Latest news with #SouthWairarapaDistrictCouncil
Scoop
03-06-2025
- Business
- Scoop
South Wairarapa Plans To Spend Almost $30m On Water Infrastructure
South Wairarapa District Council is set to spend almost $30 million on capital water infrastructure projects in the next two years, with all to be delivered in-house until a new water services entity is established. Significant projects on the horizon for the council included upgrades to wastewater treatment plants in Greytown, Martinborough, and Featherston, pipe renewals, and capacity upgrades to enable growth. The council's Management Services Agreement with Wellington Water Limited was set to expire on June 30 but the council has voted to keep operational expenditure with the water management entity for another year and do its capital expenditure programme in-house. This vote was done in public exclusion and the report has recently been released. The report said the council would need to build a team to deliver South Wairarapa's full capital expenditure programme for at least the next two years, however, the proposed Wairarapa-Tararua entity could start as early as July 1, 2026. Over the first two years of the council's 2025-34 Long-Term Plan, its capital investment programme totalled $10.85m and $18.31m respectively, the report said. 'The expected benefits of us managing capital expenditure in-house are anticipated to be more cost control, cost efficiency, on-time delivery, local contractor delivery, and optimisation of the programme leading into the new entity in which our forward investment programme will be a factor for negotiations,' the report to council said. 'The risks are that there might be some delay while we source resourcing, and this may impact on relationships with the community and the regulator, but this should be able to be managed with proactive and comprehensive communications.' The report said the relationship between the council and Wellington Water had been 'fraught' and councillors had voted in public-exclusion in December to exit the relationship with Wellington Water on June 30, 2025. Councillors had instructed staff to explore options for interim arrangements, citing dissatisfaction with Wellington Water's performance. The report said the Local Water Done Well process had provided 'additional impetus to consider an early exit from Wellington Water by SWDC'. 'Earlier exit carries the potential for upside in terms of both improved levels of service in the short to medium term, and for being better prepared for the transition into the new entity, if well executed,' the report said. 'There are also risks to an earlier exit including being able to procure sufficient resources to replace Wellington Water and the distraction from the Local Water Done Well transition work that managing an early transition could cause.' In January, council chief executive Janice Smith and Deputy Mayor and Wellington Water Committee representative Melissa Sadler-Futter met with Wellington Water Board chair Nick Leggett and chief executive Pat Dougherty and gave them informal notice that the council intended to exit the relationship on June 30 but that this could be extended 'depending on practicality'. The report said council staff then requested information to assist with this transition but Wellington Water staff had been 'disappointingly' slow to respond, 'in part because our requests distract Wellington Water resources from other matters such as planning for the new Wellington Regional entity'. Initially, council staff were asked to look at a full-service external provider option taking both operational and capital expenditure away from Wellington Water but councillors voted at the end of April to take back capital projects only. At a Wellington Water Committee meeting on Friday, Dougherty said Wellington Water was working to transfer all capital projects back to the council by July 1 and was 'starting to get systems in place to look at how we transfer responsibilities for operations and maintenance by July 1, 2026'.
NZ Herald
20-05-2025
- General
- NZ Herald
Council's wastewater plan for Pain Farm faces backlash in Martinborough
The planner who spoke on behalf of the council argued that because the council 'owned' the land and had a resource consent, consideration of alternative sites, routes or methods was not considered necessary. But submitter Alison Clements said the council's resource consent, granted by the Greater Wellington Regional Council in 2016, was 'not worth the paper it's written on'. 'South Wairarapa District Council does not 'own' Pain Farm, and it has no right to use the land as though it were a council asset to be used for council purposes. 'It holds the Pain Farm land but it does not own it. It is the trustee.' The Pain Farm was bequeathed to the former Martinborough Borough Council by George Pain in 1932 to be used as 'a sports ground for the residents of Martinborough and as a playground for the children'. A 1966 court order meant income generated from the land could be used to fund park, sport and recreation activities in Martinborough. It is currently operating as a farm and is the site of the Martinborough Transfer Station. Clements said the council had a legal duty to operate the trust 'strictly in accordance with the trust terms; and for the sole benefit of the trust's beneficiaries'. 'A trustee must not use trust assets for self-use. That would be a conflict of interest, as well as a violation of the terms of the trust and of the law.' She said George Pain's desire for the land to be a sportsground and a playground for children 'could not be further away from the council's proposal to use the land as a place to distribute wastewater'. She asked the independent commissioner, David McMahon, to reject the proposed designation. McMahon said it was not within his jurisdiction to rule on trust matters but asked the council to come back with clarity on whether it had 'an interest in the land sufficient for undertaking the work' as per the Resource Management Act. He suggested the council 'volunteer' some conditions of the designation and further justify why a designation was needed to 'authorise works over and above what is already authorised by the regional council consent'. Any ability to implement a consent would depend on land ownership matters being resolved, he said. Submitter Jenny Boyne, who spoke on behalf of her mum, Beverley Clark, said the Pain Farm was the 'golden goose for the children of Martinborough'. If the land was to become 'a disposal field for the town's waste, the income from the land would be slashed as the land will not be sought after for cropping or finishing livestock for export'. She said an alternative solution to using the Pain Farm land was that the council could call for expressions of interest from other landowners 'if they would like to use the treated wastewater to irrigate their gardens or green spaces', or to pipe the treated wastewater to irrigate the Martinborough Golf Club. 'My mum lives directly across the road from Pain Farm and has lived there for 26 years and in the Martinborough Ward for 66 years and is prepared to make a stand and say, 'not in my backyard'.' Decisions on designations would be made at a later date.
Scoop
20-05-2025
- General
- Scoop
From ‘Golden Goose' To Wastewater Site: Farm Plan Sparks Debate
South Wairarapa District Council has been accused of breaching its duties as a trustee of Pain Farm. At a Wairarapa Combined District Plan hearing on Monday, submitters pushed back on the council's request to designate the gifted farmland for the operation, maintenance, and improvement of a wastewater disposal facility. One submitter described the farm as a "golden goose for children" of Martinborough, and did not want the council to use it as a dumping site for the town's treated wastewater. By law, for a designation to be granted, the council should give adequate consideration to alternative sites, routes, or methods of undertaking the work 'if the requiring authority does not have an interest in the land sufficient for undertaking the work'. The planner who spoke on behalf of the council argued that because the council 'owned' the land and had a resource consent, consideration of alternative sites, routes, or methods was not considered necessary. But submitter Alison Clements said the council's resource consent, granted by the Greater Wellington Regional Council in 2016, was 'not worth the paper it's written on'. 'South Wairarapa District Council does not 'own' Pain Farm, and it has no right to use the land as though it were a council asset to be used for council purposes. 'It holds the Pain Farm land but it does not own it. It is the trustee." Pain Farm was bequeathed to the former Martinborough Borough Council by George Pain in 1932 to be used as 'a sports ground for the residents of Martinborough and as a playground for the children'. A 1966 court order meant income generated from the land could be used to fund park, sport, and recreation activities in Martinborough. It is currently operating as a farm and is the site of the Martinborough Transfer Station. Clements said the council had a legal duty to operate the trust 'strictly in accordance with the trust terms; and for the sole benefit of the trust's beneficiaries'. 'A trustee must not use trust assets for self-use. That would be a conflict of interest, as well as a violation of the terms of the trust, and of the law.' She said George Pain's desire for the land to be a sports ground, and a playground for the children, 'could not be further away from the council's proposal to use the land as a place to distribute waste water'. She asked the independent Commissioner David McMahon to reject the proposed designation. McMahon said it was not within his jurisdiction to rule on trust matters but asked the council to come back with clarity on whether it had 'an interest in the land sufficient for undertaking the work' as per the Resource Management Act. He suggested the council 'volunteer' some conditions of the designation and further justify why a designation was needed to 'authorise works over and above what is already authorised by the regional council consent'. Any ability to implement a consent would depend on land ownership matters being resolved, he said. Submitter Jenny Boyne, who spoke on behalf of her mum Beverley Clark, said Pain Farm was the 'golden goose for the children of Martinborough'. If the land was to become 'a disposal field for the town's waste, the income from the land would be slashed as the land will not be sought after for cropping or finishing livestock for export". She said an alternative solution to using the Pain Farm land was that the council could call for expressions of interest from other landowners 'if they would like to use the treated wastewater to irrigate their gardens or green spaces', or to pipe the treated wastewater to irrigate the Martinborough Golf Club. 'My mum lives directly across the road from Pain Farm and has lived there for 26 years and in the Martinborough Ward for 66 years, and is prepared to make a stand and say, 'not in my backyard'." Decisions on designations would be made at a later date.
Scoop
17-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
South Wairarapa Locks In Key Decisions, 4.7% Rates Rise Likely
South Wairarapa District Council has locked in its Long-Term Plan options after deliberating on submissions, resulting in a preliminary total rates increase of 4.7% for the coming financial year. The council would adopt the final Long-Term Plan and budget on June 25. Deputy mayor Melissa Sadler-Futter said elected members and council staff had worked hard to limit the overall rates increase. She thanked the community for their input into submissions and hearings. During the council's Long-Term Plan consultation between March 7 and April 6, 218 full submissions and 600 signed letters with the same template were received, addressing six questions across three decision areas. At a Strategy Working Committee meeting on Wednesday, councillors agreed to maintain the proportion of uniform charge rates at 21%, instead of increasing to 28% as proposed in the consultation. Because the uniform charge is based on capital value, keeping it at 21% meant rates would be cheaper for a larger number of South Wairarapa properties but would continue to disproportionately affect properties with a higher capital value. The community feedback on this decision was described by council staff as 'even' with 92 'full submissions' in favour of 21% and 92 in favour of 28%, however the 600 signed letters were in favour of 28% and suggested the council should lift it to 30%. Councillors also agreed to maintain the current funding model for services and facilities based in the three main towns instead of introducing a district services rate as proposed in the consultation. A new and improved definition of Separately Used or Inhabitable Parts (SUIP) was agreed upon, which made it clear which dwellings would be excluded from extra charges. The refuse and recycling charge was also changed back to per rating unit instead of per SUIP. The next big decision was locking in the council's water operations budget at $6.05 million for the 2025-26 year. It was the cheapest option on the table and was supported by a majority of councillors. However councillor Rebecca Gray said it was not a responsible position for the council to take and wished the council would set the budget at $6.55m budget. Councillors Alistair Plimmer and Martin Bosley agreed with Gray. Regarding roading investment, the council locked in funding for the full Low Cost Low Risk roading improvements programme with an increased capital budget. Sadler-Futter said councillors had been 'very mindful of the impact of our decisions on ratepayers' pockets'. 'In the current economic climate, a rates increase of any size is something to carefully consider. We are all here for right reasons and our community is at the heart of those decisions we make.' The council decided not to fund a number of Memorandum of Understandings that were requested during the consultation, with many around the table concerned about making longer term commitments ahead of a new triennium. Instead, it was agreed to increase the annual community and youth grant budget from $120,000 to $200,000 for the 2025-26 year. 'We have a small amount of funding available to share across our district and in this environment, everyone should get a chance to apply for a contestable fund instead of committing to MOUs,' Sadler-Futter said. 'We are trying to balance keeping rate increases low and supporting the incredible work that our community delivers.' Requests from each of the community boards were giventhe green light, including the Martinborough Community Board's request to fence the small children's area at the Waihinga playground with funding from the Waihinga Reserve up to the balance of the reserve. This would not have an impact on rates. The council had also agreed to the Featherston Community Board's request to include the Featherston greenspace in the budget, and the Greytown Community Board's request to extend the Arbor Reserve in Greytown and delegate beautification to the Greytown Community Board. Councillor Aidan Ellims said these outcomes were a great example of community boards identifying projects that were meaningful to their communities that also had a low impact on the overall budget. – LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Scoop
29-04-2025
- Automotive
- Scoop
Another Round Of Speed Consultation Up Ahead
Article – Emily Ireland – Local Democracy Reporter One of the big changes in the latest speed management plan, compared to what was previously consulted on, is that the roads surrounding Martinborough Square would remain 50kph. South Wairarapa District Council is gearing up to re-consult on speed limit changes after the Government's new Land Transport Rule voided its previous consultation. The draft Speed Management Plan said the plan focused on areas of high concern, including: peri-urban and urban areas with high cycling and pedestrian activity; rural areas with 'high exposure to infrastructure risks' such as drop-offs or narrow seal width; and unsealed roads. One of the big changes in the latest speed management plan, compared to what was previously consulted on, is that the roads surrounding Martinborough Square would remain 50kph. The council had wanted to reduce the speed to 30kph but the new rule doesn't allow this. Dozens of roads currently posted at 100kph were proposed to have speed reduced to 60kph including parts of Humphries Rd, Longwood East Rd, South Featherston Rd, and Underhill Rd. Some coastal roads would be reduced to 40kph in parts. A report to South Wairarapa District Council's Strategy Working Committee said the proposed timelines for the six-week consultation period was May to June. Following the hearings and deliberations, the final plan would be confirmed and submitted to the director of land transport by the end of September. New speeds would be implemented in the first six months of 2026. The plan preparation and implementation of the proposed Speed Setting Rule is subsidised by the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) at a rate of 51%. South Wairarapa District Council has lodged a subsidised funding application for the sum of $435,500. Variable speed reductions outside schools would be implemented separately and were not required to be re-consulted on. – LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
