Latest news with #TonyAvery
Scoop
12 hours ago
- Business
- Scoop
Fresh Drinking Water Upgrades Flow Into Queenstown, Fernhill, And Sunshine Bay
Installation of a permanent UV treatment plant at the Two Mile Water intake just down from Fernhill is complete, further upgrading the drinking water supplied to Queenstown, Fernhill, and Sunshine Bay residents. Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) General Manager Property & Infrastructure, Tony Avery said the new solution meant drinking water in the area would remain fresh, safe, and fully compliant with the latest regulatory standards. 'We're fortunate to have high quality drinking water sources in our district but treatment is still required to ensure water supplied to homes and businesses is safe at all times,' said Mr Avery. 'Permanent treatment equipment operating at the Two Mile intake means we can continue treating this water to a high standard, and redeploy the temporary solution installed at the Fernhill reservoir in 2023 elsewhere in the district.' While installing the new UV treatment facility down by the shores of Lake Whakatipu, crews also constructed additional building space to house future pre-UV filtration equipment, as planned for in QLDC's Long Term Plan 2024-2034. A date is yet to be confirmed for the pre-UV filtration, but once operating, it is expected to further improve drinking water supplies in the area by removing lake algae (Lindavia Intermedia) from the water supply while protecting the new UV treatment equipment in the process. Mr Avery added most water sources in the district are treated through a combination of ultraviolet (UV) disinfection and chlorination, and that Council has been busy working to ensure its remaining treatment plants achieved compliance with Taumata Arowai's standards (Drinking Water Quality Assurance Rules 2022). 'Completion of the new solution at Two Mile is just one of many projects we have been progressing to safeguard drinking water quality across the district. Upgrades were recently completed for Glenorchy and multiple Wānaka sites, and we'll be kicking off upgrades for Luggate's water source later this year,' said Mr Avery. Work at the Two Mile water intake was carried out by Fulton Hogan, with assistance from Veolia and Filtec.
Scoop
2 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
Consultation Underway On Proposed Model For Future Delivery Of Water Services
Press Release – Queenstown Lakes District Council QLDC Property & Infrastructure General Manager, Tony Avery said Council had carefully assessed a range of different models available, as part of central governments Local Water Done Well plan to address Aotearoa New Zealands water infrastructure … Consultation on Queenstown Lakes District Council's (QLDC) proposal to establish a Water Services Council Controlled Organisation (WSCCO) for the future delivery of water services in the district is now underway, as required by the Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Act 2024 (WSPA Act). The proposal is to establish a Council Controlled Organisation specifically created to manage and deliver drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater services in the future. QLDC Property & Infrastructure General Manager, Tony Avery said Council had carefully assessed a range of different models available, as part of central government's Local Water Done Well plan to address Aotearoa New Zealand's water infrastructure challenges. 'As previously shared, we wanted to ensure the model put before the public considered financial implications for consumers amongst several other factors, given the QLDC Long Term Plan (LTP) 2024-2034 is already projecting costs to increase significantly,' said Mr Avery. 'We're now encouraging residents of the Queenstown Lakes District to get involved, carefully read through the consultation document and assessments we've undertaken on the matter, and give us feedback.' The proposed WSCCO would be fully owned by QLDC, but the organisation would be governed by its own independent specialist board and management. QLDC would be the only shareholder and would appoint board members based on the skills and experience needed for proper governance of the new organisation. Intended legislation by central government would prevent any WSCCO from being privatised which means that the proposed WSCCO would remain wholly owned by QLDC, and the organisation would not be able to pay a dividend. Council would set the organisation's strategic priorities and establish measures to ensure it performs to expectations, while the Commerce Commission would use various regulatory tools to ensure water charges are fair, cost-reflective, and transparent. The other shortlisted option evaluated was for QLDC to continue to deliver water services in-house, recognising that changes would need to be made to enable Council to respond to the new regulatory environment if such a model was progressed with. An in-house model would be similarly subject to the Commerce Commission regulatory requirements. In addition to cost to households, the WSCCO and the in-house model were assessed on their ability to attract and retain staff, adapt to changing requirements, maximise value and minimise waste, effectively and efficiently manage water services, and deliver to community priorities. Mr Avery said public feedback was imperative to informing Council's decision on the best option to deliver high quality, resilient, sustainable, and reliable water services in the future. 'Drinking water, stormwater, and wastewater services all cost the ratepayer a significant amount of money, and under all scenarios, including in Council's current Long-Term Plan, water charges are projected to increase substantially,' said Mr Avery. 'I would urge all residents to take the time to understand Council's proposal and the alternative, what this would mean for the future, and to have a say before feedback closes on Sunday 29 June 2025.' A detailed consultation document on QLDC's proposed future water services delivery model and a feedback form are available online at QLDC Councillors agreed to consultation on the proposal to establish a WSCCO at the Full Council meeting on Thursday 29 May 2025.
Scoop
29-05-2025
- General
- Scoop
Gorge Road, Ballarat Street And Stanley Street All Set To Reopen
Article – Queenstown Lakes District Council Gorge Road will reopen to two-way traffic after work to replace 32m of wastewater pipe was completed ahead of schedule. At the intersection of Athol and Ballarat Streets, the final stormwater connection and upgrades to the outfall structure at Horne Creek Queenstown's town centre will receive a welcome boost just in time for King's Birthday weekend, with Gorge Road, Ballarat Street and Athol Street all reopening on Friday 30 May at 5.00pm. Gorge Road will reopen to two-way traffic after work to replace 32m of wastewater pipe was completed ahead of schedule. At the intersection of Athol and Ballarat Streets, the final stormwater connection and upgrades to the outfall structure at Horne Creek are complete, while the pedestrian crossing on Athol Street has been reinstated, along with the new kerb, footpath and road surface. This will also see the temporary coach stop on Stanley Street relocated back to its usual position on Athol Street, allowing the Stanley Street carpark to be fully reinstated. While both Athol and Ballarat Streets will be open to traffic and pedestrians, some final work will continue in the area to install schist stone on the bridge, reinstate a garden bed, install a safety handrail and remove scaffolding. Some fencing will remain in place to ensure the safety of workers on-site. Minimal disruption is expected while these final improvements are made to the area. Queenstown Lakes District Council Property & Infrastructure General Manager Tony Avery says this marks a significant milestone in the arterial project. 'The reopening of Athol and Ballarat Streets will mean a much smaller presence of road workers in the town centre. We know the extended period of disruption has been challenging, particularly for businesses and residents in and around Ballarat Street, and we want to say a big thank you to everyone as we finish the last few tasks.'
Scoop
29-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Gorge Road, Ballarat Street And Stanley Street All Set To Reopen
Queenstown's town centre will receive a welcome boost just in time for King's Birthday weekend, with Gorge Road, Ballarat Street and Athol Street all reopening on Friday 30 May at 5.00pm. Gorge Road will reopen to two-way traffic after work to replace 32m of wastewater pipe was completed ahead of schedule. At the intersection of Athol and Ballarat Streets, the final stormwater connection and upgrades to the outfall structure at Horne Creek are complete, while the pedestrian crossing on Athol Street has been reinstated, along with the new kerb, footpath and road surface. This will also see the temporary coach stop on Stanley Street relocated back to its usual position on Athol Street, allowing the Stanley Street carpark to be fully reinstated. While both Athol and Ballarat Streets will be open to traffic and pedestrians, some final work will continue in the area to install schist stone on the bridge, reinstate a garden bed, install a safety handrail and remove scaffolding. Some fencing will remain in place to ensure the safety of workers on-site. Minimal disruption is expected while these final improvements are made to the area. Queenstown Lakes District Council Property & Infrastructure General Manager Tony Avery says this marks a significant milestone in the arterial project. 'The reopening of Athol and Ballarat Streets will mean a much smaller presence of road workers in the town centre. We know the extended period of disruption has been challenging, particularly for businesses and residents in and around Ballarat Street, and we want to say a big thank you to everyone as we finish the last few tasks.'
Otago Daily Times
26-05-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Council to decide on setting up water CCO
Queenstown Lakes households may face higher water charges for the next nine years if the district council agrees to establish a new council-controlled organisation to deal with Three Waters. However, council property and infrastructure general manager Tony Avery said, based on modelling, the proposed water services council-controlled organisation (WSCCO) would lead in the long term to "lower charges on average" for the 10 years from 2034. At a full council meeting in Arrowtown on Thursday, elected members will be asked to agree to consult on the proposal to establish the WSCCO. If they agree, consultation would begin on Monday. Mr Avery said as part of central government's Local Water Done Well Plan, to address New Zealand's water infrastructure challenges, the council had carefully assessed options for the future delivery of water services. The other shortlisted option evaluated was for the council to continue to deliver water services in-house, which would be subject to the Commerce Commission's regulatory requirements. Mr Avery said the council needed to be confident the model chosen would be capable of delivering financially sustainable water services to meet the increased financial requirements in legislation intended to be passed by central government. "Under all scenarios, including council's current long-term plan, water charges are projected to increase substantially." If agreed, the WSCCO would manage and deliver drinking water, wastewater and stormwater services in the district, and own the council's current water assets and their associated debt and liabilities. The proposed organisation would operate independently from the council. The Local Water Done Well reforms are underpinned by the Local Government (Water Services) Bill, expected to come into force later this year, which will require councils to transition to a separation of water charges from their general rates. At a workshop early this month, council strategy and reform manager Pennie Pearce told councillors the internal assessment found the district's households would face slightly cheaper annual Three Waters charges for the first 10 years under the in-house model, but those costs were projected to be lower under a CCO after that. — APL
