News at Gisborne District Council

New council logo

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +1300

An adapted sun and squiggle design has been adopted by Gisborne District Council as its new logo. The logo needed some work as over the last 13 years inconsistency in colour, form and font had crept in. As a result the logo had lost value; ownership of it had become confused due to it being regularly modified.

A survey of 600 people last year identified strong support for the sun logo subject to three provisos – that it be made more contemporary, that the colours be changed and that cultural elements be included.

Chief Executive Lindsay McKenzie said that there was a real need to create a consistent mark for the council. “It should connect with all of our communities. We knew these exercises can be hugely expensive. Right from the start we were determined keep costs to a minimum. This was helped by the assistance of local design agencies who submitted outstanding design proposals knowing there was to be no pitch or rejection fee. The effort that designers from these agencies put in was outstanding. We were humbled by that and the quality of the offerings.”

The successful logo chosen for further development was submitted by Rees Morley from Gisborne design agency URBAN-i. Mr Morley then worked with council staff to finalise the design adopted by council.

The logo has been released to staff and survey respondents whose feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. “I believe we have truly modernised the logo while bringing in more appropriate colours and a strong connection to the culture of the region” said Mr McKenzie.

“There will be costs associated with the roll out of the brand which will be launched in mid March. Updating signage, stationery and the like will be funded from normal operating budgets. That means integration of the new logo will take some time. Stationery will only be updated when it has run out; signs redesigned when they need replacing or repairing and so on”.

The brand standards manual will ensure consistent use of the refreshed sun and squiggle logo. A consistent, professional look will help to build pride and efficiency within the organisation. Using standard templates will cut down the time staff spend redesigning a ‘new version’ for each document, brochure or new items of stationery. The council crest will still be used but more in a ceremonial capacity rather than to identify the council and its business.

“The image and brand of an organisation are important because people give more when they are proud of the entity they work for, what its values are, and how it presents itself. Being visible – which is something that a strong brand ensures – is a driver of performance and accountability. There is a risk to the brand when people don’t live up to its values or promise” Mr McKenzie said said.

Improve safety for cyclists

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +1300

A Cycling Advisory Group is being established by council to work together with the community on cycling issues in the city.

The idea for the group followed a request by the Critical Mass Cycling Group for council to improve safety and grow the numbers of cyclists in Gisborne. The terms of reference for the group will be established at its first meeting. The first meeting will be held on 25 March at 12 noon at the Council offices in Fitzherbert Street. Organisers hope it will include representatives from a range of cycling interests including schools and the police.

The overall purpose of the group will be to provide advice on how to make cycling safer and encourage more people to use the facilities of the walking and cycling network being created by council. They will also have input into the Walking and Cycling Strategy.

The group will work closely with the Road Safety Officer from council and the Traffic and Education Officers from the police. One of the first tasks will be to look at cyclist safety at roundabouts.

Council's Engineering Manager Peter Higgs says "this is a great opportunity to work together with the community. As with many issues, the solutions are likely to be a combination of actions including the three "Es" - engineering, education and enforcement. The safety of cyclists is a matter for which all road users have a responsibility"

Manu Caddie, one of the Critical Mass organisers, says he is pleased to see council willing to establish a mechanism for ongoing dialogue with the cycling community.

"Beyond making the streets safer for cycling we are keen to see proactive measures in place to encourage more people to move around by bicycle."

"One of our older members only had to fill up his car twice last year because he cycles most places. Cycling has environmental, health and economic benefits that council and other organisations need to promote."

"We encourage all cyclists to come along to this meeting." says Mr Caddie.

Councils battle it out

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +1300

The annual inter-council sports tournament held in Gisborne last weekend was a complete success according to regular attendees who dubbed it "the best tournament ever". The weather was perfect, the competition intense and the 650 competitors fired up and ready to have a great time. The final result was a clean sweep by the Auckland based council's on the field.

Waitakere City Council took overall honours and also won hosting rights for the 2010 tournament. They defeated Auckland City Council in the final of the touch rugby competition and went down to North Shore City Council in the final of the soccer tournament. They also won the tournament in 2008 and awarded their hosting rights to us.

The only event they did not dominate in was the novelty event. This was held at Midway Beach and involved sand, water, buckets and lots of laughter. The well-oiled organised committee are to be congratulated on the tournament which involved hundreds of voluntary hours and went off with out a hitch.

Gisborne link to the origins of the inter- council sports tournament

In 1995 the idea of the inter-council sports tournament originated from Gisborne. It was organised by Les Thomas, Senior Accountant who was the Chairman of the Social Club way back then. The tournament was organised between Rotorua District Council and Gisborne District Council and the games were all indoors. The games played were pool, darts, indoor cricket and indoor netball.

The tournament was held in the industrial subdivision in Rotorua. The bus driver at that time was the late John Dwight (Senior Building Inspector cum Gisborne Town Cryer). It was a 45 seater bus and current staff members Maurice Affleck, Dion Lund, Dave Hadfield, Ra Leach and Joy Marden were involved. Gisborne had 2 teams. After the games a BBQ lunch and dinner was held at the Rotorua Citizens Club.

In 1996 other Councils including Tauranga, Whakatane and Opotiki heard about the tournament and wanted to be part of the competition. Tauranga hosted the second tournament. The venue was Mt Maunganui and softball, soccer and netball goalshooting, indoor netball and indoor cricket were the played. In 1997 the tournament went national as more councils heard about this fun filled annual event. It had grown from 5 Councils to 13 with all Bay of Plenty councils taking part it has continued to grow with 24 councils participating in 2009.

Lights out for earth hour

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +1300

Council is promoting Earth Hour and would like as many people as possible to unite and support this world-wide event by turning off their lights for this one hour.

The Marina and The Wharf restaurants will have candlelit dinners

There will be Stories by Torchlight 6.30-7.30pm, then home to 'lights out'. At the HB Williams Memorial Library (please get your free tickets from the library in advance - numbers will be limited). Wear your pyjamas.

Here's a suggestions: supper with the neighbours or the last BBQ before daylight saving ends.

Check out what you can do and some facts about Earth Hour

Sand for new timber mill foundations

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +1300

Sand to be extracted for the foundation of new timber processing mill.

The extraction of 10,000 cubic metres of beach sand from an area near the Waipaoa river mouth will start next week. The sand is required for ground preparation prior to construction of the new Hikurangi Forest Farms timber processing plant in Dunstan Road.

Resource consent for the extraction has been obtained and the motor scrapers will start operating on Monday. They are likely to be on the beach between tides from 7am, five days a week. There will be no week-end work.

The work involves motor scrapers operating between the low and high tide area, skimming a thin layer of sand for transport to the new mill site. The hours of work limit the time of operating so that recreational fishers and users of the beach in that area will not be unduly inconvenienced.

The sand excavation is likely to continue for 2-3 weeks. It is part of a programme that will prepare the Dunstan Road site and will include the transport of river shingle and silt to the site from various access points on the Waipaoa River.

Council staff will be monitoring the extraction to ensure that any environmental effects are minimised.

Water restrictions still necessary

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +1300

Water restrictions for city residents are still required but we have eased the degree of restriction back to level 2. This means sprinklers can now be used daily between 6am and 8am in the mornings and 6pm and 8pm in the evenings.

The recent rain combined with reduced consumption has made a difference and the result is that dam levels have stopped dropping. Food processing businesses are still are still consuming large quantities of water but now at a slightly reduced capacity than in the previous weeks.

The dams, which supply water to Gisborne city, have had levels below the 50 year drought curve since late January as a result of extremely high water consumption during November and December 2008. The dam levels have now recuperated enough to be above the 50 year drought curve

Marcus Koll, Utilities Engineer says the 50 year drought curve describes the minimum level of water that should be in our dams to cope with one in 50 year drought like conditions. "The graph is based on past records that show if you are right on the line then you should be able to cope with such dry weather and soil conditions. When you are under, as we had been for some time, you potentially run the risk of running out water".

First Cycling Advisory Group meeting

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +1300

The first meeting of a new advisory group for cycling is being described as 'constructive' by local cyclists and council staff.

Thirty people representing diverse sectors of the Gisborne community attended the Cycling Advisory Group meeting hosted by Gisborne District Council. Mayor Meng Foon and councillor Kathy Sheldrake were present along with commuter and recreational cyclists, Gisborne Cycle Club representatives, staff from local schools and Trustees of the Gisborne Cycle and Walkway Trust.

The meeting discussed and refined a draft Terms of Reference which describes the purpose of the group, clarifies that the group has no authority over Council decisions and activities and outlines the frequency and format of meetings. It was agreed that the group would meet at the council offices over lunchtime initially once a month.

Kathy Sheldrake nominated Manu Caddie to Chair the group, this was supported by Muriel Jones from the Gisborne Cycle and Walkway Trust and endorsed by those present. It was agreed that subcommittees will be established to work on particular issues such as promoting cycling, cycle ways and road safety - and that a lot of good work had already been undertaken by council and groups like the Trust.

The group agreed that roundabouts will be an initial focus. Organisations involved with the new group will provide short presentations on their current activities and priorities for cycling in Gisborne at the April meeting.

Tree removal will close tracks on Kaiti Hill

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +1300

Walking tracks on Titirangi Reserve (Kaiti Hill) are closed this week while exotic trees are removed. These will be replaced with native trees as part of the Titirangi Reserve Management plan. Walking tracks and the car park will close on Wednesday 1 April from 8am till 5pm and weather permitting will reopen on Wednesday April 8.

Initially the site will be prepared and the trees felled. The trees will be removed by helicopter to the first car park as you drive up the hill. There they will be cut & the firewood left for the public to remove at the end of each work day. Removal by helicopter is the most economical way to transport the trees because of the terrain on the south-western side of the hill (facing the port) and the need to meet conditions in the resource consent.

Once felling is completed the invasive weeds will be tackled & the area replanted in native trees. "People are advised to keep well clear of the work site' said Parks & Reserves Supervisor Jenny Allen. 'The best place to watch the removal by helicopter will be the new walkway opposite the hill. This is expected to take place on 6 to 8 April. At the end of each work day, public are welcome to help themselves to an estimated 150 tonnes of firewood. It will be available for collection at the Titirangi car park.

Consultation on Ten Year Plan begins

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +1200

Council wants to know what the district thinks about its Draft Ten Year Plan and is going into 22 communities to seek feedback. Attending all meetings will be Mayor Meng Foon or Deputy Mayor Nona Aston. They will be accompanied by senior staff all prepared to answer any questions community members may have about council's draft plan and how it will affect rating levels.

The first meeting will be held at Waikirikiri School on Monday evening at 6.30pm this will be followed by a meeting at Te Wananga o Aotearoa campus in Elgin starting at 5.30pm on Tuesday evening. Key issues at these meetings will be how council can improve their relationship with the Elgin and Kaiti communities to guide any future development.

East Coast, Te Karaka and Whatatutu residents will get an opportunity to be heard later in the week as meetings continue in the townships of the district. Issues for these communities are likely to be flood protection, implementing township plans and the proposed mobile library service.

The Draft Ten Year Plan 2009-19 was formally adopted for consultation by the council last week. A summary of the plan will be in all district letter boxes this week. The draft plan reflects council's commitment to core projects like the $45 million wastewater treatment plant and maintaining the district's roading infrastructure. It also proposes that over the next 3 years further investigation will occur on several major projects that will enhance our district. Whether or not these projects eventuate depends on the support of the community and a willingness to pay.

Council genuinely wants to know what communities think of the draft plan. According to chief executive Lindsay McKenzie "The consultation process gives people a chance to comment on the affordability of what we are proposing, as well as on the priority that the community places on our services. Following the public consultation period we will make a final decision on the level of rates in late June."

"Staff are committed to saving over $1million in 2009/2010 through efficiency savings. We will continue to look for areas of potential savings and will also carefully consider any cost-cutting suggestions from other submitters as part of that process" said Mr McKenzie.

The draft plan requires council to collect an extra 7 per cent in rates revenue in 2009-10, 6.64 per cent in 2010-11 and 4.06 per cent in 2011-12. The figures were arrived at after considerable debate and deliberations by council management and councillors. Rates revenue will increase from $41.35M in 2009 to $44.25M in 2010. The proposed rate increases to be collected will vary across the district. To find out what rates you are paying now and what rates you will pay if the draft plan is adopted go to Check out your rates.

Freedom camping extended to Easter

Tue, 07 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +1200

Staff have responded to concerns that there would be no freedom camping this Easter. The approved freedom camping period coincides with daylight savings hours. Council agreed to those dates in response to submissions on the annual plan in 2007. Traditionally freedom camping runs through until Easter, but with daylight saving finishing last weekend the freedom camping season officially closed.

With the promise of a fine weekend chief executive Lindsay McKenzie said that staff would not be enforcing the freedom camping hours contained in the bylaw. All freedom camping sites, except for Turihaua which was closed in February, will be serviced and available for camping. Freedom camping is available at beaches from Turihaua Point to Waipiro Bay and at Donneraille Park.

Permits will be available at the usual outlets and all the other obligations on campers will apply. Council will be asked to revisit the dates so that the freedom camping starts with the commencement of daylight saving and ends at Easter in the future years" Mr McKenzie added. For more information on freedom camping locations and where to get a permit

Bus terminal on the move

Tue, 07 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +1200

Council's main city bus terminus in Bright Street is moving 20 metres down the road towards McDonalds.
After recent earthquakes, strengthening and safety modifications are now required to be carried out on the Rosies building at the corner of Bright Street and Gladstone Road.

Currently the bus terminus backs on to this building. The shelter will be moved over the next week prior to building work beginning. The move will not affect the bus service and there will be no changes to the bus timetable or routes.

Step closer to wastewater hearing

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +1200

Ten submissions have been received by council's regulatory department in response to council's application to vary its wastewater consents.

Council senior water conservator Dennis Crone said three submitters opposed the applications, one on the grounds of cost and two with regard to protecting Gisborne's bay from wastewater discharge.

"Seven submissions were generally in support of the application but with some provisos," he said. "Most have particular parts of the proposal they either oppose or would like changes to. Eight submitters wish to present their views at the hearing."

Late last year council's engineering and works department applied to vary the conditions of its existing 35-year wastewater resource consents to build a wastewater treatment plant, using the biological trickling filter process, and to discharge the treated wastewater to sea via the existing 1.8km marine outfall pipe.

To help make the scheme more affordable for the community, the scheme was reduced in scope to have one biological trickling filter tank instead of two - subject to intensive monitoring -- and the location changed from the designated Aerodrome Road site to a council-owned site in Banks Street. This effectively halved the proposed cost to $45m.

Submissions on the application to vary the conditions of the coastal permits, designation for the new site and discharge to air permits closed last Friday.

Five commissioners have been appointed to hear the applications over three days from 19 May. They are Alan Watson, chair, Wira Gardiner, Richard Heerdegen - all of whom were on the committee that heard the 2007 application - Nigel Mark-Brown, and council's representative, Councillor Pat Seymour.

Rubbish & recycling collection for Easter

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +1200

On Good Friday and Easter Monday kerbside rubbish and recycling will be collected as normal. Please have your rubbish and recycling at the kerbside before 7am.

AllBrites refuse transfer station at 69 Innes Street will be open to the public as follows:

Good Friday 10 April - Closed

Saturday 11 April 8am - 4pm

Sunday 12 April 9.30am - 3.30pm

Monday 13 April - Closed

The recycling drop-off centre is open 24/7.

All rural refuse transfer stations will be open as normal

Stay away from the Taruheru River down from Lytton Road

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +1200

A crack in the main trunk sewer line under the Lytton Road Bridge has been found. The crack is discharging a small amount of sewage into the Taruheru River.

People should not swim or come into direct contact with the Taruheru River water as there is a possibility of bacterial contamination.

"Stemming the flow of sewage is the first priority and that will be completed later today' said engineering and works manager Peter Higgs. "Further repairs are being organised and are likely to carry on next week.

At this we are unsure as to when this started and how much sewage has been discharged into the river but it appears to be very recent. The crack may have been caused by the earthquake on Wednesday 8 April. There is little evidence of sewage in the toitois under the bridge but the public are advised to keep well away. The actual crack is on Lytton Road by the houses opposite Nelson park.

New fire truck for Hicks Bay

Sat, 18 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +1200

A fire truck with a special meaning will be presented to the Hicks Bay community this month. It will be handed over at Hicks Bay on April 28 in a ceremony that will be attended by local and national dignitaries.

The new vehicle replaces the one in which firefighter and community leader Ray Barrett lost his life on December 27, 2008 and his son Tahi was seriously injured. To read the full Gisborne Hearld story

Does Gisborne need a new pool?

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +1200

Redevelopment of the Olympic Pool complex and the establishment of a multi-purpose aquatic & recreation centre are major projects that council is considering as part of its Draft Ten Year Plan.

A design concept has been developed by local architects Nicoll Blackburne in conjunction with Ashley Cox architects in Wellington. The projects are currently planned for 2014 and 2018 respectively and are included in the Draft Ten Year Plan. Council is keen to hear from the community about whether they should continue to progress these projects

The Olympic Pool complex is now 35 years old. Over time, various alterations and additions have been made to accommodate changing trends. According to the pool manager Hendrik Geyer the time has come to ask whether the pool will still be around for our children and grandchildren.

"The complex has experienced record visitor numbers this summer with the pools and activities popular with both locals and visitors to the region. But the pool faces a number of major issues. It is old, inefficient and increasingly difficult and costly to maintain. Independent reports have estimated the life expectancy to be as low as 5 years from now. The complex lacks important facilities that could increase visitor numbers and revenue, in particular over the winter months.

"While community facilities like pools, libraries, parks and playgrounds do not generate a profit, we could not enjoy a vibrant, prosperous and healthy Tairawhiti without them. The non-monetary benefits in areas like health, well-being and quality of life are considerable.

"It is a reality that, if Gisborne wants to enjoy a pool complex in 20 years time, significant investment will be required. The option of 'doing nothing' will lead us to closure of the pool within the next 10 years. If the community does not want to accept that, then the issue is whether to carry on with the existing facility and its limitations, or future-proof the complex. This can be done by making it more efficient and maximising how and when it can be used. Council is proposing to do the latter" said My Geyer.

"Estimates for the capital cost of stage one (Aquatic Centre) are $24m, with another $38m for stage two (Multi-purpose Indoor Stadium). This is clearly beyond what our community can afford on its own and Council intends to secure grant funding of 75% for stage one and 90% for stage two.

The inclusion of the project in the Ten Year Plan will give Council a mandate to continue feasibility studies and design options, while preparing a business case and negotiating with potential funders. The Eastland Community Trust has already indicated that it is interested in the project, as part of its commitment to transformational community investment. Submissions to the Draft Ten Year Plan can be made online , by filling in the submission form at the back of the brochure sent to all households in the district, or by contacting customer services. Check our meetings schedule to attend a meeting near you. Submissions close at 4pm Friday 1 May.

Proposed new look for pool complex

Fine for skateboarder withdrawn

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +1200

A $750 fine Reuben Baker received when he broke a council bylaw regarding skateboarding in the city has been withdrawn.

In a decision made by council and the Gisborne Police, it was agreed the fine was excessive and although legal it was significantly more than advised in the bylaw.

Council's chief environmental health officer Sarwan Kumar says that the council's intention was that skateboard offences against the Public Places Bylaw attract a fine of $55 for the first offence, and $100 for any subsequent offences.

"Unfortunately the police were not aware of the recommended fine at the time the infringement notice was issued. They (police) were legally correct in issuing the standard $750 fine under the Transport Act."

Mr Kumar says that he is pleased that police enforce the skating provisions of the bylaw. "Some skaters are capable of creating a nuisance, especially to older people, children and people in wheelchairs. Such nuisances are the very reason why council included skateboarding offences in its bylaw."

Council keen to do what it can to help

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +1200

People should not be too distracted by the forecasters of gloom - a lot of the wealth lost had never existed, Gisborne District Council chief executive Lindsay McKenzie told people at a job summit here on Friday.

To read the full Gisborne Herald story

Proposed book bus would provide more books to rural residents

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +1200

Thousands of dollars worth of books disappear each year in Gisborne's rural hinterlands. Nine community libraries are provided by Gisborne District Council for rural residents but they are largely unmonitored and entirely dependent on the goodwill of able volunteers and space available in rural schools. Originally there were 15 libraries but lack of support in townships, residential exodus and lack of stock control have led to the closure of libraries located in Ruatoria, Tikitiki, Te Araroa, Waingake, Tauwhareparae and Waipiro Bay.

"Rural people often remind council staff of the great days when a bus came from National Library and everyone could get the book they wanted," says District Librarian Pene Walsh. "In today's technological world people still want access to books and the mobile library has come full circle with on-board internet and enough space to provide children's and young adult books as well as good reading for adults."

Most local people agree that a mobile library service is a good idea. 90% of library users surveyed late last year supported a book bus replacing the existing nine community libraries dotted throughout the district.

At an estimated cost of $448,000 to build the Council may contribute 5% of that cost with the remaining funds being sought from grants.

Replacing the existing rural library service with a mobile library is planned for 2013 to:

Improve equality of access to library services for people who live some distance from town
More frequent visits, changes of books, internet and library staff to assist
Opportunity to take the library to more destinations
Opportunity to provide other Council Services in the field
Reduce stock losses
Provide 'live' service for all residents

Currently all ratepayers contribute a uniform annual charge toward library services that equates to $1.26 per week. Some might argue that the further away from the library in town one lives then value for money is reduced. It is recognised that the current service for rural residents could be a lot better and Council wants to know if the public thinks a book bus would be a worthwhile service.

The book bus is included in the Draft Ten Year Plan view on our website . Make a submission to the proposal online , or by contacting Customer Services. Submissions close Friday 1 May at 4pm.

Posthumous award, and new fire truck

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +1200

People yesterday packed the lawn outside Tuwhakairiora Marae in Hicks Bay to see a posthumous service award presented to Ray Barrett - the firefighter who died when his fire truck rolled on the way to an emergency in December.

To read the full Gisborne Herald news item

Swine flu status update

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +1200

While there have been no suspected cases in the district to date, Chief Medical Advisor Dr Bruce Duncan said there had been further developments around the country and TDH was taking the issue very seriously.

Read the full media release on Tairawhiti District Health's website

Appointment of trustees on Eastland Community Trust

Thu, 07 May 2009 00:00:00 +1200

Applications are invited from persons interested in being appointed as a Trustee. The Gisborne District Council holds the right of appointment under the Trust Deed.

In accordance with Clause 11 of the Trust Deed, two Trustees are to retire by rotation.

The Eastland Community Trust holds the shareholding in Eastland Infrastructure Ltd, Eastland Network Ltd and Eastland Port Ltd. The Trust also has an independent investment company (Eastland Development Fund). Under its Trust Deed, it is charged with various responsibilities relating broadly to the preservation of the value of that investment, and the use of income from it to the benefit of the district's residents as beneficiaries of the Trust.

A fact sheet including further information as to the attributes required of Trustees is available from the Mayor's Personal Assistant Audrey Coomber, Gisborne District Council, PO Box 747, Fitzherbert Street, Gisborne Phone: 06 867 2049 with whom applications close on Friday, 29 May at 4.00pm. Applications should be by way of full Curriculum Vitae and should be labelled "Eastland Community Trust Appointment".

Two vacancies are available with both retiring Trustees advising their availability for re-appointment.

Read the Eastland Community Trust Fact Sheet

Our website wins best redevelopment award

Mon, 11 May 2009 00:00:00 +1200

Efforts to develop a user-friendly website paid off for council last week when we won the people's choice award for 'Best Redeveloped Website' at the Association of Local Government Information Management web awards.

The win was particularly satisfying according to council website administrator Karen Hadfield. "We were up against some large district councils with far more resources at their disposal than us. At least one council had a budget 12 times the size of ours. We won the 'people's choice' award which was voted for by our peers from 38 different councils.

"Because we are one of only 4 unitary authorities in New Zealand we had the additional challenge of combining both district council information about things like rubbish, dogs, parks and cemeteries, with regional council information that includes transport, environmental issues and civil defence. We kept costs low by bringing in groups of users to identify the best way to order and display information and by manually transferring all the information from the old site to the new site ourselves" Mrs Hadfield added.

The website was designed by Wellington based company Silverstripe who are known for their award winning content management system. It is an open source system that is available free and has been downloaded by developers around the world.

The previous website was 5 years old and was no longer supported by the developers. It was expensive to make changes. The search function did not work well, information was often hard to find and didn't provide interaction with our customers. The aim of the new website was to be easy to load due to the fact that many of our district still accesses the internet through a dial-up connection. It also needed to be easy to navigate and have a crisp modern appearance reflecting Council's refreshed branding. The site now meets both W3C worldwide web standards and New Zealand's e-govt web standards on all criteria. These standards have been developed to ensure government websites are easy to navigate and are accessible by all.

The site was launched to coincide with the beginning of consultation on council's Ten Year Plan. For the first time people had the option of completing a submission online. 150 were received this way. Other new features include the popular rates look-up tool with which current rates can be compared with the proposed increases in dollar figures per property. An online cemetery search is also proving popular although some information is incomplete and will be updated in the next few months.

Web project team (L-R) Matt Feisst, Karen Hadfield,
Toni Lexmond, Douglas Birt, Simon Jeune.
Absent Leanne Williams & Maurice Affleck.

Contractors can register for wastewater job

Thu, 14 May 2009 00:00:00 +1200

Registrations of interest are being called for the construction of a new wastewater treatment plant at Banks Street and the separation of industrial wastewater. These include a major pipe laying contract and the installation of new sewers.

Project manager Peter McConnell says contractors can register for both or either of the work packages, which could see some sub-contracting work for local companies.

The registrations of interest will enable Gisborne District Council to shortlist preferred contractors to bid on the 2 major contracts - the industrial separation scheme and major pipelines, and the Banks Street wastewater treatment plant.

"The registrations will show the level of interest and competence of the applicants, and will enable council to pre-qualify suitable contractors to tender for the project. We want the best possible result for the community, which means the best possible price and the ability to deliver the job by December 2010 as set out in the existing consents, Mr McConnell said."

"Council wants to have a strong collaborative relationship with the selected contractors for the project which will create a culture of innovation during the construction of the works."

While the scale of the work is likely to see interest from New Zealand's main contractors, Mr McConnell advises Gisborne-based sub-contractors to inform council and major contracting companies what resources they have available.

Designed by CH2M Beca, the total wastewater project is estimated to be completed within a $45M budget, including escalation and risk costs.

Tender documents are expected to be issued to pre-qualified tenderers in early August 2009.

Construction on both contracts is programmed to start in November 2009 and finish by October 2010, with commissioning and handover of the works before the end of 2010.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday 19 May commissioners will begin hearing council's applications to vary the conditions of its existing 35-year wastewater resource consents to build a wastewater treatment plant, using the biological trickling filter process, and to discharge the treated wastewater to sea via the existing 1.8km marine outfall pipe.

The 5 commissioners are chair Alan Watson, Wira Gardiner, Richard Heerdegen - all of whom were on the committee that heard the 2007 application - Nigel Mark-Brown, and council's representative, councillor Pat Seymour. The hearing is scheduled for 3 days.

Identification sought for third ant variety

Mon, 18 May 2009 00:00:00 +1200

Another ant species, Darwin's ant - a close relative of the Argentine ant - has been identified in this district.

Read the full Gisborne Hearld news item

Waimata/Hokoroa road closed for works

Tue, 19 May 2009 00:00:00 +1200

The Waimata Valley Road / Hokoroa Road - RP31, will be closed to all traffic for up to 3 days from 8am on Wednesday 20 May. Alternative access is available through Tolaga Bay.

The closure will allow contractors to carry out blasting and drop-out reconstruction.

Important to find right balance

Wed, 20 May 2009 00:00:00 +1200

And that is the biggest thing that has struck me about the submissions I've read so far. (Up to Sub, No. 341) There is a very strong feeling around the council table that we have got to control rate increases better. That we are in a "whoa, gloom, despair, depression", and our sole focus should be cost reductions, controlling rate increases...

To read the full story this links to the Gisborne Herald website

Saturday bus service to cease

Thu, 21 May 2009 00:00:00 +1200

The Saturday morning bus service will stop after 30 May 2009. The Saturday morning service started in December 2007 and over its 18 month trial the number of passengers using the bus has been disappointingly low. On average of 66 passengers per month used the buses on a Saturday.

A number of initiatives to promote the service and boost patronage were trialed but did not result in more passengers. This included advertising, adjustments to bus routes and to the bus timetable to better suit the most popular Saturday morning shopping times. A partnership with the Farmers Market meant that bus passengers could get their ticket price reimbursed if they purchased anything at the market. This had little effect on passenger numbers.

The weekday commuter service will not be affected by this change. There has been a slight increase in older passengers using the week-day service. This has occurred in the last 8 months since the government introduced free off-peak bus transport for SuperGold Card holders. If you are over 65 you can travel on city buses between 9am and 3pm for free.

The scheme is partially funded by central government.

View Ten Year Plan submissions online

Fri, 22 May 2009 00:00:00 +1200

For the first time the public can view all submissions made to the draft Ten Year Plan online. Public will be able to view the same information that councillors receive prior to the Ten Year Plan hearings.

It is important that people can find out what submitters have told us and what information will be used to contribute to the councillors' decision-making process says manager of community planning and development Nedine Thatcher. "Our values are about working together and focusing on solutions. Being open and transparent is the best way to empower the community to work with us. Making all the submissions and staff reports available on our website is a cost efficient and effective way to do this."

"The submissions make interesting reading. They cover a wide range of opinions although inevitably trends emerge. These are covered in the staff reports and include recommendations.

These recommendations are not binding. Decisions are not made until after the hearings. These start on Tuesday 26 May and 61 people will speak about their submission over 3 days" Ms Thatcher added.

Submissions were made on the Ten Year Plan by 409 individuals and groups. Many of these submissions covered several topics.
Read the submissions and staff reports

Community Outcomes seeking TDH endorsement not Ten Year Plan

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +1200

Tairawhiti District Health (TDH) was not asked to endorse the Draft Ten Year (LTCCP) plan at its May meeting. The document they were being asked to endorse was 'Tairawhiti by Choice'. The Local Government Act requires council to support the community to identify its outcomes every 6 years. In 2008 community groups were asked what they wanted for this community though a process facilitated by council.

"TDH participated in the process of revising our district's community outcomes in the document now branded 'Tairawhiti by Choice. At least 67 community groups and businesses participated in the planning process. Seven organisations were asked to collectively endorse the final document and TDH was one of these organisations" said manager of Community Planning and Development Nedine Thatcher.

The other co-signatories were:

Te Puni Kokiri
Tairawhiti Polytechnic
Ministry of Social Development
Department of Conservation - East Coast/Hawkes Bay conservancy
Gisborne Police

Council has a role facilitating the outcomes but does not own them. However, the activities of council and the projects outlined in the Ten Year Plan are expected to contribute towards the outcomes community has identified. Council endorsed 'Tairawhiti by Choice' at their meeting on 28 May.

Tyres messing up our place

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +1200

Council was dismayed to discover around 250 tyres dumped down the bank on Kaiti Hill. The cost for disposal alone will cost ratepayers $1000 but on top of this is the difficulty in retrieving them from the dumped site.

Turanga Ararau's conservation corp has volunteered to haul them out. Fortunately the job ticks the box as far as fitness training and environmental enhancement are concerned. This will save the ratepayers many thousands of dollars.

'What is really upsetting about this' said Louise Bennett, senior environmental health officer 'is we believe they were dumped by a commercial operator due to the large number. The cost of disposal is usually built into charges when tyres are replaced. Often the tyre company will contract someone else to get rid of the tyres and this is where the problem is likely to have occurred. But ultimately, the tyre company has to take responsibility for the dumping. They must be able to prove that they were disposed of appropriately. All operators have been questioned and the investigation is continuing.'

These tyres have been accumulating over a period of time. People who regularly walk the Endcliffe Road side of Kaiti Hill must have noticed this unsightly dumping but no one has reported it until a few weeks ago. For council to make effective prosecutions and therefore deter future dumping we need to be onto the culprit as soon as possible after the event.

"While council has fines up to $400 for illegal dumping in a case like this, a district court judge can impose fines up to $200,000 or imprisonment for a up to 2 years under the Resource Management Act 1991. We hope that the public will supply us with information so that the offender can be identified and court action taken" Mrs Bennett added.

250 fewer rates rebate applications received

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +1200

Tuesday 30 June is the last day ratepayers have to apply for a rebate on their rates account. Despite tough economic times we have processed about 250 fewer applications for rebates than last year. In the 2007/2008 year 1871 properties received a rates rebate totalling $878,269.

"We are very keen for anyone who is eligible, to apply for the rebate" said Senior Rates Advisor Fiona Scragg. "I know many people are struggling to pay their rates. This is the best way to substantially reduce the amount that must be paid. I am concerned that people who have applied in the past think they don't have to apply each year. This is not the case. We have sent out 400 reminder letters to all who applied last year and haven't reapplied this year. We hope this will encourage people to bring in their application before 30 June."

The rates rebate is paid by the Department of Internal Affairs and gives low income ratepayers a reduction off their annual rates of up to $530. The rebate must be claimed during the current rating year so after 30 June anyone who hasn't applied will miss out for this year.

Anyone on a low income or government benefit can apply if they are living at the property. The actual amount received depends on your income, rates and number of dependants.

"This rating year (2008/2009) we have granted rate rebates totalling $807,992. We are still down 250 rebates. All ratepayers need to do is bring in accurate details of their income to customer services in Fitzherbert St or Te Puia Springs. Customer service staff can help applicants complete the form" Mrs Scragg added.

Likely delay for learn-to-swim pool

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +1200

Council is committed to providing a learn-to-swim pool as part of the wider Olympic Pool complex. However, issues raised after the submissions hearing to the council's Draft Ten Year Plan may delay the start of this project.

The draft plan proposes that the building of a learn-to-swim pool commence in the next financial year. This was included after consultation with Comet Swimming Club highlighted their preference for an 'all in one' facility. However further discussions with the club's officials highlighted the need to further investigate the options, cost and funding, to ensure the most suitable pool is built.

The Finance and Monitoring Committee considered the developments informally last week. It has asked staff to put options to council for consideration at their June 25 meeting. The likely outcome of this will be that the learn-to-swim pool will be rolled into the complete pool complex redevelopment.

Chief Executive Lindsay McKenzie confirms council is committed to a learn-to-swim pool. 'We are not backing away from building this pool but it makes sense to delay this decision until the swimming complex as a whole is scoped and developed. Council is reliant on working with funding partners to make this happen. It is best to only make one, comprehensive approach to funders".

"Developing the pool complex as a whole will ensure that all pool facilities are well integrated and that economies of scale are achieved. It will also minimise the amount of disruption regular pool users will face when development starts" Mr McKenzie added.

The pool redevelopment is planned for 2014. The delay will mean that Comet continue to use the Elgin School pool for its learn-to-swim programme.

It will allow time for the relationship between the club and the council to be formalised it that is the best way forward.

Cost estimates for the learn-to-swim pool development vary widely and need to be refined. Council budgeted $100, 000 to be spent in the next year. The balance would need to be fundraised and this would need full support from the swimming community.

Use for recycled wastewater will be economic in time

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +1200

Using recycled wastewater for uses such as producing concrete, irrigating sports fields and flushing public toilets may be economical at some stage in the future if demand for drinking quality water continues to rise.

Project manager for the Gisborne Wastewater Project Peter McConnell says the cost of treating recycled wastewater to a higher level for use in industry and public sports fields and toilets may decrease as technology improves. The cost of producing water of drinking standard will increase, he says, if more water is required and treatment standards are increased.

"A tipping point will see it more economical to use the treated wastewater in some processes, and for that reason, the Alternative Use and Disposal research being undertaken as a wastewater resource consent condition has to be a continuous process." Mr McConnell told the Wastewater Management Committee today (Thursday).

Research to date shows that potential volumes required are just a small portion of the total output of the biological trickling filter plant. If the effluent was drawn off after the ultraviolet disinfection, it would require some form of filtration.

"Very preliminary capital costs for the additional treatment and reticulation to the users could be up to $2.5m. Preliminary operating costs could be up to $120,000 a year which for the volume identified is a production cost of $2 a cubic metre. At this stage, this does not compete with potable water at $0.80 a cubic metre."

Mr McConnell said that once the treatment plant was operating, council would be in a position to undertake filtration trials alongside the biotransformation study.

"This will help us determine more accurately the type of filtration equipment needed and likely costs for recycled effluent from the biological trickling filter plant.

"The basic work to date, undertaken over summer by an engineering student, will be refined over time and we will learn more as we proceed.

Already achieving wastewater reduction

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +1200

Great progress has been made in reducing the amount of ground and surface water getting into Gisborne city's wastewater system.

Wastewater project manager Peter McConnell told the Wastewater Management Committee today that the inflow and infiltration project run by council's utilities division will reduce flows to the new wastewater treatment plant into the future.

Developing appropriate educational information to encourage reductions in household and industry wastewater is a function of the Wastewater Management Committee as part of council's wastewater consents.

Mr McConnell said that while the committee had not undertaken any specific publicity work on the issue, the utilities division had actively reduced domestic wastewater through its infiltration reduction programme.

"In the near future, the Wastewater Management Committee will be more actively involved in developing educational information aimed at reducing inflows to the wastewater treatment plant with the long-term aim of reducing energy consumption.

"The inflow and infiltration programme is making good progress in reducing ground and surface water getting into the sewer network. Although there is no active programme yet to reduce water use in domestic dwellings, the building code promotes water saving devices, now mandatory in all new dwellings.

"Council's utilities division also has a project which is expected to reduce use of water over time by reducing pressure in areas where water pressure is higher than necessary."

The trade waste consent compliance process encourages industry to reduce its wastewater.

"Industrial users now have to produce a water and wastewater management plan with the aim of reducing trade waste flows over time. The proposed increase in trade waste charges from $0.011 to $0.30 has given industry a strong incentive to reduce water usage."

He expected the utilities division to become more active in promoting the wise use of water over time, given the cost involved in increasing water storage in the collection catchment.

"The wastewater treatment plant will consume a lot of electricity so will become more important to have the wise use of water and reduce the volume of wastewater entering the system. The less wastewater to be treated, the less electricity needed and the lower the running cost."

"Yes" to city's wastewater treatment plans

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +1200

Gisborne District Council has gained resource consent approval to build the city's wastewater treatment plant on land it owns in Banks Street. The discharge consents remain for a period of 35 years from 2007, when the existing consent was granted.

Consents have been granted to vary the conditions of existing consents, enable the treatment plant to be built on the Banks Street site and to discharge contaminants from the proposed plant to air.

In a decision released Thursday 18 June, the panel of independent commissioners chaired by Alan Watson granted all applications. The decision was made after a 2 day hearing in mid-May that included hearing evidence from a variety of experts and considering the 10 submissions received.

Both the applicant, the council's engineering and works department, and the submitters have 15 days in which to appeal the decision to the Environment Court.

Included in the comprehensive suite of conditions are the requirements to form a wastewater technical advisory group; prepare and implement an environmental management plan and construction management plan; provide landscaping in the first season after construction; and restrict noise to defined levels.

The commissioners found that the applications were consistent with the purpose of the Resource Management Act 1991. Potential adverse effects of operating a wastewater plant at Banks Street had been considered and addressed.

"There are also notable beneficial effects because the treatment plant will substantially improve the wastewater discharge, provide a resource for future generations and function as part of the overall wastewater treatment scheme that is acting to address the wide-level, community concern with the discharge of milliscreened wastewater into Poverty Bay.

"These proposals will enable people to provide for their social, economic, and cultural wellbeing, and for their health and safety by the provision of a wastewater treatment scheme designed to service the community and future population and economic growth of Gisborne.

"The applicant has sought to recognise and provide for the interests of Māori in these respects through the consultation process and a process that sees it committed to on-going investigations and technological improvements with a view to the eventual cessation of the discharge to sea."

Environment and planning manager Hans van Kregten, says the result was an excellent example of the community and the unitary authority working together to achieve a pragmatic, considered outcome.

Refining detailed design of wastewater treatment plant

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +1200

It's getting down to the nitty gritty as the detailed design of Gisborne city's wastewater treatment plant and industrial separation scheme nears completion.

Project director Peter McConnell reported to council's Wastewater Management Committee this week that the detailed design needed to be finished by early next month in time for tender documents to be released late July or early August.

He said a workshop with CH2M Beca staff in Auckland was extremely valuable as a team of engineers and others went step-by-step through the design and each part of the operational process from pump stations and the treatment plant through to the outfall pump.

"We discussed if we could do things in a different way, and what would happen if something broke. You never get the first-cut design 100 percent correct, so what came out of the workshop was very valuable."

The workshop considered questions such as what would happen in the unlikely event of a total systems failure affecting the outfall pump station. This would be addressed by installing a coupling for hooking up to a mobile pump and bypassing the main pump until it was fixed.

"This approach hopefully eliminates any surprises at the construction and commissioning stages. However, contractors will often look at things from a different angle than the design engineers, and may suggest different options."

Meanwhile, the Registrations of Interest closed this week with 13 companies expressing an interest in the 2 work packages - construction of a new wastewater treatment plant at Banks Street and the separation of industrial wastewater.

"The companies are all very good - all the major players are there, and minor companies are also good and specialists in their field."

The new plant will use a biological trickling filter system to screen and treat Gisborne's wastewater to a higher standard before being discharged through an existing outfall pipe reaching 1.8km out to sea.

Fair Go accolades for our mobility car parks

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +1200

Painting our mobility car parks a very noticeable vivid blue has proved a deterrent to able-bodied motorists. The initiative is receiving national accolades.

The number of infringement fines issued to people parking in mobility car parks is nearly 40% down on the 6 months before the parks were painted. Parking wardens are reporting less abuse of the parks and this is resulting in less tickets being issued.

An item on television programme Fair Go earlier this month highlighted the extent of mobility car park abuse. Peter Wilson from CCS Disability Action says their research shows New Zealanders are the worst in the world at poaching the disability parks. The story prompted a lot of feedback and photos from viewers complaining about the problem. The only exception was the proactive approach in Gisborne. "Gisborne District Council has painted its spaces a spectacular blue colour. So far it's the only council in the country to have done so, and it's had a dramatic effect. We think that's brilliant, and we challenge all other councils in the country to do the same, and go blue" Fair Go's Gordon Harcourt reported.

Council worked with a Disability Reference group in Gisborne to assist in the drafting their Disability Strategy. Feedback from users highlighted the need to stem the abuse of mobility car parks. Consequently a programme to paint all mobility car parks blue was completed in 2008. This initiative was recognised late last year by CCS Disability Action. They presented council with an award for their 'outstanding commitment to making mobility parking spaces highly visible across the city'. Since then other council's have expressed an interest in 'painting their town blue' and the colour is now recognised as a New Zealand standard colour for mobility car parks.

Heavy rain damages road at Anaura Bay

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +1200

Heavy rain earlier this month has caused major damage to the road above Anaura Bay that leads to Nuhiti (Shark Bay).

A 40 metre section of the road has dropped by 1.5 metres. Road users are advised that the road is restricted to light vehicles with a maximum weight of 1.5 tonnes only. Extreme care is needed when using this section of road.

Council contractors are using a lightweight digger to reinstate single-lane access to the settlement. Repair works are expected to cost $3000 and will restore access to Nuhiti Station and the baches which rely on the road for access to the settlement.

This is not the first time the road has been adversely affected by a weather event. Heavy rainfall and flooding last June caused severe damage to the road making it inaccessible for several months. The road was repaired by retreating, or digging into, the neighbouring hill at a cost of $50,000. Fortunately this work is currently holding and some rock protection works will be undertaken in summer.

An update of the situation was presented to the Engineering and Works Committee last week. It considered what options are available should the road be damaged further.

These included retreating or digging further into the hill. However there is limited capacity to continue to do this. Alternatively the road could be abandoned or a complete realignment undertaken which could cost $600k. Due to low traffic volumes, this last option would not meet the economic criteria for subsidy assistance. Costs of any realignment, if considered, will have to be met by council.

Rate increase down to 3% after listening to our community

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +1200

Council finalised its road-map for the next 10 years today. After listening to community concerns about rating levels, and mindful of the economic downturn, council has looked for further reductions.

The Draft Ten Year Plan required a $2.9M million or 7% increase in overall rates for the 2010 year. Changes made to the plan after community consultation, receiving submissions and the hearing process has resulted in a final plan that requires a $1.4M or 3.3% increase in overall rates.

Feedback formally and informally at the various community and stakeholder meetings has genuinely influenced the priorities and projects in the adopted plan. The reduction in rate increase has been achieved by removing some projects, halving the wastewater capital rate and reducing operating costs.

Major projects that were not well supported include the reticulation of Makaraka, universal water metering and a mobile library service. These projects have been removed. The Waipaoa river flood protection scheme upgrade has been included in the final plan even though it was not in the draft and the variation of rates between different types of properties and locations has been smoothed.

Some major projects that received good community support will be fast tracked including walking and cycleway extensions, the redevelopment of the inner harbour and the War Memorial Theatre upgrade. The multipurpose recreational facility and Olympic Pool was also well supported but the learn-to-swim pool development will be delayed until 2015 and included with the upgrade of the complex as a whole.

Despite the economic constraints, the Ten Year Plan retains Council's commitment to achieving a positive vision for the district. There are no major reductions in the levels of service that the council provides to the community and in a number of areas significant enhancements are programmed.

Council's financial strategy reflects its awareness of the economic downturn and rates affordability whilst being poised to respond to any upturn in the economy. This balance has been achieved by prioritising capital expenditure that is essential to the functioning of the community, and that council is committed to. Capital projects that attract external funding have also been given a higher priority. Projects which improve community infrastructure have been pushed back until the community is better placed to fund them. Council staff have committed to reducing operating costs by $1M and employee benefits will not be indexed to inflation in the next year.

A further 180mm of rain predicted

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +1200

A severe weather warning is in place for the Gisborne district. 100mm of rain has already fallen in the district. From 9am Monday morning till midnight Tuesday a further 180mm is predicted to fall on the Gisborne ranges with heavy falls from midnight tonight. This rain is likely to remain on the surface as the district is already sodden. Some downfalls of between 15-20 mls per hour are expected.

Rivers peaked at midday today and will recede until high tide at midnight tonight. If the heavy rain continues as predicted rivers are likely to rise further before peaking at around midday on Wednesday. At this stage they are expected to cope with this quantity of rain although residents in low lying areas should expect surface flooding.

Council and Emergency Services have been briefed and will be monitoring the situation closely. Flood wardens will be used to ensure affected people are kept informed should the situation deteriorate.

Several road closures have been reported including part of Pehiri Road at Tahunga which is completely under water. Monck Road in the Waimata Valley is impassable due to slips and caution is needed on Mata Road and Kaiaua Beach Road due to slips. Manders Road and Atkinson Street are closed and caution is required on Oswald Street, upper Riverside Road, Waimata Valley Road and Chichester Street. Road closure information is being updated on the road conditions webpage.

Customer services have been kept busy with service requests relating to stormwater and surface flooding. They have taken 108 requests since 8am today (Monday). These are currently being worked through. Te Wharau, Central and Tolaga Bay Area School closed today after surface flooding.

Our consultation impressed the audit office

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +1200

Council was congratulated on their robust consultation process at Thursday's council meeting. Ernst and Young partner Grant Taylor was appointed by Office of the Auditor General to audit council's Ten Year Plan at each stage from drafting to adoption.

Mr Taylor congratulated council on the processes it put in place and acknowledged the hard work of many staff members. "The plan has received a completely unqualified opinion at a time when expectations on councils and their planning processes have increased substantially. Not all councils have achieved this. It was pleasing to see that in the areas where there were problems last time you have made substantial improvements."

He believed that consulting with the community on the content of the Draft Ten Year Plan was a particularly robust process. "It was clear throughout that there was no predetermination of eventual outcomes. There was a genuine openness to change the plan based on feedback from the community and balanced by the need to control rating levels. This has been born out in the council debate and the final document."

"The level of openness was commendable. This was demonstrated by putting summaries of feedback onto the website along with a collation of all the submissions received. Your communities had access to much of the information that councilors had to make their decisions."

"The community appears to be in the know about the processes. On my way from the airport today I was impressed to learn that my taxi driver was particularly well informed. He had been involved in the submission process, had attended a hearing and knew a decision on the plan was being made today." Mr Taylor recounted.

Mayor Meng Foon replied to Mr Taylor's comments "This has been a good process. Our staff have done a tremendous job on all aspects of the Ten Year Plan and are to be congratulated for their efforts, The bit I really enjoy is the consultation. Going out into all our townships and communities and attending meetings of so many groups has been a valuable opportunity to really listen to our peoples concerns. It was important to see those concerns reflected in our final plan"

There were 2 other aspects of the process that Mr Taylor found particularly pleasing; implementation of the corporate plan software and the clarity of the council documents and papers.

"Implementation of the corporate plan module software was effective because the process was started early and bedding in of this new system was professionally managed. Many councils I deal with have tried to implement this system but have not been so successful."

Mr Taylor found the documents prepared by council staff and presented to both the community and council clearly articulated the issues facing the community, what options were available and what the cost to ratepayers would be.

Many new initiatives were trialed to encourage community engagement with the draft plan. This resulted in over 400 submissions of which more than 60 spoke in front of council. The new initiatives included:

Pre-consultation with affected parties on major projects.
Booklet style summary of the plan and its major projects delivered to every home in the district and to out-of-district ratepayers.
The draft plan, a summary of the plan and copies of all submissions available on our website.
An online submission form which generated 150 submissions.
Regular media releases informing communities about major issues and projects.
Taking the information to the people - not just the 21 formal public meetings but attending the farmer's market and attending over 17 stakeholder meetings.

Flood situation update at 12.30pm

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +1200

About 500 people at Te Karaka north-west of Gisborne are expected to be isolated tonight. The rising Waipaoa River at Te Karaka, which is expected to reach 9.5 metres by this evening, is expected to cut off the 2 access roads into Te Karaka.

Gisborne Police, which is working with Civil Defence and Fire Service personnel, stresses that there is currently no danger to houses or people in the area. However, the advice for residents is that if they wish to get out of the area, they should do so before 4pm.

North of Tolaga Bay, the Mangatuna village, comprising 9 people, was expected to be evacuated before midday. The Hikuwai River reached 10m by mid-morning and was rising.

School children on the Te Karaka side of the Waipaoa River were being bussed back home this morning after a short stint at school. There is no threat to the Waipaoa Bridge.

Civil Defence controller Jon Davies advises people not to drive around the city looking at the flooding.

"This weather system is expected to continue until Wednesday afternoon with further rainfall predicted of 150 - 200mm in that time. Emergency services and Civil Defence are closely monitoring river levels and road closures.

"The expected road closures on either side of Te Karaka could isolate the area tonight and leave it isolated for up to at least 12 hours. As a precautionary measure, we have also evacuated the people from Mangatuna."

Mangatuna has been the victim of past flooding in 2005 and is also where 3 people died in floodwaters during Cyclone Bola.

"The rain is expected to create a number of road closures through slips and flooding and areas of surface flooding over the next few days.

"For Te Karaka workers in town, they may only have until late afternoon to get back to Te Karaka or arrange alternative accommodation."

In the city, while the Taruheru and Waimata rivers continue to remain high, there are no concerns about flooding,

Slips and flooding have closed several roads in the area.

A Civil Defence emergency has not been declared at this stage.

For information on road closures

For information on river levels

Situation update at 2.30pm

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +1200

River levels throughout the district are running at a high level. High tide was at 12.30pm in Gisborne. The Taruheru River, which runs through the city, has recently overflowed its banks. This poses no threat to the city at this stage.

North of Gisborne the road into Anarua Bay is closed and at Kaiaua part of the road has fallen away. Two households are cut off. Civil Defence is in contact with the occupants.
At Te Puia Springs, where flood waters have come across the road at Fairlies Bridge, caution is required.
North of Tolaga Bay, 9 residents of the Mangatuna village have been evacuated.
A warning has been issued to residents at Te Karaka. They may be isolated overnight, however there is no threat to residents or homes.

Heavy rain continues to fall as forecast by the MetService. Rivers are running high and are being closely monitored; in particular the Waipaoa and the Hikawai.

Low lying areas are likely to experiencing flooding and most rural and some city schools have been closed. District flood wardens are maintaining contact with those affected by flood waters.

We are updating the river levels Check river level information

Please drive with caution on the roads Check road condition information

Residents leave home as floodwaters rise

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +1200

Update at 5.15pm. Several settlements in the Gisborne district were expected to be isolated by this evening as river levels continued to rise in the district. Up to 80 people are expected to be evacuated from small settlements north of Tolaga Bay as the Hikuwai River is close to overflowing its banks.

Several dozen Te Karaka residents have opted to leave their homes tonight but most of the 500 residents were likely to stay at home in the knowledge that their township could be isolated. The rising Waipaoa River was expected to cut off the 2 access roads into the township later this evening.

State Highway 35 between Te Araroa and Gisborne is open only to urgent travel, but is closed between Tolaga Bay and Tokomaru Bay.
State Highway 2 at Te Karaka currently remains open.

North of Tolaga Bay, the Hikuwai River had reached 11.4 metres by mid-afternoon and about 100 residents at Wharekaka, Paroa and the Mangaheia Flats were in the process of being evacuated.

The Hikuwai overflows its banks at about 12 metres. The area had received about 90mm of rain in the 12 hours to 3pm, and rain continues to fall heavily throughout the district.

Earlier in the day 9 residents from Mangatuna, north of Tolaga Bay were evacuated.

The settlements of Anaura Bay, Nuhiti and Kaiaua - all north of Tolaga Bay - were cut-off due to flooding this afternoon. North of Tokomaru Bay, floodwaters came close to closing State Highway 35.

A warning was issued to residents at Te Karaka this morning but there is no current threat to residents or homes. The river was predicted to reach 9.5 metres by this evening.

Gisborne Police, which is working with Civil Defence and Fire Service personnel, stresses that there is currently no danger to houses or people in the area.

River levels throughout the district were also running at a high level around high tide at 12.30pm. The Taruheru River, which runs through the city, overflowed its banks but this poses no threat to the city at this stage. However, one family was evacuated from a city residence next to the Taruheru River and will spend the night in a motel.

Residents living beside the Waimata and Taruheru rivers, who have historically been affected by flooding, were being notified of rising floodwaters this evening. The Waimata River was sitting at just under 7m tonight. If it reaches 10m, about 40 houses could be affected.

Gisborne Police area commander Inspector Sam Aberahama said the situation is under control. However, he urged people to stay at home and not to go sightseeing.

Emergency services and Civil Defence are closely monitoring river levels and road closures. A Civil Defence emergency has not been declared at this stage.

Residents free to go home

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +1200

The several dozen people evacuated from Tolaga Bay late yesterday in the wake of the rising Hikuwai River are expected to return to their homes today.

The Hikuwai came close to overflowing its banks, peaking at close to 12 metres last night but had reduced to under 8.45 metres by 7am this morning.

Rivers have receded around the district with less than the expected rainfall received over night. The highest rainfall in the few days since midnight Saturday was received In the Te Puia area where 420mm fell.

At Te Karaka, about 30 people chose to stay away from their homes last night. The Waipaoa River peaked at Kanakanaia at just under 7 metres last night but had receded by this morning to 6.25 metres.

Civil Defence controller Jon Davies said that nearly 300mm of rain had fallen on the Gisborne Flats, and probably more than 260mm in the city since midnight Saturday.

"This is a high total for the city considering which in Cyclone Bola in 1988 received between 300-400mm."

Gisborne District Council chief executive Lindsay McKenzie said this morning that he was generally pleased with the way the city's infrastructure had coped with the rainfall event.

"We don't design for these events. It's not cost effective. What you're seeing is what you would expect to see in such an event. We have had at least 260mm in the city, which I understand from the records is a high total for the city for a relatively short duration."

Residents of Anaura Bay and Nuhiti are expected to remain isolated this morning as a result of floodwaters, and two families at Kaiaua are unable to get out due to a slip.

State Highway 35 remains physically closed due to slips.

Jon Davies praised the good work put in by the Civil Defence teams at Tolaga Bay and Te Karaka particularly, as well as the Police, Fire Service and volunteers. "Road contractors have also done a tremendous job keeping the highways open. The region has held up well. But extreme care still needs to be taken on the roads."

Further information on road closures and river levels is available here

State Highway 35 restricted access

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +1200

SH 35 is expected to remain physically closed for the rest of the day.

The highway is closed due to subsidence on Busbys Hill, just south of Tokomaru Bay, and at Gudgeons Hill between Tikitiki and Tokomaru Bay.

Gisborne Police advise that once the Gudgeons Hill subsidence is repaired, possibly later today, anyone needing to travel to Tokomaru Bay and townships north will need to take the alternative route via Opotiki.

Check road conditon updates

Sports grounds remain closed

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +1200

All city and Wainui sports grounds are closed for training and play until further notice. A reassessment of all sports grounds will be made on Friday morning. The sports fields include:

Anzac Park
Awapuni Sports Stadium
Barry Park
Childers Road Reserve
Harry Barker Reserve
Heath Johnston Park
Nelson Park
Oval
Waikirikiri Reserve
Wainui Reserve
Watson Park
Patutahi soccer field

"Ground Closed" means that no access is permitted onto the sports fields on that ground. There can be no sports games, matches, practice or training. This also includes other recreational activities such as running, walking your dog, hitting a golf ball etc.

Roads will take some time to repair

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +1200

Our district's roads have been hard hit by this week's rain. A large number of potholes have appeared throughout the city where water has got through the road surface onto already saturated ground. Roading contractors are busy making temporary repairs to the potholes, clearing culverts and removing slip materials. Permanent repairs will only be possible when the weather improves.

Extra caution is required on all district roads while repairs are made and road surfaces are slippery. This may take some time.

The district's rural community is hardest hit with slips reducing some roads to one lane. The slips will take several weeks to clear. It is important that drivers take notice of temporary road signs and instructions given by the on-site traffic controllers.

It is unclear at this stage how many of the district's 350 bridges have been affected by rising flood waters. All will require a visual inspection to ensure the bridge approaches are not damaged. This will only be possible once the waters recede. Council may restrict heavy vehicles or speeds on some bridges until the inspections are completed.

Council roading engineers are still inspecting the 1800 km roading network. At this stage the initial repair bill is estimated to be $650,000k. Council will be applying for an emergency work subsidy from New Zealand Transport Agency.

Gisborne District Council's land transport manager Dave Hadfield is pleased how well the roading network has held up. "We have received a significant amount of rain and rivers have been at capacity. Considering this, damage to our roading network could have been significantly worse."

Detour offered to get around Busby's Hill

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +1200

An alternative route between Gisborne and Tokomaru Bay north has been opened up for road users. State Highway 35 remains closed after significant road subsidence at Busby's Hill. Council staff have prioritised clearing slips on Mata, Tuakau and Ihungia roads to provide a loop around the hill. The loop is now open to light vehicles and small commercial trucks. It will add one hour to a journey up the coast but the only other alternative is via Opotiki.

Council land transport manager Dave Hadfield has only praise for the council contractors working on these roads. "They have been working hard to clear slips and provide access to our East Coast communities. We know how important it is that emergency vehicles and supplies can get through. The contractors are continuing to work on the loop so that it is open to all traffic by Friday afternoon"

Council has advised forestry companies that there may be an increase in road users who are not familiar with the area. The unsealed road has been signposted. Drivers must take care and drive to the conditions.

Some sports grounds remain closed

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +1200

The following grounds remain closed over the weekend:

Anzac Park soccer field
Nelson Park - No.1 & No.2 soccer fields
Oval No.1 rugby field
Waikirikiri Reserve No.1 rugby field
Wainui Reserve soccer field.

All other sports fields are open:

Awapuni Sports Stadium
Barry Park
Childers Road Reserve
Harry Barker Reserve
Heath Johnston Park
Oval No.2
Watson Park
Patutahi soccer field

When a ground is closed it means that no access is permitted onto the sports fields on that ground. There can be no sports games, matches, practice or training. This also includes other recreational activities such as running, walking your dog, hitting a golf ball etc.

Waikereru Bridge on Riverside Road has a speed restriction

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +1200

There is a major slump of the riverbank under the Waikereru Bridge, 10.4 km along Riverside Road.
A 10 km/h speed restriction is in place for light vehicles crossing the bridge.
Heavy vehicles greater than 3500kg gross are banned from using the bridge until further notice.
We will have contractors on-site as soon as possible to restore support to the bank under the bridge.

See a photo of the riverbank slump

SH35 at Busby's hill open to all vehicles

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 08:30:00 +1200

NZTA has opened SH35 at Busby's Hill to all vehicles from this morning, allowing heavy vehicles to now use the highway.

The NZTA opened one lane of the highway at Busby's Hill on Monday to light vehicles, ending a closure of nearly three weeks. All heavy vehicles are now able to use SH35, which remains open to one lane.

"This will be welcome news for the truckies who have been very patient over the last 3 weeks," says Acting State Highways Manager Mark Owen. "We appreciate the impact this closure has had on commercial vehicles and local industry, and this news will certainly bring them well-earned relief." "We'd like to thank our contractors and geotechnical engineers, who have worked tirelessly and made fantastic progress over the last few days to get Busby's Hill open to everyone."

Mr Owen says the opening of Busby's Hill to heavy vehicles was dependant on the ongoing condition of the highway, and heavy vehicles would be diverted back to the alternative route if the highway showed signs of deterioration. He says the NZTA is confident that the new temporary single lane road, with the extensive drainage installed, will reduce the short term risk of further closure, but are continuing to investigate long term solutions.

The NZTA reminds motorists to check www.highwayinfo.govt.nz for up-to-date information on highway conditions and closures.

The NZTA will continue to issue updates as developments arise.

2 sports grounds remain closed

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 08:00:00 +1200

Nelson Park No.1 and No.2 soccer fields are closed. All other GDC sports fields are open.

A reassessment of the grounds will be made on Friday morning.

Tairawhiti great rides proposal

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 08:00:00 +1200

A proposal to include Tairawhiti routes in the National Cycleway Project, and tap into the $50M that the government has allocated, has been presented to the Ministry of Tourism.

Put together by the Opotiki District Council and Gisborne District Council, the proposal seeks to develop two long distance bicycle routes including a sealed coastal route with relatively low traffic and an inland route over mainly unsealed roads. Both routes link Opotiki and Gisborne. The routes are very scenic and already used by cyclists. Because the area enjoys a mild climate both routes have the advantage that they can be used throughout the year.

The proposal has been developed in partnership between the two councils and input was provided by Tourism Eastland, the Gisborne based community Cycling Advisory Group and Wairoa District Council. Informal support for the proposals has also been received from the Department of Conservation, marae and Maori tourism operators.

The Councils are proposing that any National Cycleway Project Funds be used promote the routes by providing information boards, bike storage facilities and making them safer by undertaking safety works. An optional upgrade of the Pakihi Track in the Raukumara Ranges is also included.

According to Gisborne District Council environment and planning manager Hans van Kregten investment will better enable the routes link into New Zealand's emerging cycling networks and provide opportunities for tourism development in an area that has significant economic challenges. "We see the development opportunities particularly in areas of accommodation providers, restaurants, retail, bike hire and repairs and tour operators as well as the development of unique Tairawhiti cultural tourism products".

The coastal route has already received international recognition. Lonely Planet described the East Cape as offering the best coastal cycling the world in its book Cycling in NZ. It stated 'while there are many worthy contenders for that crown, this is a ride that unquestionably offers an abundance of outstanding coastal scenery'. The route follows the 330km of State Highway 35, around the East Cape. It takes in a wild coastline of rugged little bays, coves and backdrops of Mount Hikurangi and the Raukumara Ranges. The area is alive and rich in culture: riders pass about forty marae and will hear Maori spoken on the streets of the small coastal settlements.

The Eastland Traverse is an inland mountain bike route on mainly gravel roads through remote Eastland hill country farms and the historic bush-clad Old Motu Road. It provides an experience of New Zealand off the beaten track, as well as an insight to what New Zealand was once like. It takes advantage of existing back country roads with little traffic and brings visitors to less frequented corners of New Zealand's conservation estate.

Read our Great Rides Proposal

Last week to get a discount

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 09:00:00 +1200

All dogs must be registered from 12 weeks of age. If you haven't registered your dog or received an invoice, please contact customer service.

For a form and more information about dog registration

Stories of Tairāwhiti with Mayor Meng Foon

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 16:30:00 +1200

To celebrate Te wiki o te Reo (Māori Language Week) we are inviting the public to hear the stories of our region as told by Mayor Meng Foon. Using Google earth maps as a prompt, Meng will take participants on a flying visit throughout our diverse region recalling the stories he has heard during his time as Mayor. He will talk about the origins of Māori place names particular to the kaunihera a rohe.

"Born and bred in Gisborne I have heard a few stories. Over the last 9 years I have traveled extensively throughout our rohe listening to the whaikorero (speeches) of our people and our kaumatua (leaders). I have asked questions and like to remember the answers. Māori language is very descriptive and is based in storytelling. Many everyday aspects of life are described as metaphors. This makes for a good yarn.

"One story is about the rohe of Turaki. Captain Cook landed there and misheard the locals. He thought they were saying 'Tolaga' and hence Tolaga Bay was named. Many Māori now refer to the area as Uawa - the joining of 2 rivers.

"Another name that is very pertinent to the council at the moment, and all those who rely on State Highway 35, is Waiomatatini. Literally translated it means 'the place of many springs'. Perhaps if the engineers who originally mapped out the state highway through this area were aware of the translation they would have rethought where they put the road."

The one hour story tour will be held in te ruma kaunihera (council chambers) on Friday 31 July starting at 12 noon. All are welcome.

World tour to deter graffiti in Gisborne

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 14:30:00 +1200

German mural artist Marcus Berndt is taking Gisbornites on a tour of the world to beautify our city and deter graffiti. He is painting a mural on the toilet block in Churchill Park that depicts scenes from around the world. He is volunteering his time and talent because he has a 'crush on this medium'. "Spray cans are what I like to work with best. I enjoy bringing a bit of colour to functional grey areas' Mr Berndt said.

Council's community facilities manager Terry McMillian said Marcus's work is of a high standard and makes our open spaces more interesting. He is happy to volunteer his time and council is just providing the spray cans."

Originally from Dresden in Germany, Mr Berndt has been in New Zealand 4 years and Gisborne 12 months. "I used to do these murals at home but after my friend died a few years ago I stopped painting completely. I have only just recently started again and have now completed a mural on the train shed at the Adventure Playground and another couple at Sessions Bar. There are heaps of murals around my home town. Tagging and graffiti are reduced because of respect for the artists creating the murals.

The idea for this mural which wraps around the toilet block came from a song by a hip hop band back home called Massive Tones. Their lyrics say 'turn the globe and point your finger. Let your dreams inspire you'. Hopefully this mural will inspire people even if they can't afford a round-the-world airline ticket." Mr Berndt added

Appeal withdrawal clears way for wastewater treatment plant

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:00:00 +1200

Another hurdle on the path to building the city's new wastewater treatment plant has been resolved. The sole appeal against the Hearing Commissioners' go-ahead has been withdrawn.

Gisborne District Council engineering and works manager Peter Higgs said this morning that the outstanding appeal against the consent variations granted in May was resolved without having to be decided by the Environment Court.

"Council and the appellant have been able to negotiate and settle the issues raised. The result is that all parties, including those others involved in the consent process, will be able to work together in ensuring that the proposed treatment plant will produce an outcome that benefits all and meets the aspirations of everyone."

A key component of the project is to establish a technical advisory group to monitor the performance of the process and treatment of Gisborne's wastewater, including developing options for alternative use and disposal, and improving the water quality of Turanganui-a-Kiwa.

"This next milestone again shows how the community can work together and arrive at consensus. We all want a result that is Best for Gisborne," Mr Higgs said.

Tenders for the building of the wastewater treatment plant in Banks Street, and the industrial wastewater separation scheme are expected to be called for by the end of the month. The first physical work on the treatment plant is expected to start before the end of the year with a late 2010 date for its commissioning.

Website survey online

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 16:30:00 +1200

How can we improve our website? We want to make it easier to you to do business with us online. Please tell us what services, information or features we could include on our website to help you.

We're interested to know if you would pay your rates or any other services online by credit card - would that be helpful? What other services would help you if you could do them online?

We would really appreciate you taking a few minutes to fill in the survey form. Thank you.

Flooding in Inner Kaiti will be minimised

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 11:30:00 +1200

The streets of Inner Kaiti are less likely to flood when an upgrade of the stormwater pipes in this area is completed before Christmas. Council contractors are upgrading the stormwater system in Harris Street, Coleman Road, Tukura Road, Gardner Place and parts of Iranui Road. Open drains will be upsized or upgraded to piped drains and the pipes that currently cut through private property will be rerouted through council road reserve.

The need for this work was highlighted by a catchment study in 2006 by Opus consultants which included a survey of residents. After the upgrade is completed, the flooding and ponding that these streets have experienced after a period of heavy rain, will be minimised. Mayor Meng Foon is very supportive of this work. "It is core to improving water flows around this area that has had problems in the past."

Most of the street trees in the area will be unaffected and protected during the project works. The location of power, gas phone lines and street trees were taken into account when deciding where to put the stormwater pipes. However, because of costs and the inability to move some stormwater pipes, four of the fifty street trees will need to be removed. Some of these trees are getting close to the end of their life expectancy due to old age. All trees removed will be replaced.

Other trees are at risk because of their close proximity to the construction works. These trees will be pruned back and fenced off and contractors will make every effort to protect them.

Mark Randall, Director of ArborCare Tree Company has been through the area with council staff to advise on which trees should be removed. "The trees to be removed cannot be saved due to the requirements of the stormwater design. Irreparable damage would occur to their root systems that would also leave them unstable and a threat to public safety and property".

"The involvement of council's community facilities department and arborists well before the project starts has enabled alterations to the design of the pipeline route and protection of most of the trees. A number of trees that would have been scheduled for removal can now be retained. The actual tree work will commence this week and only take a couple of days. The erection and moving of the protective fencing will take place throughout the 3 month duration of the project."

Potential contractors briefed on wastewater project

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 16:00:00 +1200

More than 30 people representing 13 national and local companies took a first-hand look this week at the site of Gisborne's new wastewater treatment plant.

Gisborne District Council engineering and works manager Peter Higgs and wastewater project manager Peter McConnell briefed the group on the project, with support from CH2M engineering consultants Garry Macdonald and Roddy Copeland. The group was then taken by bus and a convoy of cars to view the Stanley Street milliscreening plant, the council-owned Banks Street site where the treatment plant is to be built, and the various industries that will form part of the industrial separation scheme.

Eleven companies had earlier registered an interest in building the wastewater treatment plant; 8 registered an interest in the industrial separation scheme.

Council staff had initially produced a shortlist of preferred contractors to be invited to submit tenders. But with the view to giving local contractors a chance to tender directly, council decided to let all registrations of interest go forward to the tender process.

Wastewater project director Garry Macdonald said the information day drew a good response with all interested parties attending.

"Each party was given a full set of 20 design drawings to help get them thinking about the methodology involved in the various parts of the project, and to help them line up the various subcontractors and suppliers that may be required." Mr Macdonald said.

Designed by CH2M Beca, the total wastewater project is estimated to be completed within a $45M budget, including escalation and risk costs.

Tender documents are expected to be issued by the end of August after which contractors will have 6 weeks to prepare tenders. Staff will then recommend one or 2 preferred tenderers to the full Council for a final decision either in late October or at a special meeting in early November.

The successful tenderer is expected to be notified by mid-November with work beginning before Christmas.

"We expect that the contractors will want to work through the Christmas period to get the project under way. We are still hopeful that the treatment plant will be commissioned by the end of 2010 as planned," Mr Macdonald said.

"The project is now fully consented to go ahead after the outstanding appeal against the consent variations granted in May was resolved earlier this month.

Minimising erosion by 'schools' beach access

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 15:30:00 +1200

Some work has been carried out recently by the Wairere Road beach access at Wainui commonly referred to as 'schools'.

When it rains heavily the car park and beach in this area is eroded. Council has installed 2 retention areas to slow the run-off of stormwater using natural processes. We think this is a better option than installing large pipes on the beach. The retention areas are designed to collect and hold stormwater when it rains heavily. During summer or dry periods the retention areas will remain empty. When the areas are at capacity the water that overflows will be wide, shallow, sheet-like and less likely to cause erosion.

While the retention areas were designed to drain quickly the heavy rain event in June occurred before the work was finished. Council is still developing the areas to ensure they drain efficiently with the least amount of damage to the beach.

Installing the retention areas has provided an opportunity to landscape this area. The plan is to plant a low natural barrier on both sides of the ponds using flaxes, aloe vera and salt resistant plants. The temporary fence will allow plants to establish and keep people away from the water. Towards the sea, spinafex and pingao (sand dune grasses) will be planted. Picnic tables and rubbish bins will be installed before summer. Wainui Beach School are supporting this project and hope you will join them at the community planting day on Sunday 30 August.

Mata Road closed to heavy vehicles

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 11:30:00 +1200

Only light vehicles can use Mata Road due to a drop out at RP16. Please check road conditions updates.

Keeping safe workshop for senior citizens

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 08:30:00 +1200

Gisborne's senior citizens learnt how to keep safe around the home at a workshop held at the Lawson Field Theatre on Thursday 20 August. Keeping safe emotionally was also covered in a presentation by Gisborne District Councillor Nona Gaskin. She discussed tools seniors can use to avoid family abuse or general bullying.

Other organisations that presented include Gisborne Police, NZ Fire Service, St Johns and Homeplus - who demonstrated their range of security doors and awnings to physically protect homes.

More than 125 people attended and with 90 registered prior to the day. Groups came from both Tokomaru and Tolaga Bay. According to council community development team leader Judy Livingston the workshop went really well. "Attendees asked a lot of questions of the various presenters challenging misconceptions around what services they offer. There was very positive feedback about the calibre of speakers and the way the day was arranged. The light lunch provided by the Country Womens Institute went down a treat.

All who attended went home with a booklet produced by council with the support of emergency services and other community agencies. The booklet includes additional information about preventing falls, civil defence and internet safety for seniors.

Community planting day at Wainui 'schools' beach access

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 09:00:00 +1200

Room 3 at Wainui Beach School will be out in force on Sunday 30 August helping to beautify their community. Working with council they will help plant a range of natives and beach hardy plants. They will be planted next to the beach access on Wairere Road commonly referred to as 'schools'. Members of the Wainui Beach community are invited to come and help them.

Wainui Beach School principal Nolian Andrew is supportive of the project. "Room 3 pupils have learnt a lot this year about how important it is to look after their environment and are very passionate about preserving habitats for future generations to enjoy. They are especially keen to help keep the beach a safe haven for native birds and animals. This is a great opportunity for the children to get involved and do something positive that will really benefit the community. They will help plant the trees and will carry through with the project watering and weeding until the plants are established'.

The plan is to plant a low natural barrier on both sides of the ponds using flaxes and salt resistant plants. A temporary fence has been erected to allow plants to establish and keep people away from the water. Towards the sea, spinafex and pingao (sand dune grasses) will be planted. Council will install picnic tables and rubbish bins before summer. The planting plan and plants have been supplied by Gisborne's Native Garden Nursery and funded by council.

There has been considerable interest in this area since work was carried out earlier this year. Council installed 2 retention areas with the aim of minimising beach erosion. "We are keen to manage stormwater naturally" said council stormwater engineer Joss Ruifrok. "When it rains heavily the car park and beach in this area is eroded. We installed the 2 retention areas to slow the run-off of stormwater using natural processes. We think this is a better option than installing large pipes on the beach. The retention areas are designed to collect and hold stormwater when it rains heavily. During summer or dry periods the retention areas will remain empty. When the areas are at capacity the water that overflows will be wide, shallow, sheet-like and less likely to cause erosion."

"The ponds are a work in progress" Mr Ruifrok added. "While the retention areas were designed to drain quickly, the heavy rain event in June occurred before the work was finished. Council is still developing the areas to ensure they drain efficiently with the least amount of damage to the beach. Installing the retention areas has provided an opportunity to landscape this area."

The community planting day is on Sunday 30 August 1pm at 'schools' beach access on Wairere Road. If it is wet the day will be postponed until the following Sunday 6 September.

Parking restricted around The Great Race

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 11:30:00 +1200

There will parking restrictions this weekend as Gisborne prepares for 'The Great Race". The course takes in the Marina and the 3 bridges - Peel St, Gladstone Road and William Petty. The course needs to be kept clear of all vehicles to ensure the safety of competitors. The race starts at 1pm on Saturday but the area will be coned-off to the public from early on Saturday morning with marshals ensuring that no one moves the cones to take up a park.

The only exception to the parking restriction will be outside the Gisborne District Council buildings in Fitzherbert Street. This is to enable people to attend the Farmers Market at the Army Hall car park. As 12 noon approaches cones will be placed to stop any further parking in the area as people leave.

Council parking team Leader Paul Stuart requests public cooperation to support this event. "The Great Race is a fund raising event to raise money to equip the rescue helicopter with night vision goggles. It can run safely with the support of the people of Gisborne. This includes patience when facing disruptions to Saturday morning parking. People should try and plan ahead now and be prepared to park a bit further away from their preferred parking spots."

Roads will remain open during the event with cones placed to provide lanes for vehicles and competitors over the route.

Download a map of The Great Race parking restrictions

World Parks Day

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +1200

World Parks Day will take place on Saturday 19 September. Activities and events will be happening around the globe to celebrate the importance of parks, and encourage people to get out there and enjoy their local park.

Locally, we hope to see large numbers of the community using parks on Saturday. De-Arne Sutherland, senior reserves planner says "in Gisborne we are fortunate to have neighbourhood parks within 400 metres of most homes in the city. Our community are frequent users of reserves and public open spaces, whether its to watch kids soccer in the weekends, walking their dog on the beach, or sitting by the river to eat your lunch. Parks and open space are great for our mental and physical well being. I'm planning on taking my family to the park on Saturday".

There are a number of parks and activities Gisborne people can enjoy if you want to contribute to World Parks Day. The Botanical Gardens is always a great place to visit, especially with the kids, walk or cycle along the new section of the river walkway, head up to Eastwoodhill Arboretum to see beautiful spring flowers, spend the afternoon at the Skate Park, or just hang out on your favourite patch of grass".

"World Parks Day is a good opportunity to get out in to the fresh air and enjoy some leisure time with family and friends, and just think, there will be millions of others around the globe doing exactly the same thing on Saturday 19 September for World Parks Day".

Rainfall and river level information online soon

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:30:00 +1200

From Wednesday you will be able to monitor rainfall levels, river levels and wind and air temperature on the website. The information will be updated automatically every hour so you can track the levels.

Since the launch of our redeveloped website in April, it has enabled us to add new features to our site. Next week the economic development website will be integrated with our website - look out for the business training calendar.

The next new feature to be added next month is the council and committee meetings calendar, this will include the full staff reports and minutes.

"Working with wetlands" guide available

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 10:00:00 +1200

Landowners responsible for areas of wetland can now pick up or download a guide written specifically for this region. It outlines how to develop and restore these environments and identifies what plants will grow well in this region and where they should be planted.

Wetlands are some of New Zealand's most diverse habitats. They're home to an amazing range of plants and animals, many of which are not found anywhere else in the world. They are also some of our most rare and at risk ecosystems.

In general terms any land that is permanently or frequently wet and supports a natural ecosystem of plants and animals adapted to wetland living is called a wetland.

Damp land without wetland plants, such as temporary ponds, low-lying land with patches of rushes, or temporary watercourses, are wetlands, that can be good places to restore or convert into a permanent wetland.

Conservation and restoration projects make a big difference. It's not difficult to create the right conditions for our intriguing wetland wildlife.

Gisborne District Council along with Hawke's Bay Regional Council, the Department of Conservation and Fish & Game NZ has produced a guide to help landowners create, develop or restore wetlands.

The guide contains useful information regarding wetlands and covers:

landscape values
cultural resources
increasing habitats for wildlife
hunting
problem, wet farm land
stabilising banks, store water and improving downstream water quality
community, school or farm projects.

For more information or to download a copy of "Working with wetlands"

Inner city resident's parking problem addressed

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 11:00:00 +1200

People who live in the central business district can now apply for a parking permit. With the permit residents can park their vehicle in 60 or 120 minute time restricted parks at any time of the day or night.

The permit does not cover parking in pay and display parks, metered areas or any 5, 10 and 30 minute time restricted parking areas. It applies to the area bounded by the Taruheru River, Turanganui River, Carnarvon Street and the Waikanae Stream.

Residents can apply for an annual permit for one vehicle. The permit will be issued against the registration number of that vehicle and must be displayed at all times.

Parking team leader Paul Stuart said this initiative is the result of a request from some inner city residents. "Where inner city residents can park has been a growing problem. We want to ensure there are adequate parking spaces for city businesses and their customers. Resident's permits are common in other cities. The scheme, which was developed in consultation with Heart of Gisborne, will mean that residents have options of where they can park without fear of getting a ticket. It also directs them away from the prime parking spaces favoured by retail customers".

For more information about the parking scheme and how to apply.

Rainfall and river levels now online

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 16:00:00 +1200

You can now check rainfall and river levels online. A summary report is available for all monitoring stations, or you can check sites individually using the map.

Here's the link for Environmental Monitoring

Register now for secondhand Sunday

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +1200

If you have any household items you no longer want, then register for secondhand Sunday. Secondhand Sunday is on Sunday 11 October 9am - 12noon. It's also an opportunity to pick up some items for free.

For more information and how to register

Tsunami warning issued for New Zealand

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 08:30:00 +1300

As a result of a 7.9 earthquake in Samoa, civil defence are closely monitoring the situation but do not expect any dramatic effect resulting from any wave that may be generated.

For updates please check civil defence status

Civil defence team happy tsumani threat taken seriously

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:30:00 +1300

Gisborne civil defence is happy with the response from local and East Coast residents to today's tsunami threat. While it never looked like there was a significant risk to local communities it was important that residents avoided beaches and took the threat seriously.

Gisborne District Council's group controller Jon Davies was initially informed of a tsunami warning at 7.40am by the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management (MCDEM). The emergency response team were called together by 8.15am. Once the situation was clarified civil defence coordinators in coastal townships were activated and local radio stations informed of the situation.

Warnings were given to people in low lying coastal areas for self evacuation as a further precaution. These people were contacted manually by police, fire and civil defence personnel and many choose to move to higher ground. Initial reports indicated a one metre wave was expected at East Cape from approximately 9.20am. Radio stations directed their listeners to stay off the beaches and avoid using small boats. At no stage was a significant risk identified.

Feedback from the radio stations and volunteers was that people were confused about what they were hearing on national television and radio. Mr Davies said it is important that people listen to local radio stations as their primary source of information. "In situations like this there will always be different messages flying around. Official civil defence messages are sent to our local radio stations. This can take a little time as we need to clarify our information and ensure it matches what is coming through from official agencies. This was an international event and so information on the status of the event is notified by MCDEM. Information from GeoNet, who use seismic sensors to track tsunami waves, is also taken into account.

"Residents who took preventative action by going to higher ground is commendable but people should become aware of whether they are in potential hazard area or not. Those that are not in hazard areas do not need to move," Mr Davies added. Evacuation plans and potential hazard areas are available on our website www.gdc.govt.nz/tsunami-evacuation-maps/

The Potential Threat Advisory remains in place. MCDEM is assessing information further with the assistance of scientific advisors. Tsunami wave activity is still being recorded at East Cape, with smaller wave activity is also being recorded at Gisborne. There is now a low possibility of waves higher than those recorded up to now. There is still an ongoing threat of strong currents affecting coastal areas. People should remain clear of beaches and refrain from boating activities.

Read updates

No parking at night on Peel Street blue lines

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 11:30:00 +1300

Look out for the broken bright blue lines painted on the road in Peel Street. They indicate the clearway that is now in place in Peel Street between Gladstone Road and Childers Road. Any vehicle parked in the clearway between 11pm and 5am Monday to Sunday, will get a $60 fine. Any unoccupied vehicle will be issued a ticket and then towed from the area and placed in storage. The owner of the vehicle then has to make arrangements with the towage firm to get their car back. This is over and above the $60 fine. Signs have been erected and police will be reminding drivers about the clearway. After a short trial period, police will be issuing infringement fines from Sunday 18 October.

A joint initiative between Gisborne police, council and Heart of Gisborne, the clearway will help police deal with late night fighting and other disorderly behavior in this area. "Over the last few months police have been cordoning off both sides of Peel Street at night and this has been effective," said Sergeant Isaac Ngatai. "The rate of disorder offences and breaches of the liquor ban has dropped significantly. Cordoning off the street involves erecting bollards and using police security tape which is time consuming for busy police officers and makes the street look like a crime scene. Restricting cars in the area means people can't hide alcohol, stops loitering long after closing time and restricts the number of "hiding places" for trouble makers."

"There is strong support for the initiative from Heart of Gisborne, nearby retailers and businesses that are open at night in the area," said council engineering and works manager Peter Higgs. "The clearway system was chosen as it is a low impact, low cost approach that is flexible should the problem behavior move to another area. Council wants to work with the police to ensure the city is safe for residents and visitors at all times of the day and night. The clearway system makes it easier for police to do their job and keeps our city centre looking attractive and welcoming."

The clearway will be in place over the busy summer period and be reviewed in 6 months.

Read the public notice

Second-Hand Sunday this weekend

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +1300

If you have been spring cleaning, now is the perfect opportunity to get rid of your unwanted goods for free.

To be involved you just need to register with us before 5pm on Thursday 8 October and then put any unwanted goods out by your letterbox by 9am on Sunday morning, 11 October. To register, email your address

By registering, your address will go on the list that is advertised in the Gisborne Herald on Saturday night and on our website on the Second-Hand Sunday webpage. Treasure hunters use this list to find the participating addresses where they can sort through your rubbish. As Mayor Meng Foon says, "Second-Hand Sunday turns one mans junk into another man's treasure. If you don't want it, put it out by the letterbox so that someone else can use it. I am fully supportive of Second-Hand Sunday".

Environmental educator Anne Lister says that this is part of Gisborne's waste minimisation programme. "Reusing is so much better than landfilling. The twice yearly Second-Hand Sundays have become an institution in the city. Each time the day is held about 75 tonnes of potential waste is diverted from landfill".

Everyone in Gisborne can participate - either by putting out things they no longer want which are given away or by going around and collecting items from others. Some families choose to do both.

Dawn Smith-Martyn of Stout Street thinks Second-Hand Sunday is an absolutely brilliant idea! "We managed to dispose of heaps of stuff we had been trying to get rid of for ages! My children picked up some useful things including a dilapidated chest that my step-son spent ages sanding and fixing rather than watching TV or playing Playstation! We had lots of fun driving around; my daughter navigated us from one address to another. We had the excitement of not knowing what would be found from one place to another and we all gained a better knowledge of the streets of Gisborne."

To register email us your address

List of addresses for Second-Hand Sunday

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 09:30:00 +1300

Here is a list of addresses that registered for Second-Hand Sunday this Sunday between 9am to 12noon.

For the list and information on Second-Hand Sunday

Council in a strong financial position but affordability still the biggest issue

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:30:00 +1300

Staff reported to the finance and monitoring committee on council's performance measures in a new look Annual Report. "Council takes measuring its performance very seriously," said finance and monitoring chair Craig Bauld. "Every year we set targets and then do our very best to achieve those targets. How well we do is measured in a variety of ways including ticket sales, resident satisfaction surveys, customer feedback and environmental testing. Last year council met or almost met (within 5%) 78 of its 107 performance targets. Areas we did well in include reducing the amount of waste going to landfill, managing our water supply despite a dry summer and responding to animal complaints, hazardous spills and rural fire calls. We are happy with this result but will strive to improve things like the time taken to resolve service requests, time to process building consents and to improve the return to council from our business units," Mr Bauld said.

The annual report shows that council is in a strong financial position but rates affordability continues to be an issue. Net assets have increased slightly to $1.73 billion and debt has reduced to $18 million down from $24 million in 2008. The debt per person has fallen from $540 in 2008 to $408 this year. However debt is forecast to increase to $37.5 million in 2010 as council builds and pays for the wastewater treatment plant.

Capital expenditure for the year was $33.7 million including expenditure on roading of $17 million, water, wastewater and storm water of $4.4 million, a land purchase for the wastewater treatment plant of $2.5 million and other council buildings of $2.2 million. Rates are not the only way council was funded. Last year. More than half council's income came from other sources including grants and subsidies, interest, dividends and vested assets.

"Council should have collected about $1million more in rates last year to cover the wear and tear on council assets," said chief financial officer Mike Drummond. "However after taking into consideration additional income received, council shows an underlying operating deficit of $544,000."

The Annual Report also shows a significant accounting surplus of $18.2 million for the year compared with a budgeted accounting surplus of $8.19 million. Unfortunately this surplus can not be used to reduce rates. The main contributors to this increase are:

$11.63 million in grants and subsidies that were received for capital works but can not be used to pay for the day-to-day operation of Council.
The high number of subdivisions completed last year that resulted in $8.44 million worth of assets being transferred to Council ownership. These are recorded as Council income. These assets include roading, water, stormwater and wastewater networks.

The Annual Report is expected to receive an unqualified audit report and be available free from our website following adoption by council on Thursday 29 October.

Botanical Gardens playground upgrade

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:30:00 +1300

Families who enjoy using the Botanical Gardens playground will notice some changes taking place. Gisborne District Council is upgrading the play equipment, starting with an old set of swings that was removed last week. This two-seater swing has been replaced with a modern set that will have 3 seats.

As this playground is designed mainly for the under 12 year-olds, the new swings are not as high as the old set. A second set of swings will be installed next week. In total there will be 6 swing seats available replacing the previous 4.

A new 'Dippy Disc' and see-saw will also be installed soon. Other new equipment will be added over the next 2 years and some older items may be refurbished. Material from the old swings will be recycled and used elsewhere on reserves for fencing and gates. A sign has been erected at the entrance to the playground telling visitors about the upgrade.

This playground upgrade is following recommendations from the recently approved Botanical Gardens Management Plan. Feedback on the plan was requested in 2008 through a public submission process. A record 300 submissions were received. After considering this feedback, council approved the management plan in June this year.

Both the Waikanae Beach playground and the Adventure Playground are also having an upgrade with 2 new 5.5 metre high 'Vertigo Cone' climbing towers being installed. The under-surfacing for these is being installed this week and children will be able to play on them next week.

These and other council playgrounds are being upgraded to meet the New Zealand Playground Standard (NZS 5828:2004 Playground Equipment and Surfacing). Recent publicity suggested that splinters were the reason some play equipment was being replaced. In fact it is because there are safety issues with the old equipment. In many cases they do not conform to the current standard, some have unacceptable fall heights and some would no longer conform to building standards. Much of the old play equipment is around 40 years old and made from timber and metal components that are gradually deteriorating. This makes it hard and expensive for council to keep playgrounds safe. The upgrade programme is guided by the results of an independent 2006 audit carried out on all the district's council playgrounds.

Our district's under siege from pink flowers

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:00:00 +1300

Every spring our district's hillsides, roadsides and reserves turn pink as the invasive "holly leaved senecio" sometimes known as pink, or purple, ragwort takes hold on any spare land it can find. Holly leaved senecio is an aggressive garden escapee that forms a dense cover, reducing the productivity of land as it competes with pasture and other plants. The downy, parachute-like seeds are mostly wind dispersed but can also spread by people and contaminated machinery.

To help reduce or stop the spread of this plant, residents are asked to hand-pull individual plants on their property. According to Gisborne District Council pests and plants controller Phil Karaitiana it is preferable to get to the plants before they come into flower and while the ground is soft. The ideal time is after it has rained. "Deal with it before it flowers. If plants are in flower then remove flower heads and get rid of them. Don't add them to your compost heap. If you have a larger area of this plant then you will need to control it by using an approved herbicide."

The plants are highly visible at present in various parts of the Gisborne urban and some outlying rural areas. They are easily recognised from a distance by their brightly pink coloured flowers. It is an erect herbaceous plant with oval leaves that is coarsely toothed. It grows up to 1.5 metres tall and has purple, mauve or pink flowers in clusters with yellow centres. It flowers from September to December and gets established very quickly in its preferred habitats. They like waste land situations, hillsides, poor pasture areas, scrubland, and also along roadsides.

Council is not immune from the invasion. "Holly leaved senecio is growing on several council reserves," Mr Karaitiana said. "This was raised at October's Environment and Planning Committee meeting. A contractor has been engaged to spray the plants on council reserves however unfavourable weather conditions have delayed the programme. Spraying will start as weather permits."

Holly leaved senecio has been identified as a containment category plant pest in council's Regional Pest Management Strategy for the Gisborne region. Land occupiers with infestations are required to maintain a 20 metre boundary clearance from adjacent land that is free of this plant.

Tsunami risk public meetings

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:30:00 +1300

City and Wainui residents can find out about the tsunami risk. To find out where and when the meetings will be held, read the public notice.

Whataupoko trails a tribute to volunteers

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:30:00 +1300

Without the enthusiasm of Bernie Vette the popular Whataupoko park trails, used by hundreds of mountain bikers, walkers and runners each month, may not have been developed. Bernie has volunteered thousands of hours over the last 7 years to develop this area and has been the driving force behind getting other volunteers on board. "I saw an opportunity to create a great asset for the Gisborne community on this unused land. This was a project I could really get my teeth into and it has been very rewarding," said Mr Vette.

"The commitment of Murray and Trish Aitkens from Dirtworx has been an important part of getting things moving. They originally got involved cutting the Village Trail. This trail was sponsored by the Ballance Village shops and the Gisborne District Council," Mr Vette acknowledged. "Murray and Trish remained enthusiastic about the project and have worked on it for the past 6 years volunteering their time and machinery. We have also been ably assisted by Walter Gorza who has been my legs and Jenny Allen from the Council who has been very supportive getting our plans approved and sorting out any issues we have had. Council has also funded the more difficult work," Mr Vette added.

Whataupoko park (Langford Fallon reserve) was purchased by Gisborne District Council in 1991 and 1992, as the hillside had been unstable and threatened to slip onto the houses below in Seddon Crescent and Fox Street. The reserve was then planted in exotic trees which are now well established. When Council consulted with the community on what should happen with this new park in 2001, there was considerable support from the mountain biking community to establish mountain bike trials. Despite a group forming to make this happen, no work was started until 2003 when Mr Vette, along with a handful of volunteers, came on board.

"Bernie made a plan of the overall reserve and worked out where the trails would go," said Jenny Allen council reserves supervisor. "Working collaboratively with council, the first trails were developed. The trails have been made as interesting as the terrain will allow but managing water run off has been a big issue in this area. The trails had to be planned to meet the conditions set under the resource consent. Bernie has been aware of the requirements and worked to ensure they are met. Along with Murray, Trish and Walter countless man and machinery hours and have been volunteered to bring the trails to where they are today. It has been a real partnership. Council has grassed the surface of the trails to keep the park looking natural and so the trails can be mowed regularly. Waterproofing the trails and improving the drainage still continues. We are at a stage now where the tracks are dry 12 months of the year and the ponding that was an issue is largely resolved. We need the public's help to keep it that way,' said Mrs Allen.

It has been a satisfying project for the team of volunteers involved. "We get a lot of satisfaction seeing an area that was once farmland now transformed into a great community asset. There are lots of options for people to use the trails to get active. From the original one kilometre farm track, there are now 7 kilometres of trails. They are well known as mountain bike trails but in fact 90% of users walk the trails. Best of all it's right on our back door step, close to the central city," said Mr Vette.

"It has taken approximately one year to develop each trail. That puts into context just how much work is involved. What we ask from park users now is that they respect the work done and take care of the place. There have been instances where people have cut down trees and dug their own trails especially down the gully area. Apart from the fact that any further trails are not consented, what they don't understand is that the tracks have been designed to direct the flow of water away from the park. Digging other trails puts this in jeopardy and chopping down trees destabilises the hill. Our current work is planting 100 flaxes donated by council to stop the land slipping," Mr Vette added.

Here's a map of the trails

Annual Report highlights a busy year

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:00:00 +1300

Forty two million dollars was collected in rates last year in the Gisborne district. The Annual Report, which goes to Council this Thursday, outlines how residents benefitted from that investment. "Last year was about asking residents how they saw this district in 10 years time and what council should be working on," said Mayor Meng Foon. "After listening to feedback from many parts of the community we produced a Ten Year Plan and worked with organisations to decide what community outcomes we should all be working towards. These outcomes are a useful barometer of how council is performing. "A highlight for council was the progress made on the new wastewater treatment plant. In July 2008 we were looking at an $85M plant at the airport. Now we have consents to build a $45M plant in Banks Street. Building is expected to start in 2010 and the current milliscreening site near Midway Beach will soon be cleared" Mayor Foon added.

As a unitary authority Gisborne District Council is responsible for protecting the environment and building infrastructure for future generations. This must be balanced with providing for the needs of the district's current residents.

Protecting the environment involves working closely with landowners said environment and planning manager Hans van Kregten. "We have been working together to stabilise our hill country as part of the Sustainable Hill Country project. Council has provided advice on tree establishment plans and funding options. We also worked with the Tokomaru Bay community placing restrictions on coastal land use. We don't want landowners to build a house on "at risk' land only for it to be lost to sea. Other initiatives included producing a "Working with Wetlands" booklet to help landowners restore the ecology of their waterways and preventing rooks (crows) from establishing in the district. This will save our valuable seed crops and topsoil," Mr van Kregten added.

"The district's townships benefitted from council initiatives in the last year" said engineering and works manager Peter Higgs. "A key project has been working with 2 Ruatoria based trusts and government agencies to develop a whole of catchment plan for the Waiapu River. The initial focus is protecting Ruatoria from a major flood and the effects of erosion. We also built a new grandstand at Tokomaru Bay and installed a skate ramp at Patutahi Park as part of a community-led plan to develop the area. Te Araroa got its long awaited main street upgrade and the burn pit at Tikitiki was replaced with an environmentally-friendly transfer station."

"Keeping our roads open and accessible is always one of council's big expenditure items each year. We have more roads per head of population than any other district and 60% of them are unsealed. Despite challenges from heavy rain, 74 kilometres of roads were resealed, 16 kilometres improved and approximately 500 slips cleared including 150 major ones. Waimata Valley residents were pleased that 6 kilometres of the notoriously unstable Waimata Valley road was sealed. The inner harbour was cleared of logging trucks after the new Rakaiatane Road was built, opening up opportunities for further development in this area" Mr Higgs said.

"One of council's most popular projects last year was extending the city walkway along the Turanganui riverbank. The path was designed to accommodate cyclists and walkers together. Down by the Waikanae creek a large koru pattern has been incorporated into the paving and at Watties wharf, which is always popular for fishing, wooden decking and seating were installed. Further walkway developments are dependant on external funding Mr Higgs added.

Kerbside recycling tidy up

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 08:30:00 +1300

Our rubbish and recycling contractor AllBrites have been tightening up what they will accept in recycling bins. They are doing more sorting kerbside and only taking the items that council has contracted them to accept for recycling.

"In the past other items have been accepted to encourage Gisborne people to keep up the good work reducing the amount of rubbish going to landfill," said council environmental educator Anne Lister. "The amount Gisborne people recycle has continued to increase over the last couple of years but now the recycling collections are having a tidy up. Council has been alerted to some cases where the contractor has been overzealous with their sorting and leaving acceptable recycling behind. This is being rectified."

"However if residents put containers contaminated with food or items such as polystyrene, chippy packets, planter bags, shrink wrap and plastic toys they will be left in the bin. If a whole bin has been contaminated with broken glass, cigarette ash, disposable nappies and the like, AllBrites can leave behind all the contents," Mrs Lister added.

"It has always been a requirement that paper and cardboard are kept together, usually by putting it all in a plastic bag. It is difficult to sort if paper is scattered throughout the bin and sticking to things such as wet bottles. It is also timely to remind people in the lead up to Guy Fawkes that used fireworks are not recyclable even though they are made of cardboard. They all must be put in the rubbish."

There has been no change in the recycling contract council has with AllBrites. All paper, cardboard, milk cartons, plastic bottles and other clean food containers and bags can be put in the black bin. Clean glass jars, bottles, aluminium and tin cans will also be collected.

If you're not sure about what to put in the recycling bin, check our recycling webpage.
A fridge magnet will be delivered to all households in a couple of weeks so that people can use it as a checklist before putting their bin out.

Gisborne's marine oil spill team well prepared

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:00:00 +1300

A marine oil spill exercise planned by council took place by the Marina car park at the junction of the 3 rivers on Friday 30 October. Council's oil spill response team tested their capability and refined strategies to contain oil spills within the city's rivers.

The priority of the exercise was to stop any oil escaping into the Waimata or Taruheru River. Today's practical exercise follows a very successful desktop response scenario held on Thursday. This involved council staff, trained volunteers and Department of Conservation. The response was overseen by Maritime New Zealand staff who commended the group on their cohesive team work, quick thinking and leadership.

It was the first exercise lead by Louise Bennett. A senior environmental health officer with council, Louise is the second woman to be appointed as a Regional On Scene Commander in New Zealand but is the only woman to hold this position currently. Louise has been involved with council's pollution response team for the past 10 years, and was responsible for storage, collection and disposal of waste and sourcing temporary waste sites during the oil spill resulting from the grounding of the Jody F Millennium in 2002.

Mrs Bennett has completed practical exercises and exams critiqued by National On Scene Commanders (NOSC) from New Zealand and Australia. She will be responsible for controlling exercises and incidents here in Gisborne. Mrs Bennett appreciates the community support for these exercises. "Gisborne is lucky in that it has a very dedicated team. There are people here from the Rural Fire Service, NZ Police, Eastland Port Company and the Gisborne District Council. All have attended Maritime NZ training courses in Auckland. We are grateful to Ray Dever and the Department of Conservation for the use of their boats. We can also use the surf life saving IRBs and crew when they are available."

Bruce Anderson, General Manager Monitoring and Response from Maritime New Zealand congratulated the team on well run exercises. 'The team motivation and focus is commendable. Exercises are important to keep teams skilled and ready for the next oil spill. The Gisborne District Council is responsible for dealing with small and medium sized spills for which MaritimeNZ provides the equipment and training to support the Council. The Gisborne team responds to about six spills each year mainly in the inner harbour area. Training of staff and any cleanup costs are met by the Oil Pollution Fund however where possible costs of any spill response are met by the spiller."

Whales tidy up for summer

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:00:00 +1300

The "Whales' area at Okitu is to have a tidy up in time for summer. As part of the reserve management plan for this area council will be carrying out some work over the next month. This includes removing plant pests and exotic plants. They will be replaced with low-growing native plants such as flax.

The norfolk pines, which were the subject of a protest by some residents last year, will have some of their lower branches pruned to improve Moana Road sea views. The trees will not be removed during the life of the current 10 year reserve management plan.

Other changes include replacing the existing fence with bollards to exclude vehicles from parking on the graves. The heritage sign will be shifted from its current location alongside the highway where it poses a risk to traffic when cars stop on the verge to read it. The sign will be moved to face the northern car park area.

Council adopted a management plan for Lysnar and Wainui Beach Reserves in 2008. The community had an opportunity to make submissions on this plan before it was adopted. One of the areas identified as needing work was the iconic whales grave. Local hapu, Ngati Rakaiatane - Ngati Oneone, who were involved in the management plan process will also have the opportunity to plant and commemorate this site.

"Whales" is situated at the northern end of Wainui Beach, and was the site of a large sperm whale stranding in 1970. Tragically, 59 whales died. Those who lived at the beach at that time will vividly remember the day the whales became beached and unable to be saved. It was a significant day for the Wainui community.

For a copy of the Lysnar and Wainui Beach Reserves Management Plan.

Guy Fawkes bonfires

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:00:00 +1300

Bonfires will only be allowed on Midway beach from the Midway surf club to Pacific Street on Thursday 5 November only. Bonfires are not permitted on any other beach in our district.

You are reminded that fires are not permitted in the city or rural areas after dark, unless you have a permit issued by our Rural Fire Officer. If you wish to apply for a open air fire permit you must have the permit in your hand before you light the fire.

For more information about fire permits

Plan for Rere falls and rockslide

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +1300

Council recently gave approval to the preparation of a management plan for Rere falls and Rere rockslide.

We invite the public to make written suggestions, over the next month, about any concerns or issues you may have, or how you might like to see these places looked after in the future. "This phase of the management plan process is a great opportunity for me to find out who is interested in these reserves, what they consider important, as well as any concerns they may have about this process" says De-Arne Sutherland, senior reserves planner. These popular destinations are natural treasures. We need to look after these special places, as well as keeping them accessible for everyone to enjoy!

"Some of the issues I imagine council will be looking at through this process will be about how we provide car parking and other park facilities, such as toilets and picnic tables. The most important aspect will be providing for visitors while retaining the 'natural countryside aspect that is intrinsic to the appreciation of Rere falls and rockslide".

If you would like to make comments on the management of these areas please send them to council by 7 December 2009, or email service@gdc.govt.nz. Any questions please contact our Reserves Planner.

Successful tenderer has wide infrastructure experience

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 08:30:00 +1300

HEB Construction, the successful tenderer for the Gisborne Wastewater Project, is an award-winning, privately owned New Zealand civil engineering construction company.

Founded nearly 30 years ago in South Auckland, HEB operates from 9 regional branches undertaking wastewater infrastructure as well as roading, bridgeworks and intricate concrete structures.

It was responsible for the $4.7m upgrade to the Te Maunga wastewater treatment plant in Tauranga and for the Waikato Water pipeline, taking treated drinking water from the Waikato River to Auckland.

HEB chief executive Derrick Adams said this week that many of HEB’s resources would be redeployed from Napier to Gisborne once a major wharf development project for the Port of Napier was completed. “We expect most of the project management team to come from outside the region but intend to maximise our use of local suppliers and subcontractors.”

All go for $39.5 millon wastewater project

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:00:00 +1300

The upgrade of Gisborne’s wastewater system is about to begin, at a cost of $39.5m.

Council last week let more than $26m in tenders, the largest – $21m – to Auckland-based HEB Construction Ltd to build the new wastewater treatment plant at Banks Street and associated industrial separation scheme.

The total cost of the upgrade includes land, UV disinfection, equipment including the media for the biological trickling filter, and consultancy fees.

The project will be led out of Tauranga and use local suppliers and contractors where possible.

A separate contract of $1.1m was let to Downer EDI Works for the construction of the western industrial pipeline.

Mayor Meng Foon is delighted with the result and the robust process throughout.

“The prices are excellent. I thank all the tenderers, our staff, wastewater committee and CH2M Beca for coming up with such a wonderful result.

“We still plan to approach the Government for assistance, mainly for the industrial scheme components, expected to cost $6.5m.”

Engineering and works manager Peter Higgs was also pleased to see the project come in well under estimate.

“This great achievement, at half the original price of close to $84m, reflects the hard work put in by council and its advisers especially CH2M Beca. It also reflects how much work had gone into getting the detail right in the first place – the design and consultation with tangata whenua and interest groups – to reduce the risk to contractors as much as possible.”

The staff recommendation for HEB was based on price and specified attributes – financial backing, relevant experience, track record, technical resources and management skills.

“We appreciate the effort put in by all the tenderers and thank them for the high quality of tenders submitted.”

Banks Street site makes good sense financially

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:30:00 +1300

A ceremony will be held on Monday to mark the beginning of the Banks Street development where our largest project of recent time – the Gisborne city's wastewater treatment plant – will be built.

The site will house more than just the new plant. Existing buildings, including a large one used as a logging truck workshop, have been converted into space for council departments and 5 areas of warehouse and office space that will be leased commercially. The Banks Street site was occupied by Pacific Haulage until council purchased it in 2007.

Development of the site will result in significant cost savings for council. Council departments currently housed in leased premises in Awapuni Road will be moved to Banks Street saving $60,000 per year in rent and 5 other premises will be leased commercially.

Council’s pests and plants, and rivers and drainage departments will operate from Banks Street and the archive facility has already moved. It was quickly running out of space in Awapuni Road and was not compliant with new government regulations on the storage of records.

Two commercial areas on site have already been leased out long term to Bridgestone Tyres and Vehicle Testing New Zealand who will relocate in the new year. A further 3 commercial areas - 2 at 140sqm and one at 250sqm - are now available to lease.

The back of the site will be taken up with the new wastewater treatment plant. Ground strengthening work will start in December. The Banks Street site was chosen for the wastewater treatment plant after problems were identified with the initially proposed sites. Building near the airport proved expensive due to its 2.5km distance from the outfall pipe. The other site was near the existing milliscreening plant in the Adventure playground. Mayor Meng Foon and staff consulted aerial maps to look for suitable sites to build on that were large enough to house the new plant and were close to the existing outfall pipe. The 3 options were widely consulted on with Gisborne residents and the Banks Street site was clearly preferred. The fact it is within 500m of the outfall pipe has helped to bring costs down.

Banks Street site blessed on Monday

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:00:00 +1300

A spade won’t be big enough for the official sod-turning ceremony taking place on Monday for the city’s new wastewater treatment plant. Instead Mayor Meng Foon, a former market gardener accustomed to such work, will man a digger to clear a small section of soil on the Banks Street site.

The ceremony will be held at 3pm on Monday 23 November. A ribbon will also be cut to open council’s new archive facility also on the Banks Street site. The archives will be blessed by kaumatua Temple Issacs before the proceedings move to where the treatment plant will be built.

The historic occasion, regarded as the official start to the $39.5m Gisborne Wastewater Project, will be attended by a wide cross-section of people involved in the process to date. This includes individuals and groups with widely divergent views, who came together to form the Wastewater Adjournment Review Group (WARG). The group included iwi and hapu representatives, health professionals and council staff. All were an integral part of the planning process.

“Many of the Treaty of Waitangi Claimants have been party to the cooperative Tangata Whenua and council approach to wastewater. Their input marks a promising beginning for the post Treaty of Waitangi claim settlement relationship between Tūranga Whiriwhiri, (Turanga Waitangi Claimants Group) and council. Alongside the other Tūranga Claimants, council is hopeful that this spirit of cooperative progression for the community as a whole may become stronger,” said council chief executive Lindsay McKenzie.

Council earlier this month let the main tender of $21m to Auckland-based HEB Construction, which is now responsible for the construction of the wastewater treatment plant and the industrial separation scheme. Council project manager Peter McConnell and CH2M Beca staff will continue to oversee the project as it works toward its December 2010 commissioning. By then the city’s wastewater will be treated to a far higher standard than currently. Wastewater will be processed through a new biological trickling filter system before being discharged through the existing 1.8km outfall to the sea.

Engineering and works manager Peter Higgs says the sod-turning ceremony is an important milestone for the project. “A massive amount of work has gone into getting to this point. CH2M Beca initially designed a scheme to meet the consents we were granted in September 2007. But the community could not afford the $84m cost. We went back to the drawing board and, with the commitment and collaboration of the wastewater working group, reduced the scope of the scheme and shifted the site to Banks Street, thereby shaving $40m off the project cost. “Getting the detail right in the first place enabled us to achieve an excellent tender price which reduced the total cost to $39.5m. “We look forward to progressing the project in this same positive vein over the next 12 months.” A tour of the buildings on the Banks Street site will be available after the blessings. Council’s rivers and drainage and pests and plants departments are moving to the site and a new archives facility is already installed. Five on site areas will be leased commercially.

Preserving records of our district's history

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:00:00 +1300

Much of the district’s history is on the move. Records documenting decisions made by borough, city and more recently district councils in this area are stored in council’s archive facility. The archives have now moved into a building in Banks Street that has been adapted to meet Archives New Zealand standards.

Under the Public Records Act 2005 Archives New Zealand set out the standards by which public records should be stored. This includes a climate controlled facility that can house a range of different archive media. The renovated facility in Banks Street is fully complaint with these standards, one of the few council facilities in New Zealand that is. The area is not only climate controlled, but light in the room is kept to a minimum and the doors are all sealed to avoid dust entering the room.

Previously the archives were stored in a leased building in Awapuni Road. To bring it up to the required standard would have been an expensive operation in someone else’s building. “Purchasing the Banks Street site to build the wastewater treatment plant offered an opportunity to give our records the attention they deserve,” according to council property manager Matt Feisst.

“Records stored in the facility include minute books from meetings dating back to the first Borough Council in 1877 and correspondence books back to 1882. Some of the most interesting records for researchers include the rate books which show who paid rates, on what property and how much they paid. Records from all the county councils and the boards - from the East Coast Catchment Board to the Patutahi Domain Board - are stored in the facility along with photos, paintings, silverware and gifts to the city. Anything relevant with enduring, evidential, administrative or historical value comes to me,” said council archivist Mahea Tupara.

Archives staff have been pushing for a climate controlled facility for the last 15 years “Dust, dampness and temperature extremes are a major killer of records. Already many of our older records are too fragile to be handled. Photos and microfiche are the most affected. To preserve all our old microfiche building consents we have sent them away to be digitised. Eventually it is envisaged that electronic data will take over, replacing much of the paper to be stored, however, there is no evidence of this happening at the moment,” Mrs Tupara added.

“The records held in the facility are public records. If public want to access the information they make a request to council’s customer services. People can visit the archives to do their own research or if they need staff to do it for them there will be a charge. Just recently we had a request from England about a particular property. After letting the woman know what was available she included Gisborne on her itinerary when she came to New Zealand. She was amazed at how much information on the property she could find in our records.”

Annual Report now publically available

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:30:00 +1300

Council’s 2008-09 Annual Report is now available from our website, customer service centres and the HB Williams Library. The new look report, which was adopted by council at the end of October, reports on council’s performance over the last 12 months.

In an effort to ensure these results are available to all ratepayers a brochure outlining key results was included in this month’s rates demand. “We wanted to change from a statutory compliance chore to telling a story. This is a story of success, challenges and failure that the community can relate to. We want to show that what the council delivers does touch peoples lives everyday and hopefully provides good value for their rates investment,” says chief executive Lindsay McKenzie.

The changes to the report include emphasising council’s highlights and results. The main financial analysis has been moved to the back of the document. Clearer graphs are included to show how the $42M collected in rates was spent and what council’s debt levels are.

According to chief financial officer Mike Drummond a lot of effort has gone into making the financial reports more understandable by including more explanatory notes. “Previous reports, while meeting minimum statutory requirements were poorly presented and didn’t clearly outline what we had achieved or not achieved over the last year. We have looked at the best examples of Annual Reports from other councils and made a lot of changes. This year’s report has focussed on how council performed and provides an analysis of the major factors that influenced that performance.”

The document is substantial at 163 pages. A more accessible 16 page summary has also been produced. This focuses on the key points of interest for the past year including what council is doing to protect the district’s environment and keep residents safe, work in the townships, improvements to the district’s outdoor spaces and facilities and what council is doing to keep future rate increases to a minimum.

The Annual Report is available to download.