and manufacturing; employment land.

Geo-technical analysis has now determined areas suitable for re-zoning from rural to residential. Council has agreed to initiate seven plan changes to deal with that re-zoning. There will be opportunity for public submissions on the re-zoning proposals. It’s hoped that process will begin very soon with public notification scheduled for May or June.

Decisions about the proposal to re-zone land in the New Renwick Road area will await the results of an Environment Court hearing.

You can find a summary of the Growing Marlborough Strategy on this website on the Growing Marlborough District Wide Strategy page under Your Council – Growing Marlborough.

Preventative Conservation for Tapestry

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Jane Vial and John Rawcliffe from Art & Heritage Services, assisted by Council Administration Officer, Janelle Saunders, prepare the wool tapestry for ‘time out’ in storage – part of its regular preventative conservation plan.

Marlborough’s suffrage tapestry is being packed up and put into storage for the next six months.

The Marlborough Tapestry normally hangs near the front foyer of the Council offices in Seymour Street in an alcove, behind glass and away from direct light. It is taken off display every two years in order to minimise its exposure to light.

Commissioned by the Marlborough Women’s Suffrage Committee, the 97cm X 267 cm tapestry featuring the white camellia, the universal symbol of the suffrage movement, is the work of leading New Zealand tapestry weaver and former Picton resident, Marilyn Rea-Menzies, who created it to commemorate the contribution that women have made to Marlborough over the first hundred years in which they have had the vote. The tapestry belongs to the women of Marlborough and is held in trust for them by the District Council.

When it’s not on display, the tapestry, along with other public artwork for which the Council has responsibility, is cared for in the Marlborough Art Society’s temperature-controlled storage rooms.

Positive Ageing - Courtesy Crossings

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Courtesy crossings are not official pedestrian crossings.

They are a place where drivers may stop safely to allow pedestrians to cross.

However, drivers are not obliged to stop at courtesy crossings and pedestrians should use these crossings with care.

While they are not official pedestrian crossings, they do provide a place for pedestrians to get across the road.

Drivers should always be courteous to pedestrians waiting to use a courtesy crossing.

Preparing For Autumn

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 12:00:00 GMT

After a long summer, autumn has arrived suddenly in Marlborough this year.

The beautiful autumn colours of the trees also mean that soon there will be leaves in the drains and gutters.

It’s a good time for householders to check the roof and guttering and downpipes. Blockages and overflows are no fun to deal with in the pouring rain so take a look now to ensure everything is clear.

Street flooding can be prevented by the simple neighbourly act of removing rubbish or leaves from roadside drains. Everyone can help by checking drains outside their properties when heavy rain is forecast. The simple act of clearing away rubbish or leaves may avert street flooding in an extended downpour.

Our Reserves team works hard to ensure our parks and sports grounds remain open but sometimes the weather means they have to be closed to protect the surfaces.

Check whether sportsgrounds are open or closed on the Council website - Sport Park status page: www.marlborough.govt.nz/Services/Alerts-List/Sports-Grounds-Alerts.aspx

How the Hot Summer has Affected Our Waterways

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 12:00:00 GMT

The photo (above) shows the headwaters of Spring Creek in winter when the watertable was high.

Our long hot summer has meant water restrictions for Renwick domestic users and many irrigators throughout the district. However, the waterways in Blenheim have continued to flow without any significant changes in flow.

This is because the base flow of most Wairau Plain streams east of about Hammerichs Road, including Spring Creek, Fulton Creek and Murphys Creek, are fed by groundwater. The water that is stored underground moderates the flows of these spring-fed waterways even though we have experienced the lowest groundwater levels ever observed in some aquifers.

Despite the recent dry periods when there was no rainfall for up to six weeks at a time, the only noticeable changes to the spring-fed streams was that their headwaters begin to recede as the groundwater levels dropped.

The photo (above) is the same spot last month, showing how water levels have dropped as a result of low river flows and groundwater irrigation takes

The recent rainfall, although small, has eased the pressure of water restrictions for irrigators but the groundwater resources have not recovered as quickly. This is because groundwater resources take a lot longer to recharge as they are reliant on river flow leaking into the underlying aquifers.

Our rivers, spring-fed streams and aquifers are all inter-connected so taking water from one part of the hydrological cycle will affect another part.

Learn more about Marlborough’s underground water resources in “Groundwaters of Marlborough”, by Marlborough District Council water scientist Peter Davidson. Hardback copies are available for purchase ($50) from the Council or go to: www.marlborough.govt.nz/Environment/Groundwater/Reports-and-Special-Investigations/Groundwaters-of-Marlborough.aspx

Hospital Petition handed over to Minister

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Marlborough Mayor Alistair Sowman today presented Health Minister Tony Ryall with the petition carrying the signatures of almost ten thousand Marlborough people supporting the future of Wairau Hospital services.

The petition, organised by the community’s Save Our Services group, was handed over to the Minister at a meeting in the Mayor’s office this morning.

Mr Sowman and Kaikoura MP Colin King spent almost half an hour with Mr Ryall discussing hospital services.
Mr Sowman said later that it was heartening to hear that the Minister wanted to see a solution that would last.

“He was clear that what is required is a solution that delivers one consistent standard of service at the two sites,” said Mr Sowman.

The Mayor says the NMDHB’s commitment last month that 24/7 acute services as well as elective services would remain at Wairau Hospital had helped to calm public anxiety.

“I think the large number of signatories on the petition should be seen as confirmation that this community will get behind the new chief executive of the DHB and help find a resolution to the issues,” said Mr Sowman.
Both he and the local MP, Mr King, would work hard to ensure that Marlborough’s health services were not compromised, he said.

Mr Sowman said the Save Our Services group would continue to look for constructive ways it could channel community input into support for the hospital.

“We all understand that answers have to be found and there is a great deal of goodwill here for the new chief executive given the constructive and consultative approach he is taking.”

ALISTAIR SOWMAN
MAYOR

Health Shuttle

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 12:00:00 GMT

If you have difficulty getting to your medical appointment because of health, or mobility problems,
we can help you.

Travel to and from your doctor, specialist or the Wairau hospital in our fully equipped health shuttle.
Have the added reassurance that should you require assistance a trained person is at hand.

We will transport you to any health-related appointment from a private address or rest home.

The St John Health Shuttle is provided as a community service and your donation to our driver assists us to keep the service running.

The St John Health Shuttle runs every Monday to Friday (except public holidays). We can collect from Blenheim, Ward, Seddon, Wairau Valley and Picton.

We will require a minimum of one days notice.

Any further information Ph: 03 578 0797.

Celebrating Our Cultural Treasures

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Marlborough Mayor Alistair Sowman presented the Living Cultural Treasure medals to the newest recipients, author Joy Cowley and theatre director Duncan Whiting, at a ceremony at the Marlborough Museum last week.

Weaver and artist Peg Moorhouse, the first recipient of these new awards, was in the front row of the audience watching the presentations.

The award is a special “Marlborough” acknowledgement for inspirational individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to our community, particularly through their cultural endeavours.
Mayor Sowman said the awards are a new idea to help celebrate the cultural side of Marlborough.

“We are used to seeing important awards for our top sportspeople and it’s good to see that were are acknowledging the exceptional achievements of our top-rate people within the world of arts and culture.”

The Living Cultural Treasure award was established by the Marlborough Museum. The Museum, at Arthur Baker Place in Blenheim, is partly funded by the Marlborough District Council.

More information about the Marlborough Museum: www.marlboroughmuseum.org.nz

Unsealed Road Maintenance

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Grader at work at French Pass

We manage more than 650km of unsealed roads throughout the Marlborough region. Our rural communities and industries like logging and dairying depend on these roads and we place a high priority on maintaining them.

That maintenance involves a two stage approach;

Routine grading throughout the year to fix corrugations and rutting and reform table drains.
Road rehabilitation works during spring and autumn months, placing, grading and compacting maintenance metal to re-build the worn road pavement (the road layers).

The maintenance contractor is well on the way to completing the pavement rehabilitation works for this season, working in areas including the Kenepuru and Croisilles-French Pass, the Northbank Road and the Awatere Valley Road. Work will begin soon on the Waihopai Valley Road, Tin Line-Maungatapu Road, State Highway 6 side roads and in the Ure area.

Advertising Opportunity

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Advertising space is available on the following Marlborough District Council owned structures:

Alfred Street carpark building
Bus shelters on Seymour and Litchfield Streets
Public toilets.

For an information pack and application form contact:

Angela Adye
APL Property Limited
PO Box 185 Blenheim 7240

Ph: 03 577 7780 Email: angela.adye@aplproperty.co.nz

Draft Taylor River Floodway Reserve Recreation and Amenity Plan

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 12:00:00 GMT

You are invited under s.41 of the Reserves Act 1977 to send to the undersigned by Friday 7 June 2013 written comments on the draft Taylor River Floodway Reserve Recreation and Amenity Plan.

The document is available online at:
www.marlborough.govt.nz/Recreation/Parks-and-Reserves/Reserves/Blenheim/Taylor-River-Plan

Hard copies are also available from Council offices in Blenheim and Picton and the Blenheim Library.

Submissions can be made in writing and sent to:

Elisha Oldridge
Reserves Planner
PO Box 443
Blenheim 7420

Submissions can also be emailed to elisha.oldridge@marlborough.govt.nz . Please indicate whether you wish to speak to your submission. The closing date for submissions is Friday June 7.

Further information regarding the Plan can be obtained on request from Marlborough District Council.

Positive Ageing - Carfit Programme

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 12:00:00 GMT

CarFit Programme Promotes Road Safety for Older Drivers

Drivers don’t always give a lot of thought to their stance behind the wheel - whether they’re sitting properly and whether mirrors are correctly positioned. Yet these simple things are important for an older person who may not have the neck and shoulder flexibility of a young driver.

A free programme to help older drivers ensure they’re driving as safely as possible is available in Blenheim.

It takes about 20 minutes for an adviser to help a driver with such things as finding the ideal seat adjustment and mirror positioning to eliminate blind spots.

Book a place in the CarFit programme with Robyn Blackburn at the Council, Ph: 03 520 7400.

The next CarFit programme will be held at Friday 26 April.

Renwick Hosing Restrictions Lifted

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Renwick hosing restrictions lifted today

After more than three months of water restrictions, Renwick’s water supply has recovered sufficiently for the restrictions to be lifted.

District Council Operations & Maintenance Engineer Stephen Rooney says the cooperation from Renwick residents along with a small amount of rain means the limits on garden irrigation can be lifted today.

“Given that the hosing restrictions went on before Christmas, Renwick residents have been patient and shown great understanding of the situation. We really appreciate the way they have cooperated with the hosing ban – everyone seemed to understand that they could make a difference by respecting the rules about alternate hosing days,” said Mr Rooney.

Between 20 and 25 mm of rain fell in the upper catchment of the Wairau River last Wednesday and that, coupled with a heavier fall over a couple of days in mid-March, had been enough to boost water levels, Mr Rooney said.

However he warns that, although the well drawing from the Wairau aquifer has risen by about a metre since its lowest point, it is still two metres below average levels.

“We don’t want people to go crazy with their water use now just because the sprinkler and hosing ban has been lifted. It would be great if everyone would continue to use good water conservation practices. The state of the aquifer is still pretty precarious and we won’t really be able to relax until we see a good bit of rain.”

By late summer, that part of the Wairau aquifer where Renwick draws its water supply was recorded as hitting its lowest point since 1982.

Have Your Say on the Council's Budget Plans

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 01:45:49 GMT

Residents and ratepayes have a chance to speak directly to councillors considering one of the Council’s most important planning documents - its draft Annual Plan.

The draft Annual Plan 2013-14 sets out the services and activities that the Council intends to provide during the coming year. It includes an annual budget to show the community how Council intends to pay for those services and activities.

The draft Annual Plan and a summary can be found on the Council’s website under Plans-Policies-and-Documents/2013-2014-Draft-Annual-Plan.aspx.

Submissions may be made in writing, directly to the Council, or online through the Council website. The deadline for submissions this year is 5.00 pm on Thursday 9 May.

Anyone making a submission may also ask to be heard in person – on 4, 5 and 6 June.
Submissions may support or object to all or part of a proposal.

Please note that all submissions, including the names of submitters, are available to the public and media.

A full meeting of Council formally adopts the budget for the Annual Plan 2013-14 and sets rates on 27 June 2013.

The Sheard Allegations Report

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 02:20:46 GMT

The Sheard Allegations Report(1.03 Mb)

Marlborough To Be Featured In The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 02:19:52 GMT

Marlborough Mayor Alistair Sowman says Marlborough stands to gain from the international publicity surrounding director Sir Peter Jackson’s “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” with a scene from the film to be shot near Pelorus Bridge.

The film is the first of two movies adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien. The second film will be “The Hobbit: There and Back Again.”

Mayor Sowman says this is an unparalleled promotional opportunity for one of Marlborough’s most stunning scenic spots where a majestic river cuts through a beautiful scenic reserve of mature native forest.

Part of the filming activity centres on the Nelson region where the film production company, 3 foot 7, is reported to have made bookings for several hundred rooms throughout Nelson and Golden Bay in December.

It’s understood the Pelorus River will feature in a scene showing barrels plunging down the river—part of the perilous journey undertaken by Bilbo Baggins and the dwarves.

The crew involved at the Pelorus River location are expected to travel in from Nelson each day.

There will be extra traffic controls in place on the state highway due to the extra vehicle movements around the location, he said.

“We are assured that everything will be completed well before the Christmas traffic peak begins. Besides, I believe the opportunities this presents will more than make up for any slowing of the traffic flow through the area,” said Mr Sowman.

“We know from Matamata’s experience that “The Lord of the Rings” boosted tourist numbers by tens of thousands over a period of several years. We believe that this film will take our scenery to an international audience on a scale beyond our imagination,” said Mr Sowman.

“The Lord of the Rings” has provided continuing high exposure for New Zealand in the UK, North America and Australia tourist markets.

“This is going to be an opportunity for the magnificence of Marlborough’s rivers and landscapes to be seen by a global audience and, while we cannot quantify the value of that opportunity, it has got to be the ultimate travel promotion,” said Mr Sowman.

It’s even possible that this may lead to future film or advertising photography opportunities for Marlborough, he said.

Jared Connon, Supervising Location Manager for the films, says since the very first survey of the location, the film company had received a warm welcome from the community.

“Local support has been tremendous, particularly from the operators of the Pelorus Bridge Cafe, Department of Conservation, Ngati Kuia, Forest & Bird Protection Society, Marlborough District Council and the residents of the Pelorus Bridge area. It is a unique location, rich with beautiful scenery, wildlife and history and it’s a privilege for us to work there. We will treat it with the utmost respect and our thanks go out to all those who have assisted us in making filming possible," he said.

Filming in Wellington is already underway on the two films. The adventure follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakenshield. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers.

Ian McKellen returns as Gandalf the Grey, the character he played in “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, and Martin Freeman in the central role of Bilbo Baggins. Also reprising their roles from “The Lord of the Rings” movies are: Cate Blanchett as Galadriel; Ian Holm as the elder Bilbo; Christopher Lee as Saruman; Hugo Weaving as Elrond; Elijah Wood as Frodo; Orlando Bloom as Legolas; and Andy Serkis as Gollum. The ensemble cast also includes (in alphabetical order) Richard Armitage, John Bell, Jed Brophy, Adam Brown, John Callen, Luke Evans, Stephen Fry, Ryan Gage, Mark Hadlow, Peter Hambleton, Barry Humphries, Stephen Hunter, William Kircher, Evangeline Lilly, Sylvester McCoy, Bret McKenzie, Graham McTavish, Mike Mizrahi, James Nesbitt, Dean O’Gorman, Lee Pace, Mikael Persbrandt, Conan Stevens, Ken Stott, Jeffrey Thomas, and Aidan Turner.

The screenplays for both “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” and “The Hobbit: There and Back Again” are by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Guillermo del Toro and Peter Jackson. Jackson is also producing the films, together with Fran Walsh and Carolynne Cunningham. The executive producers are Alan Horn, Ken Kamins and Zane Weiner, with Boyens serving as co-producer.

“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” and “The Hobbit: There and Back Again” are productions of New Line Cinema and MGM, with New Line managing production. Warner Bros Pictures is handling worldwide theatrical distribution, with select international territories as well as all international television licensing, being handled by MGM.

“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” will be released on December 14, 2012. The second film, “The Hobbit: There and Back Again,” is slated for release the following year, on December 13, 2013.

Alistair Sowman
Mayor

NMDHB Advises Shellfish Dangerous to Eat

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 02:18:05 GMT

Community Update from NMDHB(559 Kb)

Port Underwood shellfish ban has been lifted, but Queen Charlotte ban is still in place.

Health Warning from NMDHB(433 Kb

Updated information on marine species unsafe to eat.

Health Warning from NMDHB(426 Kb)

Toxins are still at dangerous levels in shellfish in Queen Charlotte Sound and Port Underwood.

NMDHB Advises of Toxic Algal Bloom

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 02:17:20 GMT

Media Statement

* 25 March 2011*
Contact Information: * Nelson Marlborough Public Health Service, Ph: 520 9914 Blenheim or 520 9999 after hours*

Queen Charlotte Sound toxic algal bloom - ban on gathering of shellfish(183 Kb)

Port Underwood toxic algal bloom - ban on gathering of shellfish(114 Kb)

Russian Rugby Team Public Training Sessions

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 02:15:45 GMT

The Russian Rugby Team

Invites the Marlborough Public to attend their

Public Training Sessions

Wednesday 7 September 10.30 am–11.30am

Saturday 17 September, 10.30 am–12pm

Lansdowne Park

Come along, meet the team and

collect their autographs

The Battle Of Britian Why We Commemorate It Annually

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 02:14:25 GMT

People ask from time to time why in New Zealand and 12,000 miles distant from Britain we continue to commemorate the Battle of Britain? What relevance could it possibly have in today’s society? The question is a fair one and the answer is based upon the word ‘society’ in the paragraph preceding.

In 1939, when Nazi Germany invaded Poland, Britain and France declared war on Germany. Britain of course had a strong Commonwealth to support it. New Zealand had declared war 12 hours prior to Britain due to the time difference.

It is now history that Germany quickly overcame Poland and turning west, in short succession overcame Belgium, the low countries and despite a large British Expeditionary force in France, in short order France fell also.

Thus very quickly, Herr Hitler had achieved almost total dominance of Europe. The exceptions being Britain and Russia the latter to the east was in his thoughts also. Firstly, and to avoid a two front war, he must annex Britain who following Dunkirk was, from an army perspective, nearly defenceless.

Britain had basically three lines of defence, the English channel, Royal Navy and the RAF. The “phoney war” – (September 1939-May 1940), allowed the RAF some time to try to equip for the imminent air battle to be fought. Flying with the RAF Fighter Command were NZ Airmen and some 129 were involved in the Battle of Britain. 14 New Zealand airmen were killed in the Battle of Britain.

The survival of the British Empire of which NZ was part, depended on the success of the RAF in this pivotal battle. Despite being outnumbered almost two to one, the pilots of the RAF fought the Luftwaffe to a standstill and by September had destroyed 2,698 aircraft whilst losing 915 aircraft in return. (403 RAF pilots were KIA and German airmen totalled 2,500 KIA or captured). By late September, the Germans turned their attention to Russia but continued their ‘Blitz’ on major British cities.

In summary, the Battle was a close fought affair. It was the first military set back for Germany. The outcome, had Germany invaded Britain is too horrible to imagine, the rights we take for granted and experience today would not exist and we would be subservient to an evil regime. Brave young men fought for the right for us to have freedom and within New Zealand we are proud to recognize the 14 Kiwi Airmen who perished in this Battle. That is why we commemorate these fallen on the Sunday nearest to the 15^th of September annually.

That day being recognised as “Battle of Britain Day”.

“We will remember them”.

Anzac Day Commemorations

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 02:13:08 GMT

Blenheim School will be the setting for this year’s ANZAC Day service in Blenheim which means Hutcheson Street between the school and the Clubs of Marlborough will be closed to traffic from 10.30 am until 1.00 pm that day.

The traditional parade will still be held on Wednesday 25 April but the wreath-laying service will be held in the school grounds while the War Memorial clock tower is under repair.

The Alfred Street car parking building will be open free of charge and the barrier arms will be up for ease of parking during the day.

Veterans and the families of those who fought in past conflicts will be joined by personnel from RNZAF Base Woodbourne and community organisations like the scouts and girl guides in the traditional parade, this year from the Clubs complex across to the school grounds.

Marlborough Mayor Alistair Sowman will deliver the formal address at the commemoration service and lay a wreath at 11.00 am. He will also attend the Picton dawn service where the guest speaker will be RAAF Squadron Leader Deborah Phillips, assistant Defence Advisor at the Australian High Commission. Councillor Francis Maher will attend the Anzac Day Dawn Parade in Seddon.

Mr Sowman says it is important that we continue to remember not only those who were at the Gallipoli campaign but all those servicemen and women who have followed in the tradition of committed service to our country.
ANZAC service times:

Picton War Memorial: 6.00 am
Seddon War Memorial: 6.30am
Renwick War Memorial: 9.00 am
Spring Creek Hall: 9.30 am
Havelock Town Hall: 10.00 am
Rai Valley War Memorial: 11.00 am

ALISTAIR SOWMAN
MAYOR

War Memorial Clock Tower In Seymour Square

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 02:11:38 GMT

The first results of structural tests on the war memorial clock tower suggest it is sounder than initially suspected but work will be necessary to bring the foundations up to the standard required by the Building Code.

The Marlborough District Council is still awaiting further test results on the masonry.

Doubt about the adhesive strength of the stonework on the tower is now the primary reason the Council has left the area fenced off.

“Our war memorial clock tower in Seymour Square is a very important element of the townscape and no one has enjoyed seeing it surrounded by safety fencing. However, most people also understood that legal liability for public safety required action once doubt was raised about its structural security,” said Council’s Assets and Services manager Mark Wheeler.

“The Christchurch demands for specialist earthquake engineering expertise meant a longer-than-expected wait for detailed assessments but the preliminary assessment is that the underlying structure may not require major rebuilding. That’s a relief to us all,” he said.

“However some work will have to be done and it’s hoped that a more detailed engineering report, due in the coming weeks, will give us the parameters, and some idea of the cost, of the repairs that are going to be necessary,” said Mr Wheeler.

MARK WHEELER
MANAGER, ASSETS & SERVICES DEPARTMENT

Please Don't Smoke In Our Parks And Playgrounds

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 02:11:04 GMT

An anti-smoking rap performed in front of District Councillors at last year’s annual plan consideration has helped encourage a stronger signal that all Council-owned reserves, parks and sports parks should be smoke-free areas.

The students asked that all Marlborough’s parks, playgrounds and sportsgrounds, swimming pools and reserves be declared smoke free.

Government legislation already bans cigarette smoking from many places, including grandstands and pavilions.
Council’s Assets and Services Committee deputy chairman Terry Sloan says the Council is not in a position to impose a public ban. But, he says, the Council does have signs discouraging smoking in public spaces, like playgrounds, although its signs are often damaged by vandals.

He and his fellow councillors on the Assets and Services Committee think that signage should be extended from parks and playgrounds to include sportsgrounds, gardens and reserves and they want the smokefree logo included on any new signs that are put in.

“It’s about sending the right signals – please don’t smoke in our parks and gardens and don’t drop your butts in our green spaces. We want to get across the message that our sportsgrounds exist for the good health and wellbeing of our community – and smoking has no place in that,” he said.

Councillor Sloan said the students who came along to Council last year with an original approach to making a submission should feel proud that their efforts had an impact and has encouraged councillors to expand its no-smoking policy.

TERRY SLOAN
COUNCILLOR

Share Services And Procurement Top Of The South

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 02:10:15 GMT

The three Top of the South mayors have agreed to jointly explore the opportunities that may be possible from joint purchasing and sharing services.

The Mayors and the CEOs of Nelson City and Tasman and Marlborough District Councils met yesterday to discuss the advantages of working together on shared services and procurement.

The local body leaders are assessing the financial savings that may be possible through one council providing services to the others and through joint purchasing of services or products.

The mayors believe there may well be opportunity for savings given the proximity of the three councils each serving similar populations and each with similar functions as unitary councils (with responsibility for both regional and territorial functions).

They have identified roading, the single biggest budget item for each council, as one area to explore.
Roading in Marlborough is currently undertaken by the New Zealand Transport Agency through its local office, Marlborough Roads, achieving cost savings by managing the state highways and local roads together.

It was suggested that exploring how this type of concept could be applied across the top of the south could help identify substantial cost savings and efficiencies.

Another area to be examined is resource management planning. Consistency in the rules and definitions of all three sets of resource management plans would assist builders and contractors and other businesses that work across the top of the south.

The Mayors also want to assess the level of savings that could be achieved through more focus on combined procurement of goods and services.

It was agreed that a draft Heads of Agreement be drawn up for each Council to consider. It would require all three councils to commit resources to examining the issues.

It’s hoped that each Council can make a decision on its commitment to this project within the next two months.

ALISTAIR SOWMAN MAYOR OF MARLBOROUGH
ALDO MICCIO MAYOR OF NELSON
RICHARD KEMPTHORNE MAYOR OF TASMAN

Flood Damage Being Assessed

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 02:08:15 GMT

Floodwaters are receding in Marlborough but motorists are advised to take particular care driving as damage is still being assessed and in some places slips have reduced roads to one lane.

Drivers using State Highway 6 should watch for flood debris, minor surface flooding, small slips and damage to the road seal.

The Northbank Road and the Kaituna Track are passable but down to one lane.

The rain was very heavy in the Sounds; Queen Charlotte Drive has minor slips only but the Kenepuru Road is reduced to one lane in places. The rain was very heavy in the Rai Valley and damage in the Tunakino Valley and Bulford Road is still being assessed.

Marlborough District Council Assets and Services Manager Mark Wheeler says the job of inspecting rivers and roads is underway now but it will be some time before there is a full picture of the scale of the damage. However, he says it is not looking anywhere near as severe as the December 2010 floods when the repair bill for roads and stopbanks ran to almost $6M.

Keeping Our Customers Well Satisfied

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 02:02:33 GMT

Marlborough residents have given the Marlborough District Council a scorecard of 7 out of 10 in the latest survey assessing their satisfaction with the services and performance of the Marlborough District Council.

Nothing the Council does is ranked by the public at lower than 6.1 out of 10.

The researchers say, of the 10 councils it regularly reviews, this result is in the top of the range and significantly better than those at the bottom.

Six hundred and one residents are surveyed by the independent research company Research First on 23 different services provided by the Council and the data collection is weighted by age, gender and location of resident with three quarters of respondents having lived in Marlborough for ten years or more.

This year, those surveyed identified their top priorities as water supply, emergency management, the sewerage system and community safety. Last year, with the Christchurch earthquake fresh in peoples’ mind, emergency management was top priority.

Overall, the rating given for customer services was 7.9 out of a possible 10, up from last year’s 7.7. The overall rating of the Council was also up, 7 compared with last year’s 6.9.

Again, our top ranking service is the Library, ranked 8.3 out of 10. But people also place a high value on Council’s performance with sewerage and water supply services, at 8.1 and 8. There’s also been a big jump in the way our Rivers Engineering activity is perceived; now 7.1 out of 10 compared with 5.9 a year ago.

Council’s Community and Financial Planning Committee chair Francis Maher says the overall outcome suggests Marlborough people understand that they are receiving consistently high quality services from the Council.

“Given the constraints on budgets and the growing pressure of workloads, this is a very good result. It’s an endorsement of the high level of staff commitment that exists here and it’s good to know that so many members of the public recognise that they do get very good service from the council.

The survey is valuable to the council as it provides another opportunity for the public to have input into their community facilities and the levels of service they expect. The results can indicate where more resources/money may need to be applied.”

See Resident Satisfaction Survey 2012

Francis Maher
Chairman Community and Financial Planning

Building A Fire Prevention Culture In Marlborough

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 02:01:36 GMT

Marlborough Kaikoura’s Principal Rural Fire Office Richard McNamara wants to build a ‘prevention culture’ into fire safety attitudes in Marlborough; one of the hottest, driest parts of the country.

“There is a good understanding here of the impact of fire and we have some great teams of volunteer fire fighters across the region. But it is easy for a community to get a bit blasé about fire safety,” he said.

The last big fire in the Marlborough-Kaikoura region was the dramatic Boxing Day Fire which swept across the foothills of the Withers on the edge of Blenheim in 2000 burning off almost 7000ha of grassland.

This summer has the potential to be another hot, dry season, says Mr McNamara, with temperatures forecast to be average, or maybe even higher than average.

“There’s a bit of uncertainty about the climate but spring usually brings hot dry winds here and that’s the kind of weather that firemen hate. So we’re asking people to think about fire safety – and it’s a particularly important message for people who live outside the urban area,” he said.

He says people living on rural properties need to face the fact that it takes emergency services longer to reach their properties in the event of fire.

“Distance means a house fire in the country can have disastrous consequences, especially if no one is around when it begins. Serious damage or even total loss is a far more likely outcome for a rural house fire unless property owners have taken all possible steps to minimise fire risk.”

The NZ Rural Fire Authority’s FireSmart Manual has a good checklist which every country property owner should consult.

He stresses the importance of ensuring properties are easily accessible to appliances.

“Low hanging trees or parked vehicles make it very difficult to get a 10-tonne tanker up a narrow driveway,” he said.

Smoke alarms are absolutely essential but he also urges anyone building a new house in the country to seriously consider installing a sprinkler system.

“For about $350 per sprinkler head (a typical 3 bedroom home would require perhaps 12 sprinklers) you get a fire fighter in every room.”

With summer weather not far away, Mr McNamara says anyone with dry vegetation piles to burn should be getting on with the job – before fire bans come into force. In most parts of the rural Marlborough-Kaikoura region, fires are still able to be lit although fire permits are required in some areas; check with your local Council to see if a permit is required.

Fire permits are free and available through the Marlborough Kaikoura Rural Fire Authority’s Permit system. Ph (03) 520 7400; Fax (03) 520 7496; Email firepermit@marlborough.govt.nz
Mr McNamara says it makes good sense to minimise all fire risk factors now, before the heat of summer.

“Every time the siren goes off it suggests we have had a failure – a fire which someone could have prevented.”

RICHARD MCNAMARA
MARLBOROUGH KAIKOURA PRINCIPAL RURAL FIRE OFFICER

Marlborough's Swimming Water Quality

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 02:00:43 GMT

Marlborough has been identified as one of five regions where swimming water quality needs greatest improvement but in fact Marlborough’s water quality has been showing an improving trend for the last five years both at river and coastal swimming spots.

The Ministry for the Environment has released gradings from sites at beaches and rivers in areas where five years of data is available. The grades are based on bacteria levels and associated risk. Coastal water quality consistently returns a higher quality grade than river water sites in New Zealand.

A total of 13 river sites and 18 coastal sites are monitored across Marlborough.

Marlborough Mayor Alistair Sowman says it is well known that some of Marlborough’s rivers are affected by run-off but a great deal of work has been done in recent years to identify sources of contamination.
Five years ago 69% of Marlborough’s monitored river swimming sites were considered poor or very poor but today that’s down to 60% so improvement is occurring, he said.

However, Mr Sowman said he hopes to see greater advances in the next year or two as a great deal of effort and resource is now going into improving water quality.

“Earlier this year I noted that clean water should be one of our region’s priorities and I can assure you the Council is working on this issue. We want clean rivers which are free from bacterial contamination and I believe most people accept that is desirable.”

A great deal of work is being done with dairy farm plans near the Rai and Pelorus rivers where it has been established that most of the bacterial contamination is from cattle but it will take time for the effect of that work to filter through, he said.

Council staff believe the source of bacteria in the town’s Taylor River is likely to be more complex as the river takes a lot of run-off from roads and car parking areas as well as from parkland.

“The Council has adopted a stormwater strategy which is designed to improve water quality in both the Taylor and Opawa rivers and I hope we begin to see the effect of that soon,” said Mr Sowman.
He said work is well underway investigating the likely sources of pollutants.

“In the meantime, one constructive thing that everyone can do is to accept that contaminants should not go down our stormwater drains. That means no paint or oils, no sediments or detergents going down these drains,” he said.

Mr Sowman said water quality was an important issue for Marlborough and it was closely monitored and results regularly published on the Council’s website.

“Remember, not all councils across the country actually participate in the grading of their swimming sites so the Ministry for the Environment figures do not provide a true national picture, just a snapshot of those areas which do grade their swimming spots. We don’t know how Marlborough really compares to the rest of the country but we do know we want to improve our local gradings,” he said.

In 2010-11, river water quality in Marlborough compared favourably with river water quality nationally, with most sites suitable for swimming nearly all of the time (see figure below).

Approximately 8% of sites in Marlborough were high-risk compared with the national figure of 13%. However there are more sites nationally (40%) which are almost always low-risk, compared with those in Marlborough which are almost always low-risk (23%).

In Marlborough, most sites (69%) showed low risk with an occasional high risk.

Draft 2013-2014 Annual Plan

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 11:00:00 GMT

It is intended that the Draft Annual Plan for 2013-2014 will be adopted for consultation with ratepayers at today’s Council meeting.

The Draft Annual Plan provides financial information and funding impacts on activities and special projects that Council proposes to be involved in during the 2013-14 financial year.

Public submissions on the Draft Annual Plan are now invited and details on how to make submissions are included in the Draft Annual Plan.

Submissions close on Thursday 9 May at 5.00 pm.

The Draft Annual Plan will be available on Council’s website, www.marlborough.govt.nz, as soon as possible after its adoption, and at the following locations:

District Administration Building, 15 Seymour Street, Blenheim
Picton Service Centre, 67 High Street, Picton
Marlborough Library, corner Arthur and Seymour Streets, Blenheim
Havelock School/Library, Main Road, Havelock
Rai Valley School Community Library, SH 6, Main Road, Rai Valley
Seddon School Community Library, Redwood Street, Seddon
Ward School Community Library, Duncan Street, Ward
Waitaria Bay School Community Library, 5668 Kenepuru Road, Waitaria Bay

Copies of the Draft Annual Plan are available free of charge at any of these locations, or by contacting Council on Ph: 03 520 7400.

The Draft Annual Plan Summary is being distributed to Marlborough households in the Marlborough Midweek newspaper on 17 April. Additional copies can be requested from Council by calling 03 520 7400.

Community News – Prisoners’ Aid and Rehabilitation Society

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 11:00:00 GMT

Prisoners’ Aid and Rehabilitation Society Inc (PARS) Marlborough contributes to the reduction of re offending by providing liaison and support between prisoners, their families and government departments and other community based groups.

For more information Ph: 03 577 9821.

Neighbourhood Watch

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 11:00:00 GMT

Neighbourhood Watch is currently without premises.

For any enquiries please call Robin Harris Ph: 03 579 6445. Completed forms can be left at Council’s Customer Service Centre in Seymour Street.

Review of Marlborough’s Resource Management Documents

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 11:00:00 GMT

The Marlborough District Council is currently reviewing its Marlborough Regional Policy Statement and its two resource management plans (the Marlborough Sounds Resource Management Plan and the Wairau/Awatere Resource Management Plan). The review process has been underway for several years with the assistance of a number of community based focus groups, iwi and various industry groups. These groups have helped hugely to develop provisions for a range of issues.

With the exception of marine farming, noise and discharge to air activities, the drafting of provisions for the coastal environment, particularly for the coastal marine area, has largely been completed. The Council is now looking to release a package of three documents seeking additional feedback on the provisions prepared to date, which have already been modified and refined through the focus group process. These draft provisions are being released to the focus groups that the Council has been working with, but any other person or organisation that has an interest in how Marlborough’s natural and physical resources are to be managed in the future is also welcome to provide feedback to the Council.

Any feedback received will be used to further refine the currently drafted provisions. There will still be the opportunity for people to make formal submissions with rights to be heard at hearings and rights of appeal once the drafting has been completed.

There are three documents that form part of the feedback package. These are draft policy for the ‘Use of the Coastal Environment’ chapter, draft rules for the Port, Port Landing Area, Marina and Coastal Marine Zones and draft policy to provide context and support provisions drafted for the ‘Use of the Coastal Environment’ chapter. More information about the content of the three documents and the documents themselves can be found on the Council’s website in the Review of Marlborough's Resource Management Documents section. Alternatively, to talk with someone about the draft provisions, you can call the Council on Ph: 03 520 7400 and ask for Pere Hawes, Emma Richardson or Linda Craighead.

Feedback will be received by the Council until 17 May 2013. Feedback can be sent to the Environmental Policy Team, Marlborough District Council, PO Box 443, Blenheim 7240 or by email to: rps@marlborough.govt.nz

Playground at Pollard Park

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 11:00:00 GMT

The toddlers' playground at Pollard Park is a secure, fenced area where the little ones can play safely - separated from more vigorous older children.

The latest addition to the equipment is Calvin the Caterpillar - a bright orange climbing challenge for toddlers.

Four-year-old Phillip Tibble of Blenheim happily clambered over Calvin while his 18-month-old cousin, Martina Sampaio, visiting from Brazil, enjoyed the toddlers' see-saw.

Renwick residents may resume use of garden sprinklers

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 11:00:00 GMT

Renwick residents have responded so well to the call for careful use of their water supply that there can now be a slight easing of the water restrictions.

For the last week, hand-held garden hoses only were being permitted for garden irrigation but, from today, Renwick residents may again use garden sprinklers on alternate days.

District Council Operations & Maintenance Engineer Stephen Rooney says that part of the Wairau aquifer where Renwick draws its water supply has hit its lowest point since 1982 but residents’ immediate response to the restrictions has helped the situation.

A total ban on the use of garden sprinklers has been in place for the last week.

However, residents in even-numbered houses may now resume the use of sprinklers on even numbered calendar days, while odd-numbered householders may water on the odd-numbered days, said Mr Rooney.

“This isn’t a signal to begin using large amounts of water again. We hope people will water gardens just enough to help them survive. We still need people to conserve water where ever they can. We need to ensure the aquifer doesn’t fall beneath a certain point so the level of water use will determine whether a heavier ban will have to be re-imposed,” said Mr Rooney.

He said Renwick residents had shown great understanding of the situation so far and he thanked them for their cooperation.

Residential Expansion Areas Confirmed After Land Tested

Sun, 24 Mar 2013 20:21:29 GMT

The Marlborough District Council will start the process of re-zoning land to the north and west of Blenheim for future residential development now that geotechnical testing has confirmed it is suitable for residential use. However land to the east of the town has been ruled as unsuitable for housing due to liquefaction risk.

After many months of consultation and research, the results of land stability testing in the various areas identified for housing expansion has enabled the Council to finalise its Marlborough Urban Growth Strategy.

“It has taken time to bring the Strategy to this point but the issues thrown up by the Christchurch earthquake showed we needed to take more time for detailed research into liquefaction issues,” said Marlborough District Councillor David Dew.

The Strategy aims to provide sufficient land to meet the demand for Blenheim’s residential development for the next two decades.

A block north of Old Renwick Road running east to Waipuna Street has already been earmarked for residential re-zoning after liquefaction testing.

Now, Council has agreed that another five pockets of land currently zoned rural will be re-zoned Urban Residential 2. Most of the land is off Old Renwick Road, in blocks to the east of Blicks Lane and to the west of Murphys Road. The other pocket is on the north side of David Street. In total, this will open up 146 ha of land for new housing. (See map below) .

Land west of Battys Road will be considered after the Environment Court decision concerning Colonial Vineyard, due to be heard in August.

Council will now prepare plan changes which must go through a public consultation process before being finalised.

Council’s projects manager Jamie Lyall says it’s hoped the re-zoning process can be completed by December this year although that would depend on public input and submissions.

Separate plan changes would be put forward for the various areas so that any single issue for a particular block which might emerge would not delay the re-zoning of other blocks.

DAVID DEW
CHAIRMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN REVIEW SUB-COMMITTEE

Planting Plans For Downtown Blenheim

Sun, 24 Mar 2013 11:00:00 GMT

The removal of five Phoenix palm trees along the Taylor River will be compensated by the planting of new trees in the Blenheim central business district.

Rather than spending up to $21,000 attempting to transplant the palms, councillors will consider a proposal to spend an equivalent amount of money on new trees more suited to the town centre.

They will be asked to allocate the sum that would have been required to try and save the five palms – without any guarantee of success – to plant more suitable trees with a far higher chance of a good life span.

A range of options, including information about varieties and locations, is being prepared by Council’s Reserves staff for the next meeting of Council’s Assets and Services Committee.

Blenheim’s Urban Design Strategy calls for street tree plantings to be extended to improve ambience and provide shelter and shade in the town.

Palms are not suitable for today’s urban landscapes given that they attract concentrations of pigeons with all the associated problems.

The trees which have now been removed were planted in the 1960s and 1970s along the Taylor River stopbank area to fit in with similar trees planted in earlier times.

Although some of the earlier palms removed from the area were transplanted to private property, no one had expressed interest in taking these latest trees.

Reiteration of Clifford Bay Impact Report

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 11:00:00 GMT

Marlborough Mayor reiterates request for independent social and economic impact report on Clifford Bay project

Marlborough Mayor Alistair Sowman says he is seeking an assurance from the Minister of Transport Gerry Brownlee that an independent social and economic impact report will be done before any move is made to seek resource consents for a ferry terminal at Clifford Bay.

Mr Brownlee replied to the Mayor’s initial request for a report by saying that ‘appropriate consideration’ would be given to the economic and social impacts on Marlborough and New Zealand – if a decision is taken to proceed beyond the current work of assessing the project’s commercial viability.

The Mayor has responded with an immediate letter to the Minister asking that he reconsider his position that public input wait for the resource consent processes.

That would be leaving it too late to provide detailed information into the government decision-making process, said Mr Sowman.

“I appreciate that the government’s first step is to consider the commercial viability of the project. But I believe the correct sequence of work then should be to ensure the government is fully informed of the impact such a move would make on the region that serves as the ferries entry-point to the South Island - before embarking on the consent processes.”

Mr Sowman said it was not appropriate that Marlborough ratepayers should be required to meet the cost of such research and he has repeated his request that the work be done in a timely manner.

“I have also reiterated the need for the Council, and the public, to have the opportunity to review a draft social and economic impact report before it is finalised.”

“I cannot accept that thinking about potential impacts of this project now could somehow pre-empt conclusions on the commercial viability of the project as a whole,” the Mayor said.

Water Restrictions Still Required - Rainfall Update

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 19:20:44 GMT

The prompt response by Renwick residents to the call for water conservation has eased the pressure on the town’s supply aquifer but, despite today’s rain, the water restrictions are still needed there. However the deluge was enough to secure irrigation supplies around rural Marlborough, at least for the next couple of weeks.

The District Council’s Operations & Maintenance Engineer Stephen Rooney praised the way Renwick people responded to water restrictions, a response that had the immediate effect of reducing demand from the usual 51 litres per second down to 30 litres per second.

However, Mr Rooney says, even with river levels rising with today’s rain, it will take several days before there is any change in the aquifer at the Renwick water supply wells.

“It’s too soon to lift restrictions because, if the flows don't get sufficiently high or if they are not sustained, the impact on the aquifer will only be temporary.”

However there is better news for properties dependent on irrigation water.

Between 50 and 60 mm of rain was recorded at Rai Valley, the rest of the Northbank area got between 20 and 30 mm while south of the Wairau River about 10 to 15 mm fell, much of it in a period of about an hour, said Council hydrologist Val Wadsworth.

That had an immediate effect on the Wairau’s main tributaries, he said, where a peak flow of 60 cumecs was recorded in the Branch River, 48 cumecs in the upper Wairau at Dip Flat and 46 cumecs in the Waihopai.

Waihopai B consent holders were able to resume their water take this morning, Wairau B consent holders were likely to be back on before tomorrow morning and the Southern Valleys Irrigation Scheme would be back on within the next day or two.

Airline passengers want more space at Marlborough Airport

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 11:00:00 GMT

The results of a survey of users of Marlborough Airport conducted for the airport company underline the growing pressure on existing terminal facilities.

Marlborough Airport Limited (MAL) owned by the Marlborough District Council’s MDC Holdings, has been looking at the need to expand the current terminal building.

A range of improvements to facilities and services at the airport will be considered in the wake of the results of the survey, conducted late last year. It drew 193 responses, just over half of them from businesspeople flying in and out of Marlborough. More than half of the respondents picked up a survey form at the airport but 90 people took the time to complete the survey online.

Respondents suggested the terminal building was too often congested, especially when flights were delayed or when larger planes came in, and although 75% indicated the seats were comfortable, feedback comments suggested that seating was too often inadequate for the numbers waiting for flights.

Feedback also suggested a demand for some kind of separate lounge area and for reliable and cheap Wi-Fi within the terminal.

Respondents suggested the baggage reclaim area should be under cover, that the airport café should be open longer hours and that flight information could be more clearly displayed.

MAL manager Dean Heiford said the survey findings support much of the planning the company has underway and the results confirm some of its priorities. The results would also be useful as the company considers its longer term planning for expansion, he said.

For example, a new flight information system is to be trialled at the terminal this month.

The Airport Company is also investigating the possibility of extending the free Wi-Fi system that the District Council provides through the central shopping areas of Blenheim and Picton.

Feedback about the parking system confirmed the Airport Company’s decision to introduce a new ticketing system; a pay-on-exit system now operating for the long term parking area.

Mr Heiford said MAL will work closely with Air New Zealand and the other tenants and businesses based at the airport to ensure that planning can address their needs.

He said MAL has already sought technical advice on future passenger flows and preliminary layout planning but the company wanted to study the results of the users’ survey before making major decisions.

Top of the South Mayors Discuss Regional Health Issues

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 11:00:00 GMT

Marlborough Mayor Alistair Sowman said he is gratified to have the support of his two fellow mayors in Nelson and Tasman in working for a district-wide solution to the question of future health services provided by the Nelson Marlborough District Health Board.

Mr Sowman has discussed concerns about levels of service in Marlborough with the Nelson region mayors in the wake of the NMDHB review of general surgical and orthopaedic services at Wairau Hospital.

Mr Sowman says the three mayors have agreed to seek an opportunity to sit down together with the DHB to look at the issues that are being raised.

“The other mayors could see that cutbacks to general and orthopaedic surgery could have drastic impacts on Wairau Hospital and they agreed that it would be unfair to suggest the DHB should try to save money by applying all the cost-cutting at the Marlborough end. They could also see the impact it could have on Nelson Hospital if, for example, Marlborough maternity cases began to be shunted on to them,” said Mr Sowman.

“Like me, they hope that some common sense will prevail so that Wairau Hospital retains sufficient senior surgical staff to maintain professional standards.”

“We all agree some top-of-the-south solutions are needed on this matter,” said Mr Sowman.

Blenheim Bus Service

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 11:00:00 GMT

Access to Clubs of Marlborough Bus Stop

Patrons of the Clubs of Marlborough are advised that during construction of the adjacent Civic Theatre Building, there will be intermittent periods when access to this site from the Hutcheson Street entrance is closed.

During such events the Blenheim Bus will be unable to access the Clubs of Marlborough bus stop.

The nearest alternate stop is located at Seymour Square.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Further information on the Blenheim Bus service

Marlborough's Views on Clifford Bay project sent to Wellington

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 11:00:00 GMT

The community consultation report summarising public submissions drawn from four meetings around Marlborough and written submissions has been sent to Transport Minister Gerry Brownlee by the Mayor of Marlborough Sowman.

The 56-page document includes the feedback from meetings held over three days in February plus community feedback received by the Council in email messages and telephone calls.

“It’s a very clear message of concern from the people of Marlborough about the way this is being handled by central government; not all the feedback was negative but the over-riding concern is the information vacuum. People worry that the real impact on us at community level will be ignored,” said Mr Sowman.

The report was tabled at today’s Council’s Community and Financial Planning Committee meeting where it was decided unanimously the report should be forwarded to the government.

Mr Sowman says the key issue identified through the consultation process was that the Government has, thus far, failed to consider the economic and social impact on the region even though this information should be a critical part of any analysis on the viability of the proposal.

The Mayor said his Council and the community have major concerns around the loss of revenue to the people of Marlborough in the tourism sector and the supply chain businesses right across the region.

In his covering letter to the Minister, Mr Sowman notes the project has potentially large impacts on Marlborough and its neighbouring regions and he reiterated the Council’s formal request of mid-February, that the Government commission a full, independent economic and social impact report on the proposal.

ALISTAIR SOWMAN
MAYOR

Sprinkler Ban now in place in Renwick

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 11:00:00 GMT

Water restrictions for Renwick are being escalated as the aquifer levels continue to fall.

There is now a total ban on the use of garden sprinklers including automatic irrigation systems. Hand-held sprinklers may still be used on alternate days only, but are restricted to one hand-held hose per property at a time.

That part of the Wairau aquifer supplying Renwick’s water is experiencing its lowest groundwater levels since reporting began in 1982.

The volume of water being drawn for Renwick from the aquifer has been cut back by 35% since restrictions came into force. However further reductions will be necessary in the next few days if aquifer levels continue to fall.

Council Operations and Maintenance Engineer, Stephen Rooney says the current situation is manageable providing residents comply with the new water restrictions immediately.

Council thanks the Renwick community for observing the restrictions that have been in place and asks for their continuing support.

STEPHEN ROONEY
OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE ENGINEER

Council ensures it has a voice over King Salmon decision

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 11:00:00 GMT

Council ensures it has a voice in the hearing of any appeal over King Salmon decision

The Marlborough District Council will file notice with the High Court to ensure it has a voice in the hearing of any appeal that may be lodged over a decision to allow salmon farming to expand in the Marlborough Sounds.

The Board of Inquiry which examined New Zealand King Salmon’s proposal to expand its operations in the Marlborough Sounds gave approved for a plan change for the company to establish four new farms.
Any appeals to the High Court, based on points of law, must be lodged by 21 March.

The District Council today decided that it needed to ensure it was able to be present in the High Court at any appeal because, as Council, it will be responsible for integrating any plan change into its Marlborough Sounds Resource Management Plan and for enforcing the consent conditions.

Councillors agreed that a notice of intention to appear as a party in any appeal should be filed as it was essential that Council was fully aware of the detail of any further deliberations.

Consent holders urged to respect water restrictions

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 11:00:00 GMT

Holders of water consents which have been suspended due to dropping river levels are being urged to ‘play fair’ and observe the conditions of their consent – while everyone waits for rain.

The Southern Valleys Irrigation Scheme and all Wairau Class B consents and Waihopai Class B consents have been suspended and a similar move is expected in the Rai Valley within the next day or two.

The last month of dry weather has dried out soil moisture and the Wairau River is now running below the 8 cumec shut-off point, a level last reached in the summer of 2006-2007.

Unless there is rain within the week water consents in the Awatere are likely to be suspended.
The current water restrictions in urban Renwick are also expected to be extended soon.

“We have a consent system that is designed to manage the water resource. The system works if every consent holder plays by the rules. Council has a responsibility to protect the wider environment including the river eco-systems. The falling water level is a strong signal that these prolonged dry conditions must be managed. I would expect landowners to understand that,” said Marlborough District Council Regulatory Manager Hans Versteegh.

Council staff have begun making spot checks to ensure consent holders are aware of their obligations to meet the terms of their consents. Council’s compliance staff say most of those who have been found to be still taking water are also claiming to be unaware their consents have been withdrawn.

These property owners are being reminded that infringement notices, carrying a $750 fine, may be issued where consent conditions are being breached, said Mr Versteegh.

All consent holders are advised to keep abreast of the situation by viewing the Council’s website www.marlborough.govt.nz.

“We hope farmers and grape growers will accept that the system of consents is based on fairness. Consents are granted so there are limits on how much water each holder is entitled to take and the terms include a requirement to stop drawing water when it’s running low. Sharing the effect of any water shortage is part of the deal.”

Property owners are pretty quick to find out when someone in their area is deliberately flouting the rules, he said.

“It’s not fair on your neighbours if you choose to ignore the situation and keep taking more than your share of the dwindling water supply. The majority cannot be expected to carry those who don’t think they should have to observe the rules.”

Rural landowners are able to fall back on their own wells, so long as they have current consents to use them.

The Council website has the latest irrigation information but anyone with questions should contact the Council directly.

Blenheim townspeople may not be feeling much direct impact of the rapidly drying conditions but they are being asked to play their part in water conservation.

The big upgrade to Blenheim’s town water supply over the last couple of years has ensured the town is not running dry this summer despite the extended hot weather.

However the Council is asking that everyone recognise the importance of conserving all water resources across the district.

Council Environment Committee chairman Peter Jerram says water is the region’s most valuable resource – and no one should be wasting it.

“The rural community is well aware that irrigation water is a precious commodity but this is also a good opportunity to remind town residents that watering their footpaths or leaving garden hoses on all night is an unnecessary waste.”

Neither gardens nor lawns needed to be watered daily, even at this time of the year, he said.

See more information and important irrigation status links on our River Flows and Levels page of this website

Council to consider next step in NZ King Salmon Case

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 11:00:00 GMT

The Marlborough District Council will meet tomorrow to discuss the Council’s response to the final decision from the Board of Inquiry which examined New Zealand King Salmon’s proposal to expand its operations in the Marlborough Sounds.

Approval was given for a plan change to enable King Salmon to establish four new farms although five other sites were rejected.

Any appeals to the High Court, based on points of law, must be lodged by 21 March.
Council’s regulatory staff are recommending that Council ensure it is present in the High Court at any appeal because Council will be responsible for integrating any plan change into its Marlborough Sounds Resource Management Plan and for enforcing the consent conditions.

Councillors must decide whether the Council should file a notice of intention to appear as a party in any appeal.

Making Marlborough Smart and Connected

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 02:27:29 GMT

Blenheim hooks up to free Wi Fi

From next month, anyone in downtown Blenheim will have free access to the internet with their laptops, tablets and smartphones.

“It won’t matter whether you’re sitting outside in the sun, at a café table or on a park bench, it will be possible to log on from anywhere around the town centre,” says Blenheim District Councillor David Dew.

Blenheim’s free access follows on from Picton where free Wi Fi has been available since late last year, a measure instigated by Councillor Dew and his fellow Picton councillor David Oddie. Both towns join the growing list of metropolitan and regional centres around New Zealand offering free Wi Fi.

“It’s another step we’ve been able to take to underline our ‘smart & connected’ economic policy direction for Marlborough,” said Councillor Dew.

After just three months of Picton’s free service, it has been decided that a booster will be installed to provide better coverage on the Picton foreshore.

In Blenheim, it’s expected the free Wi Fi will ease some of the pressure on space at the District Library where the free internet access brings many people through the doors, said Councillor Dew.

Detail of how far the free access will extend is yet to be confirmed by the technical team installing the connection.

Users will be able to access one free hour before they are required to pay for access. Access time will be able to be transferred between Picton and Blenheim and, eventually, Marlborough Airport.

At the same time as Wi Fi becomes operative in Blenheim, a new CCTV system will go live, replacing the previous security cameras installed around Blenheim about seven years ago. The newer CCTV cameras at the Blenheim District Library and Alfred Street parking building will be retained and linked into the new system.

The new cameras will be located at sites that are either areas of interest in terms of public safety or important council assets.

The Council and the Police will be able to view all camera feeds.

DAVID DEW
BLENHEIM WARD COUNCILLOR

Changes to delivery of some Social Services to Marlborough

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 11:00:00 GMT

Safer Communities Marlborough, an umbrella group providing social services through the Marlborough District Council, has been restructured.

Safety Communities operated various contracts with government agencies where no other contractor or provider could be found. Its services included the Truancy Service for the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Justice restorative justice programme.

The review of Safer Communities was prompted by government decisions to centralise some of these roles, said Marlborough Mayor Alistair Sowman.

“Safer Communities was acting as a ‘provider of last resort’ and it makes sense for the Council to step back from this role where other options are available. Fortunately, the knowledge and experience of some of the key staff from Safer Communities will be retained by the new contractors,” said Mr Sowman.

Since the beginning of this year, truancy services have been provided across the Marlborough-Tasman region by a Christchurch-based Maori provider with a strong background in youth development, Te Ora Hou, which has taken on the present Truancy Officer in Marlborough.

Earlier this month the Marlborough Community College took over the NEET Service in Marlborough, a contract with Work And Income to deal with at risk 16 and 17 year olds who are not in education or receiving any kind of employment or training.

The Restorative Justice programme funded by the Ministry of Justice, Turnaround Marlborough, will continue to be run for the next six months with the current two staff before an open tender process is conducted.

The Council’s “Street Intensive” projects, where neighbourhoods come together to clean up their areas with community help, will continue for the meantime under the leadership of the man who has been running Safer Communities, Paul Johnson, so that the most recent street improvements can be followed up. Efforts will be made to explore funding sources within the Ministry of Justice to ensure this programme can continue.

The Neighbourhood Support resources which are currently provided with voluntary staff may be moved into the Council’s emergency management section.

“We want to expand the neighbourhood support networks because we have seen from Christchurch how important those neighbourhood links are when it comes to a civil defence emergency,” said Mr Sowman.

Council’s Assets and Services section will take over Safer Communities role in preventing the spread of graffiti in Marlborough.

ALISTAIR SOWMAN
MAYOR

Phoenix Palms to be Removed

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 11:00:00 GMT

More of the Phoenix palm trees near the Clubs of Marlborough building are to be removed.

About 18 palm trees were removed from the site to make way for the construction of the Clubs of Marlborough building in 2007. Most were not able to be relocated.

Now, five have to go to make way for the construction of the new Civic Theatre.

Theatre project manager Tim Smit said one palm has been taken down already as it was root-bound, its roots wrapped around underground telecommunication services.

Five other palms are being assessed by an expert aborist to see if it’s possible to transplant them. Eight of the original 18 were successfully moved and used in landscaping at the Railway Station and skate park.

“Transplanting palms of this size is an expensive exercise and may not be a viable option especially in a dry summer given the likely survival rate,” said Council Executive Projects Manager Jamie Lyall.

However Mr Lyall said one possible site where an attempt could be made to re-establish the trees is road reserve land in Grove Road, along the riverbank near the Dillon’s Point Road intersection.

“We have to balance up the cost – likely to be at least $7000 per tree – against the loss of a mature tree. It’s a shame but these palms were planted in an earlier era and are not really an ideal specimen for today’s urban landscape, as people can see from the bird mess around them.”

Water Goes Off as Hot Weather Continues

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 03:48:00 GMT

Irrigation water supplies are being shut down around Marlborough as the continuing hot, dry weather takes effect on river levels.

This morning the Marlborough District Council shut off water for irrigation to about 5000 hectares of farms and vineyards along the Wairau River and another 30 properties on each side of the Waihopai River.

Wairau Class B consents and Waihopai Class B consents have been suspended and the Southern Valleys Irrigation Scheme was also turned off this morning, affecting more than 4500 ha of mostly vineyard property.

The situation is also looking serious for Rai Valley and irrigation water supplies may have to go off there later this week.

There is reduced flow through Gibsons Creek and that will begin to affect wells in Renwick. The existing water restrictions for Renwick are likely to escalate.

No rain is forecast until next weekend. Unfortunately, unless that rainfall proves to be of a significant amount, it may not be sufficient to reinstate these water supplies.

River flows have been falling steadily since early February.

All consent holders are advised to monitor the Marlborough District Council website, www.marlborough.govt.nz where the very latest information is being posted regularly. Any consent holders without internet access may phone the Council for more information.

See more information and important irrigation status links on the River Flows and Levels page

Water use in both Picton and Havelock is heavy but there is no indication yet that restrictions will be needed.
Blenheim itself has no problems due to the District Council’s multi-million dollar upgrade of the water infrastructure.

Consent holders are also reminded that the Council's compliance team does spot checks to ensure that all consent conditions are being met.

Proposed Kerbside Collection Routes Expansion

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 19:35:00 GMT

The proposal to expand the kerbside collections of rubbish and recycling to the Burleigh, west side of Springlands, St Andrews and Dry Hills areas has now been adopted into the draft annual plan.

A summary of responses to the proposed kerbside collection routes expansion consultation, and minutes of the meeting to hear these submissions, are now available on the Proposed Kerbside Collection Routes Expansion page of this website.

After a consultation process, the draft annual plan will become final, and will be adopted by Council on 27 June 2013.

See summary of responses and meeting minutes

Suspension Imminent - Wairau Class B Water Consents

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 11:00:00 GMT

Dry weather means suspension imminent for Wairau Class B water consents

The continuing dry weather means the Marlborough District Council is poised to shut off water for irrigation to about 5000 hectares of farms and and vineyards along the Wairau River.

About 50 properties with Wairau Class B consents will be required to suspend their water take from the Wairau River unless rain arrives soon.

Council’s Environment Committee chairman Peter Jerram says with the 10-day forecast for continuing sunshine in Marlborough the crunch may come by this weekend.

“Every day the sun comes out we get closer to the cut-off. It may be Friday or the situation may hold until Saturday or Sunday but it’s not likely to be any later than that.”

The last significant rain in the Wairau catchment was recorded on 4 February, and Wairau River flows have been falling steadily since then.

Consent holders are advised to monitor the situation through the Marlborough District Council website, www.marlborough.govt.nz. An alert will be issued on the website as soon as consents are suspended.

Councillor Jerram said the onus is on consent holders to keep abreast of the situation so all consent holders need to be checking the website or, if more information is required, contacting the Council.

Council's compliance team will be reading meters and doing spot checks to ensure everyone is complying with their consent conditions.

Councillor Jerram says once the restriction is imposed it is not likely to be lifted again until there is rain.

“We’re aware that the restrictions can cause difficulties for some people without storage options, and will be looking forward to getting it back on as soon as conditions allow.”

PETER JERRAM
ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN

For more information on river flows and levels, see the Environmental section of our hydrological information site
See also rainfall and river reports accessible from the Hydrological Information home page.
Need to get a copy of your resource consent? To access property and resource consent files see our online property and resource consent file search.
For Southern Valleys' Irrigation Scheme (SVIS) updates, see the SVIS Messages page.

Sprinkler Ban Reinstated In Renwick

Sun, 03 Mar 2013 19:22:21 GMT

Hosing restrictions have been put in place again for Renwick today with the warning that tighter restrictions may be necessary if people ignore the ban.

Council’s Operations and Maintenance Engineer Stephen Rooney says the amount of water currently being used coupled with the low aquifer levels again in Renwick mean that, from today, hosing gardens must be limited to alternate days only.

Properties with even-numbered street addresses may use sprinklers only on even-numbered calendar days and those with odd-numbered street address are restricted to the odd-numbered days.

There is no restriction on hand-held hoses but residents are asked to be sensible and keep this to a minimum. Only one tap should be used at a time to run a sprinkler or sprinkler systems.

With no rain in the forecast for the immediate future, the restrictions will be in place until further notice.

He says the outlook is very much in residents’ own hands.

“If everyone follows good water conservation habits this low-level water restriction may be all that is necessary. However, if people ignore the ban and it gets drier, an outright ban may have to be imposed.”

It was hard for some people to accept that their gardens and lawns should not be irrigated daily but the Council was acting now in the hope that a more wide-ranging ban would not be necessary, he said.

The Council asks that everyone think about saving water:

Don’t leave automatic irrigation systems running for long periods.
Consider installing flow limiters to taps to reduce water volume.
If you have a timer on your irrigation system, irrigate at night between 10pm and 5am on your allocated irrigation day.

Anyone may contact the Council phone 520 7400 if unclear about which day they may water their garden.

New Parking System at Marlborough Airport from April

Sun, 03 Mar 2013 11:00:00 GMT

A new ticket system for parking at Marlborough Airport is to be introduced in April. It will be a pay-on-exit system, enabling people to pay for the exact length of time they have occupied a parking space.

It means that, where a flight is late or travel plans change unexpectedly, a car left sitting in the parking lot will not incur parking fines.

People will take a ticket on arrival in the car park, pay at a ticket machine before departure, then use the ticket to trigger the barrier arm to leave.

The new system will replace the present pay-and-display coupon dispenser which has proved difficult for some patrons to use at times. The honesty envelope option will also be removed.

The new system should be more convenient for the travelling public, said Marlborough Airport manager Dean Heiford.

“It will be more user-friendly than the existing system which, when it was installed, was the best option then available,” he said.

A recent survey of airline users by Marlborough Airport Limited showed that a third of those who responded still find some difficulties with the current parking system.

One hundred and eighty seven people responded to a question asking whether the existing payment system was clear and easy to use.

“The great majority don’t have any gripe about the actual cost of parking, which is on a par with other regional airports, but there is definitely concern about the ease and convenience of the ticket system itself,” said Mr Heiford.

The new equipment is due to be installed late next month and should be in operation by late April.

There will be no change to the short-stay parking places or the set-down-and-pick-up area directly outside the terminal building.

Councillors trim spending further to achieve 2.19% rates movement

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 11:00:00 GMT

Marlborough District Councillors have squeezed some further spending out of Council budgets to bring the rates increase for the district down to 2.19% for the coming year.

Mayor Alistair Sowman says a rigorous approach to Council budgets this year should ensure one of the lowest rates movements in a decade.

The Council’s draft Budget 2013-14 had proposed an increase of 2.57% in total rates and charges levied but by the end of today’s meeting councillors had agreed on a series of further small cuts or deferrals to various spending programmes without affecting existing levels of service.

It was agreed, for example, that work to extend the Lower Wairau Plain drainage network could be deferred and to cut back funding for the rarely-used Community Pest Programme. Unused funds from the Culture and Heritage area and Community Grants Fund would be carried forward to help reduce rates. However the budgets for these items have been maintained.

Mayor Alistair Sowman said the overall increase in the rates-take was very restrained indeed. As usual, he said, core infrastructure like roads and footpaths, sewerage and water supply accounted for the bulk of Council’s expenditure.

He believed the areas of new spending the Council was contemplating would be supported by the community.

The largest item is the $1.7M allocated to improving Middle Renwick Road through Springlands and the Bells Road-St Leonards Road intersection.

Council also faces costs of almost $300,000 to upgrade playground surfaces across the district to meet national standards.

Councillors are also supporting new projects to analyse the town’s water quality and to continue with economic development work, each financed by existing Council reserve funds. New funding is also proposed to build up Council capacity to undertake coastal monitoring while long term sources of funding for this work are sought.

The draft Budget 2013-14 will now go out for community consultation with submissions accepted until Thursday 9 May.

ALISTAIR SOWMAN
MAYOR

Council to tackle Blenheim's urban water quality issues

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 11:00:00 GMT

The Marlborough District Council is to embark on some major research into the water quality of the Taylor River and the small waterways that run into it.

It has agreed to a study of the Taylor’s catchment area to look at the way rural land use is affecting water quality and to examine the town’s stormwater system and how its effects the river.

Marlborough Mayor Alistair Sowman says the project shows the Council is serious about tackling the issue of water quality in Marlborough.

“In recent years we have realised the town should not be turning its back to the river. We have done a lot of work along its edges and people are again learning to appreciate its importance. Now it’s time to get serious about the quality of the water flowing within its banks.”

“I said at the beginning of this Council’s term that I would like to see Marlborough earn the reputation for the cleanest water in the country so I am very pleased to see the support for this project.”

“I believe this is an intelligent community with a strong sense of environmental responsibility and this kind of target shows that we are serious about our health and wellbeing. Once we have achieved high water quality standards it will send out a very strong signal about how we in Marlborough manage our landscape. It would be a very powerful message for the region.”

Councillors have been told by Council staff that Marlborough has a number of rivers where water quality is affected by land use, human activity and natural processes and water quality has been noted as an issue in the Taylor River and its major rural tributary, Doctors Creek.

The Council already has a stormwater strategy but it’s planning to back that up with a substantial monitoring programme, collating information from 23 sites across Blenheim, in order to get an accurate analysis of the pollutants that are getting into the system and the sources of that contamination.

Mr Sowman said this would help to understand the degree to which stormwater is affecting river water quality. Most of the cost involved would be the laboratory analysis of samples collected by Council staff.

ALISTAIR SOWMAN
MAYOR

Minimal rates movement as Council focuses on core activities

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 11:00:00 GMT

Marlborough Mayor Alistair Sowman says a rigorous approach to Council budgets this year should ensure one of the lowest rates movements in a decade.

The Council’s draft Budget 2013-14 proposes an increase in total rates and charges levied of 2.57%. This will allow enable the Council to maintain its current levels of service.

However Councillors will next week examine a list of potential savings that could be made in various budgets which could bring that figure down even further, to almost 2%.

Mr Sowman says the programme outlined in this draft Budget is heavily weighted toward core infrastructure, addressing water quality issues in particular.

“I’m acutely aware of the affordability issue so there’s very little new spending in this budget. I am also conscious that Council needs to concentrate on the district’s top priorities – and I believe that right at the top is the essential infrastructure to deliver better water quality across Marlborough.”

He said the biggest components in the spending programme directly related to the on-going costs of the big capital projects to raise water quality standards through sewerage and water upgrades that the Council has been delivering to Blenheim and Picton.

“I can’t stress too much the importance of this work; we’re stopping the overflow of sewage into Picton harbour in bad weather, we’re getting sewage out of the Opawa River and we’re ensuring the drinking water in Blenheim and Picton meets national standards.”

Without these projects, the rates rise would have been even lower, he said. However, the cost of such big capital projects was spread over several years to make them easier for the district to fund.

“I can assure everyone that the financial management of the Marlborough District Council is extremely sound. Our long term planning had indicated that rates could rise by almost 5% for 2013-14 but Council has reviewed budgets line by line. They’ve been thorough and I doubt that many other regions will be able to present such a strong picture.”

Mr Sowman said it would be up to councillors to decide where other spending cuts might be made. Staff had put forward a list of options, including deferring some projects and carrying forward some unspent funds, that could save a quarter of a million dollars which, in turn, would bring the rates figure closer to 2%, he said.

The Council meets on Thursday 28 February to consider the Budget for 2013-14.

Councillors will also then have the opportunity to confirm some of the plans they have lined up for the year ahead, including the upgrading of playground surfaces to meet national standards, the redesign of traffic flows on Middle Renwick Road to overcome road safety risks and congestion, and an analysis of water quality in the Taylor River.

QEII Music Fund Award 2013

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 02:00:00 GMT

This year’s recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Music Award is Rarangi girl Caitlin Morris, a young cellist who this year begins studying for a music degree at Victoria University.

Caitlin completed her secondary schooling at Marlborough Girls’ College with a string of music awards and achievements during 2011-2012.

A talented musician, she is also an accomplished Highland dancer, having represented New Zealand in Edinburgh in 2010.

A regular performer in school productions, Caitlin was a member of the College’s senior choir Bella Voca and a member of its string quartet. She was selected as a member of the New Zealand Secondary Schools Orchestra last year.

However she was nominated for the QEII Music Award on the strength of her achievements with the cello. Caitlin passed Royal School of Music Grade 8 with distinction in Cello after less than three years.

She was nominated for the award by Marios Sophocleous who described her as the most talented young musician he has seen in Blenheim in 40 years.

Caitlin has an academic scholarship to Victoria University where she will be studying for a Bachelor of Music majoring in both Classical Performance and Composition.

However her long term goal is to study at the Royal Academy of Music in London.

Background to QEII Music Fund Award

The QEII Music Fund Award was established in 1963 following a visit by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Set up with contributions from local bodies throughout the region at that time, today the Kaikoura and Marlborough District Councils administer the Award. The grant assists recipients to continue their musical training.

Alistair Sowman
Mayor

Mayor asks Minister for Impact Report

Sun, 17 Feb 2013 11:00:00 GMT

Mayor asks Minister to commission an independent social and economic impact report

Marlborough Mayor Alistair Sowman has requested that central government commission an independent social and economic impact report to understand the effect that moving the ferry terminal to Clifford Bay would have on the businesses and community of Marlborough.

Mr Sowman has written to the Minister of Transport Gerry Brownlee, seeking an assurance that this analysis would be completed and included at an early stage of the Government’s decision-making process on the Clifford Bay proposal.

Marlborough’s ratepayers should not be carrying the cost of the planning and research for a national project, nor should they be expected to fund a study into the impacts they will face as a consequence of this project, said Mr Sowman.

“If this goes ahead, there is a very big risk that Marlborough – even the whole top of the south – will become a regional cul de sac.”

Mr Sowman says New Zealand has already had bitter experience of the effects of political decision-making based solely on financial outcomes while ignoring social consequences and he did not want to see that happen to Marlborough.

“The pain wrought by Rogernomics caused permanent damage to some communities because the effect of families and society was ignored. If the government determines it will go ahead on this, I’m sure they will also recognise that it will cause hurt within our region.”

The Mayor says feedback suggests Picton stands to lose about two hundred port, rail and ferry related jobs and that figure could double when all the related and associated employment in the retail, hospitality and accommodation sector is taken into account.

“Some of this will be displacement – with jobs moving to Clifford Bay – but many of Picton’s tourism and retail jobs will be wiped out.”

The drop in population, coupled with unemployment and businesses losses, would have a direct effect on Picton’s schools and social services, he said.

“I’ve now sat through seven hours of public discussion on this issue; listening to the various viewpoints from different parts of the region and the many questions that have been raised. While this project would offer significant advantages to the Seddon-Ward area, my fear is that it will, overall, disadvantage this region as a whole.”

“But we’re all working with uncertainty because there is no accurate data - and that uncertainty creates a cost in itself. It is debilitating for ferry-dependent businesses but it is also difficult for those who don’t know how much they will be hurt if the shift goes ahead.”

It’s the government’s responsibility to ensure a full social and economic impact report is incorporated into the decision-making process well before final decisions are made and the consent process begins, he said.

Mr Sowman says there is no doubt that the project would bring some benefits; construction investment and jobs on the Awatere side, and the positive aspects of reducing some of the heavy freight traffic through Blenheim. But any new port-related jobs would be more than matched by losses elsewhere, particularly in the tourism industry.

“Construction project work comes to an end – our tourism industry is a permanent part of our local economy.”

The Mayor also says it’s imperative that a cogent analysis of the risks to Marlborough ratepayers forms part of the decision-making.

“We need to see the detail and scope of the work that has already been done - and to be assured that all impacts are taken into account before any final decision.”

Mr Sowman says a thorough economic assessment report would take time and resources with the cost likely to run well beyond a hundred thousand dollars.

“That’s going to be another cost in this proposal but I am sure the government, if it wants to proceed, will acknowledge its responsibility to look at all aspects of this project thoroughly.”

“I also want to know if our ratepayers are at any risk of carrying capital or on-going costs indirectly associated with the project. Given the lack of information, we cannot accurately assess where costs may fall.”

Mr Sowman said establishing Clifford Bay would raise a need for new community facilities and services in the Awatere and the scale and quality of water and sewerage infrastructure would need to be addressed.

He said some ferry-related businesses would have to shift their operations and there would be cost involved in that.

The loss of a chunk of Port Marlborough’s dividend would be a blow to ratepayers, diminishing an important revenue source for the region.

“Most importantly, we need to understand what this would do to the viability of Picton; whether it would be able to sustain its present services. What, for example, would happen to the school rolls and associated funding?”

“If the government does decide it’s in the national interest to go ahead with the move to Clifford Bay, we cannot afford to have central government pushing costs onto our ratepayers, either for the project itself or for the planning in the run up to it. That would be grossly unfair to the ratepayers of this, the second smallest region in the country.”

ALISTAIR SOWMAN
MAYOR

Regional Events Strategy Coordinator Appointed

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 21:16:42 GMT

Marlborough woman Susie Witehira has been appointed to the new role of Regional Events Strategy coordinator.

Mrs Witehira was the regional project manager for Marlborough in support of the Rugby World Cup 2011.

The new role has been created to support the tourism, business and events sector and build Marlborough’s ability to attract and retain events. Communication and coordination, including the establishment of an events framework for the region, are key responsibilities of the new role.

The coordination job was established in response to a request from Grow Marlborough, a forum of business and visitor industry representatives brought together last year to help build the economic returns from visitors to the region. The Council is funding the new role through a levy on commercial and industrial ratepayers while Grow Marlborough will provide support and guidance to the coordinator role.

Destination Marlborough General Manager Tracy Johnston said the establishment of this role was at the top of the agenda for the Grow Marlborough forum participants for 2012.

“There is a real desire to work together across the sector groups to align activity and communication. We welcome Susie's appointment and look forward to working alongside the Council to maximise every opportunity that events create for this region."

Mrs Witehira is a local woman who has returned to raise a family here after gaining commercial experience in the Auckland events market.

Council manager of Strategic Planning and Economic Development Neil Henry says the RWC experience extended Mrs Witehira’s connections with the national network of events professionals and, in the months of planning that went into the Rugby World Cup, she got a good insight into the local events sector.

Part of the job brief will be to develop a plan for supporting and building on existing events and improving the communication between all sectors. However the role does not include actual event organisation.

Mrs Witehira will begin work next month. She has been appointed for a term of three years.

NEIL HENRY
MANAGER STRATEGIC PLANNING & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Marlborough Ferry Terminal Move

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 02:46:03 GMT

Discussion of impact on Marlborough of ferry terminal move

Public meetings organised by the Marlborough District Council will be held next week to enable public discussion about the impact on the Marlborough region should the government decide to relocate the Picton ferry terminal to Clifford Bay.

The meetings will be a chance to bring people up to date on the Council’s understanding of the project and to give people a chance to express their views.

Mayor Alistair Sowman says the Ministry of Transport has stressed that, at this stage, the financial feasibility of the project is still being assessed and any decision by the government to move to the next stage is still some months away.

However, it was important to begin the task of assembling information on the impact on businesses and communities at local level even though the government is still in the early fact-finding stage itself, said Mr Sowman.

“This will be a central government decision but we do want to make sure that Council can relay to those politicians an authoritative report on the regional impact; both the upside and the downside of such a decision.”

As a first step, it is intended that a report to the District Council will be prepared from the public feedback received at the four public meetings that are scheduled.

Meetings are being held at the following venues:

Monday, 11 February at 7.00 pm at the Queen Charlotte College Hall, Picton
Tuesday, 12 February at 12 noon at the Awatere Memorial Hall, Seddon
Tuesday, 12 February at 7.00 pm at the Marlborough Convention Centre, Blenheim
Wednesday, 13 February at 12 noon at the Havelock Hall, Havelock

Enquiries to Council Executive Projects Manager Jamie Lyall, phone 03 520 7400.

ALISTAIR SOWMAN
MAYOR

Council-Community Consultation to prepare for Clifford Bay Decision

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 00:32:00 GMT

Marlborough Mayor Alistair Sowman is planning a series of public meetings to help draw together the region’s position should the government make a decision in favour of moving the Picton ferry terminal to Clifford Bay.

Public meetings, with a professional facilitator, will be held in Picton, Blenheim, Seddon and Ward.

Mr Sowman says if the Government decides to make the move to Clifford Bay it would have widespread repercussions for Marlborough and it is important the region has time to prepare itself for a period of adjustment.

“But first of all we need our communities to consider all the implications so Council can form a view of the ‘big picture’ for the region,” he said.

His proposal will be discussed by the full Council at next week’s meeting.

Mr Sowman says each of the directly affected communities in Marlborough should have the opportunity to get together and discuss the impact of a significant shift in traffic flows that would result from moving the ferries to Clifford Bay.

There would be both commercial and social implications in such a decision, he said.

“There are all kinds of issues to look at including the effect on Picton tourism, possible population changes to some of our smaller communities, the reduction in tourist traffic on a large part of State Highway One and the future of the rail marshalling yards in Picton.”

The Mayor said it would assist discussions if the government would release the research done through the Ministry of Transport this year which was used to support the government claim that there was a strong business case for further examining the proposal to move the South Island ferry terminal from Picton to Clifford Bay.

“One thing that is missing in the public discussion so far is the hard data about the impact on Marlborough; who exactly would be affected and how big that effect would be. There has been a lot of talk, a lot of dire predictions and some positive anticipation –but the reality is that we don’t yet know just how big the economic impact would be on this region.”

“Nor do we know whether, on balance, the overall impact would be positive or negative,” he said.
However Mayor Sowman said the two certainties arising from a decision to move to Clifford Bay would be that Picton would need help to adapt to the new circumstances and Council would want financial assistance from the Government to help with this process.

The Government has indicated a timeframe which would see construction beginning in 2016 with a new port operating by 2020.

“I do not want to see the government under-estimate the repercussions for Marlborough and, while there is some time before firm decisions will be made, it’s vital this region does get all the assistance it would need to properly plan for and adapt to such a change. The government has said its decision will be made on the basis of national interest but that decision must also acknowledge the needs of Marlborough.”

See times and venues of public meetings to discuss the potential impact on Marlborough

ALISTAIR SOWMAN
MAYOR

Clifford Bay Public Meetings

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 00:26:00 GMT

Dates have been set for public meetings for the people of Picton, Blenheim, Seddon and Ward, and Havelock to enable public discussion about the impact of moving the Cook Strait ferry terminal from Picton to Clifford Bay.

The government has yet to make a decision on a proposal but it has indicated that, if it does get the go ahead, the project could be completed by 2020.

The first public meeting will be held on Monday evening 11 February, in Picton, with a midday meeting in Seddon or Ward the next day, February 12, and an evening meeting that night in Blenheim. Details of venues will be publicly advertised in the new year.

See times and venues of public meetings

The meetings will be open to everyone. The feedback from each meeting will be collated into a report which will be brought back to the Council.

Marlborough Mayor Alistair Sowman says there is a great deal of information to draw out of the community before there’s a full understanding of what a shift might mean.

“There’s no doubt the impact will be significant if a decision is made to move. But what we don’t yet know is the extent of the impact. The government has done some work assessing business impact but as we haven’t seen that report we don’t know how thorough or accurate it is. Nor do we, as a community, have an accurate picture ourselves.”

Mr Sowman said the ball is already rolling with business sector group meetings underway.
He said all these meetings will help to inform the wider public discussion.

“Council’s role will be to draw together everything that emerges from public discussions and meetings. This is a regional issue which will affect our local economy at a number of levels. But, as a starting point, we need to enable this public discussion to begin.”

ALISTAIR SOWMAN
MAYOR

Clifford Bay - Impact on Marlborough's Regional Economy

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 00:19:00 GMT

Mayor Alistair Sowman has asked Hon Gerry Brownlee, Minister of Transport, to release a report prepared by Covec Limited on the likely economic impacts on Marlborough of a new ferry terminal at Clifford Bay.

‘I am concerned that the Government has underestimated the economic impact of a move to Clifford Bay on the Picton economy in particular. There seems to be an assumption within Government that Picton will be able to transform itself into a Queenstown of The Top of the South. However Picton has to rely on a summer tourism season only and Marlborough lacks critical infrastructure such as an international airport compared to Queenstown.’ Says Mayor Sowman

Council is holding public meetings on 11 and 12 February to discuss the impact of Clifford Bay on the Region. The Covec Report would be a useful resource for these meetings. Feedback from the meetings will be collated into a report for Council which will also be forwarded to the Government.

See times and venues of public meetings

ALISTAIR SOWMAN
MAYOR

Marlborough Lures Romeo Bragato Back To Town

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 22:39:47 GMT

The success of this year’s Romeo Bragato annual conference for the wine industry has prompted conference organisers to bring the conference back to Marlborough again next year, a decision hailed by Mayor Alistair Sowman as a coup for the region.

In past years the conference has been rotated between Auckland, Hawkes Bay and Marlborough. The largest conference on the wine industry calendar, it brings together grape growers, wine makers and trade representatives. The Romeo Bragato Wine Awards are held in conjunction with the conference.

Mr Sowman says the feedback from the conference organisers this year was that Blenheim’s location worked well for both exhibitors and delegates.

“We used the Marlborough Convention Centre and arrangements were made to erect the large exhibition marquees at the front of the Clubs’ Complex – to create sufficient space for an event of this scale. It just goes to show that, if we can make the space available, big events want to come here,” said Mr Sowman.

Event organiser Karen McLean of the Napier-based events company Attend Limited confirmed that Blenheim would get the return booking.

“The feedback on the success of the venue and the ease of holding the conference in such a compact town was brilliant. Based on this, NZ Winegrowers has decided to hold the conference in the same region,” she said.

The Mayor says, with just about half the 500 conference participants from out of town, an event of this scale is worth somewhere around a million dollars to the Marlborough economy.

“Our retailers and hospitality workers get a real financial boost from this kind of event. Delegates are booked into our hotels and motels, they’re heading into our shops and cafes and spending at a time of the year when things can still be pretty flat. Local labour is needed to set up marquees, wait on tables and drive people around. It’s big business for the town!”

There’s a spin-off for local food suppliers too - one thousand lunches and 2000 morning and afternoon teas were served during the course of the conference and local produce featured in the formal conference dinner.

Mr Sowman says the Council had been liaising closely with the North Island event organisers to encourage them to bring this conference back to Marlborough next year.

“This is the heart of the wine industry and this is its biggest event. Wouldn’t it be terrific if it would permanently make its base Marlborough? I am sure Romeo Bragato would look out on the vineyards of Marlborough and appreciate that we have realised his vision.”

Renwick Water Restrictions Lifted

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 22:38:55 GMT

Council wishes to advise Renwick residents water restrictions have been lifted.

Recent rain and aquifer levels increasing enables the restrictions to be lifted.
Residents are asked to continue to conserve and use water wisely to avoid the necessity to reinstate the restrictions.

Council wishes to thank the community for their adherence to these restrictions, this avoided low pressure problems during peak water demand in the last few weeks.

STEPHEN ROONEY
OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE ENGINEER

Picton Foreshore Swimming Warning

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 11:00:00 GMT

The public are being warned not to swim at Picton Foreshore.

Today Council, in conjunction with the Public Health Service of Nelson Marlborough District Health Board, is erecting signage warning the public of contamination and advising against swimming at Picton Foreshore until further notice.

During heavy rainfall on Tuesday sewage overflowed for a short duration from the Dublin and Surrey Street sewer pump stations.

These discharges combined with flood flows in the Waitohi Stream have caused bacterial contamination of the Picton Foreshore area.

Water quality samples will be taken daily until bacteria levels have reduced to acceptable guideline values. At which time the signs will be taken down.

Planned sewer pump station upgrades will reduce the incidence of these overflows. These upgrades will commence in 2014/2015 with the Dublin Street pump station to be revamped with Surrey Street the following year, then progressively Beach Road, Waikawa Road and Shelley Beach pump stations.

STEPHEN ROONEY
OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE ENGINEER

New Channel Marks Installed at Havelock

Tue, 08 Jan 2013 22:11:00 GMT

New channel markings are now in place to assist vessels navigating their way through the shallows of Havelock but their location will be reviewed after summer to confirm the right sites have been selected.

Marlborough Harbourmaster Captain Alex Van Wijngaarden says a decision was made earlier this year to upgrade the channel marks after consultation with the operators and users of the marina at Havelock.

Captain Van Wijngaarden says feedback from a mid-year meeting at the Pelorus Yacht Club helped establish where the seven new navigation beacons should be located.

The new piles are now in place, just southwest of Black Point to Cullen’s Point, with new navigation lights mounted on the poles.

“The lights represent both a considerable cost saving and a technological advance over the previous generation of lights deployed by the Marlborough District Council. The new lights rely on a small wireless device, not unlike a remote television pad, which controls the rate of flashing and the intensity of the light,” the Harbourmaster said.

Captain Van Wijngaarden says the new markings will be in place for a trial period of five months. After that, further consultation will be held with the Havelock marine community to review their effectiveness.

Feedback will be welcome at any time during the trial period and will be included in next year’s planned review. Any comments should be e-mailed to alan.coghlan@marlborough.govt.nz by 1 May, 2013.

For further information please go to www.pictonharbour.co.nz or see a detailed chart in the Marina Office at Havelock or contact the Harbour Office on (03) 520 7400.

Navigation Map (396 Kb)

"Vessels proceeding towards Havelock should keep all green marks to their right and all red marks to their left and the reverse when proceeding outwards".

Free Picton Wifi up and running

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 11:00:00 GMT

The Picton free wifi system is officially operating as of noon today (Friday 21 December).
Mayor Alistair Sowman says he’s pleased this has been achieved before Christmas, in time for Picton’s summer visitor influx.

“The contractors Network Tasman Limited and The Pacific.net have delivered the system within a very tight timeframe,” says Mayor Sowman.

“I would like to thank them and the property owners who have allowed us to install the equipment on their sites.”

The wifi system is on the same network as the Crime Prevention CCTV system being operated by the Police.

This system is operational as well and is proving useful already to the Picton Police.

The wifi system covers the majority of the Picton Foreshore and High Street. The first hour is free with options for purchasing access after that. The site can be located by searching for a wifi site called FreeSpot and then following the instructions.

“There were a number of devices that have connected to the system while it was being tested, proving that it is easy to find and will hopefully prove useful to travellers and locals in Picton,” said Justin Wells from the Pacific.net.

Mr Sowman said it was hoped the free wifi would also relieve some of the pressure on the Picton library and the APNK network.

The same system will be installed in Blenheim in early 2013 and credit will be transferrable across the network.

ALISTAIR SOWMAN
MAYOR

King Salmon Draft Decision

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 11:00:00 GMT

The Marlborough District Council has received a copy of the draft decision by the Environmental Protection Authority board of inquiry and Council planning staff are now studying it.

Marlborough Mayor Alistair Sowman said the Council needed to understand why the Board had gone against the long-established Marlborough position that activity in the Sounds should be clearly separated with one area for industry, another for recreation.

Mr Sowman stressed that the Council itself never had a fully developed position on the King Salmon application because, as the local authority, it never had the opportunity to consider the merits of the proposal through its existing processes.

The Council has stated only that it did not believe that its resource management plan should be set aside, he said.

However, Mr Sowman said, now that a draft decision has recommended four new sites be approved, the Council would work with King Salmon to progress its plans.

“We look forward to engaging with the company – particularly to hear more about its plans for job expansion within Marlborough,” said Mr Sowman.

He said a salmon processing plant in Picton would be the ideal outcome for this region now that the company has the go-ahead to expand.

“I believe King Salmon is acutely aware that they have a big public relations challenge ahead with a significant portion of the Marlborough community. But I am sure that the company will put time and effort into building bridges here and the Council will be very open to working with King Salmon,” he said.

The District Council would also have to consider the decision’s precedent-setting implications for future aquaculture activity in the Marlborough Sounds, he said.

“However, before we make any detailed comment about the planning issues within this report, we will need to study it and fully consider the implications for the Marlborough Sounds,” said Mr Sowman.

ALISTAIR SOWMAN
MAYOR

Sprinkler Ban Imposed On Renwick Today

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 11:00:00 GMT

Hosing restrictions have been put in place for Renwick today with the warning that tighter restrictions may be necessary if people ignore the ban.

Council’s Operations and Maintenance Engineer Stephen Rooney says the amount of water currently being used coupled with the low aquifer levels in Renwick mean that, from today, hosing gardens must be limited to alternate days only.

Properties with even-numbered street addresses may use sprinklers only on even-numbered calendar days and those with odd-numbered street address are restricted to the odd-numbered days.

There is no restriction on hand-held hoses but residents are asked to be sensible and keep this to a minimum. Only one tap should be used at a time to run a sprinkler or sprinkler systems.

With no rain in the forecast for the immediate future, the restrictions will be in place until further notice.

Mr Rooney says water supplies in both Havelock and Picton are being closely monitored but, at this stage, they should be adequate at least until the early new year.

He says the outlook is very much in residents’ own hands.

The Council asks that everyone think about saving water:

Don’t leave automatic irrigation systems running for long periods.
Consider installing flow limiters to taps to reduce water volume.
If you have a timer on your irrigation system, irrigate at night between 10.00 pm and 5.00 am on your allocated irrigation day.

Anyone may contact the Council phone 03 520 7400 if unclear about which day they may water their garden.

Old Tree Removed For The Sake Of Safety

Sun, 16 Dec 2012 19:19:31 GMT

A large, aging oak tree had to be removed from a property on the corner of Maxwell Road and Stephenson Street today after it was declared a danger.

Arborists found a split in the tree’s trunk yesterday and, in order to minimise the risk of branches falling over the road or onto the next door property, some of its limbs were removed.

Further assessment of the tree’s future was intended but, with today’s high wind gusts, the tree was showing so much movement that immediate removal was requested by the Council.

Police and Marlborough Roads cordoned off the area this afternoon and nearby residences were evacuated while the tree was largely removed.

Aborists suggested that the tree had been topped many years ago, which had weakened its structure and opened the trunk up to decay.

The tree, on both private and public land, is thought to be about 80 or more years old. It was not listed as a protected tree on the District Council’s register although several neighbouring trees are registered.

Fire Warning On Wither Hills

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 11:00:00 GMT

People walking, running or mountainbiking on the Wither Hills are being warned to take extra care because three suspicious fires started in the Taylor Pass area yesterday.

Blenheim rural fire brigade deputy principal rural fire officer John Foley, who is also the emergency services manager for the Marlborough District Council, says it’s already very dry on the foothills and the fire risk is increasing.

“If anyone sees anything suspicious in this area we need them to report it straight away. Don’t hesitate to contact the emergency services.”

Signs are being erected by the Council at the main entrances to the Wither Hills Farm Park recommending people not walk in the area during the hot daytime hours.

It is safe practice to carry a cell phone when out walking.

Any fire spotted in the area should be reported immediately by calling 111.

Park users are reminded there are emergency location signs along all the tracks, at junctions and lookout points throughout the Farm Park and the Mountain Bike Park. Each sign has the name of the track and the

GPS coordinates for that location; a set of numbers which identify the location to emergency services.
Mr Foley stressed how important it was for people to understand that a grassfire moves at terrific speed and, once a blaze ignites, the situation quickly becomes serious.

“You cannot out-run a fire – particularly when the wind comes up,” he said.

Remember:

Anyone entering the Wither Hills Farm Park should be aware of the potential danger from fire.
Particular care is advised during hot, windy weather. In these conditions, users are advised to use only the lower Forest Hills or Rotary Lookout walking tracks.
Early mornings and evenings are the safest times for walking during dry, warm weather.

Council-led Business Delegation to head south

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 21:12:14 GMT

A Mayoral-led business visit to Christchurch to scope more opportunities for Marlborough business to take part in the post-earthquake rebuild will be made early next year.

Mayor Alistair Sowman says the visit is a follow-up to the successful forum held in August where local businesses were able to make direct contact with the management of some of the major Christchurch rebuild projects.

The combined Council-Marlborough business initiative, dubbed COMBI, is an opportunity for local companies working in areas like design, roading, commercial construction, residential building, joinery and building supplies. The programme will give participants the chance to make contact with the Central Christchurch Development Unit and the key figures involved with the rebuild.

Mr Sowman says the Council’s ‘Smart Business Marlborough’ unit is promoting the visit as a way of facilitating contact and opportunity for the region.

“We’ve already seen some tangible results from the August forum we arranged here in Blenheim with some good contracts secured for Marlborough businesses. This is a next step which, I hope, will underline to the Christchurch construction community that Marlborough does have the capacity to play a role in the Christchurch rebuild,” he said.

The Marlborough Chamber of Commerce is the Council’s partner in this initiative.

The programme is still being finalised but there’s expected to be opportunity to get an update on the current situation from CERA, a presentation from the Stronger Christchurch Rebuild Team and the chance to speak directly to key figures from the large businesses leading the rebuild. A visit into the Red Zone and a close look at a one of the biggest new housing developments north of the city has also been arranged.

“It’s a chance to learn whether there are niche opportunities for Marlborough-based businesses as well as opportunity to see whether there is more product than could be supplied from our region,” says Mr Sowman.

The delegation will be based at the Westpac Business/Community Hub in Addington which has been set up to offer facilities for businesses and community groups affected by the earthquake.

All those joining the delegation will have a range of visits to choose from and there will also be assistance available to set up one-to-one meetings.

The two-day visit is scheduled for January 28 and 29, 2013.

Council’s economic development manager Neil Henry says the Council’s aim is to foster expansion of the regional economy but it is very much up to the companies themselves to pick up on this opportunity.

“Already we’ve had local businesses indicating they want to come on board. They can see the value of the kind of introductions to be made through a visit like this. For local companies who can step up and get involved now, but who might be wondering how they can get a foot through the door in Christchurch, this is their chance. Emails and phone calls sometimes yield little but personal contact can make things happen.”

Anyone interested in further information about the business delegation may contact the Chamber of Commerce, phone577-9575 or email Debbie@mcoc.org.nz .

A final decision on numbers will be made once the level of interest has been gauged.

Chamber of Commerce manager Brian Dawson says it’s hoped that a spread of industries will be represented.

“It’s important for our business community to understand that the scale of the opportunity in Christchurch is so large that there is scope for smaller operations here to work together to secure project work. That would be a change of approach for many businesses here but that collaborative approach is definitely worth considering,” he said.

ALISTAIR SOWMAN
MAYOR

Animal Control Chairman laments number of dogs being destroyed

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 02:33:41 GMT

Council’s Animal Control subcommittee chairman Peter Jerram is appealing to prospective pet owners to think carefully before taking on the responsibility of dog ownership.

Councillor Jerram is stepping down from the chairmanship of the Council’s Dog Control Sub-committee after two years in the role.

There are about 9000 dogs licensed in Marlborough. In this year to October, 281 animals have ended up at the pound but only 148 of them have been reclaimed by their owners.

“I realise that is not a big proportion of the total number of dogs in the district but the reality is that it’s very difficult to find homes for animals that have been abandoned to the pound,” Councillor Jerram said.

Of those that were not reclaimed, about a third have been re-homed but about 80 have been put down.

That’s a worrying increase on the 30 to 40 animals a year which have had to be destroyed in 2010 and 2011 and it tells us we are getting more problems with dog owners, says Councillor Jerram.

A vet of 30-plus years’ experience, Councillor Jerram said euthanasing animals is never a pleasant task for animal control staff.

“My philosophy in veterinary practice was to put down aged family pets or injured animals only where absolutely necessary but I understand that it is increasingly difficult for our animal control staff and the SPCA to find new homes for animals.”

Animals that must be destroyed are usually put down by injection administered by a vet and past use of bolt guns has been discontinued.

“We have taken the opportunity to improve practices but nevertheless it is always sad to see a good animal put down,” said Councillor Jerram.

“I have no doubt that our animal control officers here are humane in their treatment of animals that come into their care but the unfortunate reality is that unwanted animals cannot be kept indefinitely.”

He says Marlborough’s animal control officers make valiant efforts to find new homes for unwanted dogs but there are always more dogs than suitable homes.

“People too often take on a dog as a pet without thinking through the consequences; not just the cost of feeding them properly but the socialisation, surgical sterilisation and training that is required for a dog to be healthy and happy, and socially acceptable,” he said.

It was disturbing that so many people were unwilling to pay pound fees and reclaim their animal even though they knew that there was likelihood their animal could be destroyed, said Councillor Jerram.

“It may be a sign of tough economic times but I wish people would think twice about getting an animal if they cannot really afford the costs of responsible pet ownership,” he said.

Councillor Jerram said, now that the review of the Council’s dog control bylaws has been successfully completed, he wants to devote more time to the Resource Management Plan Review Sub-committee.

Councillor Jamie Arbuckle will be the new chairman of the Dog Control subcommittee.

COUNCILLOR PETER JERRAM
DOG CONTROL SUB-COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN

Reviewing Marlborough's Library needs for the years ahead

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 02:31:14 GMT

Public discussion about the future needs of Marlborough’s library services will need to get underway in the new year, says Marlborough Mayor Alistair Sowman.

District Libraries Manager Glenn Webster has advised the District Council that rapid changes in technology and changing demands being made on public library services mean some long term planning is needed.

He noted the significant shift in the way people access information and that libraries were, increasingly, becoming community hubs.

Mayor Sowman says the Council and the community would have to face up to some big decisions about the libraries in both Blenheim and Picton as there were space constraints on both buildings.

In 2009 the Council’s “Growing Marlborough” project brought together a large number of ideas and submissions from people about the future shape and design of Blenheim town centre, including advice that the Council should be looking at relocating Blenheim’s Library.

At that time, the prevailing public view was that the Civic Theatre/Noel Leeming/Shoe Warehouse block in Queen Street would be a good site for a new library, Mr Sowman said.

The Mayor said it was important to signal to the community that this discussion is looming even though any decisions would be a longer-term matter, he said.

Councillors encourage private sector investment

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 01:52:03 GMT

Councillors say encouraging private sector investment is critical to revitalising the town

The Marlborough District Council says private property owners have a vital role to play in helping to put into effect the Council’s strategy for the revitalisation of the town CBD.

Mayor Alistair Sowman said key to moving the town centre forward is opening the way to good communication with property owners, developers and property investors so that they all have a better understanding of the Council’s aspirations for the CBD.

The Blenheim Town Centre Revitalisation Strategy was completed in 2009 and approved by the Council with a number of the recommendations now underway.

Councillors this week agreed that it would be worthwhile to review the proposed staging outlined in the strategy and identify where the private sector might get involved.

It is anticipated that a sub-group would review the priorities set out in the strategy and identify those most likely to attract private sector investment.

Ideally, that sub-group would be able to call on independent architectural and property development advice from professionals with no commercial stake in the town as well as drawing on the views of councillors themselves, said Mr Sowman.

Is Marlborough’s Commercial Sector Ready for Recycling?

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 04:09:00 GMT

The Marlborough District Council wants to gauge the level of interest in recycling within the commercial sector.

Council’s Solid Waste Manager Alec McNeil says there’s a high uptake of the kerbside recycling service by residential ratepayers in Blenheim and Picton but he’s not sure of the level of interest amongst commercial ratepayers in something similar.

It was important to assess the extent of likely support before taking the idea too far, he said.

“There is insufficient data available about the waste generated by the commercial sector; we don’t know how much is being produced or exactly what kind of material it is,” he said.

A survey has been set up on the Council website to gather this information.

The survey also asks the commercial sector to consider how a recycling service should be funded, were one to be established.

There is no formal proposal to introduce recycling for the commercial sector at this stage but the issue will be discussed at a future meeting of Council’s Assets and Services Committee.

The survey form is available on the Council’s website www.marlborough.govt.nz/Your-Council/News-Notices/News/Recycling-Survey and copies are also available from the reception desk at the Council. Responses are requested by mid-December.

Marlborough Airport Limited - Emergency Exercise

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 20:56:00 GMT

Media Statement

Marlborough Airport Limited is holding its biennial emergency exercise on Monday 19 November at the airport.

The airport company as the CAA Part 139 certificate holder is required to hold an "all services" emergency exercise every two years.

The scenario for next week’s exercise is based on a small/medium sized aircraft (type yet to be decided) that has a vibration in an engine and has declared a Full Emergency with Air Traffic Control.

Prior to landing other issues arise and all services are required for the emergency that ensues.

MAL are planning on initiating the "emergency" at approximately 7.30 pm.

The exercise will involve the Renwick and Blenheim fire brigades, Base Woodbourne emergency services, St John ambulance and the Police.

The exercise should be completed by 9.00 pm.

Chilean Needlegrass

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 19:32:03 GMT

Don't let this weed get away in Marlborough

Chilean Needlegrass growing in pasture and close-up of seedhead

Vineyard contractors and seasonal workers, lifestyle block owners, farmers and road maintenance crews all need to understand the threat that is posed by Chilean Needlegrass and the role they can play in stopping its movement around Marlborough

Chilean Needlegrass is a pervasive threat to Marlborough pasture grasses and currently is spread over 2,778 hectares of the district and the flowering season for this pest has just begun.

The weed reduces pasture productivity and its very sharp seed heads are easily caught in the wool of sheep and hides of cows, downgrading carcass quality. It can cause blindness in lambs as the seeds are easily caught in the animals’ eyes.

Economic loss of grazing production is estimated to be in the range of $100 to $200 per hectare where the weed is present.

Council Environmental Science and Monitoring manager Alan Johnson is making a plea for everyone in the rural sector of Marlborough to understand the extent of the threat.

“We all share responsibility for limiting the future threat that this pest plant poses to our local economy and the environment and many parties have an opportunity to do something. Landowners, the general public and rural service organisations all need to be aware of the spreading potential of this pest plant. If we are all vigilant, collectively we can make a difference in reducing the spread,” he said.

The weed is easily spread by moving stock or machinery through affected areas, or by people carrying the seed heads on their footwear or clothing.

“It’s important that pastoral farmers, vineyard owners, contractors that either own land infested with CNG or work in infested areas always ensure that stock and all machinery and equipment is checked and cleaned of any plant or seed fragments and soil particles before movement,” said Mr Johnson.

Marlborough landowners who currently have no infestations of Chilean Needlegrass also have a part to play in ensuring that they maintain good biosecurity hygiene at their farm gate, he said.

“They should check machinery, stock and animal food to see that it is clean before they allow access to their property. Some landowners don’t want to bother with this kind of effort but they need to understand the risk to their own property,” said Mr Johnson.

Mr Johnson says members of the public should contact the biosecurity section at Council if they find Chilean Needlegrass growing anywhere in Marlborough.

The District Council can provide advice to landowners on reducing the risk of spreading CNG, identification or techniques for managing infestations. A new herbicide that controls this weed is now available.

Note: Chilean Needlegrass is a containment control pest plant in the Marlborough District Council’s Regional Pest Management Strategy so landowners are required to destroy all plants on fringe properties and maintain a clear boundary margin on core properties. Land owners are responsible for ensuring the weed is not transmitted from infected properties to clear areas.

Further information: MDC Environmental Science and Monitoring manager, Alan Johnson, Ph: 03 520 7400.

Council to Develop Another Stage of Residential Building Sections

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 11:00:00 GMT

Marlborough Mayor Alistair Sowman today announced that Council is proceeding with development of the third stage of the District Council’s Boulevard Park-on-Taylor residential subdivision.

This follows the successful release onto the market of sections in Stages 1 and 1B of this residential subdivision on Taylor Pass Road in Blenheim’s south-west.

Mr Sowman says sales of the 18 sections in Stage1B have occurred steadily, with 14 sales in the last nine months and the remaining four lots now under contract.

The Mayor says there have been more positive signals of interest in the area recently with enquiries coming from members of the public and from the building sector.

“The same boulevard concept used for the earlier stages has been adopted for this next stage including sections set back from the road, formed swales, meandering tree-lined footpaths and side road property access,” he says.

The development is managed by Council’s MDC Holdings and will be marketed by real estate company, Harcourts Marlborough.

Consent has been granted for 43 lots in this latest stage but Harcourts will determine the timing of release of these sections to the market, says Mr Sowman. Titles would be available about mid-way through next year.

“The decision is good for the civil construction industry and will ultimately flow into the building sector and through to the local community,” he says.

This land in the Taylor Pass area was obtained by the Blenheim Borough Council in the late 1960s for the purpose of residential development with the long term aim of providing up to about 350 residential sections.

ALISTAIR SOWMAN
MAYOR

Mayor Launches Marlborough's White Ribbon Campaign

Sun, 04 Nov 2012 23:17:18 GMT

The White Ribbon Campaign to end men’s violence against women was today launched throughout New Zealand with Mayor Alistair Sowman endorsing Marlborough’s community response.

‘I’m proud to take part in the White Ribbon Campaign says the Mayor. ‘Violence against women is unacceptable, and as a community leader I want to play my part in ending this violence.’

The 2012 White Ribbon Campaign was launched throughout New Zealand with Mayors putting their signatures on a pledge to never commit or condone or remain silent about violence towards women. The signatures will be displayed on 25 November on the international White Ribbon Day.

‘On average, 14 women die and over 3,500 men are convicted for assaults on women every year. Those women are our mothers, daughters, sisters, female workmates and colleagues,’ says Mayor Sowman ‘As a community, we must take responsibility to end this violence, and that is why I and many other Mayors throughout New Zealand are putting our names on the White Ribbon pledge.’

‘Violence so often starts in the home and that makes it a community problem. Our council has always taken violence seriously, and the White Ribbon Campaign is a chance to talk about the issues openly and honestly. Local police attend up to 20 family violence incidents each week and up to 40 in Christmas week. If we can reduce that number by working with the White Ribbon Campaign then we must take this opportunity. Change needs to occur in every community across New Zealand. So I’m joining with my Mayoral colleagues and signing the White Ribbon Pledge to add my voice to this important campaign,’ says Mayor Sowman.

The White Ribbon Pledge is one of a number of initiatives organised by the Families Commission-led White Ribbon Campaign. The pledge brings together New Zealanders throughout the country in a united show of support to end violence against women. As this support grows for a violence-free future, the White Ribbon Campaign hopes to encourage men to take a stand and show they’re man enough to end violence. To sign the pledge simply visit www.whiteribbon.org.nz

‘We want this campaign to talk to people that are outside the tent,’ says Chief Families Commissioner, Carl Davidson. ‘There are many passionate people throughout the country working to reduce violence, but we need to connect with the many good men that simply don’t believe this problem affects them.’

‘While there’s no violence in my family, I could easily say this issue doesn’t affect me. But I have two daughters, and one day, I might have grandchildren. I don’t need any other reason to make ending violence against women my responsibility. And that goes for nearly every man I know. We all have women in our lives, and to shrug our shoulders and say this violence only affects others is a cop out.’

‘By standing up and not remaining passive bystanders, we can influence our friends, our mates and work colleagues. Are we man enough to stop violence towards women – I’d like to think so,’ says Mr Davidson.

Alistair Sowman
Mayor

White Ribbon Media Contact:

Rob McCann
Families Commission White Ribbon Campaign Manager
04 917 7045 or 029 917 7045
rob.mccann@nzfamilies.org.nz

Red Poppies will feature in Seymour Square alongside Stihl Shop Garden Fête

Sun, 04 Nov 2012 11:00:00 GMT

A memorial service will be held at the Blenheim War Memorial clock tower at 11.00 am on Sunday, 11 November to mark Armistice Day.

Seymour Square will also be the site of this year’s Stihl Shop Garden fete but the organisers of each event have worked together to ensure the public space is shared.

“We acknowledge the importance of the day to our returned soldiers and we will be making sure the band playing at the fete put their instruments aside when the clock strikes 11.00 am,” said Garden Marlborough President Frank Metcalfe.

Marlborough RSA president Ernie Thomson and vice president Peter Slape hope that, with such a big crowd in Seymour Square, it will be a chance for more people than usual to take a moment to observe Armistice Day.

About 50 people usually attend the Armistice Day ceremony at the base of the war memorial clock tower at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month - the symbolic moment chosen to remember the cease to WW1 hostilities on the Western Front in 1918.

A traditional wreath of red poppies is laid, a reminder of the wild poppies that grew across the fields of Flanders where so many Allied troops lost their lives in the First World War.

Marlborough Mayor Alistair Sowman and RSA vice president John Forrest will each give short addresses.

MAYOR SOWMAN

Special Licences Granted to Wine and Food and Blues and Brews

Sun, 04 Nov 2012 11:00:00 GMT

The Marlborough Wine and Food Festival may continue to use glass to serve wine at this summer’s festival but a slightly later start time of 11am has been set down by the District Licensing Agency.

Police again objected to the use of glass but the Sub-committee accepted the Wine and Food Festival organisers’ submission that wine glasses were appropriate for the event which is to have a change of direction with a different style of music and greater emphasis on food.

Blenheim Blues, Brews & BBQs organisers have already made the switch to polycarbonate glasses and the licence for its event was granted on that basis.

The Marlborough District Council’s Liquor Licensing Sub-committee, acting as the District Licensing Agency in Marlborough, yesterday heard Police objections to the special licence applications for both events which are held one week apart in February.

The applications were heard by the Sub-committee of District Councillors Graeme Taylor and Graeme Barsanti and chaired by Councillor John Leggett.

Councillor Leggett says ‘pre-loading’ by patrons followed by continued drinking without food is a key concern for Police so the Wine and Food Festival will begin closer to the middle of the day when people are more likely to be eating.

Councillor Leggett says the Blues and Brews organisers indicated they want to rebrand their event to make it more family-friendly. On the basis of more security and crowd direction, the previous R18 designation has been lifted.

It is a condition of each licence that a limit of two drinks per customer is imposed for the last two hours of each event in an attempt to slow down the rate of alcohol being served in the closing stages.

JOHN LEGGETT
CHAIRMAN

Marlborough Airport To Survey Public Opinion On Terminal Expansion

Mon, 22 Oct 2012 11:00:00 GMT

A survey of the views of all Marlborough Airport users will be conducted by the airport company as part of the planning for the expansion of the current terminal facilities.

The airport company is owned by the Marlborough District Council’s MDC Holdings.

Mayor Alistair Sowman says Marlborough Airport is far more than simply an arrival and departure point for people and freight.

“It’s an important link in our local economy. It’s a key gateway to the region so it should be able to offer arriving visitors what they’re looking for. But it is also a significant connection point for our business community and we believe that improved facilities could enable us to better meet the needs of this sector.”

A meeting room and lounge are amongst the proposals for an enlarged terminal.

Recent timetabling disruption due to the grounding of Air New Zealand’s regional fleet of Beech 1900D aircraft and the use of the larger planes to replace these flights has led to congestion at the terminal in recent weeks.

“We’ve seen what happens with larger aircraft coming in – no seats and queues out the door – so it’s important the airport company gets moving now with this planning phase,” said the Mayor.

However no decisions will be made until the airport company has surveyed the public who use the terminal, he said.

MAL has sought technical advice on future passenger flows and preliminary layout planning but Mr Sowman says public feedback is needed before going to the next stage.

“We need to know how the terminal is meeting the needs of those who are using it, whether they are travellers, retailers, airlines, rental car firms or taxi drivers, or any other member of the public. We need to hear any suggestions for what else is needed and how we could improve facilities – before any detailed design work begins.”

The public survey begins on 23 October and will finish at the end of November. Copies of the survey will be available to fill in at the airport but it is expected that most people will go to the airport website to complete the survey www.marlboroughairport.co.nz

The existing terminal was opened in 1995. In less than a decade, the number of passengers coming through the airport had doubled and today more than 230,000 travellers are flying in and out of Marlborough Airport. Current projections suggest that passenger numbers could grow by up to 2.5% in the next few years.

ALISTAIR SOWMAN
MAYOR

Marlborough's Best Swimming Spots

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 11:00:00 GMT

Marlborough’s best swimming spots, based on the quality of the water, are Ngakuta Bay, Mistletoe Bay, Te Mahia, Bobs Bay, Marfells Beach and Whites Bay.

All these beaches are graded 'Very Good'; the highest level. The grades are based on five years of weekly data collected over the summer months so water quality has to be consistently very good in order to make the top grade.

Swimming spots which are graded as 'Good' are Anakiwa, Portage, Shelly Beach, Tirimoana, Waikawa Bay and Pelorus Bridge.

A very wet summer going into 2011 did mean the last year’s test results were not as good as usual in some areas. Bacteria counts are known to increase after rainfall.

The swimming spots with the lowest grade, 'Very Poor', are Moenui, Oyster Bay, Picton Foreshore, the Rai River, the Pelorus at Totara Flat and the Taylor River.

Mayor Alistair Sowman says sewage overflows and stormwater increase the bacteria load at Picton during bad weather - which is one of the key reasons a major sewage upgrade is underway for the town.

Cattle have been shown to be the source of contamination at Moenui, the Rai River and the Pelorus at Totara Flat. The Council has been working closely with the local dairy industry to deal with this issue.

Momorangi ‘s previous ‘Poor’ ranking improved to ‘Fair’ last summer. Momorangi has been shown to have water quality problems in recent years but the source has been tracked to wildlife in the area - primarily birds.

"It's a beach surrounded by bush so wildlife is part of the environment. I don't think anyone would suggest that birds be eliminated. It's just a case of being sensible. The Council posts up-to-date information about water quality on its website and, if water quality ever drops to unsafe levels, public health notices are put up at the beach," said Mr Sowman.

The Council takes regular samples over summer at 18 coastal sites, as well as 13 river-water spots, checking for organisms that could cause illness or infection for people swimming or playing in the water. Extended testing of the water will be done this summer at the worst performing sites to trace the major sources associated with high bacteria levels.

People are able to check the Council website for information on Beach and River Grades and also to get up to date information about water quality every week from November through to March.

Bacteria numbers are known to be high after a period of heavy rainfall so it is advisable not to swim after heavy rain or if the water looks dirty or murky.

ALISTAIR SOWMAN
MAYOR

Clock Tower Site Investigations

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 11:00:00 GMT

The seismic capacity of the foundations under the war memorial clock tower in Seymour Square will be investigated over the next two days.

Engineers will take penetrometer readings to assess the soil profile around the clock tower to try and establish how secure the structure is likely to be in a major earthquake.

The records from the 1920s give little indication of the pile capacity in the construction of the 16-metre stone tower.

“Since the clock tower was built, we have had the Napier earthquake and now the Christchurch quakes and much has been learned about the way our early buildings respond in a major shake. We are taking that into account as we endeavour to maintain this monument to the standard required today,” said District Council Assets and Services manager Mark Wheeler.

The initial results of structural tests on the clock tower received by the District Council earlier this year indicated it was sounder than initially suspected but more work was recommended to bring the foundations closer to the modern day standards required by the Building Code.

CW Drilling will have equipment, including a drilling rig, set up on the apron in front of the clock tower for the next day or two.

MARK WHEELER
MANAGER ASSETS AND SERVICES DEPARTMENT

Boer War Memorial Service

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 11:00:00 GMT

Wreaths will be laid at Marlborough’s Boer War memorial at Tua Marina cemetery at 10.00 am on Sunday, 21 October, to commemorate the departure of the first troops to leave our shores for the Boer War and to remember the eleven Marlborough casualties of that conflict.

The Boer War was the first time New Zealand had ever deployed troops to a foreign theatre of war. New Zealand was the first of the British colonies to send troops and the first Marlborough soldiers arrived in South Africa less than three weeks after war had been declared.

The first contingent of Blenheim Mounted Rifles was led by Lieutenant D’arcy Chaytor, son of the Marlborough military family who farmed the family estate at Marshlands. His elder brother Lieutenant Edward Chaytor also served in South Africa, leading the North Island Company of the Third (Rough Riders) Contingent.

During the course of the conflict, the Marlborough Mounted Rifles sent 60 men with the various New Zealand contingents to South Africa.

On Sunday, Marlborough RSA president Ernie Thomson will lead the service at Tua Marina and Marlborough RSA vice president Peter Slape will be the guest speaker.

Mayor Alistair Sowman will lay a wreath at the memorial as will Kaikoura MP Colin King.

ALISTAIR SOWMAN
MAYOR

Impact Of Clifford Bay Decision Will Be Government Responsibility

Sun, 07 Oct 2012 11:00:00 GMT

Marlborough Mayor Alistair Sowman says any future decision on moving the inter-island port to Clifford Bay will be based on the national economic benefit of such a move.

Last week, Kaikoura MP Colin King was reported as saying that environmental limitations would restrict the future use of the ferries in the Marlborough Sounds. He suggested that ferry operators would face difficulties getting renewals for current resource consents which expire in 2015 and that it was “prudent for the government to have an alternative”.

Mr Sowman says there is no reason to suggest the existing resource consents are under threat or that conditions are likely to be changed significantly.

He says the continued improvement to ship designs have minimised the impact of the ships’ wakes and the Sounds shoreline is not being subject to the wave damage caused by the previous fast ferries which crossed Cook Strait.

“There is no talk of ferries being required to reduce speed and drop a crossing from their timetable so, really, this is not a factor in the Clifford Bay debate. In fact it would be barking up the wrong tree completely to try and suggest that environmental barriers justified a decision to go to Clifford Bay.”

Mr Sowman says the future of Clifford Bay will be a national government decision and it will be the government’s responsibility to ensure that all economic factors are taken into account, including the direct effect on the Marlborough economy of any move.

However, Mr Sowman said that it was widely understood that the final decision would be determined by the overall national benefit of moving the terminal further south.

“There are a number of factors to be considered including the economic benefit of faster north-south travel times for rail and trucking freight measured against the cost of building and maintaining a terminal off Marlborough’s eastern coastline rather than at the head of the Sounds,” he said.

If projections suggest bigger volumes of freight necessitating larger ships, then the size and scale of the breakwater which that would require at Clifford Bay would, no doubt, also be a factor to be taken into account, he said.

“One would also like to believe that if the Government was to strip the Picton economy of a key component like the ferries then it also would face up to the need to provide some support for that local economy to re-adjust.”

However, Mr Sowman said the government would be making the call based on the big economic picture.
“But, let me state very clearly, that neither the District Council nor Port Marlborough is aware of any barriers to the ferries remaining at Picton.”

ALISTAIR SOWMAN
MAYOR

Latest Dairy Audit Shows Farmers Working Toward Clean Waterways

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 11:00:00 GMT

The latest report on dairy shed effluent and stream crossings reflects the shift in awareness within the Marlborough dairy industry of the importance of higher environmental standards, says Marlborough District councillor Peter Jerram.

Farms are reviewed annually to check compliance with the Marlborough Sounds Plan Rules or resource consent conditions in the Wairau/Awatere Management Plan are being met. Since 2009/10 the District Council has followed nationally recognised guidelines to assess dairy effluent and stream crossings on all dairy farms in the district. In 2011, Fonterra announced its suppliers would have two years to ensure stock are kept out of waterways, in line with the national Dairying and Clean Streams Accord.

To help farmers reach the desired standards, the District Council is not charging resource consent fees for new culverts or bridges. However that period of grace will end in December next year.

Councillor Jerram, who chairs Council’s Environment Committee, says there’s no doubt the attitudes toward cleaning up our waterways have changed and a new spirit of cooperation exists.

“Representatives from Fonterra, Dairy NZ, the Landcare Trust, Federated Farmers’ Dairy Section and the Council all understand what needs to be done and they’re working collaboratively and quite successfully to deal with the issues. There are one or two individual farmers who have yet to take the required action but they will be well aware that all eyes are upon them,” said Councillor Jerram.

In 2011/12, the Council inspected 60 dairy farms across Marlborough, most of them in the area extending from Rai Valley, through the Marlborough Sounds, to Tua Marina. The audit shows that 70% of Marlborough diary effluent systems fully comply and there has been a big improvement in the number of farms which were showing significant non-compliance a year ago.

In the last year, improvements have been made to eliminate the remaining high priority stream crossings, reducing the number from 21 to 10 stream crossings still needing urgent attention. The Council has been advised that works have been undertaken to deal with five of these high priority crossings. However this will leave six locations where stock are still regularly crossing a waterway.

Councillor Jerram says Council will soon consider enforcement action in relation to the remaining high priority stream crossings in order to have these eliminated as soon as possible.

Amongst those which still do not comply are a number of Marlborough Sounds dairy effluent systems that do not meet the Plan Rules because of the location.

“There’s a long history of dairying in the Sounds and a dozen or so farms have particular difficulty in meeting the conditions due to that fact that their long-established dairy sheds and effluent ponds have been located within 20 metres of Sounds waterways. While their systems are being largely well managed with no discharges to waterways, the effluent has few adverse effects, but only in relatively dry seasons. In wet seasons, the inadequacy of some of the systems is very evident,” said Councillor Jerram.

He said adequate effluent storage and disposal systems must be part of the improvements on these properties.

Eleven farms across the district also still lack contingency measures to deal with the effect of a heavy rain event causing major floods putting stress on their existing processes for storage and disposing of effluent.
Marlborough Federated Farmers dairy section chair Sharon Parkes says great improvement has been achieved in this district, with significant non-compliances now down to just 3%.

“A number of farmers have put in expensive large ponds and upgraded their effluent systems. Many of them have put in large bridges across rivers and also culverts across smaller streams. A few farmers have struggled to make the required progress to improving their stream crossings and culverts - even though they were well aware that the work was necessary. But many farmers have made a great effort to fence off major rivers and creeks and are now progressing to fence off the smaller streams and creek,” she said.

PETER JERRAM
CHAIRMAN ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE

CCTV and Wifi For Blenheim And Picton

Thu, 13 Sep 2012 04:29:00 GMT

New closed circuit television security cameras will be installed in the CBDs of Blenheim and Picton as a public safety measure. At the same time, a free public WiFi service will be installed, enabling people in either town centre free access to the internet with their laptops, tablets and smartphones.

There are economies of scale in getting both services together as the CCTV system is designed to ‘co-host’ the Wifi technology.

The new CCTV system will replace the eight aging security cameras installed around Blenheim in 2004-05 at the request of retailers and the Police but which are now beginning to fail. For several years, Picton’s Police and the Picton Business Group have been lobbying for security cameras to be introduced to their town centre.

It’s expected the introduction of Wifi will ease some of the crowding at the libraries in both towns where nationally-funded free internet access is available through the public library service.

The Council has considered six proposals from businesses interested in installing the CCTV system, selecting Network Tasman Limited as best able to meet the requirements which include service to 30 camera locations.
Blenheim ratepayers currently pay for the existing security system through their rates and the existing reserves from this rating source is sufficient to replace the Blenheim system.

The installation costs for Picton will be funded from Forestry Reserves with future running costs addressed through the Annual Plan.

The cameras will be located at sites that are either areas of interest in terms of public safety or important Council assets. Linking existing CCTV cameras at the Library and Alfred Street parking building into the new system will also be explored.

The Council and the Police will be able to view all camera feeds.

Mayor Alistair Sowman said it makes sense to introduce the two measures together.

“I think everyone understands the value of security surveillance and, as digital technology speeds forward, free Wifi is part and parcel of being a ‘smart and connected’ region,” he said.

“This means people can browse the internet, deal with their emails, tweet or chat on Facebook from the parks and outdoor cafes around either town. It’s a service that is expected by tourists and being used by more and more people as they conduct their business on the move.”

The new service will provide comprehensive free Wifi in the CBD areas of both towns although the exact coverage area has yet to be determined.

Alistair Sowman
Mayor

Battle Of Britain Service In Seymour Square

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 12:00:00 GMT

A memorial service will be held at the Blenheim War Memorial clock tower at 11.00 am on Sunday, 16 September, to mark Battle of Britain Day.

The Battle of Britain is commemorated as the turning point of World War II when the pilots of the RAF staved off the Luftwaffe attack on southern England despite being heavily outnumbered.

Marlborough Mayor Alistair Sowman will give a short address and the keynote speech will be made by Air Vice-Marshall (Retired) David Bamfield ONZM, DSD.

Squadron Leader Sarah Woodhouse will represent the RNZAF along with Wing Commander Peter King from RNZAF Base Woodbourne.

Marlborough RNZAF Association President Mary Barnes and the local MP Colin King will also attend the service.

The RSA advises that medals should be worn to this ceremony.

Mayor Sowman
Mayor

Council Seeking Clarification In Franklin Boatyards Case

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 04:28:00 GMT

Council seeking clarification on legal point in Franklin Boatyards case

The Marlborough District Council is appealing the Environment Court decision on Franklin Boatyards as the decision has raised a matter which has potential consequences beyond Waikawa.

Two separate legal opinions received by the Council recommend the decision be challenged in order to clarify how existing use rights should be interpreted. Council has accordingly appealed to the High Court.

“This has been a difficult case for the Council to deal with as there is no wish to discourage business growth. But this case may have implications for other local authorities as it has given rise to a new interpretation of the weight that should be given to a certificate of existing use,” said Council solicitor Kaye McIlveney.

The land currently being used by Franklin Boatyards is zoned residential. That zoning signals to the community that the activities on the land should be limited to residential and associated uses. Any other activities on such land require resource consent. The resource consent process allows the community to be involved in any decision as to whether an activity should occur on such a site.

The boatyard has been able to operate on the land in the past, despite this zoning, because it was able to claim existing use rights. These rights allow an activity to continue if the use has been lawfully established and is being continued at no more than the same scale or intensity even though the zoning would otherwise make it unlawful. Existing use rights can be lost where the use of the land ceases for more than twelve months or if the character, scale or intensity of the activity increases.

After receiving a number of complaints about the Franklin Boatyards after a period where no activity was observed at the site, Council investigated. Council’s assessment, after lengthy inquiry, was that the activity had ceased on the site for more than twelve months. On that basis, Council issued an abatement notice requiring the company to cease operations. Franklins appealed the issue of the abatement notice, claiming existing use rights and asserting that those rights were protected by a certificate of existing use which had been granted by the Council.

The decision in the Environment Court centres on the extent of the protection that a certificate of existing use gives and whether such a certificate can allow an activity to start again in circumstances where the existing use right would otherwise have been lost.

“Clarification is needed here to establish the weight that should be given to the various planning tools which councils are expected to use to manage conflicting interests within the community,” said Ms McIlveney.
In the meantime, there are appropriately zoned spaces to accommodate the business immediately available in another part of Waikawa and in Picton.

Kaye McIlveney
Solicitor

Breach Of Air Quality Standard For PM10

Thu, 06 Sep 2012 02:41:00 GMT

Breach of Air Quality Standard for PM₁₀ in the Blenheim Area

In accordance with regulation 16 of the Resource Management (National Environmental Standards for Air Quality) Regulations 2004, referred to as the NES, Marlborough District Council gives notice that the NES for PM₁₀ has been breached in the Blenheim airshed in the year from 22 July 2011.

Date of Exeedance	Location of Exceedance	PM₁₀(µg m-3)
15 August 2011	Redwoodtown	52
23 May 2012	Redwoodtown	53
31 May 2012	Redwoodtown	54
12 June 2012	Redwoodtown	62
16 June 2012	Redwoodtown	56
19 July 2012	Redwoodtown	53
21 July 2012	Redwoodtown	52

The Marlborough District Council monitors PM10 concentrations relative to the NES at air monitoring sites in Middle Renwick Road and Redwoodtown.

The NES for PM10 allows the threshold of 50 µg m-3 to be exceeded on no more than one day per year. The NES has been breached on 6 occasions in Blenheim for the year from 22 July 2011.

More information can be found on our website under Environment/Air Quality National Environmental Standards.

Pocket Park To Be Named Davidson Park

Sun, 02 Sep 2012 21:18:00 GMT

The new pocket park in Queen Street is to be named Davidson Place in honour of Marlborough’s first female mayor Liz Davidson.

Marlborough Mayor Alistair Sowman says Mrs Davidson’s remarkable record of civic service should be acknowledged and a park in the centre of the town she served for so long is a very fitting tribute.

“There would be very few local body politicians able to match her length of service across the community, not just to the council itself, but to the many other organisations to which Liz committed her energies,” he said.

Mrs Davidson was first elected to the then Blenheim Borough Council in 1983. She was mayor from 1995 to 1998 serving a total of 27 years on the council, a record of local body involvement which continued until 2010.

A firm believer in public recreational facilities and healthy lifestyles, Mrs Davidson was always a strong advocate of civic amenities like cycleways and walkways. She was an early backer of the Wither Hills and the Taylor River walkways and a key supporter of the Stadium 2000 complex.

A member of Marlborough’s various hospital boards and area health boards during the 1980s and 90s, she was also a founding member of the Women’s Refuge movement and a supporter of various drug and alcohol recovery programmes.

In 1991 Mrs Davidson was the inaugural chair of the Marlborough Conservation Board, serving on it for eight years, and she was also a founder member of the District Council’s Significant Natural Areas project.

The naming of the pocket park was an initiative from CBD councillor Terry Sloan who said he was very pleased to see Marlborough recognise Mrs Davidson’s contribution.

“Liz was an enormous force for getting things achieved for this town and I’m pleased that we have found a way to remember that and the fact that she was a bit of a trailblazer in terms of getting women to stand for Council.”

Mrs Davidson said she considered it a real honour to be remembered in this manner.

“It’s a particular honour to think this month, with Suffrage Day coming up, that the Council has chosen to announce this. Remarkably few women have participated in local government in Marlborough over the years but I am pleased to see this is changing,” she said.

Mrs Davidson also said she had always strongly believed in the Council providing good amenities for the public.

“I’m very pleased to see that councillors have recognised that a pleasant and attractive town centre is important not just for visitors but to all of us who use the town every day.”

Councillor Sloan says the redesigned park is intended to provide a family-friendly spot close to the retail area which will also double as a market and events venue.

“The park will be laid out in a way that lends itself to performances; with controlled lighting and a stage area. With movable bollards, it will also be easy to double the size of the park area and open up the space through to Market Place. It will create a far more user-friendly public space than currently exists,” he said.
Councillor Sloan says it’s important that people look at the pocket park as one component of a far larger picture.

“This park is just the first step of a major upgrade of the CBD which will be completed over the next 10 to 15 years as part of the town’s Urban Design Strategy. It may be difficult for some people to imagine how the town is going to look by 2025 but Davidson Place is going to be a key element of our future townscape.”
It’s hoped the new park will be completed by early December although that will depend on the weather.

Alistair Sowman
Mayor

Progress On Seddon Community Facilities

Sun, 02 Sep 2012 20:19:00 GMT

The Marlborough District Council’s Assets and Services Committee has approved a list of immediate repairs to the Awatere Community Trust Memorial Hall; a $38,000 package to address leaks and fire risk and to provide some interior upgrade.

That will leave a balance of $10,000 yet to be spent from the allocation made by the Council through its 2012-13 Annual Plan for the maintenance of Seddon’s hall and community hub building.

These repairs can begin once they’re approved by the full Council meeting in September but the hall’s long term future will depend on earthquake strengthening costs and the cost of long term maintenance – which will have to be assessed against the cost of a new community facility.

District council assets and services manager Mark Wheeler also says work is already underway to address concerns about the Seddon underpass which links one side of the township to the other.

The underpass, which runs below SH1 and the main trunk railway line, was recently impassable due to flooding but residents have also complained that it is a poorly lit and risky area for pedestrians.

Seddon police say people regularly take the risk of jumping across the railway tracks and since the underpass has been closed by flooding there have been complaints about children stepping out in front of traffic passing through the township.

Marlborough Roads Principal Asset Manager Steve Murrin says that while the underpass is closed signs have been erected on the State highway to warn drivers of the likelihood of pedestrians. Marlborough Roads has recommended to the school that a parent or teacher supervise the children crossing the road.

Mr Murrin says NZTA will cover the cost of the urgent essential repairs to the underpass and that work will begin as soon as possible in conjunction with the underpass repairs improvements will be made to the ramps and footpath. This will be Council funded.

Mr Wheeler says councillors will have the opportunity to discuss this further in coming weeks.

Improved lighting, in the underpass and around the township, has also been called for and Mr Wheeler says that could be partly funded from the ‘minor improvements’ portion of the NZTA local roading programme which has just been announced.

That funding has increased Council’s programme by $300,000 this financial year for what are called “minor improvements” and Mr Wheeler says Seddon’s street light upgrade could be met from this fund.

“However this would require community support. We have found in past discussions with some Seddon residents that people have opposed street lighting located near their own properties as they regard bright lighting as ‘visual pollution’. So the community would need some kind of consensus on location before this investment was made,” he said.

Seddon has a population of approximately 500 which swells by another 400 at times with seasonal workers in the Awatere vineyards. Sports facilities and churches are concentrated on one side of the township while more than half the population lives on the other side.

Mark Wheeler
Assets and Services Manager

Work to begin next week on Queen Street Park

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 04:54:00 GMT

The contract to develop the pocket park in Queen Street has been awarded to Fulton Hogan and work will begin immediately with plans to have the new paved square ready for the town’s busy pre-Christmas period.

The successful tender was the lowest received at $477,332, a thousand dollars less than the engineer’s estimate for the project.

The new design includes the removal of the old Queen Street toilet block, which has long been a trouble spot in the view of the Police. The siting and design of the new facilities aims to discourage crime and undesirable activity in the vicinity.

The new toilet amenities will be on the northern edge of the park, allowing the park space to be opened up to Queen Street. The park has been designed to create a link through to the Forum area. This will provide a connected venue for the street markets while the paving, stage area, lighting and landscaping of the new square has been designed to accommodate downtown events and entertainment. Planter boxes with irrigation, new street trees and grassed areas will soften the brick and block paving and new street furniture will be installed as part of the contract.

CBD Councillor Terry Sloan says it will be an open, relaxing space that will look attractive and provide an appealing place to sit outdoors, handy for town retail staff taking a break and convenient for families visiting town.

“I am sure that shoppers and the surrounding retailers will be pleased with the results when the work is finished – hopefully in time for the busy weeks leading up to Christmas when there will be plenty of chances for the public to see the new space in use.”

“We hope inconvenience during the construction period can be kept to a minimum. Members of the public can use the nearby toilet amenities on the ground floor of the parking building, easily accessed from the Queen Street-High Street intersection, or those in the Countdown car park, opposite the library.”

The contractors will begin work in Queen Street on Monday.

The Council budget for this project was allocated in 2011 after councillors decided to go ahead with this project from the UrbanismPlus urban design plan for Blenheim.

Rates

Wed, 29 Aug 2012 23:43:00 GMT

Rates and the basis on which they are levied is one of a range of rating issues which Marlborough District Councillors will be reviewing in the year ahead.

Marlborough Mayor Alistair Sowman says the changes in value of some properties in the last Quotable Value re-valuation had reignited debate over the rating system, particularly amongst rural property owners.

However he noted that the prospect of switching to a rating system based on capital values, rather than land values, had been considered several times over the last 15 years or so by the Marlborough District Council although each time councillors had opted to stick with the status quo.

“There are always those who have large areas of land with no, or few, improvements who would rather see a capital value rating system. But, once all the impacts of a change are taken into account, previous councils have not favoured any change to the system,” he said.

However, he said, some current councillors see merit in a rating system based on capital value and the matter would again be considered.

In the course of discussions on issues within the Long Term Plan 2012-22, adopted at the end of June, councillors asked to refer several rates-related matters back to a committee for further work.

As well as looking again at the grounds on which rates are set, councillors wanted urban-rural roading cost allocations to be reviewed and the rate applied to accommodation providers in the tourist industry to be re-examined.

Councillors have also asked to look again at the level of development contributions which are paid by developers to help meet the cost of reserves and other community infrastructure associated with growth.

A review of the application of the Wairau River rate has also been sought.

An examination of all these matters will be conducted by the Community and Financial Planning Committee over the next year, reporting back to the full Council.

Any changes which may be proposed on any of these rating issues would be subject to local government consultation processes.

A change to the rating system would require a change to the Council’s Long Term Plan in which any member of the public may participate through the submissions and hearings process.

Alistair Sowman
Mayor

Joseph Sullivan Drive

Mon, 27 Aug 2012 03:20:00 GMT

Named in honour of Marlborough’s gold medal rower

Marlborough has honoured its first Olympic gold medallist by naming a road Joseph Sullivan Drive in his home town of Picton.

The sign for the new road, leading off Waikawa Road past the rower’s old secondary school, Queen Charlotte College, will eventually provide access to the town’s new sports pavilion being built at Endeavour Park.

The new sign was erected this morning.

The announcement of the road naming was made by Marlborough Mayor Alistair Sowman to a reception for Joseph Sullivan in Picton last evening, generating a huge cheer from guests.

Mr Sowman asked the unsuspecting rower to unwrap a parcel containing the sign in front of the audience of family, friends and the local rowing fraternity.

Mr Sowman said a landmark would be a permanent tribute to the great sporting achievement.

“Joseph Sullivan’s exceptional record competing at international level, topped off with this gold medal, makes him Marlborough’s top-ranking sportsman, something which well deserves this kind of recognition,” he said.

Alistair Sowman
Mayor

Welcome to Picton - Home of our Olympian Rower

Wed, 22 Aug 2012 23:47:00 GMT

A new road sign welcoming people to Picton, the home of Olympic rower Joseph Sullivan, is to be erected on the southern entrance to the town.

Sponsored by Joseph Sullivan’s long-time sponsor, Graeme Rose of Window Treatments, the road sign will feature the double sculler on the water with his name superimposed over the scene.

The two-metre high sign is to be erected at the entrance to Nelson Square.

Marlborough Mayor Alistair Sowman says Joseph has done Picton proud, raising the town’s profile in the most positive way.

“Any town, any region would be proud to lay claim to such an outstanding sportsman. An Olympic gold medal in a sport in which New Zealand has the highest international standing is currency beyond value,” he said.

He said Joseph was a source of admiration across the region but his home town was bursting with pride.

“Everyone is keen to find ways to celebrate his achievement,” said Mr Sowman.

A public celebration, arranged by the Picton Rowing Club in Picton on Sunday, has been moved over to the paved area on London Quay as the continuing rain means the grassed area of the foreshore is too water-logged to accommodate a large crowd.

Weather permitting on Sunday, Joseph will be arriving at the Picton foreshore aboard a coxed four, on the “Sea Lion”, the Picton Rowing Club skiff in which he did his earliest training. He’ll be rowed in by Picton Rowing Club junior rowers.

Welcome Joseph Sullivan Home To Picton

Mon, 20 Aug 2012 21:53:00 GMT

Olympic gold medallist Joseph Sullivan will arrive in Picton on Sunday afternoon to share his success with the people of Marlborough.

The Picton Rowing Club champion rower will attend a foreshore celebration in his honour, arranged by his Club and the Marlborough District Council.

Joseph will be in Christchurch on Friday for the official Olympic homecoming parade but is returning to Marlborough at the weekend.

Mayor Alistair Sowman says Sunday will be the first chance for people here to see the young rower and his gold medal.

“We’re very lucky Joseph has been able to get home this quickly given the demands being made on our Olympic rowers. Everyone wants a piece of them but Joseph has made it a priority to get here, not only to share his victory with his wider family and supporters, but also with the public of Marlborough,” he said.

Mr Sowman says it should be a great atmosphere on the Picton foreshore and he expects people from all over the district will want to be there to see Marlborough’s first Olympic gold medal.

“There’s a real sense of pride in our whole region that our small town of Picton could produce one of the top performers at this year’s Olympics – Joseph, and Nathan Cohen in the double skulls, won not only the first gold medal but a decisive victory which proved to be a morale-boosting inspiration for the whole Olympic squad.”

The champion rower is due down on the foreshore at about 1.00 pm. He’ll be introduced to the crowd from the War Memorial steps.

Picton Rowing Club captain Keiran Gaudin says Joseph is not the kind of sportsman to want his own parade but he is very happy to sign autographs for kids and have his photo taken with them.

It’s expected that Joseph will be available for autographs and photographs on the foreshore for a couple of hours.

Alistair Sowman
Mayor

Call for Patience as the Big Road Repair Job Gets Underway

Wed, 15 Aug 2012 12:00:00 GMT

Some of Marlborough’s rural roads have taken a battering in the recent floods and repairs are expected to run to about $1.3M.

It’s going to be Christmas before all the work is done, given the extent of the damage inflicted over July and August.

Marlborough Roads Senior Assets Manager Wayne Oldfield says the maintenance contractor is working as quickly as possible but there will be some continuing inconvenience particularly for the rural community.

“Repairs are needed from the D’Urville Island to the Ure Valley so it’s a large area and we have to do the most urgent work first. We do appreciate that it’s going to be inconvenient for some people but we’re asking everybody to be patient until the contractor reaches their local road,” he said.

First priority will be given to those roads serving larger communities or schools. The work ranges from laying new seal to rebuilding retaining walls.

Most roads have now reopened although there are still problems in Seddon and Ward and drivers still need to take particular care through the Kenepuru and the Ure where slips and dropouts have occurred.

Marlborough’s long range forecast for more showery weather means that slips will remain a continuing risk and drivers should be vigilant.

Flooding Impact Across Marlborough

Thu, 09 Aug 2012 20:20:00 GMT

Somewhere between 500 and 600 road warning signs are now in place around Marlborough where surface flooding and swollen rivers have again closed roads. Rain is predicted to continue steadily at 3-5 mm an hour until mid-afternoon tomorrow.

Marlborough Roads contractors have called on stocks of road signs from other local businesses and arrangements made to get more signs delivered from outside the district should they be required.

As well as the exclamation mark warning sign, reduced speed signs are being widely used and motorists are being asked to take extreme care anywhere that any signs or barriers have been erected.

“Drivers must use their common sense. There’s no sense in driving fast into surface water given that the shoulder of the road may have crumbled. It’s too easy to lose control of a vehicle,” says Council Assets and Services manager Mark Wheeler.

By mid-afternoon Hammerichs Road was again being closed following the overnight closure of Old Renwick Road between Pak Lims Corner and Jacksons Road where the Omaka and Fairhall fords were again in flood. Caution is advised on SH 63 from just behind Renwick up to Wairau Valley township. Drivers are also warned to watch for flooding on Ben Morven, Godfrey, Paynters and Brookby Roads and near Fairhall School. Localised flooding has occurred on Taylor Pass Road just beyond Wither Road and also across town at Dillons Point Road.

“The Omaka River which has caused most of the problems is not as big as it was a few days ago and there is not as much debris being brought down with the floodwaters this time. The rainfall has been quite concentrated down on the flats rather than in the headwaters but because everywhere is so sodden the run off is keeping river levels up – even though the rainfall isn’t particularly heavy,” according to Council Rivers Manager Geoff Dick.

Marlborough Roads crews are on standby to deal with slips and a supply of sandbags is available although there was no expectation that they would be needed.

The Northbank area is passable despite flooding at three points, slips and a tree down. Slips and rockfalls are a continuing hazard in other areas including the Awatere Valley Road, Camerons Road in Seddon, Taylor Pass Road, the Ure Road, SH1 at Welds Pass and in the Kenepuru where a slip was cleared earlier at the Mistletoe Bay turning and another came down at Nikau Cove this afternoon.

Ward Beach Road has been closed since last week due to flooding at Needles Creed Ford and Fosters Street and Reserve Road in Seddon are still closed. Redwood Pass Road is also closed.

In some places, property owners had been finding their own driveway culverts are too small to handle the flow.

In Blenheim, surface flooding was heaviest in Springlands and Mayfield.

The high groundwater level created problems for the town’s stormwater and sewer systems and by mid-morning Council staff began operating some controlled sewerage overflows to ease the pressure.

“The groundwater was so high in some areas that it was filling the sewerage network up. For the first time, we’ve installed temporary pumps at a couple of points in Springlands to take the load off the sewerage system,” says Council Operations and Maintenance Engineer Stephen Rooney.

Today than 80 calls were received by the Council from people who were experiencing problems with their plumbing as a result of the overloaded stormwater and sewer systems.

“People were noticing that toilets were slow to flush and in some places the gulleytraps outside were overflowing. People should avoid contact with effluent or contaminated water if possible but if they do, they should wash hands well.”

Council will have a maintenance team working until later this evening and people with sewage or stormwater problems are asked to telephone the Council.

Cases of raw sewage overflowing from gullytraps onto property were reported across town north of Alabama Road and Council will visit all properties where this is reported.

It was important that anyone in this situation takes particular care to follow good hygiene practices and don’t come into direct contact with raw sewage.

Mr Rooney said it was expected that both systems would be operating normally by morning so long as there were no further prolonged rainfall.

Flood Update

Wed, 08 Aug 2012 12:00:00 GMT

People should prepare to face further days of surface flooding and a sewerage and stormwater system under pressure as more rain is forecast for later this weekend.

Marlborough District Council assets and services manager Mark Wheeler says the prolonged rain is causing the problems, leaving no chance for anything to dry out.

“Today, rivers peaked around lunchtime but the situation is very slow to improve because the ground is absolutely soaked and the run-off is just not stopping. We need a decent break from the rain before the situation will change.”

He said residents should not be surprised if early next week’s forecast rain means there is a re-run of the street flooding due to the overloaded stormwater and sewerage systems.

“Our maintenance teams have been working hard on the clean up today, both at private addresses and on the streets. But the soil can’t absorb any more rainfall so we’ll very quickly be back at an overflow situation again if we get further deluges.”

By mid-afternoon, when calls from the public tailed off, about 130 calls about the sewage and stormwater network had been received by the Council’s maintenance team.

However Council Operations and Maintenance Engineer Stephen Rooney said his team was preparing to gear up again to handle the impact of more rain, forecast from Sunday.

People should expect low lying water on their lawns to remain for some time yet, said Mr Rooney.
“The groundwater levels are extremely high and the water has nowhere to go. Even where land does seem to be draining, surface flooding is likely the next time it rains.”

Mr Rooney says Blenheim’s sewerage system dates back to the mid-1930s and, while sewer infrastructure is generally expected to last for 80-100 years, parts of the system are beginning to show their age.

“We know that in some parts of the network the groundwater is infiltrating the sewers. Under normal circumstances we manage that through an infiltration programme which deals with any major leaks. However the experience of these last few days confirms the need for a plan Council already has in place to rehabilitate the sewer mains in Bank Street and McLachlan Street between Fulton Street and Old Renwick Road.”

Over the last two days special pumps had been put in place in these areas to take the pressure off the sewerage system by pumping the overflow directly into the stormwater system.

Surface Flooding Around Blenheim

Wed, 08 Aug 2012 04:58:00 GMT

Drivers are being warned to take care because surface flooding is occurring around Blenheim’s streets.
The ground is saturated after the recent rains and the high groundwater level is placing pressure on the town’s stormwater system.

The Springlands and Mayfield areas are experiencing stormwater problems with reports coming in of toilets being slow to flush. The Council advises that where gullytraps are overflowing outside, householders should contact the Council and staff will come and assist with any clean-up.

People are also reminded to follow good hygiene practices and not come into contact with raw sewage.
A similar situation occurred during the 2008 floods.

The Taylor and Omaka Rivers are rising fairly quickly again this morning although levels are still lower than they were a few days ago. Rainfall peaked at about 7mm an hour at 6.00 am and since then rainfall has been steady at about 2-3 mm an hour. However the high rate of run-off from the soaked ground is causing the water levels to rise quickly.

Contractors are out dealing with the pressure points on the Omaka River this morning and the fords on Old Renwick Road, between Pak Lim’s Corner and St Leonards Road mean that road has been closed again.
The worst surface flooding has been reported at SH 63 by Broadbridge’s Yard, on Ben Morven Road, Godfreys Road, Brookby Road and Dillons Point Road. Surface flooding has also been reported on the Northbank Road.

Future Residential Expansion

Mon, 06 Aug 2012 23:09:00 GMT

New areas being assessed for future residential expansion

Blocks of land to the western side of Blenheim are being considered for future residential expansion.

The District Council’s continuing search for suitable land for the town’s expansion has been prompted by the revision of its South Urban Growth Strategy, a planning project to find suitable land which could be re-zoned to meet the needs of long-term population growth.

Work is being done to identify, investigate and prioritise alternative urban expansion sites after geo-technical evaluation indicated that several proposed growth areas on the eastern side of the town would be prone to liquefaction risk in the event of an earthquake.

Five blocks on the north, west and southern edges of Springlands are being examined for potential re-zoning for housing. (see map below)

Letters have been sent to all property owners advising that the Council may be interested in re-zoning their land. Adjacent property owners may contact Council if they would like their land to be considered.

Chairman of Council’s hearings committee, Councillor David Dew, says Council is conscious that developers and land owners considering subdivision need clear signals about the best direction for expansion.

Council is inviting feedback about the new areas that have been identified. Council staff will be available to meet any interested parties to discuss these issues on 28 and 29 of August. Appointments may be made by contacting the Council.

Clean Up After Flooding

Sun, 05 Aug 2012 12:00:00 GMT

The majority of the damage caused by the recent heavy rain has been along the path of the Omaka River which chewed into its banks all the way from Tyntesfield bridge down past Renwick, taking out fences, lifting road seal, flooding at least two vineyards and putting a hole in the stopbank.

Marlborough District Council rivers and works staff have heavy machinery out this week beginning the repairs but Rivers manager Geoff Dick says it’s likely to be up to six months before the tidy-up is complete.

“We’re underway with the channel clearing now, pulling out the tree trunks and other debris, and in places realigning the river back to its channel. Then we need to work with landowners on the permanent repair work; shoring up the river banks and replanting, as well as dealing with the Omaka stopbank damage on the south side of SH6.”

Mr Dick says the problem was not so much the intensity of the rainfall but that it was prolonged, so the river ran high for three days, putting the system under pressure.

“The river did come out of its channel but the fords all flowed well and even though the river knocked a hole in the stopbank, it was on the receding end of the event and no water breached the stopbank.”

The Taylor River floodway coped with its floodwaters although Mr Dick said some running repairs had to be made to a couple of Blenheim’s older storm water pump stations which are due for replacement.

Both rivers are now flowing inside their banks again after sweeping across paddocks and roads. Three roads remain closed today; one each near the townships of Renwick, Seddon and Ward. Taylor Pass Road, between Maxwell Pass Road and Awatere Valley Road, is open to 4WD vehicles only. Several slips have been cleared to allow access on the Awatere Valley Road, and the road is passable with care. Cameron’s Road off SH6 near Okaramio is still open to 4WD only.

Marlborough Roads’ staff are moving around the region today and tomorrow, assessing the extent of the damage to culverts, road shoulders and surface seal.

“We’ll make the necessary quick fixes in the next few days but, with the ground absolutely saturated, we’re waiting for this week’s forecast rain before we sort out the longer term repair programme that is going to be necessary,” said Marlborough Roads senior asset manager Wayne Oldfield.

Flood Waters Receding But Many Roads Still Closed

Thu, 02 Aug 2012 04:58:00 GMT

Ten roads in Marlborough remain closed tonight and roads teams will be inspecting them regularly overnight with more rain forecast for this evening.

Marlborough Roads reports that extensive and severe damage has been caused by the flooding with road seal destroyed in some places.

The waters have begun to recede but the Taylor and Omaka Rivers are still in flood and it may be two or three days before the full extent of the damage can be assessed.

Marlborough District Council Assets and Services Manager Mark Wheeler says some roads, particularly those between Blenheim and Renwick crossed by the Omaka, may remain closed even if they look passable.

“We have to be able check out the damage before we reopen the roads. We know some seal has been lost and all culverts and bridges need to be checked. Even where roads look passable, vehicles are going to cause further damage to the carriageway if the seal has gone.”

He said some roads may have to be patched with metal in the short-term so they can be reopened.

Mr Wheeler asked people to respect the closed road signs.

“When the rivers come up so quickly culverts can be washed away and bridge supports put at risk. Sometimes logs and other debris can be just below water level, invisible but dangerous to a vehicle. Driver behaviour has been good so far but I am asking for that patience to continue while we get a full picture of the repairs that are going to be necessary.”

Flooding Recedes Slowly

Wed, 01 Aug 2012 21:54:00 GMT

Marlborough flooding recedes slowly but many roads still closed

Roads around Marlborough remain closed today with rain continuing and river levels receding only slowly.

Caution is advised for all traffic on State Highway One between Clarence and Kaikoura where flooding has occurred.

Road access is now possible to Waihopai Valley properties in Tyntesfield Road after the area was cut off by floodwaters for 24 hours. Para Road and Speeds Road, between Blenheim and Picton, have reopened and the Awatere Valley Road is open again.

However at about a dozen other points, between Blenheim and Renwick, to the east of Blenheim and in Seddon, water has not receded sufficiently to re-open the roads yet.

In Queen Charlotte Drive, at Mahakipawa, and in the Awatere Valley slips have reduced traffic to one lane.

No significant rain has fallen since midnight at the headwaters of the Omaka or Taylor Rivers but there is no indication yet as to how long it is likely to take for flooded fords to clear.

Marlborough District Council staff are monitoring the river levels and watching the weather as more rain is forecast for tonight.

Council Assets and Services manager Mark Wheeler is warning drivers not to attempt to cross flooded fords.

Dips in the road can be deceptive and water levels in the fords can be deeper than they look, he said.

Mr Wheeler also warns that, where floodwaters are still covering the road, it’s impossible to know whether there has been damage to road surfaces.

Position at 8.30 am Thursday 2 August 2012

Roads that have been reopened:

Tyntesfield Road
Para Road
Speeds Road
Awatere Valley Road

Roads that are closed:

Old Renwick Road CLOSED between Pak Lims and St Leonards Road

Jacksons Road between Old Renwick Road to SH62 - CLOSED

Hammerichs Road - CLOSED

Thompsons Ford Road - CLOSED

Taylor Pass Road – CLOSED between Maxwell Pass Road and the Awatere Valley Road

Brookby Road - CLOSED

Ward Beach Road - flooding at Needles Creek Ford - CLOSED

Vickerman Street - Roses Overflow - CLOSED

Morgans Road - CLOSED

Reserve Road, Seddon - CLOSED

Foster Street, Seddon - CLOSED

Extreme caution required:

Queen Charlotte Drive at Mahikipawa (The Wedge) – slip and slump. ROAD DOWN TO ONE LANE
Camerons Road - 4WD ONLY
Awatere Valley Road - 40 km from SH1 ROAD DOWN TO ONE LANE due to a slip

Other:

Starborough Underpass, SEDDON – CLOSED to pedestrians

Beaver Road Footbridge - CLOSED

State Highway 1

SH1 Clarence to Kaikoura - FLOODING CAUTION ISSUED

Marlborough Flooding Update

Wed, 01 Aug 2012 20:21:00 GMT

The residents of Tyntesfield Road in Marlborough’s Waihopai Valley remain cut off by floodwaters this evening after 24 hours of steady rain has closed the road.

A dozen other roads around the region have been closed by flooding during the last 24 hours although some are now re-opening. However extreme caution is still required. Crews will be working through the night, checking the damage to roads and bridges as water levels drop.

Steady rain coming in from the east over 24 hours since early yesterday; more than 120 mm was recorded in the areas of the headwaters of the Omaka and Taylor Rivers.

Road closures signs were put up at Omaka at 3.00 am today with more signs posted on other roads by 7.00 am.

By late afternoon the Taylor River, running through Blenheim, was still high but still well within the floodway.

To the north and west of Blenheim, the Omaka River is still running higher than usual, and roads at several points between Renwick and Blenheim remain closed or requiring caution.

The rain has caused problems in various parts of the district in the last 24 hours with floodwaters closing access through Taylor Pass Road beyond the Maxwell Pass, Ward Beach Road and some of the secondary roads off State Highway One between Blenheim and Picton.

Marlborough District Council Rivers staff say the flood is typical of a three-year event and was about half the size of the flooding experienced in 2008.

A weather watch remains in place and overnight patrols will continue in the region.

Position at 4.00 pm Wednesday 1 August 2012

Roads that have been reopened:

Para Road
Speeds Road
Awatere Valley Road

Roads that are closed:

Old Renwick Road CLOSED between Pak Lims and St Leonards Road

Jacksons Road between Old Renwick Road to SH62 - CLOSED

Hammerichs Road - CLOSED

Thompsons Ford Road - CLOSED

Taylor Pass Road – CLOSED between Maxwell Pass Road and the Awatere Valley Road

Brookby Road - CLOSED

Ward Beach Road - flooding at Needles Creek Ford - CLOSED

Tyntersfield Road - CLOSED

Vickerman Street - Roses Overflow - CLOSED

Morgans Road - CLOSED

Reserve Road, Seddon - CLOSED

Foster Street, Seddon - CLOSED

Extreme caution required:

Queen Charlotte Drive at Mahikipawa (The Wedge) – slip and slump. ROAD DOWN TO ONE LANE
Camerons Road - 4WD ONLY
Awatere Valley Road - 40 km from SH1 ROAD DOWN TO ONE LANE due to a slip

Other:

Starborough Underpass, SEDDON – CLOSED to pedestrians

Beaver Road Footbridge - CLOSED

Roads Closed By Floodwaters In Marlborough

Wed, 01 Aug 2012 00:10:00 GMT

Surface flooding has affected some roads in Marlborough.

Rain is forecast to continue throughout the day.

The Marlborough District Council is monitoring river levels carefully. At this stage river flooding is at a two-year high.

Motorists should exercise caution on all roads and be particularly wary of surface flooding.

Some main roads and secondary roads outside Blenheim and Renwick have been closed by the rising river levels and others are flooded but still passable. Drivers are advised to be particularly cautious when crossing fords.

MARK WHEELER
MANAGER ASSETS AND SERVICES DEPARTMENT

Smart Business Marlborough Macro Forum

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 12:00:00 GMT

MACRO Forum: Marlborough-Christchurch Rebuild Opportunities

A forum where Marlborough businesses can learn more about the opportunities which are being generated by the rebuild of earthquake-damaged Canterbury will be held in Blenheim next month.

The Marlborough District Council and the Marlborough Chamber of Commerce have arranged the forum to help local businesses better understand the growing range of opportunities that are emerging in and around Christchurch.

The speakers will be some of the major project managers handling the rebuild and a Marlborough-based builder who has expanded into Christchurch.

Mayor Alistair Sowman says while some Marlborough-based businesses are already participating in the rebuild work, others may not yet have grasped the size and scale of the prospects.

“This is going to be a chance for us all to hear first-hand what the big picture for business opportunity looks like. With up to $30B to be spent over the next decade or two, the impact on the whole South Island economy should be enormous and I want to make sure that our firms fully appreciate how they can best participate in what will undoubtedly become a construction boom.”

Mr Sowman noted that some Marlborough firms had already established operations in Canterbury with employees commuting each week but he said the opportunities went well beyond sending local tradespeople into Christchurch.

One of the key opportunities for Marlborough, he said, was as a supply point for goods and services; construction goods and other materials as well as draughting, design and landscaping services.

“We want to ensure that our local firms have every chance to play as large a part as they wish in the rebuild. To do that, they need to make the right connections; to hear what is needed and to make the contacts and I hope this Forum can help to achieve that,” he said.

Canterbury was going to provide a source of employment and skills development for a good few years ahead so anyone in Marlborough involved with youth education and employment was also invited to attend said the Mayor.

The forum will include a series of short presentations from people with practical knowledge of the way the building and construction industry is working in Christchurch, focusing on the wide range of opportunities that will soon be available as well as issues such as transport and accommodation and the working environment. There will be opportunities for questions and time set aside for informal discussions with the speakers after the presentations.

Speakers at the forum are

Anthony Leighs, CEO Leighs Construction
Ernest Duval, director of Fortis Construction and Equity Trust Pacific
Tom McBrearty, CEO of Salcom and chair of the Canterbury Communities Earthquake Recovery Network
Ian Smith, director of Arrow International (NZ) Ltd based in Christchurch
Andrew Lawson, of Andrew Lawson Builder Ltd.
Carl Pascoe, a Christchurch-based facilitator who has handled accreditation requirements for Fletchers Construction and the EQC.

Mr Sowman stressed that the Council’s role in setting up the forum was as a facilitator only. Any recruitment or contracts were up to individual employers or businesses to negotiate.

The MACRO Forum will be held from 2pm-5pm on Friday 10 August at the Marlborough Convention Centre.

The Forum is open to any business or individual from Marlborough. There is no charge but people are urged to register, as soon as possible, with the Marlborough Chamber of Commerce, phone 577 9575 or email enquiries@mcoc.org.nz

ALISTAIR SOWMAN
MAYOR

Marlborough-Kaikoura Rural Fire Authority Launch

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 12:00:00 GMT

The Minister of Internal Affairs Hon Chris Tremain and the Fire Service Commission Chair Rt Hon Wyatt Creech will be guest speakers at the official launch of the new Marlborough-Kaikoura Rural Fire Authority tomorrow.

Guests will include Fire Service Commission members Bob Francis and Dave McFarlane, NZ Fire Service National Commander Paul Baxter and the National Rural Fire Officer Murray Dudfield.

The chairman of the transition board for the new Fire Authority Mark Wheeler says the launch marks the restructuring of our regional rural fire services into an organisation which can better coordinate the training of the region’s fire fighters and give a higher profile to the important work of educating the public and key industries on issues around the often high fire risk in this part of the South Island.

“We will still be very dependent on all our rural fire fighting forces and our volunteers but this will maximise the use of education and training budgets. At present there are varying standards across the two provinces. The new Authority is tasked with lifting standards equally,” he said.

The new Authority brings together the management of the previous Marlborough and Kaikoura District Council and the Department of Conservation rural fire functions giving the Authority overall responsibility for governance and management of rural fire services in the two districts under the leadership of new general manager/PRFO Richard McNamara.

Mr McNamara has indicated he wants to raise public understanding of the fire risk faced by Marlborough and the region-wide preparedness for a major fire.

A small group of invited guests will attend the official opening and reception on Thursday 19 at 6.30pm at the Marlborough Emergency Operations Centre, Wither Road Extension, Blenheim.

MARK WHEELER
TRANSITION BOARD CHAIRMAN

Update On Flooding In Marlborough

Sat, 14 Jul 2012 12:00:00 GMT

In Marlborough, the Wairau River is still rising but the region’s flood control system is expected to cope with the predicted level of floodwaters.

The rain has stopped and the Pelorus and Wakamarina Rivers are both dropping fast but State Highway 6 between Havelock and Rai Valley is still closed until further notice.

However the district’s major river, the Wairau River, is not expected to peak until midnight tonight. The Wairau Bar Road is closed just past Spring Creek’s Ferry Bridge and low-lying land in that area is under water.

Marlborough District Council Assets and Services manager Mark Wheeler says floodgates and stopbanks on the Wairau River protection system are being monitored regularly as the flood levels look as if they could be some of the highest experienced in the last decade.

The Kaituna-Tua Marina Track, connecting State Highway 6 and State Highway 1 on the north bank of the Wairau River, is also closed.

On State Highway 6, at Canvastown, sandbags prevented floodwaters entering the Trout Hotel although earlier today water did reach some neighbouring buildings. Residents of the Wakamarina Valley say the water came within 150mm of one house but the water levels are now dropping and people are able to drive out of the valley.

The latest information on roads closures and river water levels can be found on the Marlborough District Council website, under Floodwatch: www.marlborough.govt.nz

MARK WHEELER
MANAGER ASSETS AND SERVICES DEPARTMENT

State Highway 6 Reopens

Sat, 14 Jul 2012 12:00:00 GMT

State Highway 6 linking Marlborough and Nelson was reopened at 8.45pm this evening.

The road had been closed between Havelock and Rai Valley with floodwaters across the highway at Canvastown.

Motorists are advised to drive with care as road surfaces have been damaged and there is still some debris on the roadsides.

The water levels of both the Pelorus River and the Rai River are receding.

However a watch will continue tonight on Marlborough’s Wairau River which is due to peak at midnight.

Flooding in Marlborough

Sat, 14 Jul 2012 12:00:00 GMT

Civil Defence in Marlborough is on standby as heavy rain has closed roads and cut off some isolated areas to the north and west of the region.

The worst affected area appears to be the Wakamarina Valley and Canvastown where both the Wakamarina River and the Pelorus River are running very high. State Highway 6 is closed from Havelock to Rai Valley.

The Trout Hotel at Canvastown has been sandbagged and a small civil defence team of Blenheim Volunteer Fire Brigade members is based there, waiting for waters to recede. Floodwaters have closed the road there and have reached the Canvastown community hall.

The Marlborough District Council assets and services manager Mark Wheeler says the Wakamarina River is over the stopbanks in several places but regular contact is being maintained with the residents’ association representatives who live in that valley. No evacuation has been required at this stage.

To the west of the district, a close watch is being maintained on the Wairau River which is expected to peak at midnight. The Wairau Bar Road is closed just past Spring Creek’s Ferry Bridge and low-lying land in that area is under water.

Mr Wheeler says at this stage the flooding is not looking as bad as it was in December 2010 but more information has yet to come in from outlying parts of the Marlborough Sounds.

The latest information on roads closures and river water levels can be found on the Marlborough District Council website, www.marlborough.govt.nz

MARK WHEELER
MANAGER ASSETS AND SERVICES DEPARTMENT

Public Access To Clock Tower Resumes But Future Work Likely

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 12:00:00 GMT

Tests on the War Memorial clock tower in Seymour Square show that, while the structure only just meets the minimum structural soundness required by the Building Code, the exterior stonework appears secure.

The clock tower is to be reopened to the public but more work is likely to be needed in future to meet tighter safety standards signalled as a result of the Commission of Inquiry into the Christchurch earthquake.

A structural report assesses the clock tower as meeting 35% of the Building Code’s seismic loading standard for new buildings. Anything below 33% is deemed earthquake-prone.

Marlborough District Council manager of assets and services Mark Wheeler said the report, from Aurecon (engineering consultants), says further investigations are going to be necessary to establish how foundation strengthening should proceed. A decision would then have to be made about the timeframe for the remedial work, he said.

“We have to face up to the fact that some further work may be required. Council’s overall earthquake-prone building policy is currently under review and we’re also aware that local bodies may well be expected to enforce higher standards of building safety in future as a consequence of the Christchurch earthquake. But in the meantime, in terms of current rules and policies, the clock tower complies with the minimum standard.”

Adhesion testing of the stonework has revealed no problems and the stones that were tested will be re-fixed into place. Mr Wheeler said that work should be completed tomorrow.

“The stonework has passed the adhesion test so that’s a relief – and it’s very pleasing to be able to confirm that the original mortar work done by Blenheim stonemasons George and John Munro and Robert Vass is standing the test of time,” he said.

Mr Wheeler said local authorities had to take a cautious approach once there was a suggestion of risk to the public.

He said the adhesion tests were recommended by the engineers who looked at the clock tower’s overall soundness.

“A piece of a cornice did break off about 18 months ago and at that time a local stonemason and a structural engineer did check that out for us and gave it the all clear. Now we’ve had the further reassurance about the stonework and, together with the engineer’s report, we have a pretty full picture of the overall structure – a report our Council insurers will be pleased to receive.”

The temporary fence around the Seymour Street clock tower will be dismantled on Wednesday.

“I think most people understood that the safety of the public is our first responsibility and that the investigation was done for that reason. Then we all had to accept that it would take a bit of time because of the pressure of work that the country’s specialist engineers are under in the wake of Christchurch. Other regions have just had to wait in line because there have been more pressing priorities down there,” he said.

The clock will be re-wound as soon as the site is clear.

ALISTAIR SOWMAN
MAYOR

Council CEO Reappointed

Tue, 03 Jul 2012 12:00:00 GMT

Marlborough District Councillors have reappointed Council CEO Andrew Besley in his role for a further three years.
The Local Government Act requires that the job must be advertised at least every seven years.

Mayor Alistair Sowman says the role was publicly advertised nationwide and several applications were received. Councillors met yesterday to consider the job applications.

The Mayor said Mr Besley has led the Council management team for the last 12 years and, given his skills and experience, it was not a difficult decision for councillors to make.

“Andrew Besley is one of the most experienced council CEOs in the country and his management and administrations skills are widely recognised within local government circles. This Council is fortunate to be able to retain a manager with this depth of experience and understanding of the issues in our region,” Mr Sowman said.
The three-year contract extension runs from December this year.

ALISTAIR SOWMAN
MAYOR

Rate Increase Held Down To 3.57%

Thu, 28 Jun 2012 21:20:42 GMT

The Marlborough District Council has formally adopted its 2012-2022 Long Term Plan, setting the new rates for the year ahead.

The increase in total rates and charges for Marlborough for the 2012-13 year will be 3.57% up on last year’s levy.

That’s a slightly lower rate of increase than the 3.75% achieved by the Council last year.

Mayor Alistair Sowman says the Council has worked hard to keep the rates take as close as possible to the rate of inflation with very little new spending.

“It was an infrastructure-only budget but we have to accept that infrastructural costs - things like pipes and concrete – are also subject to inflation,” said Mr Sowman

“The prevailing view from ratepayers that there was no room for extravagance and councillors understood that so they were disciplined in cutting back on the non-essentials. I think we can be satisfied that rates have been held as low as possible in the face of significant budgetary pressures, such as rising insurance premiums,” the Mayor said.

Different geographic areas will be affected differently. This year, individual rates have also been affected by the movements in land values that have occurred as a result of the district-wide revaluation.

For example, a Council benchmark property in the Blenheim Vicinity, a rural property outside town which experienced a large drop in land value, has a rates reduction of almost 15%.

In contrast, Council benchmark properties in urban Blenheim have rates increases between 3.6% and 4.9%.

ALISTAIR SOWMAN
MAYOR

Pick Up The Phone To Smart Business Marlborough

Thu, 28 Jun 2012 12:00:00 GMT

A new service to support and advise existing businesses to grow and assist those looking to move into the region has been launched with the aim of making it easier to do business in Marlborough.

Marlborough Mayor Alistair Sowman says “Smart Business Marlborough” will be a boon to existing businesses wishing to expand and for investors who want to relocate to Marlborough. It will also enable the Council to more actively assist growth opportunities for the region.

“Smart Business Marlborough” will provide a business portal; a single point of contact which can provide a broad range of advice and information to the business community.

It has been set up to provide an easy access point to the large pool of information capital that is held by the Council; everything from regulatory and planning requirements and infrastructural details as well as local knowledge.

“We’re aware that it can be difficult to find out everything that you need to know about setting up in business here and a lot of time and money can be involved. We want to streamline the process for those with proposals for establishment or expansion.

We also want to ensure that people don’t waste a lot of energy because they’re not aware of what is, and isn’t, possible.”
The business portal will be able to supply accurate information about consents and regulations and it will be able to pass on information about existing local networks and contacts which may be of use.

“An important part of its function is to help promote Marlborough as a good place to do business,” said Mr Sowman.

At the same time, he said, it gave the Council the opportunity to advocate for the ‘smart and connected’ nature of business growth that it seeks under its new regional economic development policy. For example, some work to identify potential expansion opportunities is already underway at the Omaka Aviation Cluster, said Mr Sowman.

The new service will be accessed through the Council and will have a web page which is expected to be developed further in the months ahead, working in conjunction with the Marlborough Chamber of Commerce.

“It may be that, further down the track, a stand-alone unit evolves. But we’re taking small steps with the aim of providing a service that efficiently meets the needs as we see them now. We want to get this right so we’re starting on a modest scale,” said Mr Sowman.

The service will be managed by Neil Henry, the Council’s manager of Strategic Planning and Economic Development.

Before coming to Marlborough in 2009, Neil worked in economic development within local government in the East of England.

Over a 10-year period he worked for three councils as economic development officer/manager, assisting businesses to start and grow, and supporting the development of new infrastructure by

helping local businesses relocate and grow by supporting them through Council regulatory processes
supporting start-up businesses with advice and funding
developing and managing business incubation centres
ensuring businesses are able to access advice and guidance
providing information to businesses: statistics, available property, economic data
advising Council on requirements of businesses including land, property and regulations
managing regeneration programmes to help businesses and people in low socio-economic areas.

ALISTAIR SOWMAN
MAYOR

Council Agrees To Act As Guarantor for Civic Theatre Loan

Wed, 27 Jun 2012 12:00:00 GMT

Marlborough District Councillors have agreed the Council will act as guarantor for the loans taken out by the Marlborough Civic Theatre Trust as back-up for the new theatre building project.

Six companies are bidding for the contract to build the new theatre with tenders closing next month.

Two loan facilities, to the value of $2.75M, have been arranged by the Trust to cover a worst-case scenario whereby fundraising does not cover construction costs. In line with common practice with loans for major community projects, each lender has asked that Council act as guarantor.

Mayor Alistair Sowman said most councillors had accepted the need for the Council to stand behind such a big community project.

“Most councillors want the theatre to go ahead, we have been kept well informed by the Trust and as a Council we have already endorsed the project. Declining this request would have stopped the project in its tracks,” he said.

Mr Sowman said the Trust needed to arranged the loans to ensure its financial position was secure before awarding a contract for construction.

He said the Trust was confident it would be able to raise the funds itself and not have to call upon the loans but it had advised councillors that it was in a position to service the loans should community fundraising and government sources fail to yield the necessary funds within the project deadlines.

“The Trust has delivered everything it has promised since this project got underway and it was reasonable for the Council to agree to this request to enable the Trust to sign the contract for construction,” said Mr Sowman.

The Mayor said providing this guarantee was a far more financially attractive option that the alternative; refunding the cost of the theatre design work that has already been done and paying for the upgrade of the existing theatre.

“If Council had pulled the rug out from under this project now, it would have been liable for a minimum $1.5M in design costs, given that it had already approved the theatre plans. On top of that, the present theatre is at the end of its life and we would have been looking at more than $11M to refurbish it to meet the required standards.”

Refurbishment to meet the new building regulations would have been a big job, putting the theatre out of action for a year or more, he said. The other option would have been to close its doors permanently, leaving the town without a theatre.

No one wanted to see that happen, said Mr Sowman.

ALISTAIR SOWMAN
MAYOR

Brand Refresh For Marlborough District Council

Tue, 19 Jun 2012 21:25:17 GMT

The Marlborough District Council is adopting a refreshed brand incorporating the sun and blending the blue and gold shades of Marlborough.

The refreshed brand is the work of Blenheim designer Alex Lloyd who was asked to update his original 1990's design of a gold sun and maroon brand to meet today’s digital demands and increase the brand's usability regardless of whether it is being used in digital or paper form.

The refresh was necessary because the existing, more detailed logo was created before electronic technology was in wide use and there have been technical difficulties achieving good quality reproduction in the on-line use of the logo and in Council’s many different publications.

Mayor Alistair Sowman says the aim of the brand refresh was to create a simple but recognisable image with clean lines that can be reproduced in different sizes and easily applied to a wide variety of uses, from Council leaflets and forms, to the website, vehicles and signs.

The refresh is beginning now because the Council is currently updating its website and the refreshed design and colour palette will be part of that process.

"We're using electronic communication more and more across all Council activity so it makes sense to have a brand that will work well in all contexts," said Mr Sowman.

The design work is expected to cost $4000. However, it will quickly reduce printing costs because it will be easier to reproduce, he said.

"Doubtless someone will raise the question of cost so can I just underline the fact that all existing stocks of stationery and resources will be used up before new stocks with the refreshed brand are introduced," said Mr Sowman. The implication of this is that there will be a transition period with the old brand and the refreshed brand in use at the same time.

The existing formal Council crest and its usage (Mayoral stationery, civic functions etc) will remain unchanged.

From early April, the public will start to see the refreshed brand on all Council materials.

Alistair Sowman
Mayor

Marlborough Mayor Offers Cautious Welcome To Local Government Proposals

Tue, 19 Jun 2012 21:24:36 GMT

Marlborough Mayor Alistair Sowman has welcomed the government’s reform plan for local government but says there are lots of questions yet to be answered about its practical application to areas like Marlborough.

The Marlborough District Council was a low debt council which had already undergone major reorganisation when it became a unitary authority with all the efficiencies that introduced, he said. It was already actively exploring more ideas for sharing some services with Nelson and Tasman, Mr Sowman said.

“We may be less affected by the structural reorganisation that looks likely in other parts of the country,” he said.

However, Mr Sowman said, as the government tried to re-focus the role and purpose of local government, one thing very relevant to Marlborough would be how exactly the government would define the term ‘public good’ in the coming legislation.

That was one of the key questions yet to be answered given that councils provided many things for the public good because no one else provided them, said Mr Sowman.

“Is this going to mean we should cancel our plan to put security cameras in the CBD and leave downtown security up to the police and the business community to deal with the damage and safety issues?” he said.

At the moment, local government often filled the vacuum left by central government and the private sector, he said.

The reform plan would require councils to provide "good quality local infrastructure, public services and regulatory functions at the least possible cost to households and business".

“I note that’s being explained as an attempt to limit spending increases to ‘no faster than inflation and population growth, except in extraordinary events’,” said Mr Sowman.

Marlborough’s rate increases between 2002 and 2010 had been right on the national average of 7%.

“The 7% figure is calculated by looking at all rates collected in that period and much of the increase over that time was due to the far-from-ordinary pressures of rapid population and housing growth in this period and our industrial growth and the need to face up to the infrastructural demands that created,” said Mr Sowman

But Mr Sowman said that average increase figure was a calculation that did not show how rates increases were shouldered by those who directly benefitted from the projects, and not by all ratepayers. For many Marlborough ratepayers the average increase was considerably less than 7%.

“For example, the Southern Valleys irrigation scheme resulted in a considerable increase in rates revenue but this didn’t affect ratepayers who were not on that scheme and the booming wine industry helped prompt the Riverlands industrial estate sewage upgrade which in turn raised rates on that industrial area.”

The Mayor also noted the community itself had driven the desire for many of the big projects which accounted for rates increases in Marlborough over recent years.

“The people of Renwick and Grovetown wanted sewerage improvements. These projects resulted in total rates increasing but that didn’t affect people outside these areas.”

At the same time other big costly projects were the direct result of central government standards, like the National Drinking Water Standards, which drove the Blenheim town water supply upgrade, he said.

Central government would have to consider how to deliver on its own policies and standards if it didn’t want to see them funded through the rating system, he said.

Mayor Sowman and Council CEO Andrew Besley will attend a Local Government New Zealand briefing on the local government reform proposals in Christchurch on Friday.

ALISTAIR SOWMAN
MAYOR

NZ King Salmon Application Now Publicly Notified

Tue, 19 Jun 2012 21:23:55 GMT

The Marlborough District Council has confirmed it will lodge a submission in opposition to the application from New Zealand King Salmon Ltd for private plan changes to enable the company to expand its operations in the Marlborough Sounds.

A Board of Inquiry has been established by the Minister of Conservation to hear the submissions. The timeframe for public submissions is 20 working days from today’s date.

Council environment committee chairman Peter Jerram says the Council will prepare a submission because the application by King Salmon seeks to change the Marlborough District Council’s own Plan and it is entirely appropriate the Council lodge a submission to address the planning implications.

“The decision made by the Board of Inquiry will effectively set a precedent for future activities within the Sounds; therefore the Council has a direct interest in the debate about what is, or is not, appropriate.”

It is important that it is widely understood that there is no right of appeal by any party in this matter and that the outcome will effectively create case law for the future development and protection of our coastline, said Councillor Jerram.

It’s also important that the public appreciates that the decision-making power in this case rests with the Board of Inquiry; it is not in the hands of the Marlborough District Council, he said.

It will be the first case involving a coastal area to be considered through the Environmental Protection Authority process.

“This is a case of enormous significance to Marlborough,” he said.

“It raises many issues, not least of which is how resolution should be reached on the fundamental question about the future use of the Marlborough Sounds and where the divide should lie between economic development and the preservation of a world-renown area of outstanding natural beauty and its recreational amenity,” said Councillor Jerram.

Councillor Jerram said he would expect the District Council’s depth of expertise in aquaculture regulation to be given due consideration in the course of the hearing.

“The applicant is seeking to change a Plan that is the result of 35 years of research, consultation and consideration. The Council would wish to see appropriate respect accorded to the work and experience that has gone into its Plan. And, as the current Plan reflects the community’s views and values, it is the Council’s responsibility to protect the integrity of that Plan.”

Councillor Jerram said the Council is of the view that, by taking its case direct to the EPA, King Salmon has also taken on the obligation to show why its expansion proposal should not be subject to the existing resource management plan for the Sounds.

He notes the Government has already gazetted other sites within the Sounds, waiting on the outcome of this case.

“If this application is approved, there will undoubtedly be further applications lodged,” he said.

The Council has agreed that a subcommittee, consisting of Councillor Jerram, environment committee deputy chair Trevor Hook and plan review subcommittee chair David Dew will be responsible for Council’s submission to the Board of Inquiry.

PETER JERRAM
CHAIRMAN SUB COMMITTEE

Contract Let For Endeavour Park Pavilion

Tue, 19 Jun 2012 21:19:05 GMT

The next step toward Picton’s new $3.1M community recreation and sports facility at Endeavour Park has been taken with the announcement that Blenheim firm T.H. Barnes & Co. has won the tender to build Stage One. Earthworks at the site are already underway.

The multi-function pavilion will be known as the Port Marlborough Pavilion.
Construction is expected to take more than 40 weeks with the pavilion ready to be used before next year’s winter sports season begins.

The pavilion will be the largest conference venue in Picton with capacity to seat 200 people.
The District Council has worked closely with Picton’s clubs and organisations to settle on the final design. The two-storey pavilion has full changing rooms downstairs with a meeting room and office space upstairs along with a kitchen and bar facilities.

Chairman of the Endeavour Park Pavilion Society Inc., Graham Gosling, says the size and design of the pavilion will mean all kinds of events and organisations will be able to make use of it.

“It will be a multi-sport facility as well as an asset for the whole Picton community – not just the sports codes. It’s going to do for Picton what the Giesen Stadium has done for Renwick; give the whole community a very accessible and useful venue,” he said.

Graham Gosling says it’s a thrill to know that work is underway.

“It’s taken a lot of effort to get to this stage but the community will quickly realise what a great resource it’s going to be and I’m sure they’ll be right behind us for the second stage of the project,” he said.

The Marlborough District Council is meeting $2.8M of the cost of Stage One, partly by way of Picton rates revenue and partly through its Reserves Development Fund. The Endeavour Park Pavilion Society has raised $350,000 and Port Marlborough is providing $100,000 over five years in return for naming rights. Financial support has also been committed by New Zealand King Salmon and the Canterbury Community Trust has providing financial backing. A section sold for the fundraising was donated by three Picton businessmen, Keith Harrop, Roger Cloudesley and Keith Denham.

Marlborough District Council Assets and Services Committee chairman Graeme Taylor says the pavilion is the next step in the development of Picton’s sports facilities after the park itself had a $2M upgrade in 2006-07, which included major earthworks, drainage and topsoil and turf improvements.

Stage Two of the Endeavour Park development would likely include squash courts and perhaps a gymnasium. However funding for any such development has yet to be secured.

Liquefaction Report For Blenheim

Tue, 19 Jun 2012 21:17:39 GMT

A geo-technical report on land to the east and south-east of Blenheim that was earmarked for possible future residential expansion has shown that it would be susceptible to liquefaction in the event of a significant earthquake.

Further testing is to be done on land to the north of the town where similar doubts have been raised about the stability of the soils.

The Marlborough District Council is aware that developers and land owners considering subdivision need clear signals about the best direction for expansion.

The northern and eastern town perimeter sites were identified in Marlborough’s South Urban Growth Strategy, a town planning project designed to find suitable land which could be re-zoned to meet the needs of long-term population growth.

However, the geo-technical report prepared for the District Council suggests the high cost of treating the land and of constructing appropriate foundations, coupled with the costs and risks to water and sewerage services and roads, makes these areas unsuitable for rezoning:

land to the east of Riversdale off the end of Dillons Point Road, bounded by the Opawa River out to Rowberry’s Road
land at St Andrews, between Alabama Road and State Highway One
land between Alabama Road and Tavera Street to the east of Redwood Street.

The future of a site to the north side of Old Renwick Road – 35 hectares on the edge of Springlands – is not so clear. Initial testing suggests the ground conditions vary across this area and further investigation has been recommended before re-zoning decisions are made.

Land-owners are receiving letters advising them of the contents of the report.

Council staff have begun the process of examining other potential areas which may be suitable for housing expansion and welcome inquiries from landowners on the perimeter of the current urban area.

The Urban Growth Strategy was prepared before the Christchurch earthquakes which graphically illustrated the impact of liquefaction on low-lying residential land.

“Since the Christchurch earthquakes the perception of risk has changed; everyone is far more conscious of liquefaction as we have been able to see the results of it across relatively recent housing developments,” said Councillor David Dew, chair of the subcommittee reviewing the Council’s Resource Management Plans.

Since then too, new guidelines recommending geo-technical investigation have been issued by the Department of Building and Housing.

“Council has taken a risk-averse approach because we’ve seen what has happened in Christchurch. Before any further decisions were made, we wanted to know where the risks were,” he said.

The geo-technical report says all four areas on the edges of Blenheim would be vulnerable to ‘lateral spreading of land adjacent to waterways’ and it was unlikely that treatment of the ground would be economic. Standard residential foundations would be inadequate in housing subdivisions at any of the locations, including north of Old Renwick Road.

Councillor Dew said while the Council would be unlikely to re-zone these areas in the face of this kind of evidence, landowners still wishing to develop would be entitled to seek a private plan change. In such a case, however, they would face the extra costs of dealing with liquefaction issues in relation to services and building practice, he said.

“The test results will help inform landowners to judge the point at which it might be economic to consider developing their land, given the design and construction methods that would be required on this kind of soil.”

The Council’s Resource Management Plan review subcommittee will be asked to consider the implications of the liquefaction investigations.

Population projections suggest another 2500 houses will be needed in Blenheim over the next 20 years.

DAVID DEW
CHAIRMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT REVIEW SUB-COMMITTEE

QEII Award In Music 2012

Tue, 19 Jun 2012 21:16:40 GMT

Background

This year a joint award will be made to:

Olivia Sheat

Olivia is head girl at MGC and a soloist and soprano section leader of the senior choir, Bella Voce as well as a member of the National Secondary Schools Student Choir. Olivia has been taking singing lessons since she was aged eight and is a pupil of Marlborough teachers Eileen Guard and Con O’Brien. She is now also tutored in classical singing training by Jenny Wollerman, Head of Classical Performance (Voice) at Victoria University. Olivia has passed NZ Speech and Drama Grade 8 examination with honours and Royal Schools of Music Singing at Grade 7 with distinction. She has also passed the Royal School of Music Grade 5 in Piano. Olivia has had a long involvement with Blenheim Musical Theatre and Marlborough Youth Theatre, participating in many shows. She takes part in local fundraising events and is a regular soloist at the St Andrew’s Classics Concert and Carols in the Park. Olivia intends to go to Victoria University to study for a Bachelor of Music majoring in performance singing.

Vicky Mack

This is the second year in a row that Vicky, an accomplished pianist and violinist, has received this award. A gifted musician, she has passed her Trinity College of London Grade 8 with Distinction and has been awarded Grade 8 piano with distinction. As well as having an excellent academic record while at school, Vicky was the Cultural Prefect at Marlborough Girls’ College in 2011 and also regularly played with the College’s Senior Choir, Bella Voce. She has contributed to the wider community through her music, performing in Blenheim’s Tempo concerts and also competing each year in the Marlborough Performing Arts Competitions. This year Vicky is studying business management with a major in accounting, but also taking some music papers at Waikato University.

ALISTAIR SOWMAN
MAYOR

Local Companies Praised For High Quality Tenders

Tue, 19 Jun 2012 21:09:29 GMT

The contract for logging and cartage in Marlborough Regional Forestry’s Waikakaho Forest have been let to local firms Pelorus Contracting Ltd and CRB Transport Ltd after they submitted bids which Marlborough Regional Forestry (MRF) Chairman Francis Maher described as being very well prepared.

The one-year contracts for harvesting and cartage of 50,000 tonnes of logs, worth almost $2M is supervised by Merrill and Ring NZ Ltd which manages MRF’s forestry estate.

Councillor Maher says it’s very pleasing to see local companies step up.

“These companies made the effort to seek out a briefing and then acquire their own professional advice with their bid preparation so they were able to submit thorough and competitive tender documents. The effort that was taken was obvious to the panel considering these tenders. It’s a terrific example for other local companies as to how to go about the business of winning a tender,” said Councillor Maher.

In today’s competitive environment, the quality of a tender document could make the difference between being awarded a contract or not, he said.

Councillor Maher said he feared that some local businesses still did not appreciate the importance of providing a thorough coverage of the key attributes attached to a tender.

“In forestry project work for example, while price is an important dimension, the health and safety management aspects of a bid, depth of understanding of MRF forestry estates, the experience of the crews and the commitment to maintaining environmental standards are other important dimensions. It’s increasingly important that bidders have a good appreciation of the relative value that will be placed on all the various attributes because tender price alone does not determine the outcome,” he said.

He urged local companies which miss out on major work to take up the opportunity for pre- and post-tender briefings, where they are offered, and, if necessary, to seek professional advice to raise the quality of their tender documents.
The forest harvesting work that was the subject of this tender is in a new part of the MRF estate, therefore there was no benchmark for pricing, said Councillor Maher.

“Putting the work out for open tender was the fairest way to set the price and as a result some very competitive prices have been secured for Marlborough Regional Forestry as the forest owner.”

Marlborough Regional Forestry is jointly owned by the ratepayers of Marlborough and Kaikoura through the respective district councils.

FRANCIS MAHER
MARLBOROUGH REGIONAL FORESTRY CHAIRMAN

Contract Let For Picton's Big Sewerage Upgrade

Tue, 19 Jun 2012 20:58:13 GMT

The upgrade of the Picton harbour sewerage pipeline will begin this month now that a contract has been let to Hawkins Infrastructure for the first part of what will be an $8M Sewerage Upgrade project to bring a cleaner, healthier, more efficient sewerage system to the town.

The tender price of $3.8M for the first stage has come in within budget, says Council Assets and Services Manager Mark Wheeler.

The Stage One work will include a new marine outfall pipeline into Picton Harbour replacing the unsightly and deteriorating pipeline that currently runs around the inner harbour from Carey's Boatyard to Kaipupu Point.

The old pipeline will be demolished and completely removed as part of this work. There’ll also be a new pipeline built along Dublin Street and Lagoon Road, connecting the future new Dublin Street Pump Station to the marine outfall.

The existing effluent pipeline from the Picton Sewage Treatment Plant will be connected up to the new outfall. A new, small diameter pipeline will also be laid alongside the outfall pipeline along Dublin Street which will be able to carry recycled effluent from the treatment plant in the future.

The next stage will include the construction of the new pumping station and bypass treatment facility in Dublin Street and associated pipework.

By the end of the project, all the aging trunk pipelines (both gravity and pressure) from Waikawa Beach to Dublin Street will have been replaced and there will be new pump stations at Surrey Street, Fishermans Wharf and Dublin Street as well as pump station upgrades at Beach Road and Waikawa Beach.

A modern aeration and UV treatment plant serving Picton and Waikawa was built over a decade ago.

MARK WHEELER
MANAGER ASSETS AND SERVICES DEPARTMENT

Draft Plan Decisions

Tue, 19 Jun 2012 20:56:39 GMT

Marlborough District Councillors maintained a firm line against new spending as they considered the public submissions on the draft Long Term Plan, ensuring the overall average rate increase across the region for the year ahead can be held down to about 3.5%.

A number of funding requests or project proposals were referred to Council committees for future consideration but, overall, few additions were made to the expenditure already set out in the draft Plan. Councillors did agree to new spending of $60,000 in response to the Grow Marlborough Forum’s request to help fund a regional events manager and Sport Tasman won support for a $10,500 boost to its budget.

“Christmas in the Park” will be run again this year after a one-off allocation of $4000 was made to promote and advertise the event.

Councillors also wanted to support Marlborough’s two emergency helicopters; the Life Flight Trust and the Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter each get $10,000 in new funding.

The Awatere community’s pitch for upgraded facilities received a sympathetic hearing and $48,000 was allocated for repairs to the memorial hall and the community hub building in Seddon, with other infrastructure requests referred to Council’s Assets and Services Committee for further consideration.

Marlborough Mayor Alistair Sowman says most people appreciated that, this year, there was very limited room to move on requests for new spending.

“Councillors have concentrated on those projects that have direct benefit to the community. We’ve taken a very prudent approach to what has proved to be essentially an ‘infrastructure only’ budget,” he said.

The projects that will be funded through new spending or from funds carried forward from existing budgets tended to be those that involved urgent work which, if delayed further, would have simply cost far more further down the track, he said.

The impact of all yesterday’s decisions is pointing to an overall average rates increase of 3.57% with the final figure to be confirmed before Councillors meet again at the end of this month to strike the rates for the next financial year.

Note: Full Council meeting, 3pm Thursday June 28, to adopt Long Term Plan 2012-22 and set rates).

Alistair Sowman
Mayor

Picton Renwick And Communities To Be Consulted About Meters

Tue, 19 Jun 2012 20:50:20 GMT

The communities of Picton, Renwick and Havelock will soon be asked their views on the introduction of water meters as the Marlborough District Council explores this option as a way of addressing water supply challenges in the three centres.

Assets and Services Manager Mark Wheeler says water metering is primarily a tool to encourage efficient water use; it enables accurate monitoring of household water consumption and better management of the supply.

He says, as an environmental tool, water metering has proved to greatly reduce demand in other parts of New Zealand where it has been introduced. Not only does it help consumers to understand how much water they’re using, sometimes in a wasteful manner, it also helps to reveal where leakages may exist in the reticulation system.

Council’s Planning and Development Engineer Stuart Donaldson says each of the smaller centres has had its own challenges maintaining good water supply with water restrictions imposed as necessary. Picton has had severe water shortages in the past and work is being done to reduce leakage in the town supply, Havelock has problems when saltwater affects its wells and in Renwick a trend of falling water levels has been recorded in recent years.

Bringing other dams into service, making greater use of rainwater or greywater or finding new water supplies are other options but each carries costs which will be discussed as part of the community consultation. Further work has yet to be done on the detailed costings for universal water metering.

“It incurs a huge cost when a town runs out of water and we don’t want a repeat of the situation we faced about 12 years ago when we were forced to begin making plans to transport water to Picton by train,” said Mr Wheeler.
Currently, Council water meters are in place for the Awatere, Wairau Valley and the Riverlands industrial estate as well as for commercial water users in Blenheim, Picton, Havelock and Renwick.

A community consultation round, including public meetings, will begin from next month and is expected to continue into next year, leading into the 2013/14 Annual Plan process.

MARK WHEELER
MANAGER, ASSETS & SERVICES DEPARTMENT

Marlborough Civic Theatre

Tue, 19 Jun 2012 20:48:02 GMT

Representatives of the Marlborough Civic Trust outlined financial details and banking arrangements for the new Civic Theatre to Council’s Community and Financial Planning Committee meeting yesterday. The meeting was attended by the Mayor and all Councillors.

The matter was considered in Committee as the Trust finances, including terms and details of bank loans, were discussed. Tenders information was also presented to the Committee. Six companies have been invited to bid for the contract and tenders close early next month.

Councillors were told that in order to award a contract for construction the Trust had to be in a position to meet contractual obligations and, both lenders were asking for the Council to act as guarantor. This is normal for major community projects.

Mayor Alistair Sowman said most councillors realised that it was important to send a signal to the Trust, its fundraisers and supporters, and especially to those submitting tenders, that the Council had faith in the project.
“The loan from ASB is simply a back-up in the unlikely case that the Trust is unable to secure any government assistance,” he said.

“The financial details presented to the Committee demonstrated that the Trust has the ability to service loans of approximately $2.75 million. I have confidence the Trust will be able to meet its financial targets and it is highly unlikely that Council will be asked to meet the guarantee obligations.”

Mr Sowman says it is normal practice for banks and charitable trusts to require Councils to guarantee loans for community projects such as theatres. The reason for this is that the assets of a project such as a theatre have little commercial value. Council has guaranteed similar loans in the past.

Councillors who’d been involved with the Stadium 2000 project reminded their colleagues of the critics who’d said that project would fail yet it had proved to be a great community amenity.

Mr Sowman said Councillors also needed to be mindful that, if the Civic Theatre project foundered through lack of Council support, the Council would be liable for the $1.5M already expended on theatre design work as well as at least $11M that is going to be necessary to upgrade the existing theatre.

A working group of the Mayor and Councillors Maher, Dew and Leggett were delegated the task of finalising loan guarantee arrangements and reporting back to Council for final approval.

ALISTAIR SOWMAN
MAYOR

Future Ban On Old Woodburners And Open Fires In Blenheim

Tue, 19 Jun 2012 20:46:41 GMT

Air pollution levels in Blenheim during May mean that the Marlborough District Council must enforce a ban on the installation of new open fires in houses built within the town boundaries from next year.

At the same time Blenheim residents who rely on open fires and old woodburners are being urged to think seriously about clean heating options.

The Government’s new mandatory National Environmental Standards require local bodies to advise the public when air pollution levels breach the standard and to impose a ban on the installation of new open fires in domestic dwellings within the year of that happening.

Marlborough District Council’s air quality testing recorded exceedances of the national air quality standard on May 23 and May 31 and again this month on June 12. Therefore the ban will come into effect from May 31, 2013 as the standards allow for one exceedance but are deemed breached after the second exceedance

Council’s Environment Committee chairman Peter Jerram says the new national regulations and the existing level of winter air pollution in Blenheim’s urban area means we need to find ways to improve the quality of the atmosphere when the temperatures drop.

“As a Council, we don’t have any choice but to enforce this requirement; no building permits can be issued to install an open fire inside a new, or existing, Blenheim house after May 31 next year.”

But the future use of existing open fires and old woodburners within urban Blenheim is also currently under review as part of the broader review of Council resource management plans.

Nelson has banned the use of open fires since 2008 and Christchurch followed suite in 2010.

“This is an urban issue, and does not apply to houses in the country. We’re just talking about open fires and old woodburners in Blenheim itself – the pollution stems from the concentration of population and is not an issue in rural Marlborough,” said Councillor Jerram.

The Marlborough District Council is urging people who rely on such forms of heating to look at the central government’s subsidies for clean heating.

Background

The Marlborough District Council has primary responsibility for managing the air quality of this region. It is required to find ways to ensure air quality complies with the new mandatory National Environmental Standards (NES) by 2016. Urban Blenheim is currently defined by the Ministry of the Environment as a ‘polluted airshed’, as distinct from a ‘heavily polluted airshed’.

Regulation 24A of the NES requires councils to tell the public when the air quality standard is breached and that they should expect a ban on the installation of open fires in domestic dwellings to be in place 12 months from that breach, whenever that occurs.

Blenheim exceeded its air standard six times from July to August last winter, also experiencing the highest levels of pollution ever recorded here. The first two exceedances of 2012 were recorded in May.
Councillor Jerram says the May air quality has triggered the outright ban on installing new open fires in houses in town from 2013.

He says people burn more firewood as the temperature drops and maybe that has also led to people burning wood that was still a bit green, a practice that would certainly affect air quality, he said.

“Whatever the cause, last year was one of the worst winters for air pollution in Marlborough. With the cold weather well and truly here again, we need to get the message across that our air quality is vital to good health and that we have to look at clean heat,” he said.

Future Moves

A total ban on the use of existing open fireplaces and the phase-out of solid fuel burners that are 15 years old or more is also proposed for urban Blenheim (but not throughout Marlborough) in the current review of the Marlborough District Council’s Regional Policy Statement. These initiatives are required in addition to the ban on new open fires to meet the requirements of the NES.

The public will get the opportunity to make submissions on that proposal when the Regional Policy Statement goes out for public consultation.

In the Regional Policy Statement review, the Council is proposing to:

Ban the use of existing indoor open fires
Phase out the use of solid fuel burners that are more than 15 years old
Ban all outdoor burning in the Blenheim airshed (urban area)
Allow the installation of only those new multi-fuel burners which comply with the National Environmental Standards.

“We have been given a bit of space to find ways to bring our town’s air quality up to standard as the government has pushed the original 2013 deadline out to 2016. But, with an aging population and our growing understanding of respiratory health problems, we can’t afford to procrastinate in addressing the causes of our air pollution,” said Councillor Jerram.

Help For Homeowners

One option for homeowners who rely on an open fire or an old woodburner is the central government’s EECA subsidy for insulation and clean heating.

The District Council also offers Marlborough ratepayers a “Heat Smart” programme where they may borrow the cost of insulation and clean heating for their home and pay that off through their rates over a nine-year period. That arrangement can be made in conjunction with the EECA subsidy.

More information about both these schemes is available on the Marlborough District Council website under Energy Efficiency

PETER JERRAM
CHAIRMAN ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE

Argentine Ants Invasion

Tue, 19 Jun 2012 20:43:26 GMT

A plan has been prepared to try and control Argentine Ants that have invaded a pocket of largely industrial land on the south side of Blenheim.

The Argentine Ant, as distinct from the more common Darwin Ant, is considered a highly invasive pest in some parts of the country and is a particular nuisance when it infests the recreational spaces in parks and reserves. They have become a major horticultural pest in some warmer parts of the country.

These ants were first reported in Blenheim nearly a decade ago in the area of Park Terrace and since then they’ve become established in a 20-hectare pocket of land bounded by State Highway One and the railway line, to the Opawa River and along to Stuart Street. The majority of the area is the industrial area around Main Street, rather than housing.

This species of ant is known to be well established in Nelson and its thought that may be the source of Blenheim’s infestation.

The Council’s biosecurity team is planning to arrange the use of surface sprays and insect baits to try and stop the insect spreading to other parts of our region. Council staff and contractors will treat the area using BiffAnt® surface spray, Biforce® granules and Xstinguish® ant bait.

The Council will be seeking the support of all landholders in the treatment area and they will be contacted directly to discuss the treatment plan.

The Argentine Ant is very similar in appearance to the Darwin Ant as both are light brown in colour. However, Darwin Ants give off an unpleasant odour when crushed - unlike Argentine Ants.

People living near the affected area who think they may have Argentine Ants on their property are invited to contact the Council or bring a sample in to be checked.

It’s intended that the control programme will begin in October.

Council Acted On Boatyard In Response To Complaints

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 11:00:00 GMT

Mayor Alistair Sowman is urging new businesses intending to re-locate to Marlborough to first contact the District Council before committing to a site.

Boatbuilder Ian Franklin, who has been operating from Waikawa in breach of the Marlborough Sounds Resource Management Plan, has been the subject of formal complaint to the Council from some Waikawa residents and the matter has now gone to the Environment Court.

“We want new businesses to know they’re very welcome here and that Council staff are very happy to give out information on potential sites. Unfortunately, in this case, there was a problem with the location. Even though, historically, it had been a boatyard, residents know that industrial activity is being phased out to make way for further residential expansion,” said Mr Sowman.

“We don’t want to see new arrivals facing these difficulties,” said Mr Sowman.

The boatyard is located in an area which was re-zoned as residential many years ago.

Council Environmental Protection officer Mark Witehira said the Council had no option but to apply the law when formal complaints were received about the Waikawa boatyard late last year.

“The only way the business could have continued to operate under existing use rights was for activity to have resumed within 12 months of its previous owner stopping business. The complainants say there had been no activity at the yard for more than 12 months; therefore it no longer had existing use rights,” said Mr Witehira.

If Mr Franklin wishes to try and re-establish the activity he will now require resource consent, he said.

“It’s not a case of how clean or tidy or picturesque the boatyard looks, nor is it the Council’s wish to see Mr Franklin shut his business. But letting lapse the existing use right opened the way for his neighbours to act,” said Mr Witehira.

This was a case where the Council had become the meat in the sandwich, Mr Witehira said.

The Environment Court has granted Mr Franklin a stay so he can continue operating his business until it can hear his case. No date has been set.

Alistair Sowman
Mayor

Councillors Approve Landscaping Option For Number 2 High Street

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:00:00 GMT

A landscape design showing gently grassed terracing coupled with space for a commercial activity at street level at Number 2 High Street has won councillors’ backing at a meeting of the Council’s Community and Financial Planning Committee today.

The Mayor says the favoured option for the Council-owned site is the closest design he has seen to the original concept that was the subject of a public workshop during the preparation of the Council’s Urban Design Strategy.

“It maintains the town’s connection with the river itself; it will give us usable public green space along the riverside and it will create an attractive view of the town for traffic coming off State Highway One,” he said.

Mr Sowman says the support for the proposed landscape plan is also a message to developers.

“They can see the footprint that will be available for a commercial activity on the balance of the High Street site,” he said.

However Mayor Alistair Sowman says there are issues yet to be resolved before this proposal can become a reality.

“Today’s decision was simply about landscaping that would acknowledge the value of the site to the town. If the full Council decides this is the preferred landscaping option, further decisions would have to be made about how to fund that work and the time-frame for it.”

Mr Sowman said he would want to see a commercial proposal which would help fund the landscape work.

However that would be a decision for a later date, he said.

“Today’s decision wasn’t about an ale house or a peace house or any other activity. We were simply looking for a landscaping option for the site that meets the objectives of our Urban Design Strategy and I’m pleased that there was an option that won clear approval.”

The plan was prepared by Blenheim architect Tim Barton.

Jamie Lyall
Executive Projects Manager

New Trustee For Destination Marlborough

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 04:01:00 GMT

The owner of a farm holiday park at Linkwater and a member of the Pelorus Promotions group, Barbara Faulls, has been appointed to the board of Destination Marlborough.

Her appointment was approved by the Council at today’s meeting. She replaces Dain Simpson as one of two Marlborough District Council-appointed trustees on the board.

Mrs Faulls and her husband established Smiths Farm Holiday Park on Queen Charlotte Drive in 1997.

Mayor Alistair Sowman says Mrs Faulls was one of 13 applicants for the vacancy and the calibre of applicants was very high.

Mr Sowman says Mrs Faulls was such a strong contender as she is passionate about tourism with a good understanding of the travel sector and previous experience with a community-based tourism promotion organisation.

A local woman who attended Linkwater School, Mrs Faulls’ first career was as an officer with the New Zealand Army where she was commended for her work in reactivating the Army newspaper.

As a former chair of Pelorus Promotions, a Trustee of the Havelock Vision 20/20 and as a member of Queen Charlotte Track Inc, Mrs Faulls will bring the voice of small business to the board table, said Mr Sowman.

Mrs Faulls believes Destination Marlborough should aim to become the top performing RTO in New Zealand and she will support increased collaboration between those working in the Marlborough tourism sector.

Mr Sowman says the Council committee has confidence that Mrs Faulls will bring to the board a valuable mix of skills and a good understanding of the current issues.

ALISTAIR SOWMAN
MAYOR

New Director At MDC Holdings Ltd

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 11:00:00 GMT

The executive director of the Indevin Group, Richard Olliver, has been appointed an independent director of MDC Holdings Ltd, the Marlborough District Council’s commercial arm.

He replaces Joe Wallace, the current chairman of the holding company, whose term has ended.

Mayor Alistair Sowman says Mr Wallace has given exceptional service to MDC Holdings over nine years.

“We are fortunate to have secured a high-calibre applicant with excellent credentials to fill the vacancy,” said Mr Sowman.

Mr Olliver’s extensive business experience, his financial acumen and the depth of his experience both in New Zealand and internationally made him an outstanding candidate for the role, Mr Sowman said.

Mr Olliver, a former Marlborough Boys’ College student, has worked for Macquarie Bank Ltd, Carter Holt Harvey and Price Waterhouse Coopers. As well as his role at Indevin, he is a director for Marlborough-based Rangitane Holdings Ltd.

ALISTAIR SOWMAN
MAYOR

Blenheim Clock Tower to be Assessed for Earthquake Risk

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 22:09:00 GMT

Blenheim’s War Memorial Clock Tower in Seymour Square is to be cordoned off from public access until an engineer’s report can establish the degree of risk it would pose in a serious earthquake.

Marlborough Mayor Alistair Sowman says an initial assessment suggests the risk of structural damage is high enough to convince the Council that it is in the public interest to keep people away from the clock tower until further investigations can be completed.

As part of its earthquake preparedness planning, the Council has already assessed pre-1977 buildings where there’s likely to be a high risk of damage or danger to people in the event of a quake and is now examining other Council assets to assess their risk status.

The 16-metre stone clock tower has been identified as the highest risk and further assessment has been commissioned from structural engineers to establish the degree of strengthening that is required.

There has been a problem with the stone tower in the past when a weathered piece of stone cracked and water got behind it, causing it to break off. Some maintenance work was done on the tower at that time.

A check after Saturday evening’s earthquake did not reveal any damage to the tower.

"We are all acutely aware of the impact of crumbling masonry in a major quake so it is common sense to take a proactive approach to public safety – until we know what we are dealing with here," said the Mayor.

There are likely to be a number of options for any strengthening work but that would depend on the structural report, said Mr Sowman. The cost and timeframe would not be known until that report can be completed.

In the meantime, Council staff will no longer make the twice weekly climb to maintain the timing device and the clock will be left to run down.
Paid for entirely by public donation and unveiled in February 1928, the clock tower was erected in remembrance of Marlborough’s First World War casualties. It was constructed of masonry and river boulders using stone from all over the Marlborough region including Awatere River stones, Wharanui limestone and greywacke and, acknowledging the ANZAC spirit of that time, sandstone from Australia. Today it is regarded also as the region’s principal memorial to those who died in later conflicts and is ranked Category 1 on the NZ Historic Places register.

Mr Sowman says the War Memorial and Clock Tower have great significance for the whole region, not just as a memorial but as a focus for the town’s civic activity today. "It is a real landmark and I know the public will expect the Council to take all necessary steps to ensure it is made safe and secure."

Other Council assets which will need further assessment are the old grandstand at A&P Park, and grandstands at Lansdowne and Athletic Parks.
Sports codes which use these facilities, including the toilets and changing rooms beneath the stands, are being advised that they are going to be unavailable for some time.

The Council will try and help the sports groups make alternative arrangements said Mr Sowman.

For example, portable toilets and changing facilities could be possible at Athletic Park and a temporary location found for groups like the Darts Club which currently lease clubrooms under the A&P stand, said Mr Sowman.

Alistair Sowman

Mayor

Cycle Lanes And Shade Trees For Seymour Street And Maxwell Road

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 11:00:00 GMT

Tree planting will begin in Seymour Street this week as work starts on the first section of cycleway through Blenheim’s CBD.

It’s also the first project to get underway from the Urban Design Strategy prepared for Blenheim’s town centre in the Council’s long-term planning exercise led by UrbanismPlus.

Eleven Liquidambar trees will be planted along Seymour Street and green and white cycle lanes will be painted along sections of Seymour Street and Maxwell Road. The work should be finished by early December.

Councillor Terry Sloan, the councillor with responsibility for the CBD, says it’s great to be able to get cracking on the recommendations for the CBD.

“The stretch of road where the cycle lanes are being marked out does carry high volumes of traffic so clearly identified lanes which keep cyclists separated from vehicles should increase cyclists’ safety.”

Councillor Sloan says Seymour Street was chosen for more tree planting both to enhance the street view looking south to the Wither Hills and because roadside trees are considered to be a traffic-calming influence.

“Seymour Street can be a bit of a speedway and we hope both these improvements will encourage motorists to slow down.”

Councillor Sloan said all the businesses along the route seemed to appreciate the thinking behind the measures being taken and parking loss would be minimal as "No Parking" yellow lines currently occupy much of the space that will be given over to the cycle lane and tree planting areas.

Chamber of Commerce general manager Brian Dawson says it’s good to see the CBD plan starting to be rolled out.

“It’s critical for the future of the CBD that it is attractive and user-friendly,” he said.

Further improvements identified in the CBD plan will be introduced as details are approved and funding permits, said Councillor Sloan.

Public submissions were received after the publication of the planning document, Blenheim Town Centre "A Vision for the Future" 2009. This plan was adopted by the Council last year. Since then, consultation with local businesses has taken place and feedback has been supportive.

The cycle lanes are also identified within Marlborough's Walking and Cycling Strategy 2010 and fit with the district’s Regional Land Transport Strategy.

Robin Dunn

Armistice Day Memorial Service In Seymour Square

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 11:00:00 GMT

A memorial service will be held at the Blenheim War Memorial clock tower at 11.00 am on Friday, 11 November to mark Armistice Day.

This 11^th hour of the 11^th day of the 11^th month is the symbolic moment chosen to remember the cease to hostilities on the Western Front in 1918.

The traditional wreath of red poppies will be laid at the war memorial, a reminder of the wild poppies that grew across the fields of Flanders where so many Allied troops lost their lives in the First World War.

Marlborough Mayor Alistair Sowman and Marlborough Police Inspector Steve Caldwell will each give a short address and RNZAF Base Woodbourne will be represented by Wing Commander Al McIntosh.

Alistair Sowman
Mayor

Action Still Needed By Some Marlborough Dairy Farmers

Sun, 06 Nov 2011 11:00:00 GMT

The latest report on dairy shed effluent and stream crossings shows the Marlborough dairy industry must lift its game to meet the standards being achieved by the industry in other parts of the country.

Farms are reviewed annually to see whether the conditions of any resource consent relating to the property and all Plan Rules within the Marlborough Sounds Resource Management Plan are being met.

In the past, reporting rates of dairy effluent compliance have varied dramatically around New Zealand. An industry-driven move towards national consistency resulted in Regional Councils reviewing dairy effluent compliance reporting. In 2009/10, the Marlborough District Council changed the way its annual dairy effluent survey was undertaken to come into line with the national guidelines.

In that survey, urgent action was identified as necessary on 10 of the 61 Marlborough dairy farms including some Sounds properties where, in the past, milking sheds and effluent storage ponds had been built closer to waterways than the current rules allow. Action was also required on 103 stream crossings, a key issue of concern for the Rai, Pelorus and Kaituna Rivers and at Linkwater.

The latest audit highlights the fact that all stream crossings currently designated as high priority must be eliminated by the end of the 2012 season. The audit also shows some Marlborough farms still lack contingency measures to deal with the effects of a major flood or storm regarding storage and disposing of effluent.

“There was still significant non-compliance in Marlborough at the end of last season, although we understand that many of the issues have since been addressed,” said Councillor Peter Jerram, Chair of the Council’s Environment Committee.

Federated Farmers has recently rung around the farmers whose properties needed further work and the majority of them have made genuine efforts to meet the standards, said Marlborough Federated Farmers dairy section chair, Sharon Parkes.

However she said some farmers have yet to give the necessary attention to improving their stream crossings and culverts even though it was made very clear last year that the work was necessary.

Councillor Jerram said while there had been some complications for farmers with effluent disposal, with a wetter than average season underlining the inadequacy of storage ponds on some properties, the lack of progress was a matter of some concern.

The next dairy audit is already underway and the District Council’s new compliance officer has begun making contact with dairy farmers to ascertain if there is compliance and to address any outstanding issues.

In the past, the Council has taken a collaborative rather than punitive approach, agreeing to work with the local dairy industry to encourage farmers to raise environmental standards. This approach will continue for those farmers who show a willingness to work with Council to overcome the areas of concern on their farms, said Mr Jerram.

“I congratulate those dairy farmers who have taken the necessary steps but I also want to underline to the others that there are standards that will have to be met. It’s acknowledged that in some cases this will have financial cost but the quality of our water is of paramount importance,” he said.

Further information:

Marlborough District Council Dairy Audit Compliance Officer: Shelley Lines, Phone 520 7400

PETER JERRAM
CHAIRMAN ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE

Boer War Memorial Service

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 04:10:00 GMT

A wreath will be laid at Marlborough’s memorial at Tua Marina cemetery at 10.00 am on Friday, 21 October, to commemorate the departure of the first troops to leave our shores for the Boer War and to remember the eleven Marlborough casualties of that conflict.

New Zealand was the first of the British colonies to send troops and the first Marlborough soldiers arrived in South Africa less than three weeks after war was declared.

The first contingent of Blenheim Mounted Rifles left for South Africa, on 10 October 1899 led by Lieutenant D’arcy Chaytor, son of the Marlborough military family who farmed the family estate at Marshlands.

His elder brother Lieutenant Edward Chaytor also served in South Africa, leading the North Island Company of the Third (Rough Riders) Contingent.

During the course of the conflict, the Marlborough Mounted Rifles sent sixty men with the various New Zealand contingents to South Africa.

Marlborough RSA president Ernie Thomson will lead the service and the guest speaker will be Marlborough Girls’ College principal Karen Stewart.

The service is held at the memorial to the South African war, at the Tua Marina cemetery.

First Property Files Now Available Online

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 11:00:00 GMT

A large Council project to convert all property and resource consent files from paper files to electronic records is underway.

After 28 October 2011, there will no longer be any paper files held at the Council offices.

Instead, anyone will be able to view these files online, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, from their own computer. It will also be possible to come into the Council and view files online.

It’s expected to take about two years to complete the scanning and digital conversion of all files. So far, more than a thousand property files have been scanned and are now viewable online.

Some of the commercial property files contain a large amount of electronic information and may take a little time to open online. Please be patient when searching and retrieving this information.

From 1 November this year, all property and resource consent information received by Council will be scanned and made available online as part of the consent processing procedure.

Customers who need information from files not yet scanned should use the online request form.

Customers may request any file to be scanned at any time. Requests may take up to two working days for the scanning process to be completed.

In urgent cases, customers are asked to call the Council’s Customer Service Centre; Ph: 520 7400.

Help and tips for searching property files are provided online. This includes information on what is contained in each of the electronic property files and more details on this new online service.

Further information is available at www.marlborough.govt.nz/Services/Property-File-Search

More information: MDC, Ph: 520 7400 or email mdc@marlborough.govt.nz

Stacey Young
CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER

No. 2 High Street

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 11:00:00 GMT

The Marlborough District Council Community and Financial Planning Committee has come out in favour of retaining the Council-owned land at Number 2 High Street to develop as a green space rather than give the go-ahead to a Speight’s Ale House on the site.

A majority of the Council committee supported the option which must now go to the next full meeting of the Council, later this month.

Various councillors indicated that, since they had now studied in more detail the Council’s Urban Design Strategy which proposed public green space linking the High Street site to the river, they did not think the Alehouse proposal was right for the location at this time.

Councillors noted that the green space was part of a Design Strategy that had been the subject of public consultation and formal approval and that further consultation would be needed if there was a wish to move away from its concepts.

Councillors suggested it was time “to take a breath and explore the options further” including the possibility of shutting 12^th Lane and realigning the boundary of the site before future development.

Councillors who advocated more time be given to considering the future of the site noted that they had only one chance to get the decision right as there would be a long-term lease that would be in place, “possibly for the next two or three generations”.

Mayor Alistair Sowman said later that it was important that the business sector in Marlborough and beyond understood that the majority of councillors were not opposed to the Lion Nathan proposal but that they could not advance a plan that was not sufficiently compatible with the existing Council Design Strategy.

“Blenheim is very much open for new developments and there are a number of privately-owned sites available to developers. I hope that Lion Nathan will consider the other options open to it in Marlborough,” he said.

Alistair Sowman
Mayor

Understanding Your Property Valuation

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 03:21:00 GMT

More free advice is available for people wanting to better understand their new property valuation.

A brochure from Quotable Value (QV), the independent valuation service which has assessed Marlborough’s properties for the Marlborough District Council, is available from the Council office. The Council uses QV’s valuations to set rates across the district.

The brochure explains how to access a property website established by Quotable Value which will give a property owner a free local sales report with information on up to 10 property sales in their immediate neighbourhood.

To access the website, a property owner must obtain an individual code which is available only through the brochure and only until 27 October. The code allows an individual to access a report once only.

The local sales report gives a snapshot of sales and capital values for properties sold recently.

“It will help people to see how their valuation sits alongside other properties which have sold recently and it may help them to decide whether or not they will formally object to the valuation notice they will have received in the mail last week,” says Council’s Corporate Finance Manager Martin Fletcher.

People who have concerns about their valuation are encouraged to pick up the brochure as soon as possible, remembering that Labour Weekend immediately precedes the deadline for any objections; 27 October 2011.

An advisor from Quotable Value will be at the Council’s Blenheim office to assist people with any inquiries on Thursday, 6 October, from 9am to 4pm. There is no fee for this advice.

The Council will be advising all property owners of the effect the new valuation on individual property rates in November this year.

MARTIN FLETCHER
CORPORATE FINANCE MANAGER

Council Property And Resource Consents Files Go Online

Sun, 02 Oct 2011 11:00:00 GMT

All property and resource consent paper files held by the Marlborough District Council are being converted to electronic records as the Council prepares to make this information available online.

This will mean that customers will be able to view files at any time from their home, office or laptop.

However, anyone who does not have access to a computer, or who wants assistance finding a file online, can visit Council’s Blenheim or Picton offices where there will be viewing stations in the reception area for customers to use.

Currently the Council runs a dual records system with paper files as well as electronic records.

Council Chief Information Officer Stacey Young says the move is in line with the local government philosophy of making information easily accessible.

“It’s about transparency, openness and efficiency. Today’s technology makes it possible to circulate information very easily. We can see that this will save time and therefore money for our customers and it will be more efficient for the Council,” she said.

On October 28, all property and resource consent files will be removed from Council offices to be scanned. It is anticipated that scanning will be completed by December 2013. Any file that has been scanned will be viewable online. Customers can request information from files not yet scanned using the online request form, on the Council’s website.

“It may take up to 24-48 hours to do this. We appreciate that this may create small delays and we do ask for patience,” says Ms Young.

“We believe that long-term, this will be a much more efficient system for everyone, not only cutting down on time and paper but also making information more readily available,” she said.

STACEY YOUNG
CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER

Library Searches Faster, Easier From Anywhere At Anytime

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 02:55:00 GMT

Finding books, magazines, DVDs, CDs, online articles, e-books and everything else held in Marlborough District Libraries has just got easier with the installation of a new library management system that includes leading edge search technology.

“Our customers will now have more information at their finger tips,” says library manager Glenn Webster. “Rather than accessing our catalogue and electronic content separately, at the push of a button, they can now search across most of what we purchase and license.”

“This improved searchability will be particularly beneficial to people who need the most up-to-date research or findings on a topic or issue. A single search will identify not only the books on our shelves but also the latest information contained in the online journals we subscribe to.”

“Our library members can also access this information at anytime [now] by remotely accessing our website www.marlboroughlibraries.govt.nz using their PC, lap top or cell phone.”

The new service, Kōtui, went live today following months of preparation, including the migration of some 130,000 records into the new system.

Kōtui is the result of a collaboration between a group of public libraries, the Association of Public Library Managers (APLM), Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) and the National Library that identified the need for an affordable, efficient collection management and access service with excellent functionality.

“By operating collectively at a national level, we are able to provide our local community with the same level of service usually reserved for the metropolitan libraries,” says Marlborough District Council Support Services Manager, Dean Heiford. “We are always looking for ways to get more value for rate payers’ dollars and sharing services such as Kōtui is the way of the future.”

Marlborough District Libraries is the first of 15 public libraries over the next three years to implement Kōtui and more may join the subscription based service in the future.

The Kōtui service comprises four components: a system to manage a library’s physical items (provided by SirsiDynix), a search facility across a library’s physical and electronic items (provided by EBSCO Publishing’s EBSCO Electronic Discovery Service), and a centralised data hosting service (provided by Computer Concepts Ltd). The National Library provides the fourth component – the New Zealand based support and administrative function of the Kōtui service.

ENDS

More information is available at: www.kotui.org.nz or by contacting Glenn Webster, District Libraries Manager 03 520 7471.

Customer Satisfaction Levels Up On Last Year

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 03:57:00 GMT

Marlborough residents’ satisfaction level with their District Council compares very favourably with other regions according to the professional research company Research First.

The results of the annual Resident Satisfaction Survey conducted for the Council by Research First show an overall rating of 6.9 out of 10 for the quality of our services, a slight increase on the 6.8 of the previous year.

Roger Larkins, of Research First, says the Marlborough District Council’s performance compares “very favourably” with the other councils it surveys around the country.

A total of 602 randomly selected people were surveyed and asked to rank Council performances across its services.

Top rating goes to the Council’s Library Services (8.6), with people also well satisfied with the standard of Sewerage Services (8.2), the drinking water supply (8) and Emergency Management (8). The feedback also shows that people are very pleased with the kerbside recycling service and the high standard of our parks and gardens.

The survey also gave people a chance to rate Council services in their order of importance. This year top priorities were Emergency Management (8.5), Water supply (8.4) Sewerage (8.4) and Community Safety (8.4).

Marlborough Mayor Alistair Sowman says the research is important as it helps keeps the Council in touch with public priorities as well as offering valuable feedback about areas for improvement.

“When so often it’s the negative comment that gets the headline, it’s very satisfying for us to know that the public is pretty happy with the quality of service they’re receiving from the Council,” he said.

“We have a highly professional staff, including experts in some highly specialised fields, so it’s good to know the wider community does recognise that,” he said.

Alistair Sowman
Mayor

Kinetic Sculpture Gifted To Marlborough

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 03:56:00 GMT

A Marlborough arts trust has offered a large kinetic (wind-activated) sculpture to the people of Marlborough with the suggestion that it be located on the banks of the Taylor River opposite the new theatre site.

The donation comes from the Coulthard Arts Trust, formed from a bequest from the late Mrs Dorothy Coulthard, one of the first New Zealand women to train as an architect and who subsequently worked for British Intelligence Service during WW2 before returning to New Zealand.

Mrs Coulthard moved to Blenheim in 1973, living here until she passed away in 2007.

One of the trustees, Willie Crosse, says she was a generous benefactor who loved this district and, having seen how public art had enriched the Wellington cityscape, she decided to leave a bequest for public art in Marlborough.

The trustees have found a sculptor, Grant Williams of Auckland, who is already experienced in producing large pieces of public art which sit gracefully within their environment.

The design proposed for the Taylor River bank is in stainless steel rising 10 metres high with a pair of leaf-shaped pods balanced on precision bearings designed to move gently with the wind. The pods will be four metres off the ground at their lowest point; higher than the underside of the Hutcheson Street bridge.

“We were looking for a design that would have broad appeal,” said Mr Crosse.

Grant Williams has completed commissions for private and public collections, including sculpture for Manakau City, the law courts in Whangarei, Westfield in Albany and Housing New Zealand.

It was also hoped that this donation might be a catalyst for the donation of other significant pieces of public art for Marlborough in future, Mr Crosse said.

At a meeting of the Council’s Community and Financial Planning Committee yesterday, District Councillor David Dew described it as a very generous gesture and that, in principle, the site looked appropriate. However a full meeting of the District Council will be required to approve the location.

Media Release - Landscaping For Parking Building

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 03:56:00 GMT

Landscaping around the new Alfred Street carpark is underway with seven more trees to be planted to enhance the exterior.

The parking building is proving very popular while parking is free and drivers are being urged to go beyond the ground floor if they intend to make a long stay.

Surfaces are uneven around the perimeter of the building while the paving and landscaping is in progress.

The work will be done in two stages; footpaths are being levelled now but the paving along the Alfred Street frontage and across the new pedestrian crossing to the clubs’ building won’t be completed until early next year. Delivery of the pavers will be later than expected after production delays at the tile factory.

The brick and grey shades of the tiles are in keeping with the paving plans for other areas of the town outlined in the “Growing Marlborough” plan for the Blenheim town centre.

Planter boxes will protect the trees lining Alfred Street and the new trees on the lane on the east side of the parking building.

Library Will Close For Two Days For Technology Upgrade

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 03:56:00 GMT

Marlborough District Libraries are to become part of a new consortium of 15 libraries throughout New Zealand to allow for future sharing of resources and expanded access to information available from the library.

Marlborough will be the first within the group to get the new library management system.

The technology upgrade means the library will take the unusual step of closing to the public for two week days this month to allow for the new system to be installed.

District Libraries Manager Glenn Webster says the new system is designed to manage the existing physical resources, like books and reference material, as well as establish a digital system which will allow library users to search not only for conventional books, magazines, DVDs and other library material but also information from subscription databases.

The updated technology will improve efficiency for staff and will give the public better search facilities, providing them with greater access to the libraries resources, he said.

The District Library in Blenheim will not be open to the public on Tuesday 27 September or Wednesday 28 September.

In Picton, the library doors will remain open to the public during the conversion period although the library will not be able to issue books or accept returns over those two days.

Omaka Cemetery Officially Open Again For Burials

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 03:55:00 GMT

Interments at Marlborough’s historic Omaka Cemetery may begin again later this year, 35 years since the last person was buried there.

The Marlborough District Council decided earlier this year to investigate the possibility of making more use of the old cemetery and last Friday the decision to re-open it was formally gazetted.

There is still some work to be completed before interments can begin but local funeral directors have been advised that the cemetery has re-opened, says Council Reserves and Amenities officer Nic Crous.

“Unfortunately records relating to part of the cemetery were lost or destroyed many years ago so, while there is thought to be immediate space for about 100 plots, more investigative work will be needed before it’s clear exactly how many new plots can be accommodated,” says Mr Crous.

In some cases, families will be able to use existing family plots.

The schedule of burial fees has yet to be finalised.

Unused open space will also be assessed for its suitability for plots and paths.

“We also want to look at the possibility of creating walkway access through to the Taylor River banks to the west,” he said

The Marlborough District Council is also drafting a development plan for the cemetery, recognising its historical dimension.

It will be important to preserve the character and nature of the cemetery, says Mr Crous.

The family mausoleums and wrought ironwork within Omaka date back to the settlement of Blenheim and some of the notable figures from Marlborough’s past are buried there.

The cemetery is divided into various sections including a paupers’ section, a separate Catholic burial area, an RSA section and a children’s burial area.

Unregistered Dogs In Marlborough Liable To Be Seized And Impounded

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 03:55:00 GMT

Hundreds of dogs living in Marlborough have not been registered and their owners all face the prospect of stiff fines.

Animal Control officers have begun visiting properties to look for those dogs that were not re-registered by the end of July deadline.

This year 679 dogs are listed as unregistered. The law requires dog owners to advise Animal Control in cases where the dog has died or if the animal has left the district. These cases usually account for a very small percentage of the unregistered animals.

Last year at this time there were only 450 unregistered animals on the books.

“Maybe it’s the sign of the economic times. Maybe there are more people who aren’t aware of their responsibilities. Whatever it is, it makes a lot of time-consuming work for our officers,” said Animal Control Team Leader Candice O’Brien.

The last day for registration was July 31. Penalty fees now apply on top of the dog registration fee. Owners are also liable for an infringement fee of $300 for failing to register a dog, impounding fees of $102, plus seizure and sustenance costs.

“If we come to the property and find the dog, then we will impound it. Impounding fees and infringement fees will apply. However, owners with unregistered dogs can avoid these hefty fees by visiting Animal Control now and registering their dogs immediately.”

Candice says animal control officers have no powers of waiver: if unregistered dogs are seized, fines will be imposed.

Generally speaking, responsible dog owners don’t put their animals at risk of being seized and placed in the public pound, said Candice.

“It’s the unregistered animals that take up most of our time; they’re the ones we’re picking up for roaming, causing a nuisance or attacking other people and animals.”

Marlborough’s dog registration fees remain some of the lowest in the country.

Yet, currently, $70,907 of unpaid fees and fines are owed by a total of 481 owners in Marlborough.

The law requires that:

All puppies once they reach the age of three months must be registered
If the animal’s owner is under 16 years old, the dog must be registered in the name of a parent or guardian who then becomes legally responsible for the animal
This requirement applies to anyone who owns a dog, or has a dog in their possession, for more than 72 hours.

In Marlborough, dog registration fees, and not rates, meet the cost of the running of Animal Control in Marlborough.

Animal Control is responsible for:

checking properties where dogs are kept and ensuring dogs are receiving proper care and attention and not being left to suffer
ensuring dogs don’t become a nuisance to the community
patrolling public areas to ensure dogs are not creating a risk by attacking other animals or people
returning lost dogs to their owners.

Animal Control also runs an education programme through the primary schools and ‘bite prevention’ seminars in workplaces.

Contact: Animal Control Phone 520 9033

MDC Achieves High Rate Of Consent Processing

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 11:00:00 GMT

Marlborough was in the top half dozen busiest areas handling resource consents in the 2010-11 year, processing a similar number to Christchurch City.

The Ministry for the Environment biennial survey of local authorities measures councils’ performance working with the Resource Management Act.

With 1100 consent applications dealt with in the 12-month period to June 2011, the Marlborough District Council sat just behind the Northland Regional Council and the Christchurch City Council and ahead of Bay of Plenty Regional Council and the Tasman District Council.

Despite the high numbers, this is a marked drop since the 2007-08 year when processed applications peaked at 1934.

The survey shows the Marlborough District Council has also lifted its performance rate by processing 95% of all applications on time, a big step up from the 53% achieved in the 2007-08 year.

“I realise that was a period of boom which did put Council staff under heavy pressure and that things are now much quieter but it’s still very satisfying to see the level of service raised so significantly,” said Council’s Hearing Committee chairman David Dew.

The improvement is partly attributed to a change of approach from the Council regulatory section which now requires more information from applicants at the time an application is lodged, prompted by the 2009 measures to streamline the Resource Management Act.

With Councils now subject to financial penalties where they do not meet consent timetables, it was necessary to take a more efficient approach to dealing with applications, no longer accepting deficient applications or allowing extended periods of negotiation between applicants and Council staff, said Councillor Dew.

In the last year, more than a third of the applications lodged in Marlborough were sent back to applicants for more information before they were accepted for processing.

Councillor Dew suggested applicants could speed up the process for themselves if they sought more advice before lodging an application.

One of the biggest causes of delay was created by applicants filing incomplete applications lacking all the required information or supporting documents, he said.

“The continuing demands on our important water resources and our fragile coastal environment mean that seeking consents under the Resource Management Act is an increasingly complex matter. However one thing I hope we can achieve with the review of all Council plans is to make our processes more user-friendly.”

An extended timeframe was necessary for just 6% of the applications submitted in Marlborough during the year.

David Dew
Chairman Hearings Committee

Freshwater Audit

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 11:00:00 GMT

The Marlborough District Council is confident it can comply with all the recommendations made in a report from the Auditor General’s Office into freshwater quality.

The report examined water quality in four regional council areas, not including Marlborough, finding that while water quality is good by international standards, it is also deteriorating. The report calls for more standardised methods of reporting water quality.

“Freshwater is a highly valued commodity within Marlborough and we have an advanced monitoring regime in place. Our monitoring does not suggest that our water quality is deteriorating. In fact, our last results indicate that water quality in most locations remains generally unchanged while in some cases like the Rai and Pelorus we have actually seen some improvement,” said Council Environment Committee Chairman Peter Jerram.

The report recommends that regional councils and unitary authorities review their methods of reporting monitoring results and develop better processes for responding to those results.

“We already have an extensive monitoring programme which more than meets the requirements and we report the results regularly, including making them available on our Council website. Nevertheless we will conduct a review of our current practices as directed by the Auditor General’s Office to confirm we comply with best practices,” said Councillor Jerram.

The District Council does a five-yearly ‘State of the Environment” report and that material forms part of the consideration of our own district plan review processes so there is a defined process for ensuring that water quality is properly addressed in our planning, he said.

“We’re very confident we can demonstrate good practices here in Marlborough.”

The Auditor General’s report is critical of the strength of the local body regulatory regime particularly relating to the handling of prosecutions and has called for those procedures to be reviewed.

“In Marlborough we have tended to work by encouraging farmers to work toward compliance, rather than by taking a punitive approach, and we have made steady progress. For example, the Council’s initiatives to eliminate stream crossings by dairy herds in the Rai and Pelorus have paid dividends with some water quality parameters there showing pleasing results,” said Councillor Jerram.

The last Council audit of dairy farms pointed to continuing improvement and, earlier this year, there were only 10 dairy farms where action was still urgently required.

The Auditor General has also recommended that elected councillors, particularly rural councillors, should not be members of any Council committee or panel determining prosecutions. Currently two Marlborough District Councillors sit on such a subcommittee but that practice will now have to be reviewed.

PETER JERRAM
CHAIRMAN ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE

Awatere Wins Government Subsidy To Upgrade Water Supply Quality

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 11:00:00 GMT

Mayor Alistair Sowman today announced the government has agreed to subsidise a quarter of a million dollar Miox water treatment project for the Seddon-Awatere area.

The government will meet 85% of the cost of the Seddon township component of the project, as requested by the District Council on behalf of the region.

Once the treatment plant is operational, residents may no longer be advised to boil their drinking water although this will be subject to test results.

The Council has been lobbying the government for a subsidy since the government announced the new National Drinking Water Standard, arguing that the compliance costs were an unreasonable burden for small populations where major work was required to bring the local water supply up to the standard.

The Drinking Water Standards are due to become mandatory from mid-2014.

“It’s taken a long time to get to this point and I want to commend the Seddon community for their patience. We were determined that some of this cost had to be carried at national level rather than becoming an excessive burden on a small population,” said Mr Sowman.

The Council this week received written confirmation from Health Minister Tony Ryall of the approval for payment of $47,807.00 (excluding GST) for the project.

Details of the project are expected to be finalised with the Ministry of Health soon as Council completes the design and confirms the proposed site for the treatment plant.

MIOX treatment is similar to chlorination and provides for the treatment of bacterial contamination. It does not lift the Awatere water supply to full compliance with the National Drinking Water Standards but it will significantly reduce the current health risk. There is scope for it to be used in conjunction with a filtration system in future to further raise the standard.

Both the Council and the Awatere Settlers’ Association water sub-committee favoured Miox as the most economic option, offering maximum benefit for minimum cost. The subsidy will assist Council to limit the extent of future water charges.

It’s becoming increasingly difficult for rural communities to get any subsidy at all as the funds the government has allocated for this work are being thinly spread around the country so this is a significant achievement for us, said Mr Sowman.

Alistair Sowman
Mayor

No Decision Yet On Number 2 High Street

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 12:00:00 GMT

The Marlborough District Council has decided to look further at the future of the site at Number 2 High Street overlooking the Taylor River with councillors determined that any decision needs to meet the principles of their town planning strategy.

Mayor Alistair Sowman says while the Council has agreed to keep negotiating with Lion Nathan which has indicated an interest in setting up a Speight’s Ale House on the site, councillors are adamant they want to see good public green space preserved between the site and the river.

Given the size of the site, it may not be possible to deliver the gently graduated levels exactly as depicted in the concept sketches of the Urban Design Strategy but councillors do want to preserve the spirit of the design by having green public space along the river frontage, said Mr Sowman.

He said councillors would have to be satisfied that any decision they made would provide the ‘visual amenity’ value that the public was expecting.

Mr Sowman said the Council made a commercial decision to buy the commercially-zoned site after the town urban design plan was completed in order to ensure the best use was made of the site and, when expressions of interest were sought through public advertising, Lion Nathan was the only proposal to come forward.

But the initial sketch plans of the area surrounding the Alehouse did not satisfy all councillors he said.

Council yesterday agreed to keep talking to Lion Nathan but they were also very clear that only a proposal that delivers on the requirements of the Urban Design strategy would be approved, he said.

Alistair Sowman
Mayor

Spring Promotion

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 12:00:00 GMT

Spring Promotion– Free Whiteware and Scrap Steel Dumping

The Marlborough District Council and its contractor for the Resource Recovery Centre (RRC) and Refuse Transfer Stations (RTS) – Metallic Sweeping (1998) Limited are pleased to announce their SPRING PROMOTION.

In an effort to assist residents clear out their old whiteware and/or abandoned whiteware and scrap steel that may be stored on the property, the Council and Metallic Sweeping is encouraging residents to bring these items to the Refuse Transfer Stations for dumping at NO COST.

Dumping Absolutely Free from Friday 16 September to Sunday 16 October 2011

For only one month WHITEWARE AND SCRAP STEEL will be accepted at all the Council’s Refuse Transfer Stations throughout the District at no cost whatsoever to residents. This is a limited time Spring Promotion so it best that residents take full advantage of this offer during this period.

This is just another joint initiative by the Marlborough District Council and Metallic Sweeping in redirecting material away from the Landfill and promoting environmentally friendly recycling. Residents are encouraged to bring in their old and unused whiteware and scrap steel that may have been lying around to benefit from this SPRING PROMOTION.

Whiteware includes microwaves, fridges, stoves, washing machines and tumble driers.

Trevor Sheldon, Metallic’s Marlborough Manager said that he was excited about this promotion as it assists residents undertaking Spring Cleaning on their properties and also those who may have been considering replacing an item of whiteware, as well as being environmentally responsible.

For further details and information call the Marlborough District Council on 5207400 or the Resource Recovery Centre on 577 9420.

Battle Of Britain Service In Seymour Square

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 12:00:00 GMT

A memorial service will be held at the Blenheim War Memorial clock tower at 11.00 am on Sunday, 18 September to mark Battle of Britain Day.

The Battle of Britain is commemorated as the turning point of World War 2 when the pilots of the RAF staved off the Luftwaffe attack on southern England despite being heavily outnumbered.

Chief of Air Force, Air Vice Marshal Peter Stockwell and Marlborough RNZAF Association President Mary Barnes will attend the service.

Marlborough Mayor Alistair Sowman will give a short address and RNZAF Base Woodbourne will be represented by Wing Commander Peter King who will give the keynote address.

Alistair Sowman
Mayor

Welcome To Marlborough Airport

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 21:01:00 GMT

New signs are being installed this week, re-branding our airport at Woodbourne as ‘Marlborough Airport’.

The new signs carry the name Marlborough across the top with the name Blenheim in a smaller font across the bottom, in a bid to underline the message that the airport is a regional airport and one of the main gateways to the region of Marlborough.

The move has been welcomed by the tourism industry which believes Marlborough is the destination that is most widely recognised.

The signs at the airport gateway, the roundabout and on the terminal’s exterior will all be upgraded. The work is due to be done on Wednesday and Thursday this week.

Telephone numbers and emails to Marlborough Airport Limited remain the same but the postal address is now PO Box 1101, Blenheim 7240

Alistair Sowman
Mayor

Marlborough Property Revaluations

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 12:00:00 GMT

The three yearly revaluation of all properties within the Marlborough District is currently underway.

The valuation review is conducted for the Council by Quotable Value Limited – the country’s largest independent valuation and property information company.

It is expected the District Valuation Rolls with the new information will be available for public inspection at the Council, in both Blenheim and Picton, from Friday 23 September.

The Rolls will show both the old valuation and the new Land and Capital Values, and the valuation movements for every property.

Quotable Value will post out notices to ratepayers on Thursday 22 September. Information sheets will be included.

Ratepayers may lodge an objection to the new valuations. Forms are available from the Council or from Quotable Value Limited. Objections must be made, in writing or on line at www.qv.co.nz , by Thursday 27 October.

The new valuations are effective from July 1, 2011. They will be used to help determine rates for the 2012-13 rating year and the two years after that.

Individual rates are made up of a combination of rates and charges so only a portion of total rates are affected by changes in land or capital value. Refuse and recycling charges, for example, are not affected by the revaluation.

The new valuations do not change the total amount of rates collected by Council. However, they may redistribute the rates collected from individual ratepayers. This depends on whether or not their land value moved by more or less than the average movement in land values.

The final impact on rates for individual properties is expected to be available by November.

New property valuations will be on the Council website www.marlborough.govt.nz on Wednesday 28 September.
More information at www.qv.co.nz “Understanding your Rating Value”.

Alistair Sowman
Mayor

Alfred Street Parking Building Update

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 12:00:00 GMT

Free parking in the new Alfred Street car parking building will continue into September after a delay in the arrival of some of the new ticketing machinery.

The parking building has proved very popular since it opened with drivers making use of the free parking so close to the centre of town.

Drivers who wish to leave their vehicles for more than an hour or two are being urged to park on the first or second floors, leaving the ground floor for short-stay parking.

The EFTPOS terminals for the ticket validation machines have yet to be installed but once that is done the 80-cents-an-hour parking charge will apply.

Closed-circuit security cameras are also to be installed in the building in the next month or two.

Strengthening Earthquake-prone Buildings May Trigger Other Costs For Building Owners

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 21:00:00 GMT

Moves by Marlborough earthquake-prone building owners to strengthen their commercial buildings will usually also mean that other improvements must be made at the same time to meet the requirements of the 2004 Building Act.

Applications for consent to do upgrade work, or other changes to an existing building, will usually trigger a section of the Building Act relating to standards of access and facilities for people with disabilities and means of escape in case of fire.

“This requirement isn’t peculiar to earthquake-prone buildings; it’s just a part of the Building Act which is aimed at improving buildings in terms of things like fire escapes and ensuring that lifts exist for buildings with two or more storeys with a floor area of 400 square metres or more,” says Council Environment Committee chairman Peter Jerram.

The Act says a building consent should not be granted for alteration unless the alterations mean the building will comply ‘as near as reasonably practicable’ with Building Code provisions relating to fire escape and disability access.

Councillor Jerram says these requirements are set down in government legislation and are not matters over which Council has jurisdiction.

“We appreciate that this is going to mean extra costs for some local building owners so it would be useful if the Department of Building & Housing (which administers the Building Act) was to make a ruling, or determination, on what that reference in the Act to ‘reasonably practicable’ means in reality.”

“We would encourage building owners who find themselves in the position of having to comply with this requirement to first seek a determination from DBH,” he said.

Councillor Jerram said it would be helpful to everyone if there was more clarity on this point given that the primary motivation is simply to improve the strength of buildings.

Installing a lift in some buildings, for instance, would be both physically difficult as well as expensive to achieve, he said.

PETER JERRAM
CHAIRMAN ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE

Civic Honours Awards 2011

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 12:00:00 GMT

Marlborough Mayor Alistair Sowman will present Civic Honours Awards to six people in a ceremony at the Council Chambers on Friday, 5 August 2011.

These honours are presented to recognise extraordinary service within the Marlborough district.

Mr Sowman says each of the six 2011 recipients has shown outstanding commitment to the community and Marlborough is fortunate to have people of such calibre.

Civic Honours Awards are awarded once within the term of each Council.

Glass Recycling Taken To The Next Level

Sun, 31 Jul 2011 12:00:00 GMT

The Marlborough District Council and its contractor at the Resource Recovery Centre and Refuse Transfer Stations, Metallic Sweeping (1998) Limited, have found a new purpose for Marlborough’s waste glass.

All glass accepted at the Resource Recovery Centre and the various transfer station sites around the district is being sorted into the different colours; Clear, Green and Brown. The glass is then shipped to a remanufacturing glass facility in Auckland where it is put through a furnace so it can be re-used for the manufacture of bottles.

Metallic Sweeping Ltd Marlborough manager Trevor Sheldon says it’s taking as little as ten days from the time a glass container leaves Blenheim to the time that newly manufactured bottles are ready for dispatch from Auckland.

Since 1 July, when Metallic Sweeping took up its contract with the Council, up to four container loads of sorted glass have been shipped to the re-manufacture facility.

Environmentally-conscious residents and businesses of Marlborough who have embraced this recycling opportunity are helping to reduce the volumes of glass that go to the landfill and back into the ground.

Mr Sheldon has expressed the company’s thanks to all residents for supporting this initiative. Commercial Operators and businesses are also welcome to contact Metallic Sweeping to make appropriate arrangements for their glass.

Steel and Metal Drop Off – Absolutely Free

The Marlborough District Council and Metallic Sweeping are also pleased to announce that there will be no charge for Steel, Metal and Scrap Metal (whiteware excluded) dropped off at the Resource Recovery Centre and the Refuse Transfer Stations.

Residents and businesses are now able to take their metal to these sites and dispose of their unwanted steel, metal and scrap metal in the containers provided for this purpose at no charge. This is now a free service to the public of Marlborough.

This is another joint initiative by the Council and Metallic Sweeping to make recycling more accessible and convenient to the public and to encourage and promote recycling. Commercial operators and businesses are also welcome to contact Metallic Sweeping to make appropriate arrangements for their steel, metal and scrap metal.

For further details and information call the Marlborough District Council on 5207400 or the Resource Recovery Centre on 5779420.

Alfred Street Car Park Opening

Thu, 28 Jul 2011 23:43:00 GMT

The Alfred Street car parking building will be open for public parking from 8.00 am on Monday 1 August.

Free parking will be allowed until the new barrier arm and ticket machine is operational in early September.

"We wanted to allow a period of free parking to allow people time to get used to using the building but timeframes were always going to depend on the building completion date and equipment delivery times," said Council's Assets and Services chairman Graeme Taylor.

It's hoped people who take advantage of the free parking offer will park on the first and second floors and leave the spaces on the ground floor for the quick turnaround parking, he said.

After Monday, the building will be open from 6.00 am so early starting workers can use it.

Once the barrier arm and ticketing machines are installed, drivers will pay as they leave the building. Parking will be 80 cents an hour from 9.00 am until 5.30 pm, in line with the charges for pay-and-display parking in other parts of town.

After the barrier arms are operational, parking in the parking building will continue to be free from 5.30 pm until midnight. Vehicles will be unable to enter the building after midnight although they will be able to exit at any time.

Security patrols and sensor lighting will operate after hours.

The top floor, for leased spaces and Council vehicles, will be opened once security and access is in place.

The Council has not yet made decisions about early-bird rates and the number of spaces to be offered for lease.

Anyone wishing to lease a parking space may contact the Council, Ph: 520 7400.

Marlborough And Nelson Councils Push Solar Message

Sun, 10 Jul 2011 12:00:00 GMT

Marlborough District Council Media Statement

11 July 2011

Marlborough and Nelson Councils push solar message in 'The Solar promise' nationwide campaign launched today

Marlborough Mayor Alistair Sowman is joining forces with his Nelson counterpart Aldo Miccio in Wellington today for a nationwide launch of ‘The Solar Promise’, a campaign to encourage all New Zealand councils to embrace solar, to help their ratepayers turn sunshine into savings.

The Solar Promise calls for councils, as well as central government, individuals and businesses, to do what they can to help drive down the cost of solar power installation.

Today, Mr Miccio and Mr Sowman, supported by other mayors, held a briefing in Wellington calling for all other local bodies leaders to consider solar options for their communities.

Aldo Miccio says that a 2008 feasibility study carried out in partnership with the Energy Efficiency Conservation Authority (EECA) and SolarCity showed the government’s solar grant alone was not enough to help communities go solar.

“The study was clear: families want the immediate cash benefits from solar’s savings, but they need to spread the cost of solar for it to be affordable,” Mr Miccio says.

The Solar Saver Scheme is a financing mechanism to help home owners spread the cost of going solar by paying off solar installation costs through their rates.

The Marlborough District has committed to the Solar Saver Scheme through its Annual Plan. A one-year pilot programme from 2010-11 has been completed and arrangements for implementing the project are being worked on.

One free resource we have here in abundance is sunshine so it makes sense to be working on this across the top of the south, said Mr Sowman.

“In Marlborough we’ve decided to support this in principle. It’s just a case of finalising the details of the programme,” he said.

Mr Miccio says the Solar Saver Scheme has been a huge success for Nelson.

“In the scheme’s first year Nelson families put more solar systems on their roofs than the whole of Auckland City, immediately getting up to one week’s free power every month,” he says.

Alistair Sowman
Mayor

Interest In High Street Site Overlooking Taylor River

Mon, 04 Jul 2011 12:00:00 GMT

Marlborough District Council Media Statement

7 July 2011

Interest in High Street site overlooking Taylor River

The Marlborough District Council has received one response to its call for ideas for a Council-owned site at 2 High Street in keeping with the Council’s urban design strategy for the town centre.

The proposal is for a restaurant and bar complex at the site overlooking the Taylor River amphitheatre, along from Raupo Café.

Earlier this year the Council advertised for expressions of interest in the site which is at the eastern end of High Street and bounded to the west by Council car parking.

Details of the proposal are still being drawn up and have not yet been presented to Council.

UrbanismPlus, the consultants who helped produce the Council’s urban design strategy for Blenheim, will be having input to ensure any proposal that goes forward to the Council will be compatible with the overall look of the town planning strategy.

That strategy for the Blenheim town centre recognises that riverfront locations are increasingly desired as settings for businesses and residential uses but it also advocates the retention of sufficient public greenspace to allow people to enjoy the riverside setting.

Chairman of Council’s Community and Financial Planning Committee Francis Maher says the Council is looking for a use for this prime riverside site that will help to enliven and strengthen this part of town.

FRANCIS MAHER
CHAIRMAN COMMUNITY AND FINANCIAL PLANNING COMMITTEE

Council Secures Insurance Cover for 2011-2012 Year

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 22:52:00 GMT

Marlborough District Council Media Statement

1 July 2011

Council secures insurance cover for 2011-2012 year

The Marlborough District Council has been able to secure full insurance cover at the last minute for its millions of dollars worth of assets by going into a partnership with neighbouring local bodies in Nelson and Tasman.

But District Councillors have been advised that a full review of insurance arrangements is going to be needed in the wake of the Christchurch earthquakes.

The Marlborough District Council has $250M worth of assets above ground (excluding roads) such as buildings, and another $450M below ground, including sewerage and water reticulation networks and river control. While central government meets 60% of the cost of damage to such assets in a natural disaster, local governments are liable for the remaining 40%.

Until yesterday, the Council's insurance coverage for its below ground assets was provided by the New Zealand Local Authority Protection Programme (LAPP) Disaster Fund.

But LAPP partners were recently advised that Christchurch claims were so heavy that LAPP need time to re-build its reserves before it could offer future cover.

Negotiations by the Marlborough District Council secured insurance for its above ground assets such as buildings, and other insurances such as motor vehicles, for the year ahead through a ‘Top of the South’ collective with Nelson City and Tasman District councils, said Councillor Maher.

“Given that Marlborough is considered a high risk area with its proximity to earthquake fault lines, we were fortunate to be able to go to the insurance market as part of a bigger pool and secure this insurance,” he said.

“Unfortunately we must face up to the fact that insurance costs are going to be a very significant cost for the Council in the years ahead but at least we have bought the Council time to conduct a full review of our insurance situation,” he said.

Alistair Sowman
Mayor

Changes To Waste Collection Come Into Effect

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 22:40:00 GMT

Marlborough District Council Media Statement

30 June 2011

Changes to waste collection come into effect

Changes to kerbside collection days for the Council waste collection service come into effect tomorrow (Friday).

New contractors have won tenders for several waste services including the rubbish and recycling collections.

The changes to kerbside collection will affect some residential areas where the current collection day is Monday, Tuesday or Thursday. All affected residents should have received a flyer in their letterbox and maps have been published in the newspaper showing where collection days will change. The information is also on the Marlborough District Council website.

The changes are aimed at improved efficiency, particularly in weeks where Monday is a public holiday and the collection is carried over to the Tuesday.

The Council recently announced the new contracts for waste services would mean significant savings to the ratepayer.

A single contractor, Earthcare, will now be handling both rubbish collection and recycling bins. Roading & Asphalt will take over the management of the Council landfill at Taylor Pass Road while Metallic Sweeping will have responsibility for the transfer stations and resource recovery centre.

Operations and maintenance engineer Stephen Rooney says the only direct impact on the public should be the changes to collection days.

There will be a new scale of fees at the landfill with waste to be measured by weight rather than volume in future. Commercial waste collection companies using the Picton transfer station will also be charged by weight,.

That should have little impact except for the heavier type of cleanfill waste like soils, gravel or concrete rubble, which will become more expensive to dump at the landfill.

Mr Rooney says it’s hoped this will encourage the commercial operators to take this sort of material to a cleanfill site, rather than leaving it at the landfill.

“We’d rather the landfill was being used for its intended purpose and discouraging this sort of dumping should help to extend the life of the landfill,” he said.

STEPHEN ROONEY
OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE ENGINEER

Updating The Name Of Our Airport

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 22:20:00 GMT

Marlborough District Council Media Statement

30 June 2011

Updating the name of our airport media statement

New signage is being planned for Blenheim Airport to emphasise the regional title of Marlborough.

The new signs will declare the airport “Marlborough Airport, Blenheim”, underlining the high recognition factor that goes with the name Marlborough.

‘We’re updating the brand and there’s no doubt that brand Marlborough carries a cachet that no other region can match. But there’s also a certain logic; we’re a regional airport and Marlborough is the name of our region,” said Mayor Alistair Sowman.

“There’s always been a bit of confusion given the airport location and the use of the name Woodbourne. But Destination Marlborough has been promoting the Marlborough region as one destination and there’s high recognition of the name,” he said.

He says Destination Marlborough had reported continuing feedback from the industry and from tourists that they recognise Marlborough as a destination but are uncertain about the location of Blenheim.

The board of Marlborough Airport Limited, a wholly Council-owned subsidiary, has just completed a review of the airport management.

As well as deciding to upgrade the signs at the airport gateway and on the terminal’s exterior, the airport company is moving its office into the terminal.

From Friday, two fulltime airport company staff, airside operations manager Chris Gee and airport administration manager Angela Adye, will be working from a new office inside the airport building.

“This will give the airport company a higher profile, both to tenants and to people using the terminal,” said Mr Sowman.

RNZAF Base Woodbourne will continue to provide Airport Fire Services at the airport.

Telephone numbers and emails to Marlborough Airport Limited will remain the same but the postal address is now PO Box 1101, Blenheim 7240.

Alistair Sowman
Mayor

Average Rate Increase Held Down to 3.19%

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 12:00:00 GMT

Marlborough District Council Media Statement

30 June 2011

Average rate increase held down to 3.19%

The average rates increase across Marlborough in the coming year will be 3.19%.

The Marlborough District Council confirmed the rate when it formally adopted its Annual Plan for 2011-12 at a meeting today.

The figure indicates the increase in total revenue the Council will receive through rates compared with the previous year.

Mayor Alistair Sowman says the Council has worked hard to keep the rates take as close as possible to the rate of inflation.

Different geographic areas will be affected differently.

Council’s list of benchmark properties shows a typical increase in urban Blenheim will be just over 5% while for a remote Marlborough Sounds property the increase will range from 0.5% to just under 3%.

Councillors have managed to keep rates as low as possible in the face of significant budget pressures including such things as rising insurance premiums and fuel costs, said Mr Sowman.

“We set out to deliver an annual plan that is balanced - one that plans for the future, strengthens our infrastructure and delivers affordable rates - and I believe we’ve achieved that.”

“Councillors appreciate we are still in difficult economic times and we must hold the line on costs but we have also acknowledged our responsibility to invest a little bit into the Marlborough of tomorrow,” said Mr Sowman.

Alistair Sowman
Mayor

Unofficial Used Car Lot To Be Cleared

Tue, 14 Jun 2011 12:00:00 GMT

Marlborough District Council Media Statement

15 June 2011

Unofficial used car lot to be cleared

Vehicle owners who’ve been using a strip of land on Grove Road to offer their vehicles for sale are being warned that they must move their vehicles off the site.

The land adjacent to the railway line at the state highway one intersection of Nelson Street, Dillons Point Road and Grove Road is often filled with cheaply priced vehicles.

The New Zealand Transport Agency land is now leased by the Council and work is scheduled to begin soon to transform the informal used car lot into a proper parking area to support the i-Site and Railway Station.

Council Executive Projects Manager Jamie Lyall says this will help to tidy up the appearance of a major entry point to Blenheim.

The Council’s Community and Financial Planning Committee will be asked to approve the funding for sealing and landscaping the new area on Thursday.

Mr Lyall says a sign will be erected this week advising all vehicle owners to remove their cars and notices will be placed on vehicle windscreens.

ALISTAIR SOWMAN
MAYOR

Council Budget Decisions

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 20:38:00 GMT

Marlborough District Council Media Statement

14 June 2011

Council budget decision

The average increase in rates across Marlborough has been held to 3.2% after a day-long consideration of more than seven hundred submissions from ratepayers.

The figure edged up by 0.4% on the original estimate after councillors reviewed the submissions.

The individual percentage change to rates for the year ahead depends on the location of a property; it is not a uniform increase across the region.

Marlborough Mayor Alistair Sowman says councillors were well aware that ratepayers expect prudence.

“We aim to get the rate increase as low as possible while taking on board the views of those who made submissions. But it is always tough to decide what is in and what is to be cut. It’s a balancing act,” said Mr Sowman.

Key decisions include:

Councillors agreed to reinstate annual funding of $50,000 for Arts and Culture Strategy after initially withdrawing it, attracting a raft of submissions calling for it to be restored.
The Aviation Heritage Museum Trust will get a $1.4M loan, rather than the proposed grant of that amount. In return, the Council wants to appoint a council employee as a trustee to increase oversight of the Trust’s activities. The Council also agreed that if the Aviation Heritage Centre raises all the finance to complete the second stage of the Centre itself within five years, the loan will be written off.
Councillors approved the $6M purchase of the existing Civic Theatre block in Queen Street, as well as confirming an earlier agreement to grant $5M for a new theatre.

Mayor Alistair Sowman says the Aviation Heritage Centre has been a success story but the demands of servicing its set-up loan had limited its marketing and growth.

“We know it’s a valuable tourist attraction for the region bringing in good crowds but we would like to work with the Centre to set expanded visitor targets. We also hope the loan conditions will be an incentive for the Trust to move ahead with its second stage of development themed on World War II,” said Mr Sowman.

The Mayor said the decision to buy the Queen Street block including the existing civic theatre was an important town planning measure for Blenheim.

“During the recent public consultations with our town planning consultants, that block was singled out as a strategic site for a mixed community and retail development which would inject life back into Queen Street. The possibility of building a new library there would fulfil that aspiration so it is important to secure the site so the Council is in a position to fulfil that plan at some future date,” said Mr Sowman.

“We don’t know when that will be but we need to start the planning now in the long term interests of the town,” he said.

With the budgets now approved, a full Council meeting at the end of the month will formally adopt the Annual Plan 2011-12 and strike the rates for the year ahead.

Alistair Sowman
Mayor

Puppy Pandemonium At The Pound

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 01:42:00 GMT

Marlborough District Council Media Statement

1 June 2011

Ask for: Garth Congdon

Puppy pandemonium at the pound

The Council dog pound urgently needs good homes for young pups.

The Council’s animal control officers have 14 dogs in their care; seven of them pups needing a home immediately.

Normally the animals would go to the SPCA out at Foxes Island but they too currently have a full house.

Council animal control officer Candice O’Brien says the seven pups are three months to a year old and they’re making big demands on staff time as they need concentrated care and lots of handling at this age.

The pups are Collie, Labrador and Huntaway crossbreeds with good temperaments and all very suitable as pets, she says.

Maata Waaka, which runs animal control for the Council, will sell the pups for $130 each which covers registration and micro-chipping for each animal.

A seven-day trial is offered to ensure the pup suits the new owner.

“We must ensure the pups go to good homes and that people understand the commitment of owning a dog,” she said.

Enquiries to Maataa Waka Ph: 520 9033.

GARTH CONGDON
COMPLIANCE MANAGER

Park Free For Opening Weeks Of Alfred Street Car Parking Building

Tue, 31 May 2011 12:00:00 GMT

Marlborough District Council Media Statement

1 June 2011

Park free for opening weeks of Alfred Street car parking building

Ask For: Graeme Taylor

Free parking for up to four hours will be allowed in the new Alfred Street car parking building until the new barrier arm and ticket machine is installed, probably late in July.

The contractors are expected to hand the completed parking building over to the Council on 20 June and it will be opened as soon as possible after that date.

The free parking period will give people a chance to get familiar with the parking building and, we hope, encourage them to realise what a convenient, central location it is to leave their vehicles, said Council’s Assets and Services chairman Graeme Taylor.

“A few weeks should be plenty of time for everyone to get used to it, even those who initially might be reluctant to venture beyond the ground floor,” said Councillor Taylor.

“We hope people who want to use the full four-hour opportunity will go to the second or third floors and leave the ground level free for quick turnaround parking.

The barrier arm and ticketing mechanism, imported from Germany, will be installed as soon as it arrives. This pay-as-you-leave option is being introduced at the request of Blenheim retailers who say it removes the threat of parking tickets from shoppers.

Once the barrier arms are installed ordinary parking will be 80cents an hour, in line with pay-and-display parking in other parts of town, from 8am until 5.30 pm.

After hours parking will be free in the parking building, from 5.30 pm until midnight. No entry will be possible for vehicles after midnight although vehicles will be able to exit at any time.

Bright security lighting and security cameras are being installed within the building and at access points in the interests of good safety standards.

Decisions have yet to be made on the daily early-bird rate and any leasing of parking spaces.

A submission to the draft annual plan suggests more ground level parking should be opened up, directly behind the council buildings, particularly for larger vehicles, by using the top, uncovered, floor of the parking building for council vehicles. That floor will be protected by the regular security patrol, security cameras and night-time swipe-card access only. ” Council needs to consider this” said Councillor Taylor.

GRAEME TAYLOR
cHAIRMAN ASSETS AND SERVICES COMMITTEE

Keep Dogs Away From Wither Hills Farm Park Stock

Tue, 31 May 2011 12:00:00 GMT

Marlborough District Council Media Statement

31 May 2011

Keep dogs away from Wither Hills Farm Park stock

Ask For: Peter Jerram

Council Environment Committee chairman Peter Jerram is asking dog owners to be guided by common sense and keep their dogs away from the stock on the Wither Hills Farm Park regardless of current Council bylaws.

The current bylaw allows dogs, on their leash, in part of the Wither hills Farm Park Wither Hills Farm Park, on the Gentle Annie and Rotary lookout track area and the associated access from the Taylor Pass Road car park.

However, Mr Jerram says a conflict between existing policy and the bylaw has emerged and, while that is being resolved, dog-owners are asked not to take dogs onto these tracks.

The existing bylaw also allows dogs on a leash in the town centres of Blenheim and Picton.

The Council’s animal control sub-committee is reviewing the entire bylaw.

Members of the public will get a chance to express their views on the recommendation made by the animal-control subcommittee before the Council makes a decision on the matter.

Councillor Jerram, who chairs the subcommittee, says dog-owners, retailers and members of the public will want to have their say because opinions vary widely. But in the meantime he is adamant that dogs must not be taken into areas where livestock are grazing.

“I know the bylaw says dogs can be walked on these two tracks inside the Farm Park but I think all responsible dog-owners know that pet dogs and farm stock don’t mix,” said Mr Jerram.

“I realise that some dog owners have welcomed the news that they can take their dogs up the hill but if they stop and think about it I would hope they realise the risks. I don’t know many farmers who’d welcome members of the public bringing their dogs into their paddocks of stock,” he said.

Mr Jerram says dog owners already have a large, central area to let their dogs off the leash; on the banks of the Taylor River, from town right up to the Taylor Dam, but the sub-committee will also be looking at other areas which may be suitable for exercising dogs.

The Marlborough District Council bylaw as it currently stands bans dogs from these areas only:

All public playgrounds and swimming pools, sportsgrounds, cemeteries and war memorials
Wither Hills Farm Park (dogs are allowed only on the Gentle Annie and Rotary lookout track area and the associated access from the Taylor Pass Road car park).
Churchward Park and Collins Memorial Deer Park at Koromiko (allowed in picnic area only)
The Picton foreshore area, including the newly developed commercial area
The grassed area of Shelley Beach and the grassed area and foreshore between the slipway and the jetty at Waikawa Bay.

PETER JERRAM
CHAIRMAN ANIMAL CONTROL SUB COMMITTEE

Earthquake Media Updates

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 03:48:00 GMT

General Information

Marlborough Emergency Management Group Media Statement

Monday 21 March

New Phone Line for Emergency Accommodation in Marlborough

Housing New Zealand now has a 24-hour phone line to handle any requests for emergency accommodation in Marlborough from Christchurch people affected by the earthquake.

The Housing New Zealand 24-hour phone line is 0800 435 700.

All requests for assistance with accommodation should now be directed there, rather than to Civil Defence.

Mayor Alistair Sowman has offered his personal thanks to the several hundred Marlborough people who offered houses and baches to people fleeing from Christchurch.

Many individuals and families had been given a very welcome respite in Marlborough and the hospitality had been greatly appreciated, he said.

Wednesday 2 March

Food Donations Needed

Donations of foodstuffs continue to be needed by the Marlborough agencies dealing with the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquake.

At the Waikawa Marae, where the largest numbers of families are being hosted, sometimes just until they can catch the ferry north, there is a need for nutritious meals and fresh fruit and vegetables as well as baking.
The Red Cross, in Redwood Street, currently needs donations of healthy foods including fresh fruit.
The Salvation Army is continuing to welcome donations of all foodstuffs at Henry Street.
Local Maori health provider Te Hauora o Ngati Rarua is asking for non-perishable food donations only at present. These can be left at its offices at 2C North Street in Redwoodtown.

People here are also urged to keep donating non-perishable items to the supermarket bins of the Marlborough Foodbank as extra food parcels are being distributed to earthquake victims arriving in Blenheim who are in need.

The local foodbanks are not sending food to Christchurch because of the level of need here.

Friday 25 February

Salvation Army Appeal For Marlborough Donations For Christchurch

The Salvation Army in Blenheim is appealing for goods for Christchurch earthquake victims.

There is a particular need for:

Foodstuffs
Bedding and pillows
Toiletries
Baby needs including disposable nappies
New underwear for all ages.

Donations may be left at the Salvation Army base in Henry Street any time today or between 10.00 am and 3.00 pm during this weekend.

Donated goods are being taken to Christchurch each day.

The Community Foodbank is also appealing for people to leave donations of food in their supermarket bins around the region.

25 February 2011

Marlborough Mayor Alistair Sowman says he is certain the people of Marlborough will respond to the Christchurch earthquake with warmth and generosity, providing any help possible in the very difficult weeks ahead.

“We are preparing to absorb a significant number of Christchurch people – individuals and families who will be under stress, even traumatised. I know many people here have taken in family and friends from the south and our various community agencies are working together to offer advice and support,” he said.

Well over a hundred local people across Marlborough have rung the Civil Defence emergency accommodation phone number to offer a roof to those who need shelter.

“We don’t yet know how great the need will be. But we have a church hall on standby and local maraes have already taken people in,” said Mr Sowman.

“I know there are already a number of community initiatives underway to help Christchurch earthquake victims and I commend Marlborough people for that,” said Mr Sowman.

In the meantime, it is important that people here realise they do not need to panic, said Mr Sowman.

“There’s no need to rush the supermarkets and petrol stations here. We are in the fortunate position of receiving regular shipments from Nelson and from the north,” he said.

Mr Sowman has sent a message to Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker to assure him that this region is standing by ready to help.

“Some of our emergency staff went south immediately after the earthquake; in the days ahead more will follow. We will also send equipment as required. The Council has sent a building inspection team so that may have some impact on work here in Marlborough and I ask people to understand if there are delays here as a result of local staff shortage,” said Mr Sowman.

The Salvation Army, supported by Crossroads, is coordinating donated food supplies for Christchurch and deliveries are well underway.

“Please remember our local foodbanks are also likely to face increased demand here at home as our families take in friends and relatives from the south,” said the Mayor.

ALISTAIR SOWMAN
MAYOR

24 February 2011

Change to Arrangements For Donated Foodstuffs For Christchurch Earthquake Victims

Donations of foodstuffs for Christchurch earthquake victims may be taken to these organisations:

The Salvation Army, in Henry Street, in Blenheim,
Crossroads at 2 Redwood Street
In Picton, the i-SITE is the drop-off point for food donations.

The Blenheim Foodbank is also asking people to remember to leave donations at their supermarket bins. The Foodbank here is expecting local demand for emergency food packages to rise as families take in friends and relatives from Christchurch.

By late today, more than one hundred offers of accommodation from people all over Marlborough had been received on the Emergency Accommodation phone line Ph: 520 7490.

Only one or two enquiries have been received from people enquiring about billets.

23 February 2011

Contact Phone Number For Displaced Earthquake Victims Arriving In Marlborough

A central phone number has been established to handle all calls from Christchurch people arriving in Marlborough in need of accommodation because of the earthquake.

People wishing to open their homes to these people may also phone this number to leave their details.

The 24-hour phone number is 520 7490.

Police and Wairau Hospital will be directing any Christchurch arrivals to this telephone number.

All the offers made through various agencies, like the Salvation Army and John’s Kitchen, will be collated and allocated through this centralised contact point.

Plans are being made to ensure a church hall will be available for emergency overnight shelter should there be any sudden large influx of travellers into Marlborough. The maraes at Waikawa and Omaka will also be able to accommodate people from this weekend, if required.

There has been a steady level of travellers reaching Marlborough since the earthquake struck but, currently, there is still commercial accommodation available.

Police report that Hanmer Springs and Gore Bay has no more accommodation available and Kaikoura is filling fast.

The Police stress that people should not try to travel south toward Christchurch at this time.

Food and fuel supplies into Marlborough have not been disrupted, there are no shortages and the public is advised there is no need to accumulate large stockpiles.

Marlborough District Council

The Voice of Youth in Marlborough

Picton Foreshore Reserve Management Plan

Making progress in getting 'Smart and Connected'

Marlborough Economic Profile

Positive Ageing - Communicating with Council

Help available to low-income homeowners to pay their rates

Queen's Birthday Public Holiday Services

Kerbside Collection:

Transfer Station hours:

Library Services

Flower Beds in Seymour Square

Taskforce Herbicide

Field visits with Bill Dobbie

Chilean Needlegrass Control

Nassella Tussock Control

Making Picton Safer

Tyre Collection Fees at Transfer Stations

Marlborough Soil Science Information

Council holds vital soil science information on Marlborough

Seddon and Wairau Valley Transfer Stations

Change of Opening Times

Seddon

Wairau Valley

Awatere and Seddon drinking water

Boil water notice

Community News - Asthma Marlborough

Environment Awards 2013

Thank you to all participants

Notification of Meetings - June 2013

Updating the picture on Marlborough's Unemployment

Temporary Road Closures

On this page:

Proposed Temporary Road Closure - Sunday 26 May 2013

Redwood Pass Road

Landowners need to know they have access to Council soils expertise

Ugrading Blenheim's Sewerage Infrastructure

A Plan for Picton Foreshore

Easy Parking at Airport Car Park

Marlborough Economic Profile 2012

Parking at Marlborough Airport

Pay as you exit will make it easier to park at Marlborough Airport

Positive Ageing - Avoiding Isolation

A chance to chat

Protect Our Air Quality - Burn Only Dry Firewood

Community News Strengthening - Families

Street Clean-Up Project Stratford Street

Local Alcohol Policy

Random sample of residents to be surveyed

Youth Week - Inspiring Teens

eBooks At Our Library

Winter Driving

Take your time and plan your journey

Rating Information Database

Taylor River Floodway Reserve Draft Management Plan

Community News - Red Cross

Positive Ageing - Get repairs done before winter

Taylor River Floodway

Taylor River floodway designed to save town from being awash in a storm

Positive Ageing - Volunteering

Helping Your Community

Middle Renwick Road Redesign

Annual Plan includes Redesign of Springlands Main Road

NZ Post Children's Book Awards

The Great New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards Roadshow!

Touring Author visits Marlborough

NZ Post Lit Quiz 2013

Surfaces to Ensure Soft Landings

Marlborough Promoted with Lonely Planet Author

Request for Expression of Interest for Event Management

Marlborough Women's Triathlon

Driving Innovation In Marlborough

Different Sources Of Our Town Waterways

Community News - Marlborough Community Hospice Shop

Don't spread freshwater pests this hunting season

Public Notice of Plan Changes 27 and 62

Public Notice of a Plan Change to the Wairau/Awatere Resource Management Plan and Plan Change to the Marlborough Sounds Resource Management Plan

Open Fire Season

Schedule

Lease Tender - Viticultural/Horticultural Land