A new policy directing a proactive approach to controlling wilding pines has been adopted by the Central Otago District Council despite objections from elected members and a member of the public.The issue has become contentious after residents were upset by the felling and proposed felling of both planted and self-seeded pines near Cromwell and Alexandra. The trees were valued by some as landmarks and for recreation.  The fate of pines at council’s Half Mile reserve is yet to be decided by the Vincent Community Board (VCB) after the public were asked their opinion on the felling - which was halted after public objections - and on a landscape plan to replace the trees.At a meeting on Wednesday (July 6) councillors debated at length whether or not to adopt the policy. Councillors Martin McPherson (also the VCB chair) and Lynley Claridge both felt strongly that a policy directing council to remove all wilding pines and seed-source pines from its land, should not be adopted until the Half Mile issue was resolved. “It has not yet been decided if those pines will be removed,” Martin said.“It concerns me that as a council we are now dealing with a wilding pines policy when the VCB is currently consulting on a wilding pines issue. It’s a bit like the cart has got before the horse”.Lynley believed adopting the policy without waiting for a decision by the VCB was  “undemocratic” and “steamrolling” the process.The Central Otago Conifer Control Group’s own policy document, tabled at the meeting, states social research has shown a clear correlation between knowledge and awareness of the wilding pine issue and support for wilding pine control. It also shows the level of public awareness of the issue is low, although higher in localities where wildings are an issue.One of that group’s aims is educating the urban population “on the need for constant wilding control in areas where a decision may be made to leave trees for a justified reason (e.g. shelter, recreation, wood harvest)”.Councillors acknowledged people sometimes had an emotional attachment to such trees and the timing of adopting the new document was not ideal but a district policy was necessary.In the public forum prior to the meeting Half Mile resident Ken Churchill told councillors the consultation aspect of the new policy was “a shocker”. It outlined that community boards and adjacent neighbours would be told of upcoming felling work and a sign would be erected at the site. It did not give time frames for when those parties would be told.Ken has spoken against the felling and criticised council’s consultation process at various VCB meetings.He is one of a group of 35 residents who supported a 10-page report arguing for the trees to remain.In response to discussion of further consultation of the tree policy during the meeting, CODC chief executive Sanchia Jacobs advised that funding for wilding pine control had been set in the council’s Long-Term Plan and that this was a publicly-consulted document. “This council has taken a position already on what it does with wilding conifers on council-owned land. It did that in the Long-Term Plan which it consulted on.”The issue may not, however, have been “highlighted” to the public at the time, the meeting heard.Mayor Tim Cadogan and deputy mayor Neil Gillespie made a bid to have the CEO create a consultancy document for the draft wildings policy before it was adopted, but this failed.  A report to the VCB containing a summary of responses to the Half Mile survey is expected to be presented in September. 

Maniototo Road, a well-used public road that has been effected by a bridge closure since January 2021, is scheduled to fully reopen in September following the installation of a temporary bridge.The work has partly been made possible through the offer by a local business to pay nearly $80,000 over three years toward the cost of the bridge.At a meeting of the Central Otago District Council(CODC) on Wednesday the decision was made to install a Bailey Bridge at the crossing over the Taieri River near Ranfurly, where a worn-out and unusable bridge currently sits.Across the district, council has undertaken 187 structural inspections of its aging bridge network in the past 15 months. The first round of inspections of 17 structures undertaken in January last year followed extensive flooding in the Maniototo area. It identified a long list of faults and damage at the Halls Ford bridge on Maniototo Road, which links two halves of one local farm. The bridge was then closed to the public.Many motorists including seven or eight landowners have been affected by the closure of what was considered a main thoroughfare, Wednesday’s meeting heard.Some councillors questioned paying for a temporary solution but were told this would allow time for council to understand and prioritise the full picture of work and investment needed on bridge improvements across the district.The total one-off cost for installing then later uninstalling a temporary bridge was around $200,000. This included geotechnical investigation and design, preparation of launch pad, abutments, approaches, transportation to location, erection of the bridge, installation of running planks and dismantling costs. “The on-going hire of the bridge is $4,400 per month ($52,800 per annum). The adjoining landowner has agreed to a 50% cost share for the period of 3 years for the ongoing monthly hire. The total cost to Council for the 3-year period is $279,200 with $79,200 being met by the adjoining landowner,” a report stated.Work is ongoing on a district-wide bridge strategy with a dedicated staff member now being appointed to that task.Like many other councils, Central Otago District Council has an aging bridge network, and many would require replacement or significant work done on them over the next 10 years, according to a council report.Some may not meet Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency requirements for receiving subsidised funding. Council was aware investment required to replace all aging bridges with similar structures may create “affordability issues” for the community.

Consultation on affordable housing undertaken by the Central Otago District Council was a “box ticking exercise” and people’s views were ignored, according to Central Otago Affordable Housing Trust spokesperson Glen Christiansen.The council voted yesterday to not support any further investigation into the gifting of publicly-owned land from Gair Avenue and Dunstan Park subdivisions for a ‘Secure Homes’ Programme.  The trust had principally proposed the scheme in response to the high cost of housing causing a shortage of workers.“We need to get this show on the road for the whole district,” Glen told councillors during a public form prior to the decision being made.Councillors felt residents who responded to a consultation survey were not fully aware of the financial consequences of gifting land for such a purpose.Staff had told councillors that a land gift could add over two per cent increases to people's rate each year, over the course of a 25-year loan. These figures had not been included in the public’s survey information.Results had shown strong public support for affordable housing but mixed opinion on the local body taking a financial role in providing it. At a meeting in March, a paper had been presented to the council that recommended they do not give up land, given the significant financial ramifications it would have. This prompted them to seek feedback from the community before deciding whether or not to look in more detail at what supporting the trust would mean to ratepayers.Respondents to that subsequent survey felt that affordable housing helped address inequality by helping those into a home who otherwise may not be able to afford it, encouraging inclusion and supporting community well-being. Respondents said it would be important for affordable homes to be good quality buildings and there was general support of the concept.Overwhelmingly, however, staff said the most common theme was that it is not council’s role to play a part in affordable housing. Many felt it was a function of central government and council should not be subsidising housing at the expense of the rate payer. Respondents felt council should focus on core business and invest in infrastructure first. Councillor Cheryl Laws said affordable housing was not local government business and she was disappointed the survey seemed to have been rushed. Others agreed with her that the mixed typology of housing planned for the next stage at council’s own Gair Avenue subdivision in Cromwell would provide good options for purchasers.Cr Tamah Alley doubted the Secure Homes model would work in Central Otago as well as it had in Queenstown because this area was outside a funding zone where government provided financial help to people trying to get into a home.“The Secure Homes model is an exceptional example of something working really well in Queenstown that is not applicable here. We don’t have access to any government contributions like they did, we don’t have access to any developer contributions like they have and there is no ability to grow the model here beyond us gifting land.”Mayor Tim Cadogan discussed looking into more detail around the financial ramifications through the council’s next Long-Term Plan and Cr Neil Gillespie indicated he would also accept this being done. Tim said he was hearing that businesses were seriously struggling to get staff which was an affordable housing issue but the question was whether it was council’s job to fix it.Most of the 480 respondents to the survey were resident in Cromwell and Vincent wards with lots of people who already owned a home supporting affording housing work being done.How the plan proceeded was now up to the housing trust, Tim said.After the meeting Glen said he was disappointed by the decision and he believed businesses and those seeking home ownership would suffer the consequences.“It will affect Alexandra first I believe. They’ve got a supermarket opening at Christmas that will probably need 80 staff, maybe more. They’re either going to steal [staff] locally, or how are they going to attract them out of the cities?”He said council had ignored the strong sentiment of public support, as well as reports with input from 25 agencies and evidence gathered on the severity of the worker shortage. The work of the trust would not be able to continue without council support, he said.“It is a sad decision really because the community had spoken and I thought it was very clear. People can’t believe it. It’s really made a mockery of the consultation. They needed to take ownership of it (providing affordable housing) and make a courageous decision for the community.”

The day they bid farewell to an old coal burner at the Central Otago District Council’s (CODC) Alexandra HQ, was a happy one for Central Otago mayor Tim Cadogan and CODC property and facilities manager Garreth Robinson. The two men were delighted to see in a new wood-chip fired boiler last week, a move which provides a cleaner, lower emission and more sustainable heating system for the council offices on Dunorling Street. Tim said the conversion was just one small part of a programme designed to reduce council’s carbon footprint.  “Council declared a climate crisis in September 2019 and followed that up by endorsing a plan last year to reduce its carbon footprint by 55 per cent over five years.  “Getting rid of the old coal burner is great to see and initiatives in other areas, especially in waste, are going to see us achieving that goal.”CODC’s commitment to its sustainability strategy was also driving the electrification of its fleet, the installation of a water-sourced heat pump system at the Cromwell Pool, and a new organic kerbside waste collection service.The wood-chip burner’s green credentials included better energy efficiency – up to 93 per cent compared with the estimated 60 per cent efficiency of the old coal burner, Garreth said.“We’re reducing our carbon footprint as well as saving money. Coal price is subject to carbon tax, and this is rapidly driving up fossil fuel prices. And as we know, coal is a non-renewable fuel, with high dust emissions. “It also requires regular manual de-ashing and the grate being raked out, which is a labour cost. The ash must be disposed of to landfill, with a disposal cost. Not only that, coal is unpleasant to handle and exposure to coal dust has potential respiratory risks.”  Garreth added that wood chip fuel is at present not subject to carbon tax, and has very low dust emissions. The automatic heat exchanger cleaning system maximises efficiency, and the automatic ignition with ceramic heat gun uses very little electricity. Wood chip would be sourced from Otago plantation forests and was renewable and carbon neutral. Carbon released during combustion is absorbed as new trees are planted in the forest to replace those chopped down. “The other efficiency is that the ash is automatically removed into the ashbin. Premium wood chip fuel from pine wood has a very low ash content. Ash is organic and may be used on our property grounds to help fertilise shrubs and plants (best mixed in with some bark of wood chips),” Garreth said. The boiler only requires two scheduled services during the year (if used in winter season only), and the controls are connected to the internet, allowing for remote monitoring to maximise “up time” and facilitate staff assistance if required.  The Otago Regional Council have ruled against dampening our dusty roads with used oil. Dust Suppression Rule Change Meanwhile in another environmental move, the Otago Regional Council (ORC) has announced that suppressing dust on gravel roads with used oil will no longer be permitted in Otago. ORC’s policy and science general manager Anita Dawe said the ORC had signed off proposed changes to the operative Regional Plan: Waste for Otago, and these included prohibiting oil use as a dust suppressant. Anita said the reason behind the changes was to strengthen the ORC’s regional planning framework in the interim period while its new Land and Water Regional Plan is developed. The new planning framework is required to be notified by December next year.

A few familiar faces will be disappearing from around Central Otago’s community board meeting rooms following the upcoming local body elections.With nominations opening soon for the October elections, members from the district’s four community boards are starting to make the call on whether to stand for re-election or call it a day.With growth pressures, lots of central government-imposed changes in the wind and lobby groups becoming increasingly active nationwide, Vincent Community Board (VCB) chair Martin McPherson hopes newcomers won’t be put off entering local democracy.Martin, who says he will be standing again for election as a Central Otago District councillor and VCB member, said the somewhat aggressive stance taken by lobby groups over issues such as central government’s Three Waters reforms certainly didn’t help encourage newcomers.“I think a lot of people are in fear of the consequences of standing for public office when there is such an uprising of anti-government feeling…with groups like the Taxpayers Union, anti-Three Waters, Groundswell and those public meetings with such vitriol happening.”Some groups had threatened to stand their own candidates in the coming elections if council did not adopt their desired stance and actions against central government.“We risk as a community having people elected on single issues which local government has very little control over. The election that will count, especially for Three Waters, is the general election in 2023, not a local body election,” Martin said.Mayor Tim Cadogan – also standing for re-election in October – agreed this was a concern as those coming in as “single-issue” candidates may find the broad range of things the council is responsible for to be challenging.He believes, however, the current climate of change could also make the job more appealing for some.“There’s certainly a lot of potential changes facing local government and that makes it, in many ways, one of the most exciting and important times to be involved with it.”Also on a positive note, Martin said discussions were being held about how council could “beef up” the induction and training available to newcomers to help them through the early stages of work after being elected. Others who confirmed to the Central App they intend to stand for re-election in the Vincent ward were Lynley Claridge and Dr Roger Browne. Councillor Ian Cooney said he was still undecided.No response had been received by deadline from Sharleen Stirling-Lindsay or Anna Robinson. Board member Russell Garbutt resigned in June 2022 and no by-election was held to fill his vacant seat.In Cromwell Anna Harrison, Bob Scott and Neil Gillespie have indicated they will stand again with Nigel McKinlay undecided and no response by deadline from Werner Murray, Cheryl Laws and Tony Buchanan. Robin Dicey resigned from the Cromwell Community Board in April 2021 but his seat was filled by Bob Scott.In the Teviot Valley, board chairman Raymond Gunn is retiring from local body politics after 12 years. Another experienced board and council member, Stephen Jeffery, says it is the right time for him to step down. Sally Feinermann says she intends to stand for council this election and a successful campaign would see her appointed back onto the community board.  The Central App did not receive a response from current community board members Norman Dalley or Cushla Aitchison from Teviot Valley, or from any current Maniototo Community Board members.Important dates for Central Otago’s upcoming local body electionsCromwell and Vincent boards have seven elected members, three of these appointed by council, and Teviot Valley and Maniototo boards have five elected members with one appointed by council. There are three district councillors who are not members of a community board – Tracey Patterson, Shirley Calvert and Tamah Alley.  Nominations open next Friday and the Central App will continue to update election news.

It’s 12 months away yet but it is coming: From July next year organic waste will be collected kerbside in Central Otago and processed into compost.Food waste is currently trucked to Queenstown Lakes District Council’s (QLDC) refuse site at Victoria Flats in the Gibbston Valley, which is proving costly.Last week Central Otago District Council (CODC) contracted EnviroWaste who are expected to deliver more sustainable and efficient waste management services to the district from July next year. This includes the introduction of a new organic kerbside waste collection.According to a CODC statement, services will include transfer station operation, kerbside collections, glass crushing plant operation, organics facility operation, and the servicing of drop-off containers for rural recycling and waste.CODC says the new contract is a significant step forward for Central Otago’s commitment to sustainable waste management, and will see approximately 1,400 tonnes of waste that was otherwise destined for landfill converted into compost. EnviroWaste will be responsible for collecting the district’s organic waste, processing it into compost using aerated static pile composting technology, then supplying it to ‘local end’ markets. The compost will also be available to be used by council’s parks and reserves team, and in small quantities for local, domestic purchase.“We will also receive benefits in cost efficiencies, new technology, capital investment into the re-development of the Cromwell Transfer Station, and enhanced sustainability practices,” CODC infrastructure manager, Quinton Penniall said.The Redruth Resource Recovery Park in Timaru would be used for organics processing temporarily until a new organics processing facility can be constructed in Central Otago.The council is also in talks with the QLDC, as a potential user of the new organics processing facility.Further waste reduction initiatives are being explored through direct negotiations with Wastebusters on the full functionality of the Alexandra Resource Recovery Park.The negotiations involve the range of divertible materials that can be received in the future and the potential implementation of a similar facility in Cromwell.Central Otago District Waste Portfolio Lead, Nigel McKinlayCODC waste portfolio lead Nigel McKinlay said he was excited to see the district make such an important move towards reducing waste.“Diverting waste from landfill brings us one step closer towards achieving our long-term sustainability goals and this will benefit not just our current population, but future generations.”CODC was forced to sell carbon credits from its publicly-owned pine forests recently, to avoid a waste bill budget blow-out relating to use of the Victoria Flats facility.  QLDC works out how much refuse comes from Central and charges CODC for the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) units that must be purchased from the government to off-set the associated emissions from the site. The unit price had been jumping up despite government attempts to temper increases.

Frustration over bridge repairs in the Maniototo is wearing thin but the Central Otago District Council (CODC) says patience is needed.“We seem to be kicking the can up the street and we’re getting to the end of that street,” Maniototo Community Board chair Robert Hazlett said last week.At the board’s meeting on Thursday (June 23) Robert cited an example of a bridge that had been damaged in 2017 and still not been repaired. Local residents had made their own repairs and truck companies were now utilising it too, despite the temporary nature of the fix.Council says a basic picture has now emerged of the amount of work needed to repair or replace damaged bridges across Central Otago’s aging network, following two years of sporadic engineering inspections.Individual sites now needed to be assessed in more detail, the Maniototo Community Board was told last week.  Mayor Tim Cadogan said he understood why people were “getting grumpy” but council needed to look at the problem as a whole before deciding how to best prioritise resources.Repair costs will far exceed what is available through local government roading budgets and extra funding would be needed by applying to Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency and possibly other sources, council was told.CODC had now appointed a staff member to focus solely on the bridge issue, started discussions with Fulton Hogan on planning and ramped up the work to prioritise what gets fixed first, staff told the board on Thursday.Patience neededManiototo residents and service providers like posties and stock firms have already been detouring and fording rivers for two years following bridge closures and with dozens more bridges operating on borrowed time, more residents will likely face the same situation.Across the whole district there are four bridges closed, eight soon to be requiring closure or replacement, and 17 needing “priority repairs”.  Many of Central’s 179 bridges are in the Maniototo and with the next batch of funding from Waka Kotahi not due to be issued for another two years, major works appear to be a long way off.The CODC budgets around $250,000 annually for structural repairs but this would not go far in light of estimates given for repairs, without considerable increases in government help.  The installation of a series of box culverts as a solution to the loss of the Scott Lane bridge after flooding in 2020 was suggested at between $650,000 and $750,000, council has been told.Due to the dynamic nature of the riverbed which changes and carries a lot of debris during floods, a series of box culverts across its bed was seen as the best option.Late this year or early next year more detailed repair estimates and a prioritised list was expected to be complete. In the meantime, installation of a temporary bridge at Halls Ford on the Maniototo Road was being looked into.  

Members of the Cromwell & District Promotions Group (CDPG), which received a funding grant this week, say they are proud of what they achieve with limited resources. The group had applied to the Cromwell Community Board for operational funding through its contestable promotional grants facility.Following feedback from Central Otago District Council’s general manager for Tourism Central Otago (TCO) Dylan Rushbrook, the board approved some funds but also ruled that staff would “discuss outcomes expected” from the group prior to the following year’s work being funded.Dylan told the board at a meeting on Tuesday (June 21) that there needed to be future “accountability of deliverables” from the group.He was critical of the group’s Cromwell website receiving 5,500 views during a set period where the TCO website for Central Otago had received around 50,000 views, stating that the two sites competed and that this was a duplication that was being funded by the board.The CDPG had stated it did not wish to forego its website as it was well utilised particularly for promoting events and Cromwell as a destination.CDPG chair Carolyn Murray, who was not present at the meeting, afterwards defended the group’s work.“We aim to work alongside Tourism Central Otago, but our focus is different in that it remains on Cromwell and the surrounding districts, to promote and celebrate our town for both visitors and the local community.”Among other activities, CDPG runs Light Up Winter, a Christmas party, fireworks and street party, cherry festival and multiple sporting events, while employing two part-time staff.Dylan said on Tuesday he supported their funding application but had some reservations particularly about the group’s future requests for funding. The current request was for approximately $107,000 to cover one year’s operational costs, from the board’s now-contestable promotional grants funding pool.“The Cromwell and Districts Promotion Group do an amazing job at delivering events but there’s a feeling around duplication with work that Central Otago TCO also undertakes and also whether some of the work that is undertaken is actually delivering real value.”He listed numerous media articles TCO had helped generate in the last two months to promote Central Otago as examples of how this was “being delivered really well” by Tourism Central Otago.The CDPG had been given significant levels of funding, Dylan told the board, and if it was to continue “some kind of accountability of deliverables” would be required and some “formality around what expectations were”.Carolyn Murray said the CDPG already produced detailed reports and accountabilities as were required through the board’s grants policy.“The Promotions Group is extremely grateful for the continued support from the community board. We are a group of volunteers, with two part-time contractors, and I am very proud of the scale of the events and other promotional activities that we are able to produce with such limited resources,” she said. Not granting all the board’s available promotional monies to the group did also allow other groups to apply for the remaining funds, the meeting heard. The board granted $90,000 to the promotion group for advertising and operation expenses for the coming financial year.

Nabbing the bad guys has got a little bit easier for Cromwell’s law enforcers, after the installation of security cameras in the town centre.Local police hope it’s going to get easier still if number plate recognition cameras can be placed at the town’s entrances, snapping late-night travellers who may be up to no good.Speaking for the NZ Police, senior constable Paddy Henderson told the Cromwell Community Board on Tuesday that cameras had been donated by Dave Horton and installed in the Cromwell Mall a year ago.Since then they had snapped arsonists, shoplifters and people involved in three serious assaults, enabling police to identify those offenders. He said the national body did not fund the cameras or their care and local police were hopeful of community support. Retailer and landlord Gary Anderson was supplying wifi for the cameras but up to $500 was needed for annual cleaning and care.Funds for an extension to the work had been applied for, through the Lot 47 charitable organisation, to allow number plate recognition cameras to be purchased and placed on all road entry and exit points to Cromwell.These pole-mounted cameras would also need maintained and Paddy hoped the board might be able to help with that cost.  The cameras would allow police to check vehicle movements late at night when criminal activity like drug dealing and theft was most likely to occur.“It’s a win, win for the whole community because we are going to be able to identify anyone leaving town when there’s things like burglaries happening.”Board chair Anna Harrison said while they could not give an immediate answer regarding funding when requests were presented in the public forum session of meetings, they would now be able to discuss it and hopefully bring the request before the next meeting.

Following the loss of a possible funding opportunity due to a misunderstanding with Central Otago District Council staff, the Cromwell Bike Park’s current financial needs were this week agreed to be an “exceptional circumstance”. This opened the way for the Cromwell Community Board to provide nearly $50,000 from council’s Cromwell Reserves Contribution Account for park improvements.The board was told at a meeting on Tuesday that to complete an upgrade of the popular facility, funds were needed soon so the group would be able to meet deadlines for monies already on offer from other institutions.The Cromwell Bike Club Inc had not been clearly informed of the grant application process and deadlines, causing a time delay which had put pressure on it, according to a board report.Speaking for the group during a lengthy public forum session yesterday, Pierre Leyser said during the past 11 years there had been a lot of time and effort put into the facility by volunteers.  It had drawn people to town – around 1,000 during a recent BMX championship event – and the visitors had frequented many other Cromwell businesses.Pierre said the plan was to seal a pump track to allow children and less experienced adult riders a safe area for scooter, bike and roller blade use.Cromwell Bike Park Inc had also submitted a request through the council’s 2021/31 Long-term Plan for public toilets to be built near the bike park, on what is reserve land. “The park is being utilised more and more and we keep being asked about toilets and them being a necessary feature at this park.”Staff say initial costings were in the vicinity of $150,000 for toilets and these would likely be discussed at September’s council meeting.For the park upgrade work, the group had raised $5,000 and received $43,476 from the Central Lakes Trust and $30,000 from the Otago Community Trust.Deputy mayor and board member Neil Gillespie, in supporting yesterday’s funding, said Cromwell was lucky to have had the facility developed by the volunteer group.“This is a great investment in the youth of this community.”

The people have gone and Cromwell’s Memorial Hall will be closed immediately but demolition is likely to be a few months away.Since the last meeting of the Cromwell Community Board on May 9 any groups who were using the old hall have found other venues.The facility was costing more than it was earning, the board was told at a meeting on Tuesday. Staff reported that to keep it open would cost around $600 a month and a new $850 building warrant of fitness would also be needed. Closing the hall would also allow the removal of asbestos to begin, council’s Cromwell Masterplan lead Darren Penketh said.  A plan for the demolition would be scheduled once “high level” costs and concept plans from architects Jasmax had been reviewed.Council would be looking into ways items like chairs, tables and recyclable building materials could be reused by community groups.Originally the construction phase for the replacement cultural centre was to have started on July 1 - something considered at the time to be an ambitious timeframe.A revised timeframe for development of Cromwell’s new cultural centre.Council staff presented a new timeframe yesterday outlining what and when the board would consider on the project at upcoming meetings. Approval of the old hall’s demolition was expected in early August with the appointment of a construction firm for the new build due for approval early next year.The $16M facility has been costed based on a 2000sqm size and a project advisory group of two Cromwell Community Board members and two council staff is guiding progress for the long-awaited development.A new museum is also tagged for the water-side site on the Kawarau Arm of Lake Dunstan, with $6M set aside for this.

Wilding pines and their spread are sparking debate as well as action in Central Otago this week, with felling taking place in Cromwell and a survey underway in Alexandra.People have until the end of this month to give feedback on the Vincent Community Board’s (VCB) wilding pine-related development plan for the Half Mile Recreation Reserve, in Alexandra.The proposal was created in response to concerns raised over tree felling plans at the SH85 entrance to the town.Central Otago District Council (CODC), which plans to remove wilding pines at the site, said it had received 70 submissions by midday Monday. Not everyone agrees, however, that the trees are wilding pines or with the survey format.Resident Ken Churchill has spoken against the felling of the trees, over recent months, at VCB meetings. This month he told the board many of the trees were planted originally as shelter so were not seeded as wild trees. He said he objected to people being told they were wilding pines.Ken told board members during a public forum that he believed people’s opinions were influenced by the continued use of the word ‘wilding’ and that it had been “long verified” that the trees were planted.Ken said he hated wilding pines “with a passion” and had worked in the past eradicating them.In a statement CODC said there were a number of conifers growing on the reserve which were recognised nationally and regionally as a pest species. “Central Otago District Council is committed to being a responsible landowner, which includes the eradication of wilding conifers on council-owned land.”The Half Mile Recreation Reserve has been identified by the Central Otago Wilding Conifer Control Group (CWG) as a significant ‘seed take off’ site, which is why it is proposed to fell the trees, CODC said.An archaeological survey of the Half Mile Reserve near Alexandra.Council said it has received funding from the Central Otago Wilding Conifer Control Programme and had budgeted funds for the removal, however CWG spokesperson Phil Murray told The Central App in April it seemed unlikely the Alexandra issue could be resolved in time for an “agreed programme of work” to be carried out this financial year. “The unspent funds allocated to council reserve land cannot be carried over to next year,” Phil said.The CODC’s Alexandra Half Mile Recreation Reserve Development Plan proposes to fell the trees and bring the reserve back to an “authentic Central Otago landscape” that showcases views, rocky tors and archaeological features, according to a council statement. “It provides open spaces and informal walking routes and includes hardy native plantings for shelter, and plant and animal biodiversity.”People were encouraged to complete the survey at https://lets-talk.codc.govt.nz. It closes on Thursday June 30. Hard copies of the Alexandra Half Mile Recreation Reserve Development Plan and the survey are also available at CODC offices and the Alexandra Library.Meanwhile, in Cromwell, conifers are currently being removed by CODC at the Sugarloaf Reserve. No public consultation was held prior to the work going ahead and a council spokesperson said there had been no calls from the public regarding the work as of Tuesday morning.The popular 45th Parallel Loop Track which runs through the reserve is closed at present but will be reopened over the Matariki holiday weekend from 4pm Thursday (June 23) to 8am, Monday (June 27).

Central government money put up for council projects involving well-being may hold the key for a major revamp of Alexandra library.The move would allow a modern refresh of the Tarbert Street facility, including the welcome addition of toilets inside the building, rather than being located in a nearby street.Revamp estimates currently sit at just over $1M and council staff were confident an application due in September for $611,500 would likely be successful, through the government’s Three Waters Better Off Support Package.The package was described as an investment by the Crown into the future for local government and community wellbeing. It aimed to recognise the significance to local government, and the communities served, of the transfer of responsibility for water service delivery.The government plans to hand all South Island council-owned and operated water assets, and their management, over to a single entity that would be one of four nationwide.Cool concept… the funky, modern children’s area proposed for an upgrade at Alexandra’s Public LibraryThe relocation of the library operation has previously been discussed, with Central Stories Museum and Gallery being a possible destination, and a future move is not being discounted, despite the planned refurbishment.Yesterday the Vincent Community Board were told the proposed work must allow for the future possibility of the library shifting to a new location if need be. Furniture must be easily transportable and reusable, and any refurbishment of the building needed to be attractive to commercial tenants who might take over the space.Double glazing of windows and the addition of a separate staff area were outlined in the concept plan approved yesterday by the board. Board members agreed the refurbishment was “vital and important” and unanimously supported a funding application being made.

In one Central Otago town, a study has found more people are visiting their doctor with respiratory illnesses when wood-fired heating of homes increases.Which town was the focus of the newly-published and first-of-its-kind study is immaterial, researchers say, and will not be revealed due to ethical considerations.Public Health South senior public health analyst Dr Vanessa Hammond said the study looked at 812 GP visits from May to August 2014-2018 and found that for some groups, acute respiratory infection risk rose with increasing woodsmoke pollution. “Also, it found that areas with a higher density of wood burners per hectare had higher rates of GP visits for acute respiratory infections.”The woodsmoke pollution of the town was comparable to all mid-size towns across the area but there are ways to reduce risk.Air quality monitoring comes under the Otago Regional Council’s (ORC) responsibility and in 2019 the council spoke with Public Health South about possible research into links between wood burning and health risks at a local level in Otago, as air quality monitoring showed domestic heating emissions were still prevalent. ORC was able to provide air pollution data from a local monitoring site for the study, which was published in the New Zealand Medical Journal last week.There has never been a study about the effects on an Otago town, according to an ORC media statement. As the first of its kind, it will enable ORC to improve the dialogue between science and monitoring, policy, and physical outcomes.“We welcome the findings of this study as it fills a data gap we have had in Otago for some time.” ORC policy and science general manager Anita Dawe said.“The research will also give us good, and importantly local, data as we begin work on our Air Plan review later this year.”ORC chair Andrew Noone said air quality “can vary immensely” throughout Otago, depending on locations and the time of the year.“We generally accept we’re able to enjoy good air quality most of the time. However, it’s vital we focus on improving air quality, where required, so it enables us to live in a healthier region.”Woodsmoke pollution can be reduced when residents burn only dry wood and keep their fire hot and not smouldering. Further reductions in woodsmoke pollution could potentially be made through thermally efficient homes with good insulation.During winter people want to keep warm and be able to keep burning fuel, but everyone has responsibilities whether as homeowners, landowners, or in industry or business to play their part in improving air quality.“The survey conclusions provide some missing pieces of the knowledge puzzle,” Andrew said.Vanessa told The Central App the investigation of health outcomes and disparities in small populations is important but comes with unique ethical considerations. “In this case, the study community may be disadvantaged or stigmatised by being identified. We have chosen not to identify the study town in the research paper to avoid this. The town’s woodsmoke pollution is comparable to all monitored mid-size Otago towns - Alexandra, Arrowtown, Clyde, Cromwell and Milton. For this reason, we believe that the results are highly generalisable to each of these towns.”She said residents of all of them would benefit from having cleaner air.“Given the findings of our study and decades of previous research, our advice to anyone, regardless of where they live, is to try to reduce their exposure to woodsmoke.”    ORC campaign - dry wood better than wetCurrently, ORC is running its annual campaign highlighting ways to ensure your firewood is dry in time for winter, and the effects that burning wet wood and other items can have on the environment. The Council hopes this campaign will encourage residents to consider their health and that of others in their area when using wood burners.Air quality often degrades during winter due to increased domestic heating emissions, cold calm weather, and the occurrence of inversion layers. For this reason, ORC has monitoring sites in seven Otago towns: Milton, Mosgiel, Dunedin, Alexandra, Clyde, Cromwell and Arrowtown. These monitoring sites measure particulate matter (PM10) concentrations in the air. PM10 are solid or liquid particles in the air, smaller than 10 micrometres, and although they include vehicle and industry emissions, and natural sources such as dust and pollen, the main source in Otago is from home heating emissions.ORC is currently upgrading several monitoring sites to monitor for PM2.5 continuously through the year. PM2.5 (particles smaller than 2.5 micrometres) is a more direct indicator of the smaller sizes of particulate matter that are emitted during combustion.Vanessa’s paper on the links between woodsmoke and acute respiratory infections can be read at: https://journal.nzma.org.nz/

A written apology has been issued by Central Otago District mayor Tim Cadogan after a legal expert advised a code of conduct complaint against him was justified.Russell Garbutt, former deputy chair of the Vincent Community Board, made the complaint to Central Otago District Council (CODC) chief executive Sanchia Jacobs after the mayor emailed Radio New Zealand identifying Russell as a community board member, in relation to an opinion he had expressed as a member of the public.In April Russell had written a letter to the Otago Daily Times supporting a newspaper column by Joe Bennett. The column stated a Radio NZ presenter, in using a mix of English and Te Reo, was “educating no-one, patronising Maoridom and barking up a barren linguistic plum tree”.In his letter of complaint against CODC, Russell stated he recognises the Maori language as an official language of New Zealand and has “no issue with anyone wishing to learn the Maori language”.“What I do have an issue with is that my agreement with Joe Bennett’s piece resulted in the mayor using his position by the use of his council email to disclose my position as a community board deputy chair and to link my support of Joe Bennett’s views with the CODC. “It is my position that he further impugned my integrity by these actions and associated comments.”Yesterday (Monday June 13) Tim also apologised for his actions to the Vincent Community Board (VCB) at its monthly meeting in Alexandra.He said he accepted his actions were “improper” and has offered to meet Russell to apologise in person.“I accept fully I should not have sent the email that caused this issue and am disappointed with myself for having done so.”Russell resigned from VCB with immediate effect when the matter came to light on June 3 but this was not acknowledged by chairperson Martin McPherson yesterday. It was, however, noted by board member Dr Roger Browne, who wished to issue thanks to Russell for his six years on the board. In a statement to media at the time Russell had described the situation involving the mayor’s email as a tipping point for his resignation, pointing to frustrations around addressing the needs of the community via the board and council systems as a contributing factor. The vacancy left on the VCB will not be filled until the upcoming local body elections, yesterday’s meeting heard, as there were only two meetings to go before elections were underway.  Nominations for community board and council seats open on July 15 and results will be declared between Thursday, October 13 and Wednesday, October 19, according to the CODC website.

Concerns have been raised that volunteers providing community facilities - such as those developing the IceinLine Central rink at Molyneux Park in Alexandra - are struggling to manage requirements for applying for public funds. Vincent Community Board (VCB) member Lynley Claridge said at the board’s monthly meeting (Monday June 13) it amazed her how volunteers have to “jump through hoops” to be able to provide innovative assets for the community.The leased rink sits on council land, and for 20 years the rink organisers have believed it would benefit greatly from having a roof.An application for a funding grant of $400,000 toward that project was considered at the VCB meeting.The funds could come from reserves or a loan, the latter likely adding around $67 per household to ratepayers’ bills.Lynley told the board she would have liked the board to fund the work from reserves and not make the group wait for public consultation, but she understood the requirement to consult.Board chair Martin McPherson said if the money was raised as a loan it would have a “significant impact” on rates and people needed to be aware of that. Other funding sources and IceinLine’s own contribution of $90,000 were expected to make up the balance for the $1.6M project. Having the board’s clear backing would strengthen the case for successful applications to other funders including the Central Lakes Trust, the meeting heard.Speaking for IceinLine during a public session, Hugh McIntyre said there had been many delays and confusion over the status and progress of council support for the project. This had caused unnecessary time pressures relating to funding deadlines and further delays now needed to be avoided.He said he was not sure how other funders would interpret the VCB’s intentions if a commitment to support the group financially was not made clear. Hugh said he had no doubt the community supported the project.Central Otago District Council (CODC) has supported the group in the past including through an energy share project commissioned in 2018 where winter transfer of heat would be directed from the rink to the nearby public pool. Predicted energy savings had been anticipated to be used to pay off a loan, projected over 20 years, according to a council report. “However, the savings originally predicted have not been achieved to date. Work continues on improving the operation and understanding of the energy share system and quantifying the energy savings being generated at the Alexandra pool,” the report said.The results would be shared with the VCB following this winter’s rink operations.The Alexandra rink was the first Olympic sized rink (at 61m by 30m) in the South Island and remains one of only three in New Zealand, the others being indoor rinks in Auckland and Dunedin.Benefits of having a roof, the operators say, include extending the period when ice is available for local figure skaters training for events; for skating competitions; providing more certainty for school programmes; and encouragement of participation from schools located further away.It would also encourage visitors to come and use the indoor curling facility while family members were entertained at the ice rink. These additional activities would bring more people to the facility, providing added revenue to Iceinline and the Alexandra community.The VCB agreed in principle to fund the request, subject to consultation through the CODC’s 2023/2024 Annual Plan process.Lynley again raised the issue of volunteers having to “jump through hoops” to gain funding during discussions on an Alexandra District Museum Inc. grant application. The application for ongoing operational work was successful and chair Malcolm Macpherson told the board a range of exhibitions and events were upcoming and they hoped to employ a professional museum director.

A bright and enticing flag design depicting Teviot Valley produce has impressed the area’s community board members.The Teviot Valley Community Board agreed to explore ways to fund the creation of sets of flags at its meeting yesterday (Thursday June 16). In March a resident, who preferred not to be named, told the board she was unhappy with the design and condition of Roxburgh’s existing street banners. She proposed a community-led project to design and install new banners that celebrated the abundant produce grown in the area. The aim was for the banners to be bold and to promote the region, so that people passing through the township would have a positive and lasting memory of Roxburgh.The board’s initial reaction was positive but how to finance the move needed investigation. Yesterday members instructed staff to discuss the idea with community groups, who could possibly apply for council grants if they were interested in being involved.Flags could be produced to mark anniversary celebrations of local sports or other clubs, as well as produce. The Teviot Prospects group, which worked to promote the region, would be approached to gauge its interest.The board earlier budgeted $1,500 for banner replacement in the 2024/25 financial year and a further $1,500 in the 2028/29 financial year. Based on pricing estimates, however, this would barely cover one changeout of the 11 street banners, according to a council report.Council estimates showed 11 banners could be produced for around $136 each but if more were made per batch savings could be achieved. Ninety banners would only cost around $85 each.

The re-opening of the Cromwell pool has been delayed by nearly two weeks but its new environmentally-friendly heat system will be in place for the July school holidays.The arrival of equipment for the nearly $1M project had been held up due to international freight delays, Central Otago District Council Parks and Recreation manager Gordon Bailey said.When work began in mid-April it was predicted the pool would be back in action by 22 June, but this had now been pushed out until 4 July, a few days before the end of the school term.  “We hoped to avoid this situation by ordering the required equipment well ahead of time but unfortunately due to unforeseen circumstances out of our control vital equipment has yet to arrive. “With the current situation regarding freight from other countries, we have a number of items which were due on site that are still on the water. This has had a knock-on effect to work we can carry on with because of the sequencing of the work.” The Cromwell Pool’s LPG boiler is being replaced with a centralised water-sourced heating system that uses the town water supply as the heat source. The innovative move, partly using heat off a street water main, attracted a $100,000 grant from the government’s Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority(EECA).The heat pump will be utilising a new refrigerant, which has low global warming potential, according to a council media statement.Central Otago District Council Parks and Recreation manager Gordon Bailey.“It is a unique way of heating a pool. This new form of heating will shift almost all energy usage to electricity and take heat from the council’s street water main,” Gordon said.Over the next five years, this meant a carbon reduction of approximately 221 t-CO2per/year, the equivalent of the CO2 emissions stored in 3.4 hectares of established native forest.“We have had news from the supplier about the heat exchangers and one of the pumps, that these items are delayed and due into Lyttleton port, therefore we are unlikely to see them on site until Monday 13 June. “With the follow-on works required after installing these items along with commissioning the system I believe we will need the minimum of an extra week to complete everything properly to have the pool up and running,” Gordon said.The winter school holidays run from 9-24 July 2022, and the facility hosts Swim School from the beginning of Term 3 on Monday, 25 July.

Work begins on Tuesday (June 14) to fell large wilding pines in the Sugar Loaf Scenic Reserve near Cromwell, as part of a predominantly government-funded move to stop the spread of the pest species. The work, aimed at preventing the trees from spreading over the reserve and into neighbouring properties, is being coordinated by the Central Otago Wilding Conifer Control Group (CWG). It was approved by the Cromwell Community last year and is expected to take around 10 days to complete, according to the Central Otago District Council. Wilding pines are an issue across Central Otago with the serious threat to landscapes sometimes clashing with residents’ views on amenity values and landowners’ willingness to pay for ridding their land of the species.  The Cromwell Community Board has budgeted $20,000 this financial year for the Lowburn project with the balance coming from CWG. The total cost of the project will be about $90,000. CWG receives funding via a National Wilding Conifer Control Programme, one of four key projects under the government’s ‘Jobs for Nature’ funding programme. This is led by the Otago Regional Council, as pest overseers for the province, under an umbrella of $22.5M funding.CODC parks and recreation manager Gordon Bailey said CWG had identified that wilding conifers within the Sugar Loaf reserve were a seed source that was already spreading. “Council has responsibilities as a landowner to stop the spread of pest species including wilding conifers. We are also conscious of preserving and protecting the values and views of this well-known scenic reserve, which has been identified by the community,” he said. Pines policy underway The council just this month resolved to create a policy for how wilding pines are dealt with, partly in response to an issue on the outskirts of Alexandra where residents objected to pines, identified as a pest species, being felled. The stand of mature pines at the Half Mile Reserve, and the land they grow on, is now subject to a public consultation exercise initiated by the Vincent Community Board. Respondents have until June 30 to give their views on a council plan for removing the trees and transforming the reserve into a user-friendly landscape more typical of Central Otago.  The bulk of the funds earmarked for the removal of the Half Mile trees had been budgeted from the CWG’s 2021/2022 budget. The Otago Regional Council, however, reported this week that the group had now used 93 per cent of its available funds and CWG spokesperson Phil Murray told the Central App in April that the funds tagged for removal work at the Half Mile could not be carried over after July 1 into the next financial year. Lowburn work may affect traffic Meanwhile at Cromwell, two main areas have been identified for felling, one being the old shelterbelt at the Lowburn end of the Sugarloaf reserve. This distinctive line of mature pines running down the ridge had already started to produce seedlings that were spreading down the slope towards the Lowburn inlet. They will continue to do so if not controlled, CODC says. The other spot was at the Lowburn Collie Dog Club end of the reserve. “There are a few other wilding conifers dotted on the reserve that will be removed as well; some are near the electricity line that runs through the reserve.  “There are three large trees up the steep hill that for safety reasons will not be able to be removed. These will be drilled and poisoned in situ. As they deteriorate naturally over time, they will be progressively removed,” Gordon said. Due to the proximity of some of the trees to the state highway, traffic control measures will be in place. Mike Hurring Logging and Contracting would undertake the work using a felling machine, a large bulldozer and three machines for moving equipment around the site. It is estimated to take 10 days to fell the trees and cart them to processing areas. Chipping the slash into piles will also be undertaken with these piles being left on site at the end of the project.