Upcoming Council Meetings – February & March 2022

14 February 2022

Photo Credit: Simon Bastion

Upgraded stormwater pumps prove their worth

14 February 2022

Heavy rain last week was no match for the Tancred Street pump station, which was upgraded to higher capacity pumps in 2020. Engineer Martin Ross said, “After driving around Hokitika during the rain event last week, one noticeable improvement was how the Tancred Street pump station performed as this was the first time it has been required to operate since being upgraded. The areas of Tancred Street that typically experienced surface flooding during previous high rainfall events remained clear.”

Staff also observed significantly less surface water on Wharf Street, following the installation in January of a larger catchment sump and pipeline with higher level discharge to the Hokitika River.

As part of the 3 waters reforms funding, approximately 80% of the stormwater network in Hokitika has been surveyed via CCTV. This has resulted in a number of blockages identified and cleared, improving the function of the stormwater systems. This exercise has provided valuable data and a better understanding of our stormwater network.

Design and plans are being finalised for an upgrade of Town Belt East storm water network. Residents may have noticed large pipes (soon to be 200 units) being stockpiled in the North carpark at Westland Milk Products. This project is being undertaken to provide water diversion and flooding relief from the Livingstone St area.

Scroll through the images to see the difference between the blocked pipes and cleaned pipes.

Photo credits: Westland District Council

Introduction to Westland Industrial Heritage Park

14 February 2022

Westland Industrial Heritage Park Inc. (WIHP) was formed around 20 years ago by a group of enthusiasts collecting and restoring industrial machinery and vehicles mainly from the Westland District.

Our displays of Big Engines, Fire Engines, boats, horse drawn coaches and carriages, steam engines, tractors and bulldozers as well as the miniature railway has seen public interest in what we do grow and “the park’ has become a popular destination for tourists and locals alike.

Members of the Kokatahi/Kowhiterangi garden club have also helped our members to plant and landscape the park to make it visually appealing with gardens and picnic spots.

We have many old pieces of machinery that one day may be restored but our major projects at present are:

• The Big Engine Shed. All but one of the restored engines are in running order and are driven occasionally for public open days. They come from sawmilling, gold mining and even a fishing boat. The display is undergoing a major upgrade with an audio visual and sound show to tell their history. This is expected to open in the next few months
• The “Mudfish Bush Railway”. The miniature railway loops around through regenerating native bush and a wetland area containing mudfish, hence the name. It is usually open for rides from 10.00 am to 3.00 pm on Saturdays. Construction of the permanent station and storage areas is ongoing.
• We have a 10 bay shed housing our fire engines that date back to 1932. The Hokitika Volunteer Fire Brigade is developing two bays into a “Museum of Fire”. WIHP is planning signs and information to make the shed look like a fire station.
• Work continues in the Livery restoring old leather and metal tack as well as many old, mainly blacksmithing tools. At present, the shed is shared with the boatshed but space is at a premium so plans are underway to extend the building.
• In the Steam shed too, plans are being developed for the displays. At present foundations are being prepared for a twin-cylinder Gilbert and Tomasi steam engine from a sawmill at Greenstone near Kumara.
• We have an engineering workshop and a carpenters shop. These are at present busy with refurbishing railway locomotives and carriages and the building of a drive-through storage building for the trains.

WIHP also has a very busy administration group. Once the members decide on project priorities and submit their estimates the fundraisers start trying to find the money. WIHP is a volunteer organisation and, although it receives assistance from the Westland District Council for its land and buildings, all the projects are paid for by fundraising. We have also developed a five to ten-year strategic plan to help decide on our direction.

New members are always welcome. So come and check us out!

Contact Information

 Covid Information

Unfortunately, at present, for the protection of its members and the public, Westland Industrial Heritage Park remains closed to the public. This decision will be reviewed regularly. Private group visits may be accepted by appointment.

 Photo credit: Westland Industrial Heritage Park

New member Richard cleans up an old paraffin lamp. All sorts of jobs keep us busy at the park.

Make time to get your Covid-19 Vaccination Booster!

Big Boost week

14 February 2022

February is a critical month in our fight against Omicron, which is why this month the Ministry of Health is asking New Zealanders to get their boosters as soon as they are due – as part of The Big Boost.

With Omicron in the community, getting a Covid-19 booster is the best thing you can do to protect your people, customers, and community. While two shots were great protection against Delta, you need a booster for Omicron.

During February, if everyone who can get boosted, does, we will help slow the spread of the virus and ensure more of us stay well. And that frees up our hospitals for people who need care.

Boosters are key to keeping our people safe and our economy strong – helping minimise disruption for our businesses and customers.

Who can have a booster?

Anyone who is 18 years and over and had their second dose at least 3 months ago is due for their booster.

You can check when you are due for a booster by visiting mycovidrecord.nz or calling the Covid Vaccination Healthline on 0800 28 29 26 (8am – 8pm, 7 days a week).

Upcoming clinics in Westland

*Note: While we are vaccinating 5-11-year olds as well as people 12 years and over, we recommend that bookings are made so that people are not kept waiting. Drop-ins are limited due to the additional time it takes to vaccinate children as fewer people can be vaccinated at each clinic. You can book online at www.BookMyVaccine.nz or call 0800 28 29 26.

Safer Internet Day 2022

14 February 2022

Each year, Westland District Council is proud to support Safer Internet Day. We believe that this is an important message for our community as we rely on the internet more than ever before to remain connected. Given the role the internet has played in recent worldwide events, it’s more important than ever before that people know how to stay safe online.

Here are five simple steps we can all take to protect ourselves and whānau online.

1. Check before you share.

A lot of what we see or read online is true, but sometimes it’s put there on purpose to mislead others. Help others by not sharing fake news – and report it when you see it.

2. Be an upstander online.

Communities are safest when we look out for each other. That’s equally true online. If you see someone being bullied or harassed, report the problem to the platform where the behaviour is happening.

3. Discuss sensitive topics.

Sharing nudes is part of everyday conversation for many people, but there’s a strong misconception amongst young people that everybody’s doing it. Having open conversations with friends and whānau about intimate images can make it easier to discuss if things go wrong in the future.

4. Review your privacy settings.

Lots of platforms and services have improved the tools used to manage privacy and safety settings. Take a fresh look at the tools and platforms you’re using and do an online profile check-up. Find out more at netsafe.org.nz/privacy-settings-on-social-networks/

5. Make online spaces better.

The internet provides us with many benefits, but we also need to work together to make online spaces a bit safer. Engaging in positive and constructive korero to try to avoid being in the middle of a pile on and crediting the work of others that we share are some of the best ways to help.

Netsafe provides support for many internet issues including bullying, grooming, scams, stalking, image-based abuse and privacy breaches. You can get free advice and support seven days a week. Make a report online, email help@netsafe.org.nz or call 0508 NETSAFE (0508 638 723).

Group Offers Better Alternative for Three Waters Delivery

Communities for Local Democracy

14 February 2022

Councils are better placed to deliver the Government’s Three Waters outcomes than mega-entity model, new research shows.

Analysis commissioned by Communities 4 Local Democracy He hapori mō te Manapori (C4LD) has concluded that both the council owned with stronger regulation, and a new Council Owned Enterprise (COE) model would perform better than the government’s proposal.

C4LD is a local government action group with 27 member councils throughout Aotearoa representing more than 1.3 million New Zealanders.

The group is committed to working with central government to ensure all New Zealanders have safe and environmentally sound three waters systems. The group is also committed to ensuring that all local communities continue to have a say on the use of assets purchased on their behalf using ratepayer funds.

Westland Mayor, Bruce Smith said “This work represents our alternative scenarios for the future management of three waters. It recognises the importance of private property, rights where generations of families in Westland have paid for our three waters assets and this cannot not be understated.

Our three waters assets are owned by the people of Westland and are not central governments to seize as part of an agenda that has no mandate.”

C4LD Chair, and Manawatu District Mayor Helen Worboys, said there was still the opportunity for central government to work in partnership with local government to create lasting change that delivers the outcome that everyone can support.

“We are not against change, but we strongly oppose this forcing through of massive reforms that are based on questionable evidence and analysis,” she said.

“Our membership – and we could safely say most of local government – agree that change is needed, but it needs to be change that doesn’t take away property rights and the community’s right to have a say.

“The alternative approaches we’ve developed are based on models that we believe can achieve broad support, and that deliver a better outcome for our communities compared to the governments oversimplified ‘one size fits none’ model.

“Ours is a framework for local government to work with its neighbours – with the support of central government – to transform three waters delivery for the better and in a way that all our communities can agree.

“We’re the experts in local service delivery and we want to drive that change, not have unsuitable solutions forced upon communities based on unsound evidence and faulty analysis.”

Analysis by global infrastructure advising firm Castalia shows the Council owned with regulation and council owned enterprise models of delivery achieve better outcomes on accountability, Iwi-Maōri partnership, incentives of management and governance, access to financing, scale and scope efficiencies and flexibility for the future.

In comparison, the government’s mega-entity proposal showed significantly worse outcomes across the board, on most of the criteria across the board on these outcomes.

“Most of the infrastructure we’re talking about has a 100-year life and this is a once in a generation decision that will change things forever,” Helen Worboys said.

“No-one needs a rushed decision forced through against the clear wishes of our communities. We want to partner with the government to create real change that will last in the long term, and look forward to presenting our alternative approach to the Minister.”

The full reports from Communities 4 Local Democracy He hapori mō te Manapori and Castalia which details our proposals are now available at: www.communities4localdemocracy.co.nz/ideas

Graphic (Supplied): Comparison of council owned plus regulation, new COE model and Government four entity proposals commissioned from Castalia for Communities 4 Local Democracy He hapori mō Manapori