Kaiapoi RSA ‘pragmatic’ over halt to memorial walkway upgrades
From local democracy reporter Adam Burns:
A disappointed Returned Services Association (RSA) president in North Canterbury is accepting a decision to put off upgrades to Kaiapoi's Riverbank Walkway and Memorial Reserve, for at least another two years.
It comes after recommended changes to the design inflated the project out to $271,000 — more than double what was originally budgeted.
The Waimakariri District Council has now agreed to defer the project until the 2023-24 financial year, so the upgrades could be funded appropriately within the council's long term plan.
Development of the walkway through the reserve was approved at the Kaiapoi-Tuahiwi Community Board meeting in November, due to its poor condition.
Major design changes include an extension of the reserve into a street adjacent to the site, reduced kerb heights, new terraces and lighting treatments.
Kaiapoi RSA president Neill Price has been involved in discussions with community leaders as project plans advanced and said he understood council's position.
"We're disappointed but we fully understand the situation and appreciate what the council have done for us over the years," he said.
"We're not expecting any big changes on the reserve this year."
He said the RSA was pragmatic and conscious of the need to "keep rates down".
"We have to accept what the situation is."
Price hoped some features could be completed sooner, including the install of an additional flagpole at the eastern end of the reserve.
The matter was hotly debated at the last council meeting after councillor Kirstyn Barnett criticised how the plans had transpired, amid tough economic times.
"When do we say enough is enough ... we've poured millions of dollars in to the Kaiapoi area.
"I'm really concerned about us adding costs by deferring projects, doubling the scope and doubling the budget.
"The intention is great but the process is wrong."
Deputy mayor Neville Atkinson fiercely refuted these sentiments and defended the economic contributions into the town.
"It's had millions of dollars spent on it because there was a little thing called an earthquake.
"This council decided to rebuild it back better of which it has done.
"It hasn't got anything excessively over-the-top outside of that."
Council greenspace manager Grant MacLeod said cost increases due to inflation was a possible factor.
Local democracy reporting: Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
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Waimakariri district plan faces more delays amid changing rules
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
Changing Government legislation is causing headaches for council staff, as Waimakariri’s new District Plan is set to be delayed again.
Waimakariri District Council development planning manager Matt Bacon said he was relieved when the last of the public hearings ended last week.
But with final council reports due on December 13, staff will have just two working days to present the final District Plan on December 17. A district plan helps to control and manage the development of the district or city.
‘‘We are working through what it looks like and we will update the council at its meeting on December 3,’’ Bacon said.
‘‘But we will likely seek another extension from the environment minister and the Resource Management Act (RMA) minister.’’
The council first notified its draft District Plan in September 2021, but within months legislation was introduced with new medium density residential housing standards (MDRS).
‘‘We needed to call for further submissions and we had to create a separate hearing panel to consider the plan variations to allow for the MDRS,’’ Bacon said.
‘‘We have tried to merge the process as much as possible, as well as looking at re-zoning and incorporating other new legislation.’’
When the draft plan was first notified there was no National Policy Statement (NPS) for Indigenous Biodiversity, but an NPS was introduced - and then replaced.
The Natural and Built Environment Act came into being last year and then repealed, and then there is the NPS on Urban Development and the Greater Christchurch Spatial Plan.
The Government is now working on more RMA reforms and Environment Canterbury is working on the Canterbury Regional Policy Statement.
And then there is the Fast-Track Approvals Bill, which includes three proposed housing developments in Waimakariri - two of them outside of the future urban development areas identified in the Greater Christchurch Spatial Plan.
All three housing developments in the Bill have been included in submissions to the District Plan, including a proposed 850-home development at Ohoka, near Rangiora, which is also subject to an Environment Court appeal.
‘‘We haven’t seen the detail, so whether it is the same proposals, we don’t know, but they are different processes so we have to just keep doing what we are doing, until we are told otherwise,’’ Bacon said.
‘‘It might just be a timing thing, but we just don’t know.’’
Bacon said delaying the District Plan until new legislation is in place is not an option.
‘‘We are looking at what we can control and having a watching brief, and we will look at transitional timings because we don’t always have to immediately change planning documents when new legislation comes in.’’
Planning manager Wendy Harris said navigating changing Government legislation is a normal part of council planning work.
‘‘If we waited we wouldn’t do anything and we would go nowhere.’’
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
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