Latest news with #npdc.govt.nz
Scoop
01-06-2025
- General
- Scoop
Time To Have Your Say On Water Charging Options
NPDC wants residents' feedback on options for water-charging that will see households paying for the water they actually use. Consultation on the options opens today (MONDAY) and runs until 20 June, with the Mayor and Councillors having selected them for consultation in May so that mock billing can start in July next year. The three options are: A fixed charge plus a volumetric charge based on how much water is used by the household. A fixed charge, plus a volumetric charge when households use more than the 100 litre allocation of water each day. (All water above the allocation would be charged at the volumetric charge.) Fully volumetric charging based upon the amount of water used, with no fixed charge. 'There are a lot of elements to this consultation, such as how we look after vulnerable households and properties with shared meters, so we'd really like to get your thoughts on each of the issues,' says NPDC Executive Director CE Office Kathryn Scown. 'Your feedback will help us make decisions that best suit our community.' Currently, households connected to the public water supply pay a fixed charge of $547 per year, regardless of how much water is used. This fixed charge will be replaced in 2027 with a new charging system based upon how much water a household actually uses. This will encourage water conservation, support vulnerable households and ensure we cover the cost of providing the service. Before this begins, households will have a year of mock billing to identify and fix any leaks and track their household's water use. The consultation includes charging options for properties with shared meters, how leaks and repairs on private property are handled, how NPDC can support more vulnerable households, and potential policy amendments in the future. To read the consultation document and supporting information and to have your say, go to Feedback closes at 5pm on Friday 20 June. Fast facts In December 2020, as part of the Long-Term Plan 2021-31, the Council resolved to install water meters with a shift to volumetric billing (paying for how much water a household actually uses), with 12 months of mock billing before volumetric charging begins. By the end of April 2025, NPDC had installed more than 23,200 water meters at residential properties – 82 per cent of the planned total installations. So far, 180 leaks on private properties have been fixed after being identified by water meters. This has saved 1.75 million litres of water per day (four per cent of the district's average use). NPDC's four water schemes supply just under 28,000 homes and businesses. New Plymouth District's water consumption is 1.5 to 2 times higher than in comparable communities, averaging 690 litres per household connection per day (about 300 litres per person per day).
Scoop
22-04-2025
- General
- Scoop
New Plants To Start Green Facelift Of New Plymouth City Centre
The first stage of a green makeover for New Plymouth city centre starts on 28 April with a pilot project to remove Devon Street's aging alder trees. Around 22 of the oldest and most at-risk trees will be removed between Egmont and Elliot streets to be replaced with a mix of shade trees and street-level greenery. The first group of 13 alders between Brougham and Robe streets will come down this month and the other eight between Egmont and Eliot streets will be removed in autumn next year. 'This is part of our City Centre Strategy vision for a greener, family-friendly city centre where people want to shop, stop and enjoy. This will cause some brief disruption to traffic as we need to keep people and property safe, but the footpaths will remain open and we'd ask people to bear with us while we carry out this work,' said NPDC Manager Parks and Open Spaces Conrad Pattison. 'We'll be replacing the trees with natives and if they're a success over the next six months, we'll be looking to roll them out along the length of Devon Street in the city centre. Advertisement - scroll to continue reading Our city centre is the business, cultural and social hub of our district and the strategy is a partnership between NPDC and Ngāti Te Whiti hapū to keep it thriving for residents, jobs and businesses,' said Conrad. The work to remove the first group of trees is expected to be completed by 2 May and the new planting will be later in May. Check out our vision for the city centre at FAST FACTS Retailers petitioned to remove the alders in 2020 claiming falling leaves and seed pods were a nuisance for building owners and pedestrians. In 2020 Councillors agreed to replace the Italian alder trees along Devon Street with planting informed by the City Centre Strategy. All 70-odd alder trees between Gover and Robe streets are pruned every two years to keep their height down. The felled trees will be chipped and used as mulch in our parks and reserves. Councillors approved the City Centre Strategy including proposals for a green makeover in December 2021. The Mayor and Councillors approved $500,000 split over two years in the 2024-34 Ten-Year Plan.
Scoop
22-04-2025
- General
- Scoop
New Plants To Start Green Facelift Of New Plymouth City Centre
The first stage of a green makeover for New Plymouth city centre starts on 28 April with a pilot project to remove Devon Street's aging alder trees. Around 22 of the oldest and most at-risk trees will be removed between Egmont and Elliot streets to be replaced with a mix of shade trees and street-level greenery. The first group of 13 alders between Brougham and Robe streets will come down this month and the other eight between Egmont and Eliot streets will be removed in autumn next year. 'This is part of our City Centre Strategy vision for a greener, family-friendly city centre where people want to shop, stop and enjoy. This will cause some brief disruption to traffic as we need to keep people and property safe, but the footpaths will remain open and we'd ask people to bear with us while we carry out this work,' said NPDC Manager Parks and Open Spaces Conrad Pattison. 'We'll be replacing the trees with natives and if they're a success over the next six months, we'll be looking to roll them out along the length of Devon Street in the city centre. Advertisement - scroll to continue reading Our city centre is the business, cultural and social hub of our district and the strategy is a partnership between NPDC and Ngāti Te Whiti hapū to keep it thriving for residents, jobs and businesses,' said Conrad. The work to remove the first group of trees is expected to be completed by 2 May and the new planting will be later in May. Check out our vision for the city centre at FAST FACTS Retailers petitioned to remove the alders in 2020 claiming falling leaves and seed pods were a nuisance for building owners and pedestrians. In 2020 Councillors agreed to replace the Italian alder trees along Devon Street with planting informed by the City Centre Strategy. All 70-odd alder trees between Gover and Robe streets are pruned every two years to keep their height down. The felled trees will be chipped and used as mulch in our parks and reserves. Councillors approved the City Centre Strategy including proposals for a green makeover in December 2021. The Mayor and Councillors approved $500,000 split over two years in the 2024-34 Ten-Year Plan.
