A new garden border to be developed near the historic Vallance Cottage is expected to provide visitors and residents with a showcase of the natural biodiversity of the Manuherekia catchment.

The Alexandra Garden Club’s plans for a long border on the embankment at the front of the cottage reserve, bordering Tarbert Street, were discussed yesterday by the Vincent Community Board.

The group hope to create a sanctuary for rare and endangered plants from the area. This would illustrate the resilience of these species which thrive in dryland environments, according to a Central Otago District Council report.

The council had some concerns over the harshness of the site and had suggested that riverside areas where similar plantings already existed, could be more suitable.

Club president Ray Wright explained, however, how the steepness of the bank would lend itself to displaying the tenacity of the plantings.

The site of a proposed dryland garden near Vallance Cottage(site highlighted in green). The cottage is highlighted in blue. Image CODC

“The sequence of habitats from the sub alpine tops down to the riparian wetlands would provide interest and an educational dimension to the plantings, each specimen would be entered into a data base, telling whose land it was sourced from and the contribution that remnant makes to the diversity of the catchment.”

The highly-visible site would allow people to easily view and learn from the display, he said. The Board yesterday approved a five-year agreement with the club which will allow the project to go ahead.

The council-owned cottage land is already home to a community orchard and a collection of heritage lilacs. Members of the public can book the reserve for community events, and the cottage can be opened on request.

Clyde Holiday Park Rule Amendment

A revamp of the lease agreement covering the Clyde Holiday Park will now include provision for any complaints against management to be forwarded to the landlord – the Central Otago District Council.

The Board yesterday approved a new set of rules and procedures aimed at managing visitors and processing complaints. These followed a flurry of complaints from campers, one of which is now the subject of a police enquiry and another, as mentioned at Tuesday’s meeting, a possible Official Information Act request.

The council leased the facility to Gary and Roslyn Ryan in 2019, issuing a 10-year term to allow the couple “a decent time to invest in capital”, council Chief Executive Officer Sanchia Jacobs said.

Rugby Club power bill compensation

A long-winded saga over who was responsible for paying a power bill at Molyneux Park was resolved yesterday with the Alexandra Rugby Football Club being reimbursed $10,000.

The club had been billed for power usage of changing rooms and showers which had, for many years, been utilised by other clubs and individuals. They had also been billed for power on a bunker and groundsman’s shed.

For nearly two years, in what deputy chair Russell Garbutt described as “not a well-handled process” the matter was discussed between the CODC and the Club to try and find accurate estimates for compensation owed. These dated back to between eight and 10 years.

The Board resolved to pay the club $10,000 from the General Development Alexandra Reserves as a final settlement.