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By local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
Ashburton's council spent $1,118,973 on consultants in the past financial year.
But while councils can be accused of wasting money on consultants, the question should be around what an acceptable figure is when the work needs to be done, … View moreBy local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
Ashburton's council spent $1,118,973 on consultants in the past financial year.
But while councils can be accused of wasting money on consultants, the question should be around what an acceptable figure is when the work needs to be done, Ashburton's council chief executive says.
Ashburton District councillor Carolyn Cameron recently questioned how much the council was spending on consultants.
Chief executive Hamish Riach said people should think about the work as opposed to whether staff or consultants were the ones doing it.
"That’s just an input to get the job done.
“It’s just simply a way of getting the work done that council has approved.”
The council spent $1,118,973 on consultants in the 2022-23 financial year, down from the $1,124,084 in 2021-22.
The figures supplied by the council do not include multi-year projects.
The council also tendered a $3.67 million three-year three waters professional services contract that was awarded to Beca last year.
“We did that to try and speed up the delivery of projects,” Riach said.
“When we come to do a project, we know we are using Beca rather than having to tender the professional services [each time].”
Consultants are used throughout many areas of the council business, including engineering design and property services, to provide specific information for the council to make informed decisions.
But it is ultimately the council’s decision as to how any project proceeds, Riach said.
Consultants are used for a set fee and piece of work when the technical expertise sits outside the council’s workforce capability or capacity, Riach said.
“When there are the staff shortages that New Zealand is currently experiencing, or there are specialist skills needed that don’t sit within our staff group, or workload for staff means we cannot deliver outcomes without additional resources, consultants can help plug some of the gaps to ensure work is still delivered in a timely manner."
Tendered projects are made public, due to their higher dollar value or significance, as per the council’s procurement policy.
**Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
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By local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
A fatal crash that killed a father-of-two happened at a rural intersection that is set to be upgraded over safety concerns.
Vishwam Sankar, 36, was killed when his car collided with a truck at the intersection of Hackthorne and Maronan Valetta roads… View moreBy local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
A fatal crash that killed a father-of-two happened at a rural intersection that is set to be upgraded over safety concerns.
Vishwam Sankar, 36, was killed when his car collided with a truck at the intersection of Hackthorne and Maronan Valetta roads at 9.45am on July 17.
Sankar and his family had moved to New Zealand from the US last year and had celebrated the birth of their second child three weeks before the crash, the New Zealand Herald reported.
The crash has been referred to the coroner.
Ashburton District Council infrastructure and open spaces group manager Neil McCann said at the start of July, the intersection had been included as part of the 2023-24 annual work programme to have gated 'give way' signs (signs on both sides of the road) and 'give way ahead' warning signs installed.
“On review following the crash, this has been changed to replacing the 'give ways' with stop controls, gating the 'stop' signs and warning signs, and installing a directional sign with road name to provide extra information for drivers approaching from the south,” McCann said.
The intersection was included in the council’s review of 79 rural intersections in March, which was recommended by the coroner following a fatal crash at the intersection of Mitcham and Hepburns roads in 2019.
A budget for the proposed changes is being prepared for the 2024-27 long-term plan, McCann said.
“There was no priority order but seven intersections have already had minor sign changes completed.”
Councillor Rob Mackle was inspired to pursue a council seat after being first on the scene of that fatal crash in 2019, where he performed CPR on an 8-month-old baby who later died in hospital.
Following the latest fatal crash at a rural intersection, Mackle is demanding more action.
“There just seems to be the repairs or minor details changed just to cover council’s bums, as it looks to the public. We need to be doing a lot more.”
Roading manager Mark Chamberlain said the council has been working on having the appropriate warnings and signs at its rural intersections.
“We just have to spend the time and money upgrading the signage.
“Having bigger signs on rural roads, and the appropriate one as well. My preference is 'stops' rather than 'give ways' at rural intersections.”
The Hackthorne and Maronan Valetta intersections had only had two previous crashes reported, Chamberlain said - one injury and one non-injury in 2012 and 2014.
The council is currently reviewing future budgets for signage to fund the gradual replacement of many 'give way' signs with 'stop' signs at rural intersections.
The change to stop signs had support from councillor Phil Hooper.
A lot of rural intersections were high-speed intersections and “that’s when misjudging happens”, he said.
“A lot of it won’t matter what we do, there is still going to be human error,” Hooper said.
“If you are stopped you can make a better assessment.”
Mackle believed more can be done, and proposed placing rumble strips at rural intersections with main roads as an option.
There was no evidence to prove rumble strips were an effective method of improving driver behaviour, Chamberlain said.
They lost their effectiveness “quite quickly” as they were driven over.
“If they were effective, we would have them everywhere.”
Splitter islands, installing extra signs in the middle of the road, are also options the council is considering at some rural intersections but require widening the road to ensure larger vehicles can still turn safely.
A report updating the work that going into safety upgrades around the district's intersections was requested by Ashburton mayor Neil Brown.
*Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
By local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
The debris that caused the SH1 Ashburton/Hakatere River bridge to close will be cleared “in the next fortnight”, Waka Kotahi says.
Environment Canterbury has jurisdiction over river management, but as the debris is impacting the bridges it will … View moreBy local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
The debris that caused the SH1 Ashburton/Hakatere River bridge to close will be cleared “in the next fortnight”, Waka Kotahi says.
Environment Canterbury has jurisdiction over river management, but as the debris is impacting the bridges it will be Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency and KiwiRail’s job to remove it.
Waka Kotahi is responsible for debris up against, or within 50 metres of, a bridge or culvert, senior network manager for Mid and South Canterbury Scott McKenzie said.
The work is planned to occur in the next fortnight “when flows further reduce to allow easy access and safe crossing to get all of the debris off the piers and clear of the structure in one operation”.
“We will also be completing works around the KiwiRail bridge, taking a collaborative approach previously agreed from prior flood events."
It was suggested at a recent Ashburton District Council activity briefing meeting that Waka Kotahi would use a digger from the bridge to clear some debris as a trial for doing preventative clearing during a flood event, but McKenzie said the work will likely occur from the riverbed itself.
Using a digger on the bridge “can’t be ruled out, but wouldn’t typically be the first solution as it could damage the bridge deck and would potentially only have minimal effect when the river was in full flood”.
“Normally, it is easier, safer, and more efficient to monitor, intervening where required then addressing and removing and clearing debris once flood waters recede.”
ECan flood protection – recovery manager Shaun McCracken said an excavator had been working on the Hinds River railway bridge, and it would likely move onto the SH1 road bridge next.
ECan’s responsibility sits with the management of debris in the rest of the river, “which we’ve put huge resources into over the past two years”, McCracken said.
Meanwhile, Waka Kotahi regional relationships director James Caygill, and other key staff involved in Civil Defence emergency events will be asked about the bridge management and processes around its closure by the council at Wednesday’s meeting.
*Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
The St Nicholas, West Melton & New Brighton Scout Groups are fundraising to take a group of scouts to the 2023-2024 Jamboree in Mystery Creek, Hamilton, NZ.
The cost of Jamboree is upwards of $2,400 per youth which is a significant barrier to participation for our youth.
This quiz night … View moreThe St Nicholas, West Melton & New Brighton Scout Groups are fundraising to take a group of scouts to the 2023-2024 Jamboree in Mystery Creek, Hamilton, NZ.
The cost of Jamboree is upwards of $2,400 per youth which is a significant barrier to participation for our youth.
This quiz night will not only be a fun evening, but will also help us send our youth on an experience they won’t soon forget!
Book now on : events.humanitix.com...
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We're on the lookout for the most beautiful spots in New Zealand, and would love to hear your favourites.
While it will be impossible to include all of them in one article, we'd appreciate your help in narrowing it down. What do you think are most beautiful places in … View moreHi there,
We're on the lookout for the most beautiful spots in New Zealand, and would love to hear your favourites.
While it will be impossible to include all of them in one article, we'd appreciate your help in narrowing it down. What do you think are most beautiful places in NZ's regions? Do you have a favourite spot in the Waikato, Taranaki, Canterbury, Southland or elsewhere?
Feel free to comment below, send me a message or email me at lorna.thornber@stuff.co.nz. Please include 'NFP' in your comment if you do not want it or your name included in an article. Thanks in advance for taking the time to share.
With online being the main mode of communication these days, it's no wonder that there has been a worldwide mail decline and here in Aotearoa, NZ Post has needed to lay off 750 full-time staff. Do you think it's time to say goodbye to the trusty letterbox?
Methven residents are hoping their latest boil water notice will be their last.
The community’s frustration with boil water notices is almost at an end, with the town’s new membrane treatment plant set to go online in September.
That comes as some comfort to businesses who have become … View moreMethven residents are hoping their latest boil water notice will be their last.
The community’s frustration with boil water notices is almost at an end, with the town’s new membrane treatment plant set to go online in September.
That comes as some comfort to businesses who have become used to dealing with boil water notices, with the latest occurring on July 23 - in the middle of a busy ski season. It was lifted on Monday afternoon.
Brinkley Village general manager Paul Creswick said the town would be happy when it’s over.
“It’s an extreme inconvenience. We just got used to it and it was something we have had to do which was disappointing.
“Hopefully it will all be in the rear vision mirror shortly and it will be great not to have to deal with it."
Dubliner co-owner Gary Manning said it wasn’t ideal.
“Some guests from outside the region were a bit shocked watching us wheelbarrow water in.
“A lot of people are quite vexed believing the money has been spent, so didn’t expect another one [boil water notice] but [the plant’s] not finished yet, it will be soon so hopefully that was the last time.”
Commissioning work on the new plant starts next week, council infrastructure and open spaces group manager Neil McCann said.
The commissioning process involves training staff who will work at the plant, testing all the electrical components (known as dry testing) and testing all the water pipes and connections (wet testing), McCann said.
“Depending on the result of the dry and wet testing, the plant will undergo full operation testing at the end of August, and then start trial operations.”
Heavy rain impacts the water supply’s shallow gallery intake from the North Ashburton River, which causes the water to become too cloudy (turbid) to be treated.
The boil water notices were issued because the council couldn’t be certain the turbid water was being effectively treated, McCann said.
“The new membrane plant will be able to filter the turbid water that so often occurs after a big rain event and will remove 99.9% of micro-sized contaminants.
“The water will then be disinfected with UV light and chlorine, and fluoride added before being stored in the reservoirs and distributed via the town’s drinking water supply pipe network.
“We are as happy as the people on those schemes that the end of boil water notices is in sight.”
While Methven’s $10m water treatment plant upgrade is almost complete, the Ashburton District Council has started a $4.6m membrane treatment plant for the Mt Somers water supply, which is expected to take eight months to complete.
* Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
Heart attack is a leading cause of death in New Zealand.
Learn to recognise the warning signs and symptoms of a heart attack, so you know what to do if you see or experience them. Don’t try to walk it off, wash it off or push through it. Make the right call, it may save your life.
From local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
A group of community leaders are encouraging people to have their say on the vision for the future of Mid Canterbury.
One of those leaders is Phil Everest who said the community-led Community Vision Workshop initiative is aiming to present a … View moreFrom local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
A group of community leaders are encouraging people to have their say on the vision for the future of Mid Canterbury.
One of those leaders is Phil Everest who said the community-led Community Vision Workshop initiative is aiming to present a collective submission to Environment Canterbury.
Environment Canterbury has started an extended engagement process that will help shape the region’s future, revising plans which outline the rules for the use of land and water.
It is imperative that the community provides feedback to provide the governing body's direction, rather than sitting back and being dictated to, he said.
“We are taking the initiative and a positive approach of hosting several community meetings to collect feedback, collate it and submit it to ECan saying this is what our community would like.
“We are seeking a true community voice, from right across the spectrum, from urban and rural and all sectors, to present a vision for what we want it to look like in 50 years.
“It impacts everyone in this community, like how towns will dispose of wastewater, septic tanks or collect potable water and rurally around irrigation and land use consents."
ECan chairperson Peter Scott said information collected from the community is critical.
"As the regional regulator, we have a number of plans that need to be written, or updated, to reflect the directions set by government, meet the expectations of mana whenua and the wider community, and to respond to the impacts and challenges of climate change.”
That includes the Regional Policy Statement, which sets the direction for all other district and regional plans, he said.
Engagement with local government consultations has been declining in recent times, but the community-led initiative in Mid Canterbury is being well supported, he said.
ECan held a drop-in session in Ashburton on Tuesday, but more people attended a workshop in Ruapuna on Wednesday, Everest said.
They had hoped to have wrapped up the meetings by now but the level of interest means they have more next week, and could end up having held about 40 of them.
The plan is to create a collective submission and Everest said they are also encouraging people to submit directly to ECan by the end of August.
*Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
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Disc golf got the go ahead in the Tinwald Domain, but there is a conundrum in Chertsey that needs solving.
There are currently no public playground facilities in Chertsey, and the Ashburton District Council is at odds over how to rectify the situation.
Chertsey School is planning a new … View moreDisc golf got the go ahead in the Tinwald Domain, but there is a conundrum in Chertsey that needs solving.
There are currently no public playground facilities in Chertsey, and the Ashburton District Council is at odds over how to rectify the situation.
Chertsey School is planning a new playground and applied for a $75,000 grant from the council.
That request was declined this week “on the grounds we would be investing in an asset that isn’t on council property”, which has always been the council’s stance, democracy and engagement group manager Toni Durham said.
Chertsey principal Claire Maria was disappointed by the council decision but already had positive news about their playground.
They scaled back the designs, and thanks to $120,000 in grants will be able to start on stage one of the playground development later this year, she said.
The school's playground will be available for public use, Maria said, but that didn’t solve the council’s issue of not providing for the community.
It’s a tricky situation, mayor Neil Brown said.
“[The school playground] is on Ministry of Education land so we are hamstrung there, but I do understand there is no playground in Chertsey.
“You could put it on the reserve, putting it there would have absolutely no value because it’s on the wrong side of the road.
“I wouldn’t like to see another playground built by council on the right side of the road because that would be a double up.
“We have a conundrum here and it is not easily solved."
In declining the school’s request, the council asked for a report into the feasibility of establishing a public playground ahead of the long-term plan.
Meanwhile, the council approved a Tinwald Reserve Board request for a $15,000 grant from reserve contributions to go towards establishing a disc golf course in the Tinwald Domain.
“We are trying to get this domain used more and I think it’s a good start for it,” councillor Lynette Lovett said.
The project has an estimated overall cost of $25,000.
The only concern around the request was around the process through which the Tinwald request came to council.
It was a flawed system that had the request come to council rather than going through “the normal process of reserve boards” councillor Richard Wilson said, with councillor Carolyn Cameron agreeing it was bizarre that given the project had been on the reserve board’s radar for some time, it missed the grants application deadline.
*Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
Excited to announce tickets are now on sale and can be purchased through www.humanitix.co.nz....
This is going to be a great night - get in early, pay a little extra to get the best seats next to the stage/runway.
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