Operations
Committee
Agenda – 22 February 2024
7 Reports
6.1
Libraries,
Customer Service and Community Partnerships Update Report
Information Only - No Decision
Required
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Report
To:
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Operations
Committee
|
|
Meeting
Date:
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22
February 2024
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Report
Author:
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Glennis
Coote, Libraries Manager; Janet Lee-Van Dijk, Customer Services Manager; Lani
Evans, Community Partnerships Co-ordinator
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Report
Authorisers:
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John
Ridd, Group Manager - Service and Strategy
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Report
Number:
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ROC24-02-1
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1. Summary
/ Te Tuhinga Whakarāpoto
1.1 This
report provides the Committee with an update on some of the key highlights of
the Service & Strategy Group’s operational work programmes. This
report covers the work undertaken by the Libraries, Customer Services and
Community Partnerships sections.
2. Recommendation/s
/ Ngā Tūtohunga
That the Operations
Committee
1. receives
the Libraries, Customer Service and Community Partnerships Update Report
3. Libraries
Update – Glennis Coote
Events,
Programmes and Promotions
Recent highlights included:
3.1
In partnership with Multicultural Nelson Tasman, Motueka Library Te Noninga
Kumu hosted Migration Stories. People from different cultures who have chosen
to live in Tasman shared their stories. The event was intended to increase
awareness of Motueka’s diversity.
3.2 In
November Richmond and Motueka libraries hosted Law for Lunch with Trevor Irwin
from Nelson Bays Community Law. Topics included Enduring Powers of
Attorney, Trusts and Wills, Neighbourly issues and Employment.
3.3 Blue
the Hato Hone St John Therapy dog visited Motueka Library Te Noninga Kumu each
week in November and December. Blue’s visits to Motueka Library Te
Noninga Kumu were timed to coincide with our regular Storytime sessions to
enable children and parents to spend time with him. Teachers and school
children have also enjoyed time with Blue as part of their library experience
and relate to Blue and his handler in positive and healthy ways. Adults also
enjoy interacting with Blue, one person who comes in especially to see Blue
said he has slept better since visiting Blue at the library each week.
Blue at Motueka Library Te Noninga Kumu
3.4
Richmond Library had a record number of Wriggle and Rhyme attendees in
December. Wriggle and Rhyme is our weekly storytime and music programme
for preschoolers. Numbers attending have been increasing throughout the year
and peaked at our final December session with 61 children and parents in
attendance.
Wriggle
and Rhyme at Richmond Library
3.5 In December we
published the third Richmond Writing Group Annual. This year’s annual has
19 contributions of poetry and prose from our regular writers. All three
editions of the Annual can be found on Tasman Heritage and a copy of each has
also been sent to the National Library to meet legal deposit requirements.
3.6 Motueka,
Richmond and Tākaka libraries all ran Christmas Craft workshops and Christmas
Storytimes in December.
Christmas craft at Tākaka
Library
Christmas Storytime at Richmond Library
3.7 Tākaka
Library hosted a poetry workshop in January as part of the Golden Bay Summer
Arts Festival.
3.8 Groups using
our community display spaces over recent months included Nelson Surf Lifesaving
Club, Alcoholics Anonymous, Health Action Trust – Te Mana Taki Hauora and
Friends of Flora.
Summer Reading Programme
3.9 Each
year we run a Summer Reading Programme for primary school aged children. The
aim is to encourage children to continue their reading habits over the long
summer school break. Our goal is to create a fun and inclusive reading
programme that encourages children to have fun while reading and learning.
3.10 During
January we ran a range of events and activities to support the Summer Reading
Adventure. Events and activities included:
·
Get Crafty sessions
where children crafted cardboard tube creatures, made masks and created doodle
scratch artworks;
·
Lego fun sessions
where children had the option to spin the Lego wheel to find out what to build
or they could participate in the speed build challenge to race against the
clock;
·
using the adventure
theme for the summer holidays we invited children to make their own nature
journals. The idea was that children would create their nature journal and then
take it along with them as they explored nature with their family; and
·
Storywalks based on
the picture book Stranded by Golden Bay author Linda Jane Keegan were held at
Washbourn Gardens, Pōhara, Murchison and Kiyosato Garden.
3.11 This
year we ran four events at Murchison Library. Staff from Richmond Library
visited to run Get Crafty, Storywalk and Lego events. The events were well
supported with a total of 64 attendees. During the school holidays issues of
children’s items increased by 53% compared to last year and we enrolled
nine new child members.
3.12 
In total we ran 38 events attended by 742 people and we gave out 412 Summer
Reading Adventure packs, making this our most popular Summer Reading Programme
yet.
Holiday event at Murchison Library Storywalk
at Washbourn Gardens
Tasman Heritage
3.13 With
the assistance of a school student during the summer holidays we digitised a
number of items and added them to the collections on Tasman Heritage.
3.14 New
items included photos from the Woodsman Training School at Golden Downs and 22
issues of the Golden Downs Chronicle 1949-1955. The Chronicle was a monthly
newsletter published on behalf of the Golden Downs Rural Recreation and Social
Society.
3.15 We
also added images to the Rob and Lynn Packer collection. This collection will
eventually contain images of over 2,000 historic postcards and photographs,
carefully curated over 45 years by Rob and Lynn Packer. The images focus on the
wider Nelson Province, with images of Nelson City, Richmond, Murchison,
Tākaka, and beyond, and covering the period from the late 1800s to the
1960s.
3.16 This
visual archive captures everyday life, businesses, churches, towns, and
schools, and depicts the changes to local streets, buildings, fashion, and
technology over time. Some of the material in this collection is unique and
can't be found elsewhere. The collection also features images by well-known
Nelson and early New Zealand photographers such as F. N. Jones.
3.17 Tasman
Heritage currently holds 242 images from the collection, we will digitise the
remaining images as staffing resources will allow.
Memorial unveiling at Kōhatu 1921 – Tasman
Heritage, Rob and Lynn Packer Collection
Hop picking in Motueka - Tasman
Heritage, Rob and Lynn Packer Collection
Key Statistics
3.18 Items
issued during July 2023 to January 2024 totalled 381,209, this was slightly
lower than the same months in 2022-2023 but was higher than all previous years
back to 2013-2014.
3.19 Of
particular note is the increase in issues at Murchison Library.
Murchison’s issues are 16.5% higher than for the same period last year
and are the highest since 2018-2019. The increase is largely due to the higher
issues of children’s items since we began regular monthly storytime
sessions and holiday programmes in July 2023.
3.20 The
number of items issued each month fluctuates during the year. Typically,
there are peaks during the school holidays and another peak in January.
The drop in issues in August 2021 in the graph below was due to the closure of
the libraries during the Covid-19 lockdown.
3.21 Use
of our online library continues to show strong growth. Issues of digital items
between July 2023 to January 2024 increased by 25% compared to the same period
last year. Digital issues now account for 11% of our total issues. Our digital
resources continue to attract new followers; we average 132 new users each
month.
3.21 In
the graph below, issues of ebooks, eaudio and emagazines are counted as digital
issues. Use of streaming services or online databases is counted as sessions,
views or plays.
3.22 New
membership registrations during July 2023 to January 2024 totalled 1,508, a
slight decrease compared to the same period in 2022-2023. The higher number
last year was largely due to a surge in new registrations at Motueka Library,
following the opening of the new library.
3.23 Visitor
numbers for the period July 2023 to January 2024 totalled 250,024, this was 15%
higher than for the same months last year. Visitor numbers at each
library have been consistently higher every month compared to last year.
4. Community Partnerships Update – Yulia
Panfylova
Grants
4.1 The Creative Communities Subcommittee received 24 applications and
allocated $17,772 out of a requested $52,634.18. Creative NZ made
available an additional one-off amount of $14,976.80 for the Tasman Creative
Communities Festivals Fund. We received six applications and allocated $6,400
out of a requested $12,068. The Creative Communities fund is to increase the participation in community art initiatives.
4.2 Council’s
Community Grants Subcommittee received six applications to the Sport NZ Rural
Travel Fund. They allocated $12,054 to help with travel costs for rural sports
clubs and rural school teams.
Carols by Candlelight and Multicultural
Picnic
4.3 This was a
successful event with over 800 people attending. Based on the success of the
Matariki event we organised food stalls in the carpark, which allowed us to
create more space for the community in the park. It was great to have the
support of 25 young people from Murchison and Waimea Youth Councils and the
Multicultural Youth Group. They helped with setting up and decorating the park,
welcomed people at the gates and collected donations.
Skatepark Series
4.4 In February and
March this year Skate Nelson Bays are delivering four competitions across
Nelson Tasman (Nelson [funded by Nelson City Council], Richmond, Motueka and
McGazzaland). This is the second year Skate Nelson Bays has delivered the
Skatepark Series on behalf of Council. The feedback from participants has been
very positive. These events are a great way to promote Council facilities and
engage with the community that wouldn’t engage with the Council
otherwise. These events are something that many young people look forward to
for the entire year. Prior to the competitions we organised coaching sessions
to promote skateboarding. The coaching sessions were hosted in Motueka,
Wakefield, Richmond and Tapawera.
Mayors for Peace Children’s
competition
4.5 This year we
received 15 submissions. Ten of those were selected for the international
competition in Japan and this year again we won a place. Gracie Quinney from
Ranzau School was awarded third place in the 11–15 year category in the
international competition for Peaceful Towns 2023. Below are chosen pictures
for each category:
Category 1 (Ages 6 to 10 years)
Category 2 (Ages 11 to 15 years)
Chorus
Boxes Programme
4.6 We are continuing collaboration with Chorus to provide an
opportunity for local artists. The following works have been installed already:
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Address
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Artist
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Photo
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5
Florence Street, Richmond
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Aotearoa's
Flora & Fauna by Keshia Linyard
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25
Parker Street, Motueka
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Stingrays
in Deep Blue Water by Emma Egan
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156
Edward Street, Wakefield
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Alyssa
Higgins
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The
following two will be installed over summer
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13
Franklin Street, Marahau
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Delights
of Sandy Bay by Dani Hedges
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Corner
of Waingaro Road & West Road, Takaka
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Mohua
Taniwha by Georgina West
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Environmental education
Enviroschools
4.7 Every Thursday
we delivered lunchtime activities for six weeks to the Waimea College year 9
and 10 students. The aim was to raise awareness, build participation and
support the horticultural teacher.
4.8 The
Environmental Education team hosted a professional development day for Tasman
intermediate teachers on 22 November 2023. The focus of the day was on a
Climate Change Learning Programme that has been developed by an experienced
educator, Sian Carvell of Future Curious in collaboration with the Christchurch
City Council, Ministry of Education and other local and national organisations.
The programme takes a comprehensive approach to teaching students about climate
change by exploring science, indigenous knowledge, how we can adapt to change,
take action and think critically about the challenges we face. Six teachers
attended from five Tasman schools (Riwaka, Waimea Intermediate, Mahana, Lower
Moutere and Motueka Steiner School). All the teachers were impressed with the
programme and were interested in potentially implementing it in their
classrooms in 2024. We will be hosting a follow-up online hui for these
teachers on 13 February to find out what support they require to deliver the
programme in their classrooms this year.
4.9 The
Environmental Education team put together the termly Ecobuzz newsletter for
schools to share stories and inspiration relating to environmental education
across the District. The latest addition can be read here - EcoBuzz September
2023 (cloud.microsoft)
Compost
Education
4.10 We delivered a number of
compost workshops to the community to provide education about how to compost at
home. We ran four workshops across the Tasman District with approximately 100
people attending. The feedback was very positive and there is a need for more
compost education in the community.
Air Quality
4.11 Dave Pullen of the Home
Heating Association and Diana Worthy (Team Leader Natural Resources Policy)
attended the Golden Bay A&P Show in January to speak to residents about
best practice woodburner use to reduce smoke and air pollution. They reported having
some useful conversations which made the trip worthwhile.
4.12 We ran a promotion of our
Good Wood merchants through November and December to encourage Tasman residents
to purchase their firewood early, to ensure that it is dry before winter.
Burning wet wood is a significant contributor to poor air quality over winter.
Nelson City Council has run this promotion for several years, and we ran it for
the first time in 2022. The promotion offered Tasman residents a $50 discount
when purchasing a minimum of 3 cubic metres of wood from a Good Wood merchant
before 15 December. While the promotion was very popular, with some Good Wood
merchants running out of vouchers within the first two weeks, we have received
feedback from the merchants that it could be run differently to ensure dry wood
is getting to those who would otherwise burn wet wood or rubbish/treated
timber. We will be taking this feedback on board when considering if we run a
similar promotion in 2024.
Youth
Youth Pathways programme
4.13 The aim of the programme is
to support young people under the age of 18 who have stopped attending school
for a variety of reasons. The problem we are trying to address is that once
young people have turned 16 they are not the responsibility of a school, or any
other organisation, and some remain disengaged until they turn 18 and become
the responsibility of the Ministry of Social Development. This programme
is a three-year pilot that is based in Motueka High School and several other
schools across Te Tau Ihu. The pilot started in 2022 and is driven by the
steering group of representatives of Nelson City Council, Tasman District
Council and Ministry of Education. In 2023 the pathways coordinator supported
50 kids in Motueka. As a result of this work 17 got employed, 11 went into
training and four into education. For the rest of the kids, the coordinator
developed pathway plans and will be supporting them in achieving this plan. One
of the main barriers that were identified for the young people is the lack of
opportunities in Motueka. The coordinator is working with NMIT to discuss a
possibility of delivering Foundation Level 1 based in Motueka. However, the
lack of space is one of the major barriers.
Motueka Youth Council
4.14 Every year we organise an
outdoor movie night in Spring when it gets dark early so parents can attend the
event with their kids. We partner with different community groups and give them
the opportunity to promote their vision through a film. In 2022 we partnered
with Multicultural Youth Council and it was a massive success. This year we
partnered with the Motueka Youth Council and for the first time we had this
event outside of Richmond. The Youth Council were delighted how successful it
was, which gave them a huge confidence boost in running similar events in the
community.
4.15 To help celebrate the
opening of the Motueka Skatepark, the Motueka Youth Council ran a community
BBQ. A total of 450 free sausages were cooked and distributed. Everyone enjoyed
this positive uplifting event. The Motueka Youth Council said they had never
done a sausage sizzle to this level, so this was a new experience for them.
They also walked around the crowd promoting the Youth Council and distributing
pamphlets in the hope to recruit more members.
Waimea Youth Council
4.16 Annual concert Speak Up
organised by the Waimea Youth Council wasn’t well attended. This
could have been due to the long weekend or not enough advertising. Murchison
Youth Council came up to support the event.
Murchison Youth Council
4.17 Throughout the year the
Murchison Youth Council ran Master Chef events for Murchison young people to
get confidence in cooking. The Youth Councillors gained confidence in
organising events and in cooking. The Youth Councillors also hosted the End of
Year Youth Council meeting in Murchison, in which they provided the catering
and organised recreational activities at Buller Gorge reserve.
Golden Bay Youth Council
4.18 The Golden Bay Youth
Council worked towards organising two major events - a youth concert and a
Health and Wellbeing Day. The concert was postponed but the second event went
ahead and was successful. This was driven by the youth survey that identified
that mental wellbeing is a major concern amongst Golden Bay youth. The Youth
Council organised free activities and provided information about health
organisations, services and programmes.
Welcoming Communities
4.19 Supported the local Indian
communities with their Diwali celebrations.
4.20 Supported the new Motueka
Multicultural Coordinator with their first community Potluck Dinner in Motueka
4.21 Organised a Multicultural
Picnic, in conjunction with Carols by Candlelight to celebrate International
Migrants Day. A variety of multicultural activities were organised for
families, which were well received.
5. Customer Services Update – Janet
Lee-Van Dijk
Good News Story
5.1 Each
year, the Association of Local Government
Information Management (ALGIM) undertakes a Mystery Shopper Customer Experience
Survey. There are 78 Councils and two Council Controlled Organisations
(CCOs) surveyed and all organisations are ranked out of 80.
5.2 Despite
the change in methodology and category scoring, we still improved our ranking
on last year’s massive leap from 74th to 24th, up another
six places to 18th out of 80; and 11th out
of 59 District Councils. I’m so proud of the improvements we’ve
made as a team in the last 20 months, since taking on the management role in
May 2022, moving up a total of 56 places out of 80.
5.3 We
have a wonderful, supportive team, dedicated to providing the best possible
service for our customers whilst helping each other. The role is so vast and
requires an enormous amount of training to understand all the different aspects
of Council and AA. In 2023, we managed to get another five staff
qualified as AA Agents, giving us much more flexibility for cover and providing
an excellent service to our community.
5.4 The
survey results have again been an excellent incentive and boost to morale for
the CSOs, as the Team Leaders and I have continued to focus on staff wellbeing
and upskilling, to retain as many staff as possible in all four Service
Centres.
Methodology – providing five
moments of truth
5.5 This
year the survey steered away from social media – this could be because of
all the heightened feelings expressed to Councils on those channels. At
the ALGIM conference, it was clear that the raised aggression was being felt
all over the country and much of the focus was on staff wellbeing.
5.6 This
year the survey concentrated on telephone and email interactions with Councils,
and information was collected as follows:
5.7 Phone
interactions – three phone calls to main contact number; one in the
morning, one at lunch time and one in the afternoon. These calls were scored on
five categories, consisting of a total of 21 measures, each out of five points
and were weighted as follows:
1. First
Impressions 10%
2. Communication
Skills 10%
3. Problem
Resolution 20%
4. Knowledge
20%
5. Overall
Experience 40%
5.8 Whilst
these categories are different to last years: Responsiveness; Greeting;
Conversation; Information and Knowledge; Closing and Call Efficiency, those
same points were covered, and we show continued improvement in each area (the
measures relating to the old Greeting are now covered under Professionalism
& Courtesy – for which we retained our 100% score).
5.9 There
were two email enquiries sent to the main Council inbox and again scored on the
same five categories but with 19 measures, each scored out of five each.
Results
5.10 Email
survey:
- the
morning email received an overall score of 81.1% - Highly Satisfactory.
- whilst
the afternoon email received a perfect score – 100% - Highly
Satisfactory.
5.11 Phone survey:
- the morning call was a near perfect score of 97.14% - Highly Satisfactory
- lunch time call – not far behind with 91.43% - also Highly Satisfactory
- afternoon call was a very random and rarely asked question regarding
setting up a community garden. The CSO wasn’t sure where the query
should go and rather than holding up other calls, asked the caller to email in
their query. This lost points, resulting in a lower score of 75.24%,
which was still Satisfactory overall.
Our overall performance compared to
previous ALGIM Mystery Shopper Surveys
5.12 The
following graphs show the excellent progress made by the team, and our
continuous improvements. They show the actual percentage scores for each
measure, rather than the weightings that have been applied to the new
categories this year, to enable the yearly comparisons.
Lessons Learned
5.13 Out
of the six areas scored, points were lost on First Impressions
– specifically Personalisation, where the Customer Service
Officer (CSO) failed to give their name on the call. We’ve
discussed this as a team and given the recent surge in aggression from some of
our customers, some staff feel uncomfortable to give their name; as a compromise,
we’ve agreed that they may use an alias (so long as I know who it is!).
5.14 Points
were also lost under the Problem Resolution and Knowledge
categories on the third phone call. Whilst there are times when a
follow-up email by the customer is justified – e.g. if they wish to
provide plans or photographs along with their query, the survey highlighted
that, in a situation where the CSO is unsure of what to do with the query and
their colleagues are unable to help, they should ask the customer if they are happy
to email the query rather than just requesting that they do. If the customer
doesn’t wish to email, the CSO should (and will) take down the details,
inform the customer that a relevant staff member will contact them in due
course, find out where it needs to go and raise a Service Request to the
relevant department or staff member.
5.15 The
third main area for points lost was on Feedback Mechanism –
How satisfied the surveyor was with the opportunities provided to provide
feedback on the experience and interactions. Project Harakeke –
specifically the new CRM (Customer Records Management system) should solve this
problem, providing a short automated satisfaction survey after each call or
email.
Customer Services – Six months activity from 1 July
to 31 December 2023 compared to same period in 2022
|
Customer Services Activity numbers from
1 July to 31 December 2023 for all Service Centres
|
|
Customer Interactions
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Total No. Requests for
Service = 11,866
|
|
Activity type:
|
Emails
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LIM
|
Phone Calls
|
Council Counter
|
AA/NZTA
Counter
|
Infra-structure
|
Building
|
Animal Control
|
Other
|
|
Jul-Dec 2023
|
9,730
|
353
|
24,259
|
19,465
|
 14,125
|
2,829
|
1,952
|
418
|
6,667
|
|
Jul-Dec 2022
Included Aug
floods
|
9,221
|
381
|
27,355
|
17,718
|
13,099
|
3,234
|
1,773
|
433
|
5,914
|
|
AA/NZTA Sales and Commission Earned (up $11,602 on last year) from 1 July to 31 December 2023
|
|
Service Centre
|
Richmond
|
Takaka
|
Motueka
|
Murchison
|
Totals
|
|
Total Sales
|
7,765
|
879
|
5,248
|
233
|
14,125
|
|
Commission earned
|
$ 68,025.58
|
$ 9,328.02
|
$ 35,421.95
|
$ 736.28
|
$ 113,511.83
|
Nil
Operations Committee - 22 February 2024
7.2 Community Infrastructure Activity Report
Information Only - No Decision
Required
|
Report
To:
|
Operations
Committee
|
|
Meeting
Date:
|
22
February 2024
|
|
Report
Author:
|
Richard
Kirby, Group Manager - Community Infrastructure; Grant Reburn, Reserves and
Facilities Manager; Jamie McPherson, Transportation Manager; Nick Chin,
Enterprise and Property Services Manager; Mike Schruer, Waters and Wastes
Manager; Russell McGuigan, Project Delivery Manager
|
|
Report
Authorisers:
|
Richard
Kirby, Group Manager - Community Infrastructure
|
|
Report
Number:
|
ROC24-02-2
|
1. Summary
/ Te Tuhinga Whakarāpoto
1.1 This
report provides the summary of Community Infrastructure Group’s activity
since the last report to the Operations Committee on Thursday 07 December 2023.
2. Recommendation/s
/ Ngā Tūtohunga
That the Operations Committee
1. receives the Community Infrastructure Activity Report, ROC24-02-2.
3.1 We have welcomed five new staff in the
Community Infrastructure department this month:
· Roslyn Wells is our new Project Delivery
Officer,
· George Daly has accepted a permanent
position as a project manager whilst still completing his Jobs for Nature
projects with Environmental Assurance,
· Greg Bennett has moved from Waimakariri
District Council as our new Stormwater Engineer (Robert Workman’s
previous role),
· Jonas Ermen is our new engineering cadet
and
· Mareena King temping in the property
team (until Christina’s replacement is appointed).
3.2 We are currently recruiting for a Team
Leader in the Waters and wastes team, a new Project manager and a 10-month
maternity leave cover for a property officer.
Property Transactions
4.1 There are 164 property
transaction tasks in progress, a slight increase from last year. Most of these
are leases or road acquisitions. The largest proportion (58%) of these
are awaiting a response from property owners. A further 20% of jobs are
on hold often while work is being completed. There has been a jump in
projects over 3 years old. Many of these are a block of community leases
which have moved from 2 years to 3 years. Most are underway but will take
time to complete.
4.2 Straightforward Community Lease
renewals are being processed:
4.2.1 Several leases were approved for renewal at the December
2023 meeting.
4.2.2 Another block is awaiting Council approval at the 15
February council meeting.
4.2.3 Documents have been sent to these community
groups. It is hard to predict how long it will take for them to be
returned by the relevant groups. Further reports will feed through during
the year but are likely to be more complex (i.e. needing public notice).
4.3 Motupipi Footpath - At the time of
writing, Fonterra have provided a draft agreement/easement which is acceptable
to Fonterra. A legal check with the Council’s solicitors is pending, but
staff are hopeful we will be able to report to the Operations Committee meeting
that a signed agreement is in place.
4.4 Road acquisition Abel Tasman Drive,
Pōhara - This remains a difficult project with a high level of legal
complexity. It is proving difficult to reflect the owners’ expectations
in a legal agreement. While this remains an important project, getting an
appropriate agreement is a priority over a quick solution.
4.5 Committee members are aware that a
community leasing policy is in development. Council’s Policy
Planner, Cat Budai, will be working on the policy from March 2024 following
previous Policy Planner, Neil Lindsay’s move to Wellington late in
2023. In essence, our existing practices are working well for most groups
and the Council. The biggest challenges relate to maintenance of buildings with
some groups operating from buildings which are deteriorating.
Head Office Improvements
4.6 Work on zone 3 has commenced and the
ground floor of the main office building has been vacated. Priority is
the strengthening works on the kitchen in the staff lunchroom. We are targeting
completion of these works early February so we can open the staff lunchroom
after Waitangi Day. This will also give us access to the two showers and the
lockers, which will be much appreciated by our staff cycling to work.
4.7 When the staff lunchroom is completed,
we will move the Building Assurance team to the Councillor’s lounge, and
we will set up the Wangapeka room for the Councillors to use from February till
May (a big thank you to the Mayor and Councillors, much appreciated).
4.8 The ground floor works will continue
into May at which time we will be able to move staff back into their ground
floor offices. From May through to August, we will be working on the
first-floor offices in Zone 3 (Service & Strategy area).
Leases
4.9 King Edward Street, Motueka - All
tenants have been inducted with rentals now coming to Council. There is some
deferred maintenance that needs addressing as tenant priorities are better
understood. Given the Council's plans for the site, these will be balanced with
need.
4.10 Fulton Hogan yard in Murchison – the Council
approved funding which is based on a 10% return on investment. A resource
consent has been submitted for the new buildings.
Property condition assessments
4.11 Property
assessments of key buildings listed have been completed. Please note that
whilst the Scout Halls are not owned by the Council, a condition assessment was
required to progress negotiations with NZ Scouts on these buildings:
· Golden Bay Library – 3 Junction Street, Tākaka
· Golden Bay Community Centre – 88 Commercial Street, Tākaka
· Golden Bay Service Centre – 78 Commercial Street, Tākaka
· Golden Bay Rec Centre – 2032 Tākaka Valley Highway
· Tākaka Scout Group Hall (External Only) – 2032 Tākaka
Valley Highway, Tākaka
· Motueka Museum – 140 High Street Motueka
· Motueka Recreation Centre / Theatre – 30 Old Wharf Road, Motueka
· Motueka Service Centre – 7 Hickmott Place, Motueka
· Motueka Memorial Hall – 9 Pah Street, Motueka
· Residential Rental - 28 Fearon Street Motueka
· 99 Fairfax Street, Murchison including garage & 4 pensioner
houses (101A, 101B, 101C, 101D)
· Murchison Community Sport & Recreation Centre, toilet block and
old shearing shed
· Murchison Service Centre / Library Building
· 92 Fairfax Street, Murchison
· Toilet Block - 43 Fairfax Street
· 5 Hampden Street, Murchison
· Riverside Motor Camp / Park
· Tamaha Scouts Hall
· Wakefield Scouts Hall (Faulkner’s Bush Reserve)
· Brightwater Scout and Guide Hut
· Wakefield Village Hall
· Riwaka Recreation Reserve Scouts
· Collingwood Museum Buildings (two buildings)
· Richmond Aquatic Centre – 141 Salisbury Road, Richmond
· Residential Rental – 52 Oxford Street, Richmond
· Residential Rental – 54 Oxford Street, Richmond
· Residential Rental – 54A Oxford Street, Richmond
· Residential Rental – 54B Oxford Street, Richmond
· Richmond Town Hall – 9 Cambridge Street, Richmond
· Richmond Library and Office
· Tasman District Council Office – 189 Queen Street, Richmond
· Lake Rotoiti Hall & Community Centre – 22 Main Road St
Arnaud
· Moutere Hills Community Centre
· Pōhara Beach
Top 10 Holiday Park
· Pōhara Memorial
Hall
4.12 Forecasted
renewal expenditures are illustrated below (figure 1). This survey
indicates low to moderate costs over the next 10 years, with most costs in
2028-30 for the Richmond Aquatic Centre, Motueka Recreation Centre and main
office/Service Centre Richmond.
4.13 The
overall condition of Council property is good (figure 2). The maintenance
focus will be on C5-C3 condition grades. Of the $40 million anticipated
maintenance costs, about $10 million needs to be prioritised over the next ten
years (figure 1 above).
Old Motueka Library, Motueka
Service Centre and the Laura Ingram kindergarten.
4.14 A
report is underway on the feasibility of selling the Motueka Service Centre and
adjacent property. A key decision will be if the service centre property can be
sold to fund the development of the old library. This is expected to cost
c$1.5 million.
4.15 A
workshop will be held mid-March with Councillors to discuss preliminary
findings and potential options for the Old Motueka Library and Laura Ingram
Kindergarten.
Tākaka Annex
4.16 Background.
The annex behind the Tākaka Service Centre has been vacant for many years.
It was proposed and approved by Enterprise to refit this as an office.
This development is funded through a loan from Enterprise (ROI 10%).
“Rent” will come from the Environmental Information activity who
will be the primary users of this facility.
4.17 The
Roof flashings weather proofing works were completed in December 2023 on time
and on budget.
4.18 The
fitout of current annex building to accommodate new Hydrology wet lab,
accessible toilet, office, store area and kitchenette.
4.19 Detailed
design has been completed and Building consent has been submitted awaiting
vetting approval (as at 23 Jan)
4.20 Procurement
plan has been completed and Gate 2B has been prepared (approval to procure)
noting the project is a direct source to Golden Bay Builders due to be signed
imminently.
4.21 Pricing
under way by Golden Bay Builders should receive by end of January 2024.
4.22 Master
build contract proposed should be executed early February 2024.
4.23 Looking
to commence soft start (strip out works mid-February and structural strip out
once building consent is approved late February2024).
4.24 Main
work commencement due late April /early May.
4.25 Complete
in July 2024.
Old Wakefield Library
4.26 Work
is ongoing, on budget with external painting expected to be completed in
February 2024.
4.27 
Process
to buy the strip of adjacent private land the building occupies is
underway. There are no significant issues.
4.28 Building
has been scaffolded for cladding, painting and a new roof.
4.29 Internal
false ceiling and vinyl wall cladding has been removed to reveal original
ceiling decorations, ceiling rose and Rimu panelling.
4.30 Rotten
cladding is being replaced with an equivalent cladding shape and the nterior
rear wall on the extension has been reclad and waterproofed.
4.32 Windows
have been revealed letting in more light. At this stage it is unlikely there
will be sufficient funds to repair the sash windows ($26,000).
Vehicle Fleet
4.33 The
Council now has 10 Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) consisting of seven Hyundai
Kona and three Kia Niro. These will become operational in February once E-road
equipment is installed. Training will be offered to staff on the use of BEVs.
4.34 The
staff carparking will be repainted in February 2024.
4.35 Monitoring
indicates vehicles located in Oxford Street are less used than vehicles in head
office carparks. To improve fleet utilisation, staff carparking will be shifted
to Oxford Street and some Council fleet will occupy 4 Wensley Road (“the
Church”).
4.36 Some
staff car parks (5) will be allocated to Armadillos to comply with a 2014
agreement.
Maintenance
4.37 Richmond
Library. The Richmond Library is a repurposed retail store purchased by Council
and refitted in 1991. The building is approaching its end of life with
significant structural (roof) and water ingress issues. The solar system
installed last year is being relocated to Tākaka due to subsequent roof
issues. A structural report on the library will be prepared in February 2024.
4.38 Tākaka
library - As well as a solar system, lighting will be replaced with LED’s
and the air conditioning will be upgraded in February 2024.
4.39 Tākaka
Annex - The recent ITM fire in Tākaka came within a metre of damaging the
service centre buildings and the efforts of the Fire Service must be
commended.
4.40 Motueka
Museum - We intend to replace the roof this year and quotes are underway.
This has been prone to leaking for many years and is beyond repair.
Service Requests Overview
5.1 The
following graphs reflect customer service requests that resulted in a
maintenance job being raised with our contractors. They do not reflect things
such as requests for an improved level of service, for example dissatisfaction
with dust on unsealed roads.
Figure x. Sealed pavement service
requests
Figure y. Unsealed road service
requests
Figure z. Footpath service requests
Traffic Volumes Overview
5.2 The
following graphs provide an overview of some traffic volume data from
particular Council roads which have had notable changes in traffic over recent
years or that might be of general interest. The number on the vertical axis
represents average daily traffic (motor vehicles).
Figure g. Lower Queen Street average
daily traffic outside A&P showgrounds
Figure R. Lansdowne Road average daily
traffic
5.3 Lower
Queen Street traffic is steadily increasing and is now the Council’s
busiest road (previously this was Salisbury Road near Champion Road). The
traffic growth is evidently being generated by development in the Richmond West
area, rather than by more traffic diverting off SH60. This is
demonstrated by Lansdowne Road traffic decreasing slightly.
Figure E. Wensley Road average daily
traffic near Dorset Street
Figure d. Queen Street average daily
traffic in the town centre
Figure v. Champion Road average daily
traffic. Note impact of partial road closure during roundabout construction in
2021
Figure G. Hill Street average daily
traffic near Champion Road
Road Maintenance Activities
5.4 Back after the Christmas breaks crews have been busy with BAU
pavement repairs, drainage, and routine maintenance works. With a number of wet
periods during January, which have thankfully not been heavy, grading
operations have been able to continue almost unaffected in most areas.
This has led to lower than usual seasonal complaints about unsealed road
defects (corrugations and potholes) and dust. February is predicted to be
drier, and works will alter operations accordingly to suit these
conditions.
5.5 With the rain, vegetation has continued to grow faster than
usual for the period and crews have been working to get on top of roadside
mowing activities in case conditions deteriorate further and more stringent
fire-risk related restrictions are imposed.
Alliance
Contract Area
5.6 Sealed Road Resurfacing - Work started in the Split Apple Rock area and moved into the
Motueka area prior to Christmas. Feedback on quality has been great,
particularly as the sealing
addressed hot points in the Motueka area.
Figure1 – Pre reseal stabilisation
repair first coat – Waimea West Road
Figure
2- Second coat sealing, Mōtueka Valley West bank Road
Figure3
– Mōtueka reseal.
Wai-iti Soak pit
5.7 Contractors
installed a new soak pit in Wai-iti to drain the Great Taste Trail. The new
sump and soak pit was installed adjacent to SH6.
Bus stop repairs
5.8 Bus stop repairs are being attended to as they arise. Queen Street bus
stop repairs were completed at night to minimize traffic management impacts,
and final reinstatement was delayed by an unmarked Chorus cable requiring
repair by them.
Non-Alliance work
Sundial Square Water feature
5.9 The fountains were off in early
December for repair and remained turned off when the water restrictions came
into effect. The maintenance contractor cleaned out the holding tanks and
undertook maintenance to the fountains while they have been out of action. The
fountains will be turned back on once the water restrictions are lifted.
Wakefield Pram Ramp
5.10 A new pram
ramp was constructed last December to the corner of Edward Street and Treeton
Place.
Figure 6
Newly installed pram ramp
Wakefield Bus Shelter
5.11 A new bus shelter will shortly be
installed in Whitby Way outside the Plunket Rooms, the concrete foundation pad
has already been laid.
Mapua Drive – Footpath Infill
5.12 Work
to infill a section of kerb and footpath along the frontage of 125 Mapua Drive
was completed last December.
Figure 8 Mapua Drive footpath
Streetlighting
5.13 A
streetlight pole in the Richmond Aquatic Centre carpark was blown over by
intense winds in late December. Structural testing of steel poles across the
district was underway and it was decided to focus immediately on the 20 poles
in the Aquatic Centre carpark. Seven poles were found to be in poor condition
and were removed prior to Christmas. The remaining 13 poles are planned for
further testing in 12 months.
Golden Bay and Murchison Area
5.14 The
contractor has been taking advantage of the mild weather we have been having
over the last few months, to complete the pre-reseal pavement maintenance
programme on Collingwood-Pūponga Main Road, Mangles Valley Road, Rototai
Road, Matakitaki and Matakitaki West Bank Roads.
5.15 They
have also completed repairs to several bridge approaches on
Collingwood-Pūponga Road. These approaches had settled, resulting in a
sharp and unpleasant bump which can also induce extra loading on the bridge
structures. The failed pavement has been cut out and rebuilt. The Council
received positive feedback from the PCRA following the completion of these
repairs.
“On
behalf of Pakawau Community Resident’s Association Inc. I would like to
express our appreciation and gratitude for the considerable work you and your
team have put in to drastically improve the approaches to so many of the
bridges in our vicinity.”
5.16 Over
the past few months, a series of rainfall events has resulted in several small
slips blocking the roadside drainage channels along Abel Tasman Drive (Wainui)
and Totaranui Road which have been cleared. Any slip material that is comprised
of clean separation point granite sand, has been stockpiled to be used to help
replenish the sand at Tata Beach due to the erosion near the boat ramp.
5.17 The
contractor has started work on the joint maintenance sections of the Cobb Dam
Road for Department of Conservation (DOC) and Manawa Energy. This work is not
funded by the Council but is managed by the Council under our road maintenance
contract.
5.18 Summary
of key maintenance activities complete around Golden Bay and Murchison:
·
18m of bridge rail repaired.
·
39 culverts unblocked.
·
341m3 of landslip material removed.
·
2,240m of detritus cleared (kerb and channel
debris, and litter)
·
193m2 sealed pavement dig-outs.
·
85m2 unsealed pavement dig-outs
·
284m2 asphalt levelling or rip and remakes
·
45m of edge break repairs
·
1,519m of high shoulder removal
·
63 culvert pegs replaced
·
24 edge marker pegs replaced
·
57 signs maintenance: repaired/replaced/cleaned
/straightened
·
75km of grading
·
279km of roadside vegetation spraying
·
213km of mowing.
5.19 The
upcoming programme includes:
·
Completion of the sealed pavement maintenance
programme for Collingwood-Bainham Main Road.
·
Pavement repairs on Motupipi Street outside the
Solly entrance.
·
High shoulder removal and deepen/reshape surface
water channels in Baigent Road and Howard Valley Road.
·
Culvert inlet/outlet repairs and cleaning
surface water channels on the Braeburn Track.
·
Depression levelling and edge break repairs on
the Cobb Dam Road.
·
Aggregate spreading on Wharariki Road.
Figure 9 One Spec Road – rail repair Figure
10 Matakitaki Westbank Road dig out
Figure 11 & 12 Cobb Dam Road
– broken barrier repair
Figure 13 Packard Road Bridge 2 rail
repairs
Tasman’s
Great Taste Trail - Operations and Maintenance
5.20 The
trail is generally in a good condition with a weed
spray and mowing completed around the circuit. In some areas the spray has
yet to fully impact vegetation and other sections were completed the week prior
to Christmas. Grass stalks are fully out, and some have swayed in towards the
edges of the trail narrowing the trail slightly. Sign damage and other
vandalism is ongoing with our Contractor starting to think that Tasman’s
Great Taste Trail signage is being targeted.
5.21 The Nelson Regional Sewage Business Unit major upgrade of
the sewer pipe between Nelson and Bell Island will affect the cycle path
adjacent to the Richmond Deviation opposite the Aquatic Centre. The good news
is the Alliance Group have come on board and have opened their stock underpass
to riders, with a sealed asphalt track to and from. The Alliance underpass will
become the main underpass for users wanting to go from the Coastal Route into
the Champion Road area and vice versa – the good thing is this underpass
does not flood at high tide and will be more direct.
Figure 14 Alliance Underpass in use
after opening 1 February 2024
Road Safety
5.22 To
date in this fiscal year there have been eleven serious crashes recorded in the
Crash Analysis System as being on Tasman local roads. Three of these
crashes are coded as being on local roads but occurred at SH intersections. The
two additional crashes since the last Committee report were:
· A head-on crash between two cars on Sunrise Valley Road, due to a
foreign driver not keeping left on this narrow, sealed road.
· Two cars turning at The Coastal Highway SH60 intersection with
Bronte Road East collided.
5.23 The
recently installed guardrail on River Terrace Road has already been impacted,
performing as designed in a crash after the installation. No crash has been
recorded in the CAS (Crash Analysis System) database, so it is expected that
there was no serious outcome from this crash.
Figure 15
River Terrace Road guardrail
Community Road Safety Programme Update
5.24 Road Safety Education at Kaiteriteri Beach
- Our road safety coordinator spent time at Kaiteriteri
Beach promoting Road Safety messages such as “Don’t let your phone
distract you,” “Remain alert while driving, “If you are tired
from being in the sun pullover and take a break to drive refreshed.
5.25 Car Seat Check with Police - Car seat checks
were held in conjunction with the Police at Rabbit Island and Tahunanui
beach. Overall vehicles were referred to “Baby on the Move”
for corrections to child seats.
Summer Driver Campaign
5.26 Over Summer a radio driver campaign was
held - radio advertising was delivered
for the holiday season on all local radio stations.
5.27 The
Council supported Police with give-away items for checkpoints with road safety
messaging. This was received well by all parties, with Council and Police staff
regard this as a favourable opportunity to have positive conversations with
members of the public about road safety.
Seatbelt Simulator
5.28 Staff have received a request from New
Zealand Transport Agency and Auckland Transport (AT) to take the seatbelt
simulator to Northland Field Days 29 February - 1 March 2024. Our road safety
coordinator will also attend the Field Days event to operate the simulator,
with Auckland Transport (AT) covering all costs. This is a great opportunity to
share ideas for road safety initiatives with colleagues in the north.
Figure 15 Seatbelt
simulator in action at Richmond A&P show
Ride Forever Motorcycle
Training
5.29 Ride Forever Motorcycle Courses completed
in December:
·
three Gold
Ride Forever Courses.
·
Twenty two
Silver Ride Forever Courses.
·
twelve
Bronze Ride Forever Courses.
·
twenty
Advanced Rider Training.
Motorcycle Seminar
5.30 Dave
Moss, world renowned motorcycle suspension tuner, will be in New Zealand in
February. We will host him in Nelson/Tasman for two days:
· Day 1: Deliver 2-hour seminar demonstrating
correct suspension setting for a motorcycle, as well as one-on-one suspension
checks.
· Dave will visit 4 motorcycle retail businesses
across the region to upskill staff in stores.
5.31 These kinds of sessions are hugely
valuable to help our highest-risk road user group to keep themselves safe on
the roads.
Aotearoa Bike Month
5.32 Aotearoa Love to Ride Nelson Tasman site
is now live and being promoted.
5.33 Three Bikers Breakfasts are planned for
February (Richmond 8 February, Motueka Recreation Centre 9 February, Tasman
District Council staff 20 February)
Upcoming events
5.34 Driver Reviver Stop is scheduled for 26
April 2024 and planning for these is nearing completion with partner agencies
(Nelson City Council, ACC, New Zealand Police, AMI).
5.35 Staff attended the Nelson Vintage Car Show
at Richmond Showgrounds on 10 February, with the Seatbelt Simulator.
Road Opening Permit Management - Corridor Access
Requests
5.36 The graph below shows the number of
corridor access requests processed and approved by month for the 2022/23 and
current 2023/24 fiscal years.
Waters and Wastes Trends
Water Supply
Activity
Highlights:
6.1 Wakefield
source water issues resolved (detail in the Operations Update section).
6.2 Water
restrictions – majority of schemes now in Phase A, except for Redwood in
Phase B and Dovedale in Phase D.
Compliance:
6.3 The
water regulator, Taumata Arowai, requires reports on the annual compliance
status of all Council water supplies to be submitted by 28 February 2024. This
involves collating and submitting a large amount of data on the compliance and
assurance rules that are not required to be reported more frequently throughout
the year. This work is consuming a significant proportion of the Water Quality
and Safety team’s time over January and February. Achieving submission by
the specified date is dependent on the Water Outlook database being configured
to enable the reporting in time as well as Taumata Arowai making several
clarifications on the rules themselves that staff have queried. Staff will
continue to liaise with Taumata Arowai regarding meeting the timeframes.
6.4 Council’s
status against many of the annual rules will be non-compliant given that in
many cases, a single non-compliant day within the year translates to
non-compliance for the entire year.
6.5 At
one of a series of meetings to follow up the 2023 directive from Taumata Arowai
to provide protozoa treatment on the Dovedale supply (among others), Council
staff discussed options with Taumata Arowai technical advisory staff. We
discussed what it would take to make the Rural Supply Acceptable Solution a
practical option and the advisors have undertaken to review the solution and
continue to liaise with us on whether a mutually agreeable option could be
arrived at.
Operations Update:
6.6 Wakefield
Source water yield challenges – Investigations into the reduced yield
from the infiltration gallery are complete, we are unable to identify any
specific cause but suspect years of operation have silted up the surrounding
soil restricting infiltration to the gallery. An old bore near the treatment
plant and closer to the river has been livened and is now supplementing the
infiltration gallery.
6.7 Wakefield
source contamination – discolouration of bore water discovered leading to
shut down of the Water Treatment Plant (WTP) with water supplied to Wakefield
from Brightwater. Increasing the output from the Brightwater WTP increased
pressure in the network and caused several minor bursts/leaks. Prolonged use of
all three pumps caused two to fail, emergency water use restriction
communications went out. Results from the sampling of the Wakefield source
contamination were received just in time, nothing untoward was identified and
we were able to get the Wakefield WTP back up and running with a new set of
cartridge filters that day. Everything has been operating as normal since then.
6.8 Maisey
Road reservoir – falling levels, a new pump was needed and installed at
O’Connor’s Water Treatment Plant (WTP). Raw water supply valve
bypassing issue identified as cause of higher-than-normal River Road usage, new
valve now installed.
6.9 Leak
Detection – specialist water leak detection contractor has been engaged
to carry out leak detection of the full urban networks in Murchison, Tapawera,
Wakefield, Brightwater, Māpua and Pōhara.
6.10 Dovedale
new source trial – initial yield testing proved that the aquifer is not
producing enough yield. Further investigation required by means of test pits in
a different location, and alignment, to be undertaken to locate better yield.
6.11 Pōhara
WTP membrane – routine testing of ultrafiltration (UF) membrane integrity
by air pressure decay has shown increasing trends approaching the quality
control limit, indicating defects or tiny holes. Contractors are investigating
repair methodology (“pinning”) with the hollow fibre UF membrane
suppliers and support from the plant designer.
6.12 Richmond
Water Supply – On Friday, 12 January, a burst 100mm Asbestos Cement (AC)
waterpipe in Cheyne Walk was repaired. Subsequently another burst occurred on
Tuesday, 16 January, which required another section of the 100mm AC waterpipe
to be replaced. The AC waterpipe is 59 years old which makes age the cause of
failure. On Monday 5 February, a pipe burst was repaired in Marlborough
Crescent. No known causes other than the AC having reached end of life. It
should be noted that the ground water level for Cheyne Walk and Marlborough
Crescent appear to be between 0-0.5m below ground level. Higher ground water
levels will contribute to the reduction of an AC pipe’s lifespan.
6.13 Collingwood
– On Saturday, 03 February, there was a burst waterpipe which almost
drained the reservoir requiring immediate water conservation measures.
Turned out to be an end cap which had failed and was replaced.
6.14 Motueka
– On Thursday, 25 January, a one metre section of 200mm PVC was replaced
due to a small split in the pipe. Wednesday, 31 January, another leak, also a
split, was repaired approximately three metres away from the previous leak.
Poor backfill material was noted during the repair of both pipes which is the
likely cause of the splits.
Enforcement
Since the
previous Activity Report, the following events have been recorded:
6.15.1 One
new accidental damage incident: A section of lateral was struck at 125 Mapua
Drive.
6.15.2 Two
new hydrant tampering/illegal takes: a member of the Collingwood Fire Brigade
staff accessed a Council hydrant to take water for an unauthorised purpose; and
a contractor in Brightwater was found to be taking water from an unauthorised
hydrant while water restrictions were in force.
6.15.3 One
new water meter or restrictor tampering event: a restrictor at a property on
Mount Heslington Rd was found to have been bypassed illegally.
6.15.4 Each
event is investigated, and appropriate action taken – this includes
working with all parties involved and educating landowners/operators as
required. Events of significant offending are assessed against the Solicitor
General’s Prosecution Guidelines to determine if a case for prosecution
exists. In the first instance of non-compliance, a letter of warning is
generally issued, provided the offending is not of a serious nature, which sets
out legal requirements and forms the basis of any future prosecution action.
6.15.5 The
accidental damage incident at Mapua Drive was investigated and a warning letter
will be issued to the responsible party. The cost of repairs will be recovered.
6.15.6 The
illegal hydrant take in Collingwood is currently under investigation. The
illegal hydrant use in Brightwater was investigated and a warning letter will
be sent to the contractor involved.
6.15.7 The
restrictor tampering incident at Mount Heslington Road is still under
investigation with further action to follow.
Wastewater
Activity Highlights:
6.16 The
new membranes were replaced and operational at the Motueka wastewater treatment
plant operational on 30 November 2023.
6.17 New
Tākaka caravan dump station opened prior to Christmas.
6.18 The
Tapawera wastewater treatment plant coped with the annual NZMCA rally over
Nelson Anniversary Weekend with no unexpected operational issues and minimal
operator input.
6.19 No
odour complaints have been received over the Christmas break.
Compliance:
6.20 Since
the low UV dose event on 17 November 2023, staff have been monitoring the
Collingwood wastewater treatment plant UV disinfection system. That low UV
event was unusual as flows were low and algae concentrations low. The UV dose
trend was also behaving unusually. There have been four subsequent low dose
events. Investigations found that the sensor brushes needed replacing, as did
the quartz lamp sleeves. The UV sensor also needed thorough cleaning and the UV
lamps were replaced. A review of maintenance requirements has found that not
all routine maintenance was being completed. Staff training and maintenance
schedules will be updated so there is better clarity on requirements. Except
for the sensor replacement, all other repairs have been completed. This
resulted in a good improvement in UV dose, but the trend is still more variable
than usual. Once the new sensor is installed, the UV dose will continue to be
monitored and if trends are still variable, an audit of the system by the
supplier will be requested. The public health impact from the low UV dose
events has been minimal, based on monitoring of Burton Ale Creek and at the
boat ramp in Collingwood.
Operations
6.21 The
replacement membranes were installed very quickly once they arrived on site.
The membrane supplier reviewed the plant operation and have not advised of any
issues that could have impacted the life of the membranes. The testing of old
membranes has not been completed yet. The public health risk from the discharge
of partially treated wastewater to land where it entered groundwater and
coastal waters, was considered low before Christmas. However, the rāhui
has remained in place pending more information relating to impacts on the wider
seabed, shellfish and moana.
6.22 The
new Tākaka caravan dump station on Motupipi Street has been operational
since before Christmas. The old dump station next to the public toilets near
the Information Centre has been decommissioned with signage directing people to
the new location. Feeback on the facility has been positive. The dump station
potable water supply had to be closed due to the potential contamination of the
groundwater after the ITM fire which has resulted in a few complaints. The dump
station remained open throughout, with water supplied for cleaning only. The
potable supply will be opened once the groundwater testing meets drinking water
requirements.
6.23 The
NZMCA catered for around 830 campervans and caravans at the Tapawera Area
school over Nelson Anniversary Weekend. The event was well managed by the
organisers from a wastewater standpoint, with only a doubling of inflow to the
treatment plant. Most of the campers seem to have complied with arriving with
empty waste tanks and leaving with full ones.
6.24 While
there were some commissioning issues with the ActiMag odour dosing systems in
Kaiteriteri, Tata Beach and Tarakohe, the systems were fully operational by mid
December 2023. The systems operated trouble free with no odour complaints.
6.25 There
have been five overflows since 23 November 2023. These are summarised in the
table below:
Stormwater
Activity Highlights
6.26 No
significant rainfall events during the reporting period other than isolated
thunderstorm activity in Wakefield in January, which resulted in reports of
surface flooding.
6.27 Staff
assisted in the response to the ITM fire in Tākaka on 11 January, sampling
and contaminant tracing.
Compliance
6.28 During
and following the ITM fire in Tākaka, support was provided to ensure that
the potentially contaminated water from the site did not pollute aquatic
systems. Knowledge as to how the stormwater network connects and conveys runoff
to the nearby water bodies enabled the response team to pinpoint areas of
potential drinking water contamination risk and eliminate environmental
effects.
6.29 The
second round of baseline monitoring of the Richmond Urban Drainage Area (UDA),
as well as a first round of freshwater monitoring in Motueka and Māpua
have been successfully completed.
6.30
Another round of rain event sampling has also been completed and the results
will aid at identifying key polluters to the stormwater system. Sampling
locations focused on stormwater runoff from industrial areas.
6.31 School
swimming pool investigation: After discovering that a school pool in Richmond
was connected to the stormwater instead of the wastewater system for their
backwash discharge, the stormwater team, in collaboration with the compliance
team are engaging with all schools across the district to ensure that their
pools are correctly plumbed. So far, all schools in Golden Bay
and Richmond have been visited, and it has been established that they are
connected and operated correctly.
6.32 Our
continuous monitoring stations have played a significant role in detecting
illegal and unusual discharges into our local waterways, including pool
discharges. The graph below shows a conductivity spike that indicates an
illegal discharge into Jimmy Lee Creek.
Figure 1: Jimmy Lee Creek discharge
volumes
Operations Update
6.33 Feltham Road, Berryfields sinkhole - In late
October last year we were advised of trench settlement and the development of a
sinkhole adjacent to a stormwater manhole at the intersection of Feltham Street
and Woodley Road, Berryfields. After making the site safe we inspected
the manhole and others nearby, commissioned a CCTV inspection of the pipe and
reviewed CCTV footage. The cause of the sinkhole was likely due to a defect in
a subsoil drain connected to the manhole. In early January this year we
arranged excavation and inspection of the bedding and subsoil conditions around
the manhole. We identified settlement and cracking but were unable to
conclusively identify the cause of the settlement. We have since reinstated the
excavation and will be planning to install a flexible liner in the pipes in the
coming months.
6.34 Open drain vegetation maintenance in parts
of Richmond has been delayed as we had planned to spray of the Vietnamese
Parsley and Water Celery. We have been working with our colleagues in
biosecurity, who have recently obtained a consent for the use of a specialised
herbicide (Garlon 360). Unfortunately, under the conditions of our consent this
chemical must be applied by a Registered Chemical Applicator, and we were
unable to secure a suitably qualified contractor for December or January. We
now have agreed with our contractor to have
two of their staff trained as Registered Chemical Applicators, but this will take
up to a year to achieve. We will now be preparing for a comprehensive spray
programme for September this year, and in the meantime will manage the vegetation
using manual methods. There is a risk that the vegetation will break off
and mobilise over winter, and we will be checking regularly over the winter for
blockage of stormwater
intakes.
Waste Management and
Minimisation
Activity Highlights:
6.35 Summer operations were busy, but with no
notable issues.
6.36 In February, we commenced work on
installation of a second weighbridge at the Richmond Resource Recovery Centre.
Compliance
6.37 There were no known non-compliant activities
over the reporting period.
Operations
6.38 While kerbside collections were busy over the
Christmas holiday there were no significant issues and our contractors
performed well. With Christmas and New Year falling on a Monday, all
collections were delayed by one day.
6.39 The Material Recovery Facility (MRF) operated with
double shifts, meaning that this year the backlog of unsorted materials was
manageable. Commodity exports have continued, with no notable delays or
freighting issues.
6.40 Reported contamination remains relatively high
– at 6.8% and 7.2% for December and January. A proportion of this
contamination is a result of higher vigilance in the MRF to maintain high
quality product for export.
6.41 Kerbside audits have continued, with 362 audits in
December and 320 in January. 94% of bins audited in December were compliant and
89% in January.
6.42 In early February, new kerbside recycling
regulations came into effect across the country, meaning that from 1 February
all councils were required to accept a standard
range of materials. Our kerbside recycling already met these standards, and we
have reviewed our advertising material to ensure that it is clear for our
customers.
6.43 In February, we started work to install a second
weighbridge and a new kiosk at the Richmond Resource Recovery Centre. This
should improve traffic flow and reduce waiting times. The second weighbridge
should be commissioned in March and the new kiosk in late April or early
May.
Excavation for second
weighbridge at Richmond Resource Recovery Centre
Waste
Minimisation (funded by the Waste Minimisation Fund)
6.44 In waste minimisation activities we have been
working jointly with Nelson City Council and business groups to identify waste
minimisation opportunities. At present we are focusing on construction and
demolition waste and researching challenges and opportunities for disposal and
reuse of soils, rubble, and concrete.
6.45 Later in the month we will be meeting with
interested construction companies on a site in Richmond, to discuss
opportunities for diversion and waste reduction. We are also working with the
projects team to trial deconstruction of two houses on Council land adjacent to
Borck Creek, as a demonstration project. We have also been reviewing our
existing waste reduction programmes and improving our data collection and
reporting tools.
6.46 In December we worked with the Packaging Forum and
businesses in Tākaka to establish soft plastic recycling in the local
supermarket. This means that there are now soft plastic recycling options
available in stores in Richmond, Motueka and Tākaka. This recycling is
fully funded by the packaging industry.
6.47 Last year, in conjunction with Nelson City Council,
we applied for funding to develop a detailed business case for collection and
processing of organic wastes, including food waste. Our application for funding
was successful, and we will commence work later in the year to identify the
costs and feasibility of a range of options.
6.48 On 8 February 2024 the Nelson Tasman Joint Waste
Working Party met to commence a review of the Nelson Tasman Joint Waste
Management and Minimisation Plan. Staff from our team are assisting in this
work. Updates will be provided through reports to the Strategy and Policy Committee.
7. Reserves and Facilities
Community Housing
7.1 There are currently four cottage
vacancies with two located in Mōtueka and two in Richmond.
7.2 Two are undergoing major internal upgrades
including accessibility improvements. One requires redecorating only and the
fourth was left in adequate condition so can be re-tenanted immediately.
7.3 Prospective tenants have been identified
from the waitlist to move in as soon as properties are available.
7.4 The current waitlist by area is:
·
Richmond 90
·
Motueka 24
·
Tākaka 24
·
Murchison 7
·
Brightwater/Wakefield 8
Coastcare
7.5 A minor sand push up and planting has occurred along the dune area
at Parapara west beach.
7.6 Working
with neighbours, further planting is proposed over the winter months.
7.7 Staff
and Golden Bay Ward Councillors met with the Pūponga residents on 17
January 2024 to discuss beachfront plantings in a location where large mature
pine trees were removed due to safety issues.
7.8 The
resident group supported the Coastcare plan and were keen to form a group and
plant the foreshore area.
7.9 Coastcare
plants have been ordered for 2024 winter plantings at Tata Beach, Liger Bay,
Patons Rock, Parapara, Pakawau and Pūponga.
Moturoa/Rabbit Island
7.10 The
summer period has gone very smoothly with only a few barbecue repairs needed
despite large numbers of visitors.
7.11 We
have dismantled a large driftwood structure on Rabbit Island Beach which was
considered dangerous.
7.12 Installation
of the new two-kilometre-long equestrian trail alongside Ken Beck Drive has
commenced. This will be completed before the end of summer.
7.13 Consent
has been granted this month for the new Rough Island Equestrian Park toilet.
7.14 Installation
of the toilet is expected to occur within the next month.
Motueka Library Landscaping
7.15 Following
consultation, the implementation of the Motueka Library landscape design plan
is underway.
7.16 Ordering
of seating and Bicycle stands has been carried out. Planting will occur later
in autumn.
Motueka Quay Historic Wharf
7.17 Staff
are working with Keep Motueka Beautiful and the Motueka Historical Society on a
restoration plan for the historic wharf.
7.18 A
restoration plan is being priced and consultation with iwi and the community
will be undertaken shortly.
Kingsland Forest
7.19 The
resource consent application for a new toilet block at Kingland Forest Park has
been lodged.
7.20 An
aerial spraying operation is planned in February of the 2023 harvested areas at
Kingsland Forest.
7.21 There
are a further 44,000 native trees due to be planted this winter.
7.22 Design
work for new wayfinding signage is completed and will be erected over the
coming months.
Mowing and Garden Maintenance
7.23 Over
the Christmas period contractors reported visitor numbers generally higher than
previous years which required additional toilet cleaning and supplies along
with extra bin emptying. This was particularly noticed at destination reserves
(Rabbit Island, Mapua, Motueka)
7.24 Faulkner’s
Bush also appeared to be a popular spot over summer.
7.25 Water
restrictions have had some minor effects on bedding displays and cricket pitch
maintenance. This has required more input with hand watering and some junior
cricket had to be cancelled at Ben Cooper Park. Bedding displays were
also slightly diminished as a result.
Upper Tākaka Reserve
7.26 Aging
play equipment that was assessed as being non-compliant was removed following
discussions with the local reserve committee.
7.27 A
replacement swing set has been ordered and will be installed in the next few
months.
Ascot Reserve
7.28 Public
consultation on the new Ascot Reserve development in the Berryfields
Subdivision commenced in January. This reserve will include a small
playground. Comments from the public will be considered and the plans
amended as necessary.
Tasman Great Taste Trail – Realignment
7.29 Within
the Alliance Reserve near the Richmond Aquatic Centre there has been a trail
realignment to utilise an old cattle underpass at the Richmond Bypass.
This is required due to an upgrade of the sewer pipes and has resulted in an
improvement to the trail and better access for cyclists.
7.30 Planting
to beautify the area will commence in autumn.
Figure 1 and 2 New trail realignment
Murchison Pump Track
7.31 The
asphalt track was completed on Friday 9 February 2024 and earth moving /
banking formation completed this week. The contractor will be completed by 14
February 2024.
7.33 The
community is very excited by this project which has generated a lot of interest
in the community.
7.34 The
project is funded by a grant from the Better off Funding programme.
7.35 An
official opening is planned for April 2024.
Murchison Pump Track
