Council boss apologises after bollard blindside at Hakatere
By local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
Hakatere Huts residents have been blindsided by a decision that was hailed by Ashburton councillors as a compromise.
A working group focusing on issues at the Upper Hakatere reserve in Mid Canterbury was set up after locals protested the closure of the Upper Hakatere reserve to camping and the installation of bollards in February 2023.
Residents were shocked to discover the council recently made a decision on a recommendation they never agreed to.
Following questions from Local Democracy Reporting, Ashburton District Council chief executive Hamish Riach issued an apology, accepting a report to the council “contained a misstatement”.
“It stated that the working group had come to a recommended position on the bollards and camping ground at Upper Hakatere reserve and that I now know this isn’t true,” Riach said.
“The working group has thus far failed to reach a consensus point of view.
“Given council’s decision was based on the inaccurate report, we have decided to ask the working group to meet again and the outcome of that meeting will be relayed to councillors at a meeting in August.
“This will enable council to reconsider the current decision with full and accurate knowledge of the working group’s position.”
The council erected the bollards blocking vehicle access from the grassed area in February 2023.
Residents filed a petition earlier this year calling for the removal of the bollards and to restore the area as a campsite.
A working group - consisting of councillors Russell Ellis, Tony Todd, and Richard Wilson with Hakatere represented by Gary Clancy TJ Jonker, and Sheryl Hendriksen - met to find a solution and then held a site visit.
From those meetings, a recommendation to reposition the bollards to improve access to the picnic area but continue to prohibit camping was approved by the council last Wednesday.
The Hakatere trio that served on the working group were dumbfounded to learn the following day that a recommendation had even been tabled by the council.
Clancy said he was astounded to learn a decision had been made as the residents were under the impression the working group would meet again to finalise a proposal.
“We have been waiting for an invitation to another meeting so to learn of a decision is a bolt out of the blue.”
They had a verbal commitment they felt was “crystal clear” that there would be a follow-up meeting, but instead the process had been brought to a conclusion without their knowledge.
“It’s very disappointing and disgraceful the way the council had reneged on that commitment and gone ahead and decided without the courtesy of even letting us know a decision was being made”.
As far as the actual decision, the resolution was not what the majority of the residents were hoping for, he said.
The petition, signed by 94 residents, wanted the removal of the bollards and reinstatement of camping at the reserve.
“A reposition isn’t removal so we haven’t got anything we asked for.
“Vehicle access to the grass was the whole point.”
The resident's representatives on the working group were “never mandated to negotiate a compromise”, he said.
Following the decision on Wednesday, Ashburton mayor Neil Brown said the working group achieved its role of finding a solution, “which is always better than the alternative of no solution”.
Councillor Phill Hooper agreed it was “a fair compromise”.
Wilson said it was a difficult process but they knew they needed to come to a decision and he hoped the community could accept the resolution as “a good outcome”.
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Work to improve Lake Hood water quality ‘looking good’
By local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
The first project to improve water flow into a popular Canterbury recreational lake is “looking good so far”.
A new channel to divert water from the existing Ashburton River intake channel to the Lake Hood extension has been completed, as the council works towards improving water quality.
Lake Hood, a made-made lake south of Ashburton, has been plagued by algal blooms in recent years.
Ashburton Ditrsict Council infrastructure and open spaces group manager Neil McCann said a drone was sent up on Sunday and Monday to see how it was working.
“We had some water coming in from the river with some sediment in it so it was really useful to see how it was working.
“Initially, it looks like it’s doing slightly better than we expected.
“It is getting water down to the northwestern canals.
“So far it is looking good.”
The council is attempting to tackle the water quality issues after taking over the management of the lake earlier this year.
The council budgeted $250,000 for water quality improvements in the 2024-25 financial year and the new channel was the first project.
No extra water is being taken from the river.
It is water from the existing water-take consent being split between the new channel and the canal into the original lake at the northern-end beach.
The idea behind the secondary inlet is to help flush the canals on the western side of the lake, McCann said.
Now that it is up and running, it will be monitored to ensure the water is ending up where they want it, he said.
The new channel aims to improve water quality at Lake Hood, with the council committed to investing in long-term solutions, he said.
The council also wants to make improvements at the river intake and is continuing discussions with Environment Canterbury about river water.
The Lake Extension Trust Limited had previously managed the lake and surrounds for the council but since July 1.
Ashburton Contracting Limited has been managing the lake on a five-year contract.
A weed harvester was purchased for around $180,000 earlier this year and Ashburton Contracting Limited staff have been trained to drive it and are expected to start using it in October.
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