Latest news with #AshburtonDistrictCouncil
Scoop
5 days ago
- Health
- Scoop
Resident Has To Travel To Cemetery For Safe Drinking Water
Lal Mulligan wants water she can drink from her tap. At the moment she travels from her home on Keenans Road in north-east Ashburton to the cemetery with plastic containers to source water from the treated town supply. Mulligan, who is concerned around high nitrates and E coli in her private bore supply, has been calling on the Ashburton District Council to extend drinking and wastewater pipes to the north-east - home to about 100 households - for years. Mulligan accused the council of turning their backs on the North-East community, asking "where's our water" when she presented her submission on the 2024-34 long-term plan submission. Now the council has come knocking. Council infrastructure and open spaces group manager Neil McCann said the detailed design for a drinking water network in the whole of the northeast area had been done. Extensions will be carried out in increments, and only if there is landowner support, he said. The council would start with consulting the landowners in the Keenans Road-Company Road-Seafield Road block on connecting to the town supply. The letter to residents showed the cost to get the water piped to the property boundary is $12,518 - it is then up to each property to pay to connect from the boundary to their house. It is a price Mulligan is willing to pay, and she hopes it gets enough support to convince the council to proceed with the extension. Her only criticism was the council's consultation letter fails to explain the reason for the extension which is to "give residents safe potable water". "The water quality is so bad that we need to connect." The north-east of Ashburton has historic water quality issues, being high in nitrates and E coli, Mulligan said. "It's been contaminated from a long way back." Her water is tested monthly, paid for by AMP, and the results "are appalling", she said. The nitrate levels fluctuate from around 8 to 10.8mg/L and have been as high as 15mg/L - the maximum acceptable value for nitrate in drinking water is 11.3mg/L. E coli is a constant presence as well, she said. "You can boil the water to get rid of E coli but then you concentrate the nitrates. "Five years ago, I put in a deeper bore thinking my water would improve - nope. "I don't drink it ever." Up the road from Mulligan is probably one of the biggest landholders in the area - the Celtic Rugby Club. President Pete Gowans said the club had received the council letter offering the opportunity to connect to the town supply. "We'd be silly not to," he said. "We have systems in place for drinking water, so we don't have any issues." He said the club had a filtration system on the pump from its private bore supply, while most visiting teams brought their own filled water bottles. If the club has to stump up the cash to connect to the town supply it would be worth it, he said. "It will be to the benefit of everyone out there. "The area is growing with a lot of lifestyle blocks all subdivided up so there are a lot more people out here than there were 15 years ago." The council consulted on a reticulated water scheme for the North East area in late 2000, with the cost of the scheme estimated at that time at $1.7 million. The was insufficient support, around 12 percent, to justify proceeding with the project. As part of that consultation, the council had also asked about investigating a reticulated wastewater service. It faired better with 28 percent support, but still too low to justify progressing. In 2022/23, the council budgeted for an investigation into extending wastewater service to Residential D zoned land around Ashburton and to carry out detailed design for water supply in the north east. That work has been completed up to the design phase. Now the first tranche of north east landowners have the opportunity to convince the council to proceed with the extension. If the extension goes ahead and a property owner does not wish to connect, those properties may still incur a water supply charge through their rates (set at $409 in 2025/26). After paying the estimated $12,518 to connect, and the additional cost of connecting it from the boundary, the properties will receive the targeted water rate for a connected property ($817 in 2025/26). McCann said the council was also looking into a wastewater servicing project for the north-east area but "is only in its initial concept stage and council has made no commitment at this point to providing the service". At the council's Three Waters Services Committee meeting last month, the two projects were discussed and assets manager Andy Guthrie said the wastewater extension would "certainly open up opportunity for development that doesn't currently exist". McCann said ECan's position on new discharge consents in the area has "likely stalled some development".
Scoop
22-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Ratepayers On Hook As Ashburton Annual Plan Agreed
Ashburton District ratepayers will receive an average rate rise of 7.3% on July 1. The 2025/26 Annual Plan was adopted by the Ashburton District Council on Wednesday [MAY 21] with a lower rate increase than the 10.1% signalled in the long-term plan. Ashburton Mayor Neil Brown was happy with where the council had landed after a thorough process. 'We cut some things out. We've changed a few things around, but it's still above inflation." He said the external pressure on the budgets came from increases in insurance and electricity costs. Councillor Tony Todd said the increase was lower than projected, 'but still probably higher than most people would like'. 'We have been through the budget line by line, and I think we have come up with a reasonable result'. The 7.3% average rate increase will vary for individual properties across the district, depending on their location, capital value and services they receive. Councillor Richard Wilson pointed out the rural rates were 'going up substantially'. 'Rural people can have the comfort that we are investing heavily in roading. 'There will be some push back on the rate increase but they are getting something for it, its not just being lost in the greater council budget.' The council plans to spend $70.2m on operations, delivering and running services and $36.3m of capital expenditure, with the projected debt at the end of 2025/26 of $166m. Chief executive Hamish Riach reminded councillors that in adopting the annual plan, 'all the work in it is approved'. 'We don't intend to come back to you and seek further approval on projects.' The main changes from year two of the long-term plan include the removal of the planned upgrade to Robilliard Park (saving $251,500), a 5% increase to the drinking water rate (from $706.10 in 2024/25 to $741.50 in 2025/26), and using the Reserve Contributions Reserve to fund open spaces projects rather than loan funding. The transport budget was adjusted to match the reduced NZ Transport Waka Kotahi funding, with the council retaining its $2.2m in the unsubsidised work budget. In total, there is $18.7m to maintain and upgrade the roading and footpath network. Separate from that is the council's $4.9m contribution to the initial second bridge costs, with the full cost unknown until the tender process is completed later this year. The plan includes $7.55 million for water main renewals, $3.6m for sewer main renewals and relinings. In advance of green waste to be added to kerbside collection in 2026/27, the council plans to build a $564,000 consolidation bunker to temporarily store the collected waste before processing. There is $1.2m in community grants, with $428,000 in contestable grants and $783,000 in non-contestable grants given directly to agencies like the Ashburton Trust Events Centre and Safer Mid Canterbury. The plan includes $856,000 to develop a gravel car park on the former Polytech site, which includes the demolition of the buildings. A reconfiguration of the Ashburton Domain playground will begin, with $338,000 of the work budgeted. A business case will be developed for a district learning hub with a budget of $50,000. Council fees and charges increase by 2.5%, except for food licence fees, which increase by 12% and animal control fees by 7%. Refuse and recycling fees, where the material is destined for Kate Valley, have been increased by 9.25% to align with the cost to the council. Mayor Brown's abandoned road cone fee - $10 per cone, with the 'details to come later'- has also been added.
Scoop
19-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
‘Overwhelming Support' For Ashburton's Standalone Water Plan
Article – Jonathan Leask – Local Democracy Reporter The community response is clear that a standalone business unit should be the model for the future delivery of the Ashburton Districts three water services. Ashburton's community is backing a standalone business unit for the future delivery of the district's water services, according to submissions. The Ashburton District Council is poised to adopt the in-house, ring-fenced delivery model for its Water Services Delivery Plan on Wednesday, which will be lodged with the Department of Internal Affairs by September 3. Although the standalone business unit was deemed the cheaper option, the cost of water services is expected to rise due to tougher water regulations, a councillor warned. At last week's submission hearing and deliberations, councillors covered the 234 submissions, which showed 88% support for the council's proposed delivery model. Deputy mayor Liz McMillan said the key message from the community was 'local control and wanting the council to continue the good work that we have been doing'. Around 9% of submitters favoured the alternative option of establishing a water services council-controlled organisation (WSCCO), while the remaining 3% suggested another option or didn't specify a preference. Councillor Russel Ellis said the heavy weighting towards the proposed option was 'probably one of the clearest lots of public submissions I've seen in my time here'. One of the supporters was former district councillor Stuart Wilson, who was the lone submitter presenting in person at the hearing last week. 'It was important to show support for the option the council decided was the best for our district. 'Sometimes, through thinking the obvious choice will be accepted by rate payers can mean that the opposing view can activate themselves out of proportion to public opinion. 'The overwhelming support for the standalone business unit is an emphatic endorsement of your option that the council favoured.' He also advised the council that he backs the introduction of water meters to all properties connected to council supplies. 'Not only to monitor usage but to charge according to usage.' There has been a suggestion that it will become a legislative requirement in the future, 'so the sooner this is implemented in this district, it will be advantaged to comply with legislation and to ensure water is used responsibly'. In the deliberations, McMillan noted that the council's position is to use water meters only or leak detection. '[There's] no plan for charging for water, but we could be directed otherwise going forward.' Ellis wanted it to be clear that while a standalone business unit was deemed the cheaper option, the services wouldn't be cheaper. 'With the regulations that are changing, there will be increased costs.' The council's standalone business unit will need to meet stricter requirements, including regular reporting to the Commerce Commission, which will ensure that water service charges are fair and sustainable, and ongoing renewals and maintenance are appropriate.
Scoop
19-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
‘Overwhelming Support' For Ashburton's Standalone Water Plan
Ashburton's community is backing a standalone business unit for the future delivery of the district's water services, according to submissions. The Ashburton District Council is poised to adopt the in-house, ring-fenced delivery model for its Water Services Delivery Plan on Wednesday, which will be lodged with the Department of Internal Affairs by September 3. Although the standalone business unit was deemed the cheaper option, the cost of water services is expected to rise due to tougher water regulations, a councillor warned. At last week's submission hearing and deliberations, councillors covered the 234 submissions, which showed 88% support for the council's proposed delivery model. Deputy mayor Liz McMillan said the key message from the community was 'local control and wanting the council to continue the good work that we have been doing'. Around 9% of submitters favoured the alternative option of establishing a water services council-controlled organisation (WSCCO), while the remaining 3% suggested another option or didn't specify a preference. Councillor Russel Ellis said the heavy weighting towards the proposed option was 'probably one of the clearest lots of public submissions I've seen in my time here'. One of the supporters was former district councillor Stuart Wilson, who was the lone submitter presenting in person at the hearing last week. 'It was important to show support for the option the council decided was the best for our district. 'Sometimes, through thinking the obvious choice will be accepted by rate payers can mean that the opposing view can activate themselves out of proportion to public opinion. 'The overwhelming support for the standalone business unit is an emphatic endorsement of your option that the council favoured.' He also advised the council that he backs the introduction of water meters to all properties connected to council supplies. 'Not only to monitor usage but to charge according to usage.' There has been a suggestion that it will become a legislative requirement in the future, 'so the sooner this is implemented in this district, it will be advantaged to comply with legislation and to ensure water is used responsibly'. In the deliberations, McMillan noted that the council's position is to use water meters only or leak detection. '[There's] no plan for charging for water, but we could be directed otherwise going forward.' Ellis wanted it to be clear that while a standalone business unit was deemed the cheaper option, the services wouldn't be cheaper. 'With the regulations that are changing, there will be increased costs.' The council's standalone business unit will need to meet stricter requirements, including regular reporting to the Commerce Commission, which will ensure that water service charges are fair and sustainable, and ongoing renewals and maintenance are appropriate.
Scoop
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Ashburton Council Pushes For Four-Year Terms
Article – Jonathan Leask – Local Democracy Reporter The Ashburton District Council supports a shift to four-year terms – if it is for both local and central government. One Ashburton councillor believes a shift to four-year terms would 'work better for the ratepayer'. The Ashburton District Council supports a shift to four-year terms if it is for both local and central government. The only issue is that draft legislation enabling a four-year term is for Parliament only – not councils. If passed, it would extend the maximum term of Parliament from three to four years if certain conditions are met. Ashburton Mayor Neil Brown said that if one changes, they both need to change. That was the tone of the council's submission, emphasising the importance of the parliamentary term being a fixed four-year period that is matched by local government. First-term councillor Richard Wilson said he learnt it takes 'six months to get council started' after an election and now supports a move to a four-year term. 'You actually lose a lot of time getting ready and slowing down [for elections]. 'If we get another year in the middle, that would make council business a bit more streamlined and work better for the ratepayer.' Council chief executive Hamish Riach said that if central government moved to four-year terms and local government remained at three, the elections would occur at the same time every 12 years. He said the local election would be 'swamped by the coverage of the national elections'. 'We don't think that is good for local democracy'. If both central and local government moved to four-year terms, there would be separate elections two years apart. The councillors approved the submission on April 16, a day before submissions on the draft legislation closed. Ashburton's stance is in line with what Local Government NZ (LGNZ) has been advocating for. LGNZ president Sam Broughton believed there was a strong case for alignment of council and parliamentary terms. 'A four-year term will support the country to be more efficient with infrastructure planning and delivery, basically doubling the number of effective governance years between elections.' There is also support outside of local governance with Infrastructure New Zealand chief executive Nick Leggett backing a four-year parliamentary term, 'but it must be accompanied by the same shift for local government'. 'This is critical if we want alignment between the two tiers of government, and for them to operate and collaborate effectively.' Leggett said the draft four-year term bill overcomplicates the debate by introducing conditions that allow governments to choose between three- and four-year terms depending on how select committee membership is allocated. 'What's needed is clarity. 'We should ask New Zealanders one simple question at the referendum – do they support moving both central and local government to four-year terms? 'That approach gives each level of government the focus it needs, reduces administrative strain, and ensures important local issues are not drowned out by national campaigns.'
