Cass square opening delayed

Work on the Cass Square playground is going well, but unfortunately the completion has been delayed.

Jan Visser Facilities and Property Manager advises that, “Creo Ltd have experienced some delays with the construction due to the rain event, and some unforeseen circumstances for their personnel. They have provided an updated project completion programme and work will be finished by the end of May.”

In the meantime, Council staff are busy planning a grand opening event with local iwi and community groups to open the playground to the public in style.

Photos – Westland District Council

Citizenship ceremony

Westland District Elected Members were very pleased to host a citizenship ceremony before the March Council meeting for 11 new citizens. Each person swore an oath or affirmation and was presented with a native tree and block of Westgold Butter, kindly donated by Westland Milk Products, by Mayor Helen Lash and Deputy Mayor Ashley Cassin.

Pictured below are Alison, Joshua, Natasha and Trevin Jay, Mark Fusco, Samantha Gillard, Hannah Mackie, Suzanne O’Malley, Rajnikant Patel, Jessica Randall and Simon Ward, with their families and friends.

Public toilets – what’s the cost?

One of the decisions that the Council is considering for this year’s Annual Plan, is how many public toilets does Hokitika need? The Annual Plan proposes to close the toilets on Tancred Street, which are getting past their useful life and the toilet at the Grey Power building. The toilets in the Cass Square pavilion will only be available for special events, as these have been replaced with the toilets next to the playground. Council does not own the toilets at Lazar Park, and any decision to open these to the public is for the owner to make.

There are 60 Council-owned toilet pans across the district available for public use. Public toilets are rated under the general rate, as these are considered to benefit ratepayers throughout the entire district.

In the 2023/2024 year, ratepayers invested $615,284 in Public Toilets. By rationalising the number of toilets in the Hokitika area, the Council aims to reduce the investment required from ratepayers. This investment includes cleaning grants to some communities, electricity, building repairs and maintenance, caretaking and cleaning costs (including consumables such as toilet paper) and depreciation.

Costs for the provision of public toilets over the past five years are shown below*. Between 2019/2020 and 2023/2023 the cost of public toilets has grown by 45%, but the number of pans has only increased by six! The cost per pan has increased from $7,041 in 2019/2020 to a budgeted $10,255 in the 2023/2024 year (this cost may change based on actual figures as at 30 June).

*Public toilets in the Pakiwaitara building and the library are available for public use and also incur cleaning and maintenance costs but these are not included in the above data.

Ratepayers have asked us to find ways to reduce the cost of their rates. Reducing the number of toilets that need to be cleaned and maintained in Hokitika township is one of the ways we can do this.

A year in the life of Westland waste and recycling.

Have you ever wondered what the quantities of waste and recycling are in our district and what charges are applied by the central government?

Each year on average Westland produces between 3200 and 3700 metric tons of bulk waste. This figure includes recycled material as it is recorded in general waste until it is extracted.

That’s about a ton for each person but the district probably produces even more as the figure doesn’t include farm or rural waste that gets buried in the “Ole Hole out back”!

These figures are collated and captured monthly from our two current landfills – Butlers in Hokitika and the small site in Haast. Each month the waste quantity data must be entered into the Ministry for the Environment (MfE) online waste levy system or portal (OWLs). At this time the amount of recycled material is also collated and the information is used to calculate the government charges and levies imposed on the remaining amount that actually enters the landfill.

Sounds complicated? Before dozing off… here is a practical (averaged at 3500 Tons) breakdown to give perspective –

If 3500 tons is collected or dropped at transfer stations, the usual percentage of recycled material is 18% or 630 tons.

What does that mean in central Government charges and levies to ratepayers?

2870 tons of waste remain. So….

• 2870 tons at current Waste Levy fees ($50 per / T) = $143,500 (This is proposed to increase to $60+).

2870 tons converted to CO2 for carbon credit calculation multiplied by 1.023 = 2936 tons carbon.

• Carbon credit cost of purchasing varies as it’s a market traded commodity. Today its $69.00 each. 2870 tons at $69.00 each = $198,030.

Yes, Westland does get some return from the MfE levy fund for recycling & educational purposes, but the average cost of these two items still remains at $341,530.00 for this year!

That’s if carbon prices don’t rise.

Remember, this has nothing to do with the operational funding required for waste & recycling collection, operation of the transfer stations, cartage of material to landfill, operation of the landfill and resource consent compliance costs for having an operational landfill.

Thank goodness Westland Recyclers are among some of the best in the country. Our current rejection rate is between 6% – 10%.

Any contaminated & rejected recycling goes straight to landfill and is added on the top of the calculated tonnage.

Remember to recycle wherever possible, follow the guidelines to prevent contamination and help to lower future rates costs.

Ice Skate Tour a success for Franz Josef

The Ice Skate Tour was approached by the Franz Josef School about one and a half years ago to bring their event to the Franz Josef Community. The Franz Josef Community Council came on board to assist with the administration and logistics of this substantial event.

The Ice rink was set up in the Franz Josef Community Centre, which was festively decorated by enthusiastic volunteers for this event.

Due to our amazing sponsors who fully funded this event all proceeds from the ticket sales were donated to the FJ Glacier School! Our thanks go out to the Department of Internal Affairs, SWAS South Westland Area School, Te Whatu Ora, Grey Valley Couriers, FJ Scenic Hotel, SERF South Westland Emergency Response Fund and the WCCT West Coast Community Trust for their generous sponsorship.

A local group of volunteers ran the kitchen and proceeds from that are put towards the upkeep and maintenance of the St James Church in Franz Josef.

A total of 603 people visited the ice skate rink, this includes all kids these schools who came over for (multiple) FREE ice skate lessons: Ross, HariHari, Whataroa, Franz Josef and Fox; 40 people battled it out over the first ever FJ Waiho Curling Cup one evening; and adults and kids who attended two disco night ice skate sessions.

Text and images – Franz Josef CDO

School holidays at the Library

The library is moving Full STEAM Ahead into the school holidays this month.

No registrations required, children under 8 years must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Prepare your home for winter

We all want our homes to be as warm and dry as possible during the winter and to reduce the cost of long-term maintenance. Here are some tips to help you prepare for the winter months.

Reduce the impact of storms

This is where some simple home maintenance can help – prepare your property for high winds and heavy rain by:

• Securing heavy objects outside your home (such as trampolines).
• Inspect and trim trees and shrubbery to prevent them weak limbs being broken and causing damage.
• Clear your gutters of leaves and debris – this helps to prevent water damage to your rood and other parts of your house.
• Check your roof for missing tiles or screws. A storm could make things worse.

Visit Get Ready to understand what to do before, during and after a storm event.

Assess your home

Before you spend any money on warming up your house for winter take the time to assess your home and identify where you are losing heat. This will help you plan the best way to keep it warm.

• A Thermal Imaging Camera is available to borrow from the Westland District Library thanks to The Green Team, Hokitika Lions and Rotary Club of Hokitika. You can use this camera to check your house for heat leaks.
• You can also do a ‘Home Fit’ assessment

 Check out the Ultimate Home Maintenance checklist for ideas to prepare your home for winter.

Keep your house warm

There are many ways to keep your house warm, some will cost more than others.

• Check your insulation
  • You can ‘fake’ double glazing using a film insulation kit from the hardware shop, or even bubble wrap.
  • Insulate your ceilings, walls and underfloor.
  • Windows can be double-glazed.
• Reduce draughts
  • Hang curtains that cover the window and go below the window sill. You can also add a lining of an old sheet or blanket for an additional thermal layer.
  • Minimise gaps around window and external door frames by applying a self-adhesive weather strip.
  • Install an outdoor weather seal on your exterior doors.
  • Use door snakes for internal doors.
• Heating
  • If you have a heat pump, keep the temperature between 20 – 22 degrees for best efficiency. Running the heat pump at a higher temperature is less efficient and costs more. Turn it off when you are out of the house.
  • Clean your chimney to reduce soot and debris. This reduces the risk of a chimney fire and makes it easier to heat your home.

Visit Warmer Kiwi homes to see if you are eligible for financial assistance to install insulation or a heating system.

Keep your house dry

• Reduce excess moisture
  • Dry your clothes outside when possible.
  • Use extraction fans, or open a window in the kitchen.
  • Wipe condensation off your windows every day.
• Open windows and doors
  • Even opening windows and doors for 10 minutes on fine days increases airflow and helps damp air to dry out.
  • Open the bathroom window after a shower to let the warm air out and reduce the condensation – this will minimise the chance of mould growing.
• Reduce humidity and moisture levels
  • Some of the previous suggestions will help with this, but you can also install a groundsheet under your house to reduce indoor humidity.
• Burn dry wood
  • Wet firewood uses the energy to evaporate the water rather than heating your house. Burn seasoned (dry) firewood in your woodburner or fireplace.

Reduce your power bill

• Use less hot water
  • Take a shorter shower (5 – 10 minutes) or if you want a long shower take a bath instead.
  • Use cold water for the washing machine, and run the washing machine and dishwasher with full loads.
  • Set the thermostat on your hot water cylinder to 55 – 60 degrees and wrap it in cylinder wrap to reduce heat loss.
• Use LED lightbulbs
• When you need to replace an appliance, look for an energy efficient appliance and consider if the size is right for your needs.