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IN CONVERSATION
MAYOR GARY TONG
It is a privilege to have been elected to
represent you as your Mayor for a second
term, and I am looking forward to speaking
up on behalf of your communities for another
three years.
Following the local government elections
in October, councillors were sworn in for
the 2016 – 2019 term and we’re now a few
months in. It’s still early days yet, but it
has been fantastic getting to talk to each of
them about the things that matter to their
communities. You can get to know all of
your councillors a bit better later on in this
issue of First Edition (page 13).
Southland,
THANK YOU.
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Look uture
the F
We must meet many challenges – and many
opportunities – face on. Hard decisions lie
ahead. But the future is always exciting,
and I’m looking forward to cracking into it.
Our district tour gave councillors and
I a chance to talk about some of those
The numbers are eye-watering.
Visitor arrivals to New Zealand increased
24 percent between January 2013 and
January 2016, with a further 10 percent
increase in the year to March.
Visitor arrivals to New Zealand are
expected to grow 5.4 percent a year,
reaching 4.5 million in 2022, with a tourism
spend of $16 billion by that year.
The recent release of the Southland
Regional Development Strategy Action
Plan puts the need for more people
and new ways of doing things under
the microscope. There’s no doubt that
SoRDS is a vast work programme.
It creates huge opportunities for the
region, but there is a lot of process to
go through.
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The ramifications that result from a
declining population have the potential
to affect our district significantly. Council
must be a part of a solution addressing
the issue of a declining population and the
impact it has on Southland.
Southland District Council Chief Executive
Change has come, and if anything
is certain it’s that change will keep
coming. With change comes new
challenges, and we as a district need to
be ready to meet them.
Southland District Council is working
proactively with these initiatives to
move them forward. Tourism, in
particular, presents a real opportunity
for the district in the next five years.
Aquaculture offers the potential for
Southland to become a significant
One of the key issues facing Southland
District Council this term is something
affecting communities all over
New Zealand. The reality is that population
growth is shifting heavily towards our
major urban centres.
STEVE RURU
More than 50 years ago the late Sam
Cooke sang that a change is going to
come. He was so right.
A key objective is to drive growth
in two critical areas - tourism and
aquaculture – thereby bringing more
people to Southland, creating more
social and economic diversity and
generating more growth. Success
breeds success. The thinking is that
with significant economic runs on the
board, Southland’s desirability as a
place to live in and do business in will
rise accordingly.
opportunities and issues in-depth. While
we come from different places and all
walks of life, as Southlanders we know
there is more we share in common than
divides us. Although no two communities
are the same, many common themes
and aspirations have come out of the
conversations we have had so far.
Meanwhile, Milford cruise boat adult
passenger numbers continue to grow at a
great rate of knots, from 492,000 in 2015
to a 585,000 for 2016. These numbers are
projected to continue to grow by at least 4
percent compounding growth over the next
five years.
On the other hand, tourism opportunities
are happening now, and as a community
we need to learn how to manage the effects
of the challenges that will inevitably follow.
The Milford Opportunities Project is
giving serious thought to how to deal
with the massive growth in that area,
massaging the pressure points while
maximising the visitor experience and
increasing economic returns. It is not
a cruise boat capacity problem. There
are already 6200 seats a day of existing
capacity in the current summer schedule.
The issue is how to spread the volume of
arrivals throughout the day. One answer
may be to have more of them camping
on the corridor, and to do that further
development of accommodation options on
the corridor might be needed.
Some of this work is already happening.
The Milford Opportunities Project is one
prime example.
Council is working with the Department of
Conservation to form a governance group
to manage the influx and flow-on effects.
protein producer. We’re truly blessed
to have the perfect climatic and water
conditions to establish a world-class farmfishery right here off our own coastline,
but it is probably still five to 10 years away,
with a good tail wind.
Among the other challenges in Southland
are problems around digital connectivity,
with both mobile and broadband
coverage, freedom camping, making
sure our governance structure here in
the district is fit for purpose, and the
sustainability of ageing infrastructure.
There are plenty of positives too. When
you live in a place like Southland – a
district abundant in natural beauty,
fantastic people and resources aplenty –
they’re pretty easy to come by.
Take our tourism industry. Our district
is home to marquee-worthy areas like
Fiordland, Stewart Island and the Catlins.
Visitor numbers are booming, they’re
forecast to grow even more, and the
growing interest in our part of the world
can bring huge economic opportunities to
us all.
Similarly, the potential to unlock further
opportunities in the aquaculture industry
is incredibly exciting. Researchers are
looking at five marine sites here in the
south to see what opportunities exist in
The growth in self-drive independent
travellers, whether they be freedom
campers or people staying in commercial
accommodation options, is also a hot issue
and an opportunity.
The new tourism reality is that increased
numbers of visitors are driving themselves
so that they have the freedom to go where
they want, when they want. This includes
an ever-increasing number of freedom
campers who by their very definition will
often bypass traditional accommodation
options such as camping grounds.
Businesses might feel aggrieved that
they are not clipping the ticket. Indeed,
anecdotally, camping ground owners are
reporting a drop-off in visitor numbers
because more people are camping on the
side of the road.
The challenge for Southland as a district
is how to embrace those visitors,
whether they be freedom campers or
self-drive people staying in commercial
accommodation, to get more benefits from
them being here. We have to grapple with
these challenges because if we are going
to continue to prosper as a community,
freedom camping is a new growth
industry we need to manage.
Work done on the SoRDS strategy by
the nine action groups has thrown
forward a raft of excellent proposals for
world-class tourism products designed to
showcase our natural assets and provide
a marketable and memorable
visitor experience.
These include big-ticket ideas for
Bluff Oyster World and Conservation
HQ, a world-class interactive wildlife
conservation centre in Te Anau which
would be a major tourist attraction and
operating conservation facility.
this field – which include the farming of
species such as oysters and crayfish, as
well as fin-fish like salmon. The growth
of aquaculture has been identified as an
important component in the Southland
Regional Development Strategy (page 8),
a plan that intends to lay the framework to
build on and further diversify our region’s
social and economic opportunities.
We’ve talked about many aspects of the
work our organisation does since the term
began. From roading to ensuring our
governance structure is fit for purpose
and how we can influence Southland’s
young people to continue calling our
district home, the issues are complex and
long-term.
Council can’t always be the fix. What
we can do, though, is be part of leading
the way to create a vibrant, thriving
Southland for our people.
Making the right decisions is far from
an easy task – but as far as jobs go, it’s a
worthy one.
Other concepts at various stages of
development include a Stewart Island
Heritage Centre, Stewart Island Dark
Skies Sanctuary, Nature Exploratorium,
Experience Mandeville and a living
museum at Anderson Park. Add to
this the Curio Bay Tumu Toka Natural
Heritage Centre, the development of
which is already under way, and you get
an idea of the scale and scope of work
SoRDS has on its agenda.
Broadening Southland’s economy is
needed to offset not only the demographic
change our district is experiencing, but
also increased efficiencies in the rural
sector, as demonstrated recently by the
closure of the Silver Fern Farms Mossburn
venison plant.
This is a very real example of the kind
of challenges we face, and will continue
to face.
It’s happening daily in our district. Thirty
years ago, the number of farm workers
employed on the land was significantly
greater than now. This is reflected
in the makeup and size of our rural
communities today.
This is our reality. It drives our need
to diversify and to try to attract more
people.
It makes the diversification of our
economy even more important, and
highlights the need to pursue aquaculture
and tourism.
Council will continue to take a leadership
role in these activities as together we face
a new year of hard work and challenges
in the Southland district.
May your Christmas and New Year be
happy, safe and prosperous.
Christmas
Hours
All Southland District Council
offices will close on Friday, 23
December at 12 noon.
OFFICE
Invercargill
OPENING HOURS
Wed 4 Jan 8.30-5pm
Lumsden
Wed 4 Jan 11-4pm
Otautau
Wed 4 Jan 8.30-5pm
Riverton
Wed 4 Jan 8.30-5pm
Stewart Island
Wed 4 Jan 8.30-12
Te Anau
Mon 9 Jan 8.30-5pm
Winton
Wed 4 Jan 8.30-5pm
During the holiday period, staff will be
available to respond to urgent service requests.
Call us for:
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•
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Cemetery burials
Wandering stock
Infectious diseases
Noise control
Roading faults
Sewerage faults
Water supply faults
Dog and animal control
Transfer Stations
and Refuse Sites
All Council transfer stations will be closed
on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. All
other days will be normal opening hours.
A list of transfer/refuse station addresses,
information about what you can dispose
of at each one and where to buy tokens
can be found on the Wastenet website
www.wastenet.org.nz
Please note transfer stations now take EFTPOS.
Wheelie Bin
Collection
There will be no collection on Monday 26
December 2016 and Monday 2 January
2017. Collection days for the rest of the
week will be one day later than normal for
all residents.
- Monday becomes Tuesday collection
- Tuesday becomes Wednesday collection
- Wednesday becomes Thursday collection
- Thursday becomes Friday collection
- Friday becomes Saturday collection
There will be a Saturday collection on both
Saturday 31 December 2016 & Saturday 7
January 2017. Normal collection will resume
on Monday, 9 January 2017.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to increased demand
in some areas, the time during the day of the
collection may vary, so please ensure that your
wheelie bin is out by 7am on your collection day.
A 24-hour phone
service is available on
0800 732 732
3
Youth Council
Southland District Youth councillors
Chloe Gorton (left) and Kataraina Harris with
Riverton Community Board chairperson Blair
Stewart at the shelter opening.
Community celebrates
skatepark shelter opening
The Riverton community turned out in force to celebrate
the opening of a project led by two local youngsters.
Former Southland district youth councillors Kataraina
Harris and Chloe Gorton came up with the idea to build a
shelter at the town’s skatepark as part of the youth council’s
LeadLab Southland initiative. The initiative, run by
Southland District Youth Council, paired young people up
with mentors from Southland District Council and Venture
Southland to learn how to run community projects.
The shelter was opened by Mayor Gary Tong at a
community day, which included a sausage sizzle, prizes,
and plenty of fun.
Chloe says it was great to see the project draw the
community together. “It’s a great feeling knowing that we
contributed something to our community that we will look
back on in the years to come.”
Chloe and Kataraina turned to the Riverton Aparima
Community Board for support as well, and it was
instrumental in turning the project into a reality. It
provided financial assistance, along with Council’s Waiau
Aparima Ward, Southland District Council Community
Initiatives Fund, Riverton Youth Focus Group, Aparima
College, Riverton Lions, Riverton and Districts School
Sesquicentennial Committee, and Riverton Youth Group.
The design was based on one by artist Wayne Hill, and
the shelter was constructed out of fibreglass by the team
at Riverton business Marinecraft & Fibreglass Ltd. Ocean
Shell donated the commemorative plaque installed at the
shelter, while SouthCoast Skate & Surf and the Riverton
Holiday Park donated prizes to be used as giveaways for
the kids on opening day.
Mayor Tong says he commends the efforts of the two girls,
as well as the community for showing their support for
the project. “It’s great to see a youth-led initiative for the
benefit of other young people happening out there in our
4
communities. A lot of effort went into pulling this project
together, and everybody involved should feel proud of
themselves for the work they have done for Riverton’s
young people,” he says.
Youth councillor wins award
The generosity of a Southland district youth councillor has
been recognised in a prestigious awards ceremony.
Sophia Humphries, a year 13 student at Fiordland College,
received a Trustpower Youth Community Spirit Award this
year for her involvement in her school and community.
Sophia says she was blown away to win the award.
“It felt incredible. I was being recognised for stuff that isn’t
usually noticed and recognised and I was very honoured
to have won it,” she says.
Sophia’s involvement in the Te Anau community spans a
variety of interests.
“I have been a Cub leader in Scouts since the start of 2014,
been involved with the school productions and Stage
Challenge. I have been a volunteer at the local Children’s
Day both this year and last. From 2013 to 2015 I was
on the Kids Restore the Kepler leadership team. I also
volunteered my time on the Deaf Aotearoa Spirit of
New Zealand voyage in April of this year,” she says.
To Sophia, being active in her community is a chance to
do something positive for others and she encourages other
young people to follow suit.
“I like getting involved with my community because I love
being able to give back after all that I’ve gained from it …
it’s a good feeling that you receive knowing that you’ve
helped someone out, and very fulfilling. I definitely
recommend getting involved if you’re not already.”
Council GIS analyst
Adrian Buddle.
Southland District Council has
broken new ground developing its
public map viewer.
Southland District Maps is based on
Hexagon’s Consumer Portal software
which is new to New Zealand. SDC is
the first council in the country to use it.
“We’re pretty much the guinea pigs,”
says digital assets team leader Mark
Day.
Southland District Maps is hosted on
the council website. It replaces the
former EMap software which had
become tired and unstable and will be
phased out by Christmas.
EMap is 11 years old and has been
“a great workhorse, but it’s about to
die and we know that’’, says council
geographical information systems
analyst Adrian Buddle.
Adrian says they wanted to develop
a map viewer that was intuitive to
use, would load quickly and require
minimal to no training. It has just seven
buttons, which turn viewing layers on
and off. “You can’t go terribly wrong.”
Initially it will primarily be a property
search tool, but more functions will be
added over time.
Anyone can search for an address,
zoom in on a property, see an aerial
photograph or street map view of
it, and click a tab that opens up the
property’s rating information.
Other searches include valuation
number, town, Southland District
Council offices, rating boundaries
and road names.
http://maps.southlanddc.govt.nz/maps/
The council map layers are shown
over Open Street Map imagery, but
eventually Adrian will build his own
basemap, which will give “a lot more
control over the content of what’s
shown on the map, for ease of use”.
For instance, paper roads are shown
on the OpenStreetMap image, which
won’t be on the final version.
One of the layers available is Gridless Topographic Map imagery,
which is hosted in Wellington by
Land Information New Zealand. This
shows the versatility of the program
in that it is not limited to data layers
held by the SDC.
In time the mapping software will host
a lot of useful public information,
“quick information grabs” on such
things as hazard warnings, the District
Plan, freedom camping and dog
exercise maps, incident events, the
mobile library timetable, cemetery
information, wheelie bin collection
times and area office hours.
“We’ll have the buttons down the side
in one location – one viewer to rule
them all.”
Adrian says the new system’s
simplicity makes it attractive but
there will be a one page ‘how-to’
instruction to help new users.
The website’s base aerial image of
Southland District is actually built
from a series of photographs taken
sporadically over the past nine years,
since 2007. The images were then
stitched together using software, like
a “patchwork quilt”.
Adrian says Southland District
Maps will be good to use on mobile
devices. “It will be as pared down as
possible - quick view, to see just what
you need”
It has taken “a lot of work” to get
Southland District Maps ready to roll
out, and development and design
tweaks will be ongoing.
5
Road Safety
What goes on tour can stay with kids
for the rest of their lives.
That’s certainly what Maureen
Deuchrass hopes when she brings
Glo Bro and his road safety messages
into Southland schools.
Maureen is the road user safety
advisor for Road Safety Southland.
For more than eight years the former
school teacher has been working
tirelessly to fill young minds with
memorable road safety knowledge.
She says she’s passionate about it.
The recent Tour of Southland
provided the backdrop for one of
her organisation’s most successful
programmes, Share the Road, which
also links to the Burt Munro Challenge.
“We really feel the quality of this
programme is great, and that’s why we
have buy-in from the police,” she says.
“She is fantastic, and the teachers,
Plunket and police who all contribute
their time are often left in awe with
her leadership and having children
actually latch on to what can save
their lives. It’s very, very cool.”
One of Road Safety Southland’s most
recognisable faces belongs to mascot
Glo Bro, a furry purple hippo. He’s
a hit with kids at primary schools
throughout Southland, attracting
swarms of eager little fans.
Glo Bro goes into every kindy on
a two-year rotation. He had his
own book, Glo Bro Goes To Kindy,
published last year. Illustrated by
Kathryn Harper, of Wanaka, the
colourful book is in every southern
kindergarten and some primary
schools too.
Although technically he’s the mascot
of the Bright Sparks programme for
kindergarten-age kids, Glo Bro is a wellknown road safety figure, popping up
all over the place, including at Share the
Road events, Kidzone, the road patrol
Orange Parade and Southern Field
Days at Waimumu.
“We’re really proud of those kind of
connections that we’re developing
into schools and communities,”
Maureen says.
Different iterations of the Share the
Road programme have been around
since Road Safety Southland started,
with long-time co-ordinator Jane
Ballantyne at the helm. When she
retired at the beginning of 2016,
Maureen stepped up to fill the coordination role.
Road Safety Southland started in
the late 1990s. It’s a service shared
between all four Southland councils
and has the support of New Zealand
Police and Cycling Southland as
it takes road safety messages into
Southland schools.
Southland District Council strategic
manager transport Joe Bourque says
Maureen is an unsung hero.
“Southlanders often don’t know
the depth and dimension of SDC’s
contribution in this area,’’ he says.
6
Maureen Deuchrass on the job.
Share the Road is one of its flagship
education programmes, with a dream
delivery system since Road Safety
Southland became a feature sponsor
of the Tour of Southland in 2013.
The programme is a great mutual fit
between the tour and schools along
the tour route. Children in colourful
hi-vis vests, geed up by Maureen
and Glo Bro, turn out in force to
loudly cheer on riders passing their
schools, and in return the children get
unprecedented access to some highprofile riders.
“The support we get from schools is
so phenomenal,” Maureen says. “For
us it’s a great opportunity to make
sure they’re wearing hi-vis.
“It also highlights cyclists and
pedestrians sharing the road, so our
two most vulnerable road users are
there sharing the road together.
“We target schools primarily on the
tour route but we try and cover off
about 35 schools each year.”
Road Safety Southland partners
with Cycling Southland, police and
major sponsor Ricoh for the Share the
Road Roadshow. Cycling Southland
arranges access to tour riders, who go
into schools and speak with children.
Two of the riders involved in the
60th edition of the tour this year were
rising Southland stars Nick Kergozou,
who won the overall tour sprint ace
jersey, and Hayden Strong.
Olympic gold medal-winning rowing
superstar Hamish Bond, who was
cycling in this year’s tour, also made
himself available.
“They were so gracious,’’ Maureen
says. “At the end of the Gore stage he
was freezing. He said, ‘I can’t feel my
fingers’, but he still made time to sign
their T-shirts.”
“I would say all our schools know
that now.”
This year the programme went into
how cyclists communicate with traffic,
involving arm signals, wearing your
vest, wearing your helmet properly and
showing drivers where you’re going.
Later in the month the key message
shifted to sharing the road with
motorbikes, coinciding with the Burt
Munro Challenge.
Before the cycle tour there was a
colouring competition involving all
Southland schools in which entrants
had to come up with the best phrase.
“There were oodles and oodles of
entries this year.” Winners were Karly
Holland, 8, of Sacred Heart School, in
Invercargill, and Doreen Dabilo, 10, of
Tisbury School.
Woodlands Primary School principal
Fiona Murray says Maureen and Road
Safety Southland are always great to
work with. “They’re really helpful.”
Since Fiona became principal six years
ago she’s had perhaps three Tours
of Southland pass by her school. She
says the children are always bubbly
and excited about Glo Bro being there.
“Having a character like that really
engages the kids, and makes them
want to listen and take notice.
“I think with the little kids, in
particular, having Glo Bro helps
them remember - a bit like
Ronald McDonald.”
Other programmes run by Road
Safety Southland include Bright
Sparks, run in kindies, and Seen and
Safe, in partnership with Plunket.
Devised by Maureen, Bright Sparks
is a curriculum-based road safety
programme. It’s recognised as a
successful and innovative programme
at a national level, and has been held
up as a positive example of road safety
education by the NZ Transport Agency.
“We found there was no road safety
education, and so we did our own,”
Maureen says.
“We called it Bright Sparks [because
it’s about] how can they be bright as
a pedestrian, a rider and passenger?
We’ve given kindies lots of ideas
about how they can incorporate
teaching and learning …
“I’m particularly proud of Bright Sparks.
It’s one of my favourite programmes.”
Before that comes Seen and Safe,
which is pitched at two-year-olds and
their parents.
“Our families are becoming role
models without them really
knowing that,” Maureen says.
“We’re not explicit about that, but
we give them information and
encouragement to be that first role
model in road safety education.”
Road Safety Southland also supports
secondary school programmes
such as SADD (Students Against
Dangerous Driving).
It’s not just children who benefit
from the Road Safety Southland
messages, however. Just before
the Tour of Southland, Maureen
ran two day-long courses for older
drivers, one at Riverton and one in
Invercargill – “so it’s from two years
old to 90-year-olds that I run those
road user education programmes”.
Young pupils from Mrs Tuliau’s
Room Kea at Woodlands School
meet Glo Bro.
She changes the key messages every
year to keep it fresh for kids. “It’s so
fresh and interactive each year that the
schools want us back ... The demand
is such that sometimes we have to put
schools on a two-year rotation.”
There are many messages in the
programme, including health and
mind benefits of cycling, safety,
road rules knowledge and
environmental benefits.
“We invented the helmet salute – 2-41 … But now Safekids New Zealand
wide have taken that and put it on to
big posters. That started with us, eight
or nine years ago.
7
SoRDS
Come and see
Destination Fiordland hosted overseas
travel buyers this year.
Samantha and
Garth Milichich, who
established Wild Rides.
Tussock Country Glamping.
As visitor numbers reach saturation
in tourist hotspots the Southland
Regional Development Strategy’s
tourism action team is weighing up
opportunities to grow the industry
in the south.
For the year ended September,
compared with the previous year,
Southland guest nights rose 9.9
percent. International guest nights
rose 27.9 percent to 142,038 and
domestic guest nights rose 3.1
percent to 299,629.
Venture Southland group manager
tourism, events and community
Bobbi Brown has been part of the
SoRDS tourism action team and
says increasing the amount tourists
spend in the region is one of the big
challenges, as many of Southland’s
attractions are free.
Tourists spend more than $500
million in Southland a year
and the vision is to double that
amount by 2025 by encouraging
the development of more tourism
products to complement the region’s
world-class natural attractions.
Welcome Rock Trails, northern
Southland. Photo: Ben Arthur
“We want to encourage investment
in tourism and in the past six
months we’ve had 33 new products
being developed in the region,
which shows people are starting
to see opportunities with the
visitor numbers increasing,”
Ms Brown says.
New tourism products launched
in Southland include Welcome
Rock Trails at Garston, Wild Rides
in Te Anau and Tussock Country
Glamping.
Along with new businesses, some
existing operators in Southland are
looking at expanding or enhancing
their offerings.
While the visitor growth is
encouraging, Southland needs to
become a destination rather than just
a through-route, she says.
With Queenstown experiencing
visitor capacity and saturation issues,
there is opportunity to grow tourism
significantly in Southland. The
Government is aware of these issues
and is trying to direct more visitors
into the regions.
Cycle trails, cruise ships and golf
are some of Tourism New Zealand’s
hottest growing products and
Southland is well placed to service all
alongside traditional offerings set in
our unique natural environment, Ms
Brown says.
The Cycle Fiordland initiative of
the Te Anau community working
together to attract visitors by offering a suite of trails is a good
example, she says.
Down-to-earth offerings like
homestays and farmstays with
fantastic hospitality are examples of
“Southland’s unique story” which
are in demand, she says.
• The SoRDS Action Plan was launched at
Invercargill’s Bill Richardson Transport
World on November 30. For full details of
the action plan go to www.sords.co.nz
8
Time enemy in Te Anau wastewater talks
Southland district councillors have asked members of a
governance group looking at the Te Anau wastewater
treatment project to come back with a proposal for a
preferred alternative by early next year.
Time constraints are now a critical factor, with
councillors warned of the risks if there are further delays
in making a decision.
Last year Southland District Council was granted consent
for an upgrade of the existing wastewater scheme in Te
Anau, which would involve changes to the treatment
process and subsequent disposal of treated wastewater
to land north of Te Anau Airport Manapouri, known as
the Kepler block. However, the consent was appealed and
subsequently moved into mediation, with an agreement
unable to be reached between the parties involved. As a
result the appeal will now go to the Environment Court in
mid-2017.
A governance group, the Te Anau Wastewater Discharge
Project Committee, was formed to bring together
representatives from the local community to have a peer
review of the Kepler option completed and determine
whether it remained the most suitable option. The peer
review confirmed that while the Kepler option was a
viable option there were others which may provide
additional benefits and hence were potentially worth
investigating further. These options were centred around
two blocks of land, the Smith block in Sinclair Road and
the Slee block, which adjoins the current wastewater
treatment plant in Upukerora Road.
At their November meeting, councillors agreed to ask
the governance group to report back with their preferred
alternative option before March 2017. This would then
enable a final decision to be made on whether to pursue
field investigations to determine the viability of their
preferred alternative.
Council strategic manager water and waste Ian Evans
said resource consent for the current discharge to the
Upukerora River expired in December 2020, and a new
consent application would have to be made if Council
needed to continue with the current discharge beyond that
date. However, Environment Southland had informally
indicated that any new application would have to be
assessed against new planning rules and be subject to
public notification, meaning that there was no guarantee of
such a consent being granted.
Council would also have five years to give effect to
whichever consent was granted, or it would lapse.
Council officers considered it was unlikely, under current
planning parameters, that any alternative scheme would
be able to be investigated, consented, constructed and
made operational before December 2020. Mr Evans noted
that Council would need to complete at least 12 months of
on-site investigations to determine the suitability of a site
before a resource consent application could be developed
and lodged.
Mr Evans told councillors that they also needed to be
confident that they could get a 25-year consent, and that it
could also be renewed for a similarly long period once that
initial period expired.
Wastewater plant nearing completion
Work on a new wastewater treatment plant in one of
Southland’s tourism hotspots is almost finished – just in
time for the start of the new holiday season.
The new wastewater treatment plant at Curio Bay is part
of a 14-year-long bid to build a natural heritage centre and
associated facilities in the area, an increasingly-popular
visitor destination in the Catlins.
Southland District Council project engineer Joe Findley
says that work on the wastewater plant is well under way
and was due to start commissioning in early December.
“Essentially that’s a run-through to get the plant
operational,” he says.
“The commissioning phase will look at a variety of factors
including establishing the biomass, which is the culture
of bacteria, within the plant, testing all the electrical
equipment and checks on all of the other critical elements
such as valves, warning alarms and the
overall general process
to ensure everything
is working the way it should be.”
The treatment plant is part of a wider project in the works
for the area. The development of the Curio Bay Natural
Heritage Centre Tumu Toka also includes the construction
of a new carpark, an ablution block with toilets, showers,
a kitchen and a common area for visitors, and the heritage
centre itself, which will incorporate a café, interpretation
area and theatrette.
The project has been a collaborative one, with the South
Catlins Charitable Trust, Southland District Council
and the Department of Conservation all signatories of
a Memorandum of Understanding for the project. Iwi
and Venture Southland have also had considerable
involvement in the development, which has garnered
strong support from a number of community
funders and locals alike.
On the Southern Scenic Route,
Curio Bay is home to hoiho,
sea lions, Hector’s dolphins,
a 180 million-year-old petrified
forest and a living forest.
9
buildings and chatting animatedly
about their school days.
Mrs Howden went to Pine Bush
School in 1935, and Mr Brash, from
nearby Titiroa, started in 1938.
They remember the railway well.
“It was a busy line,” Mrs Howden
says, bringing super and fertiliser
to the farming community.
“It was the only way we could get
to town to go to manual,” says Mr
Brash, as it was during the war,
and there was no petrol.
Violet Howden’s grandparents
Matthew and Johanna Beattie ran
the Titiroa Post Office.
Sign at Pine Bush
It’s inspiring to be in a community
that cares.
This was never truer than at the
opening of new information shelter
for Pine Bush, when more than 60
local people turned out.
The panels present historical
information and photographs,
biographies of servicemen from the
area who died in the World Wars
and school rolls, preserving some
of the southern Southland area’s
industrious past for the benefit of
future generations and visitors.
At the invitation of Mayor Gary
Tong, former Pine Bush pupil Violet
Howden, nee Beattie, cut the ribbon,
officially opening the shelter.
Violet Howden
ready to cut
the ribbon at
Pine Bush, with
Mayor Gary Tong.
ago between Ken Somerville and
Cr Duffy. A meeting was held with
district council staff and Venture
Southland representatives and
money was sought from council and
community funders.
The memorial plaque, which bears
the names of Pine Bush area soldiers
killed in wartime, had been stored in
a shearing shed since the old district
church was sold, and as part of the
project it was decided to mount this to
a stone at the site.
“This is a great way to document the
old businesses and institutions that
were the life blood of the old district
communities and to understand their
part in the development of our modern
community,” John Somerville says.
Pine Bush farmer John Somerville,
who led the project on behalf of
his community, Waihopai Toetoes
councillor Paul Duffy, Southland
District Council community engineer
Kushla Tapper, resident Carmen
Andrews and Mayor Tong all spoke
at the opening.
A lot of the information on the panels
came from the book A High Point of
Vantage, by Marjory A Smith, and
architect Roger Beattie, who grew up in
the district, sourced many of the photos
and created a map which pinpoints the
historical layout of the community.
The idea for the panel came from
a discussion more than two years
Before the opening, Violet Howden
and Russell Brash pored over the
panels, pointing out familiar faces or
10
A horse-drawn coach ran from
Wyndham to Fortrose, stopping
at a pub which used to stand at
the corner of the Mataura IslandFortrose highway and Oliver Road,
across the road from where the
information shelter now stands.
They both remember that was
where the coaches would stop
so the horses could be watered
and refreshed.
Sarah’s Story
Menzies College student Sarah
Andrews, 15, started helping at the
Pine Bush information shelter site
before Anzac Day this year. It was
a project towards the community
service component of her Duke of
Edinburgh’s Hillary Award.
As well as being involved with the
design of the memorial site, along
with John Somerville and her own
family, Sarah also helped with tidying
up the section, planting and bark
chipping.
She thinks that overall she put about
30 hours of work into the project, but
“it’s been a good experience”.
She says he panels are a good way to
preserve the history of the area, and
she will stay involved in maintaining
the section for the benefit of the
community.
Her mother Carmen says that the site
had already become a community
focal point since the war memorial
stone and plaque were installed a
couple of years ago, with some locals
turning up there for an impromptu
Anzac Day service this year.
11
New representatives
elected throughout district
New representatives for seats at the Council table
and on Southland’s community boards have been elected.
Local government elections were held throughout New Zealand in October. In the Southland
District, elections were held for the positions of Mayor, councillor representatives for the
Stewart Island/Rakiura and Winton Wallacetown wards,
and the Stewart Island/Rakiura Community Board, Otautau Community Board
and Winton Community Board.
Gary Tong was re-elected as Mayor of Southland for his second term. His opponent, Steve
Fagerlund, announced he no longer wished to stand after elections closed.
By-elections will be held for community boards in Tuatapere and Edendale-Wyndham, as the
required number of nominations (six) were not received.
Nominations for the by-elections opened last month, and will close on 22 December. Voting
papers will arrive in late January and the by-election will be held on 17 February.
Stewart Island/Rakiura
Community Board
Winton Community
Board
Steve Lawrence
Greg Everest
Anita Geeson
Jon Spraggon
Dale Chittenden
Aaron Conner
Doreen McNaught
Brian Somerville
Natasha Mangels
Geoffrey Jukes
Neville McPherson
Peter Schmidt
Riverton Aparima
Community Board
Wallacetown
Community Board
Blair Stewart
Graeme Stuart
Neil Linscott
Jan Breayley
Corey Mennell
Andrew Wilson
Peter Laurie
Trina Eade
Francis Shearing
Treena Symons
Anthony Billyard
Raeburn Wilson
Tuatapere Community
Board
Edendale Wyndham
Community Board
Gavin MacPherson,
Darren Frazer,
Neil Paterson
Margaret Thomas
Maurice Green
Simon Blayne De Vries
Joanne Sanford
Stephen Crack
Te Anau Community
Board
Otautau Community
Board
Melanie Shepherd
(Wyndham subdivision)
Pamela Yorke
(Wyndham subdivision)
Denise Fodie
(Edendale subdivision)
Andrew Roy
(Edendale subdivision)
Kara Matheson
Mary Chartres
Sarah Greaney
Rachel Cockburn
Anthony O’Loughlin
Shaun Cantwell
Andre Bekhuis
Peter Gutsell
David Cowie
Maureen Johnston
Amber Joyce
Bill Marshall
Southland District Mayor
Gary Tong
Mararoa Waimea Ward
Mayor
Gary Tong
What attributes do you
bring to Council?
A vast knowledge of
Southland, Southlanders
and what is expected
of me.
What are the biggest
issues facing Southland?
What do you want
Council to achieve this
triennium?
To have the Around the
Mountains Cycle Trail
and Te Anau treated
wastewater projects
completed.
What do you want
Southland district to
look like in 10 years?
To continue to be a place
where people want to
come and settle. To do
this we must achieve
the goals identified in
the Southland Regional
Development Strategy.
12
John Douglas,
Ebel Kremer,
Brian Dillon
Stewart Island/
Rakiura Ward
Bruce Ford
Waiau Aparima Ward
George Harpur,
Nicholas Perham,
Stuart Baird
Waihopai Toetoes Ward
Paul Duffy,
Julie Keast
Winton Wallacetown
Ward
Meet the
Councillors
13
Bruce Ford
Stewart Island/
Rakiura
I do a lot of different jobs
here – mostly those that
no-one else wants!
My island background
encompasses fishing,
aquaculture and tourism.
What attributes do you bring to Council?
I want to represent the “community can-do” typified by our
residents here.
What are the biggest issues facing your ward and what do you
want Council to achieve this triennium?
The major item we need to sort for the island is the issue of
cheaper and renewable energy, but there are a lot of projects
currently on the Council programme and I want to see this ticked
off on behalf of the district.
What do you want Southland district to look like in 10 years?
I see Southland as invigorating, vibrant and flourishing, with
innovative communities - the envy of other regions.
Paul Duffy
Farmer
Waihopai Toetoes
What attributes do you
bring to Council?
Long-time experience
of living and working
in and with Southland’s
rural communities.
What are the biggest issues facing your ward and what do you
want Council to achieve this triennium?
The biggest issues are roading and the need to support strong
communities. I want Council to achieve a sound business model
for the Around the Mountains Cycle Trail, affordable solutions to
storm and wastewater challenges, and an efficient
delivery of services.
What do you want Southland district to look like in 10 years?
Productive with full employment and a more even spread of age
groups in our communities across the district.
Gavin
Macpherson
Dairy farming
Winton Wallacetown
What attributes do you
bring to Council?
Fourth term on Council.
Straight to the point and
make hard decisions.
Care about ratepayers as
well as communities.
Brian Dillon
Farmer, semi-retired
Mararoa Waimea
What attributes do you bring to Council?
I am representing the Mararoa Waimea ward for the second term,
having previously been the councillor for the Waikaia ward for
five terms. I believe that I bring strong successful business ethics
to the district council , and will continue to do so for the collective
good of our great province.
What do you want Council to achieve this triennium?
Farming and tourism will continue to be the mainstays of our
province. We have many very hard-working and enthusiastic
people working in Southland and we must as a council ensure
that our province can continue to grow and prosper by making
sure that our businesses are not stifled by over-regulation.
What do you want Southland district to look like in 10 years?
People are our greatest asset and we must encourage
development for the betterment of our wonderful province.
Ebel Kremer
Self-employed
Mararoa Waimea
Balancing people’s level of expectation for roading against the
costs and decreasing government funding.
What do you want the Council to achieve this triennium?
Council has already begun to address all of these issues and
more. The first step forward is through communication with our
individual communities.
What do you want Southland district to look like in 10 years?
If there is a Southland District Council in 10 years it will have
survived some pretty big changes in local government.
Hopefully have a strong population, strong economy and be an
attractive part of the world to live because of the lifestyle
it provides.
14
What do you want
Southland district to
look like in 10 years?
To have communities
that are environmentally
friendly, financially
sustainable and safe for
our residents.
What attributes do you bring to Council?
20-plus years as an executive manager in the health sector and
management consultant. Governance, leadership and senior
management, financial, project and strategic management. I now
own my own property maintenance business.
What are the biggest issues facing your ward and what do you
want Council to achieve this triennium?
Ever-increasing tourist numbers, while positive for our region, do
place additional pressure on infrastructure. Significant decisions
will need to be made by councillors as to the future of the Around
the Mountain Cycle Trail. It is important the right decision is
reached for the Te Anau wastewater project.
We must also continue on the pathway of achieving “ease of
business” in Southland, which will attract business to Southland.
Take responsibility and get on with the job.
What are the biggest issues facing your ward?
The way that communities are changing all the time, where do
we replace infrastructure and when? Winton’s Main Street and
the earthquake-prone buildings.
What are the biggest
issues facing your ward?
We do have several big
issues facing our ward
and I am very confident
that they can be
successfully resolved.
Neil Paterson
Semi-retired
Winton Wallacetown
What attributes do
you bring to Council?
Local government
experience along with
a commonsense and
practical approach.
What are the biggest issues facing your ward and what do you
want Council to achieve this triennium?
Broadband and cellphone coverage in parts of our ward are very
substandard. For too long we have been paying our internet
providers for a service we are not receiving, creating difficulties
for business and home users.
This ward has a very large roading network that needs to be
maintained to a high standard.
What do you want Southland district to look like in 10 years?
A district with all its infrastructure up to date and to be the envy
of other rural regions of New Zealand.
Julie Keast
Self-employed
Waihopai
Toetoes Ward
What do you want
Southland district to
look like in 10 years?
A collective of vibrant
communities with
well-maintained
infrastructure.
A place residents will be proud to live in.
What attributes do you bring to Council?
I bring a female perspective to Council table! Through my
previous banking career and current business operation I have a
good appreciation of business, finance and customer service.
What are the biggest issues facing your ward and what do you
want the Council to achieve this triennium?
Roading. Infrastructure that meets requirements. Improved
communication with our residents and communities. SDC to be
efficient and effective in the delivery of Council business with
the completion of current major projects such as the Curio Bay
wastewater, sealing the Curio Bay, Haldane, Slope Point and
Waipapa roads along with completion of the Te Anau wastewater
project and the Around The Mountains Cycle Trail.
George Harpur
Retired
Waiau Aparima
What do you want
the Council to achieve
this triennium?
To live up to our
motto, People First.
Clean up the Around the Mountains Cycle Trail and the
Te Anau sewerage fiascos and put that behind us. Promote the
Haast Hollyford highway and be proactive with the good things
for Southland.
What attributes do you bring to Council?
I bring some 60 years of rural Southland work experience to the
Council table. Having managed hotels and various sectors of
the transport industry I have a wide knowledge of the activities
in the rural farming and forestry areas. I am very familiar with
the Western Southland area and the logistics of the people who
reside there. I fully understand the turmoil that some of our
elderly citizens face on retirement and their ongoing needs.
What are the biggest issues facing your ward?
The large increase in tourist numbers who cannot handle
gravel roads. The road to Lake Hauroko and Lake Monowai
need immediate upgrading to a sealed surface funded from the
tourism sector and more promotion of the many attractions in
our area.
John Douglas
Farmer
Mararoa Waimea
What do you want
Southland district to
look like in 10 years?
Southland needs
to retain its
uniqueness while
growing its appeal.
What attributes do you bring to Council?
I believe that my involvement in farming and community
organisations has given me an insight and experience to provide
leadership governance and strategic planning to the district.
What are the biggest issues facing your ward and what do you
want Council to achieve this triennium?
The main projects in my ward would be the cycle trail, Te Anau
wastewater, Haast Hollyford road and the influx of tourists and
freedom campers. There has to be more formal planning on how
best to complete the cycle trail, subject to gaining both the courts’
and Council approval. Tourists should be made to contribute
more to local infrastructure.
Stuart Baird
Sheep and beef
farmer for 30 years
Waiau Aparima
What attributes do
you bring to Council?
Experience,
certified hearing
commissioner.
What are the biggest issues facing your ward?
A declining and an ageing population that requires a different
range of services. This presents particular challenges for Council,
which is faced with a declining ratepayer base. It also puts
pressure on clubs and organisations, where fewer members and
volunteers are called on to carry the load.
What do you want the Council to achieve this triennium?
We’re all looking for economic development in our communities.
Council must become more transparent to its ratepayers. The
standard of road maintenance must be raised to a higher level.
What do you want Southland district to look like in 10 years?
Reversing Southland’s population decline. SoRDS is doing good
work. It’s important that this keeps progressing. We need more
economic growth in our communities. We definitely require
better quality broadband. It’s so important, not only for business
but to connect our communities.
Darren Frazer
Youth worker/
self-employed
Winton Wallacetown
What attributes do
you bring to Council?
20-plus years of
working in local
communities, mainly
with younger people.
I’ve also run a small business for 18 years.
What are the biggest issues facing your ward and what do you
want Council to achieve this triennium?
We live in one of the best places in the world. We’ve got some
big issues around population growth and age, and with a push
to bring in new people to Southland, for me the big issue is to
ensure we continue to have strong communities and maintain
the things that makes Southland a great place to live. I want to be
part of a council that makes good decisions for the future. My test
question will always be ‘is this good for my son?’
What do you want Southland district to look like in 10 years?
A vibrant community of people who support each other. A place
that is great to bring up families and offers opportunities to grow
and develop. A community that values its environment and
ensures that it is looked after for those following us.
Nick Perham
Public servant
Waiau Aparima
What attributes do
you bring to Council?
Passion! Ten years’
experience in public
sector management.
I have almost completed a Degree in Economics and Geography.
Strategy, leadership and engagement, entrepreneurship.
What are the biggest issues facing your ward?
Urban migration. More people moving from rural areas,
including towns, to urban areas, changing the dynamics.
Infrastructure needs an overhaul. Railway upgrade.
What do you want the Council to achieve this triennium?
Complete the Around the Mountains Cycle Trail. Sound
infrastructure, including quality roading and footpaths, children’s
playgrounds, reliable broadband. Support economic growth.
What do you want Southland district to look like in 10 years?
A stable, sustainable and world-leading agricultural community.
A world-leading tourist destination, especially eco-tourism. A
significant increase in population – migration from major urban
centres back to New Zealand’s rural heritage.
15
A community can’t really become a
community unless everybody feels like
they have a part to play. That’s what Tanya
Colyer reckons.
Tanya has spent much of her energy helping
Riverton’s young people find their voice
since moving there in 2010.
To her, the benefits that come with engaged,
active youth are worth the hard yards.
“It’s just about encouraging the kids and
helping them understand that they do play
a big role in our community,” she says.
“We need to make sure we invest
in them. You hear lots of those
big words, like ‘empowering’ and
‘enabling’, that get thrown around,
but it’s actually true – if you can do
that, you can build a really great place
to live.”
Tanya had the opportunity to work
closely with Riverton’s young people
for five years, as youth facilitator for
Community House.
From that sprang the idea of creating
a Youth Focus Group: 16 kids
representing their community, from
Year 7 to Year 13. It held a monthly
breakfast meeting: food first, then
down to business.
The youth group was a space for
the kids to talk to one another, and
other members of the community
keen to join in. It was also behind a
calendar chock-full of events aimed at
connecting the town’s young people
with those around them.
16
The group supported a variety of
community-positive initiatives,
ranging from cleanup days to movie
nights and throwing their support
behind events planned by others,
such as the Between the Tides
initiative – an outdoor art exhibition
held at the beach – and the
Southland District Youth Council’s
LeadLab Southland project. Youth
focus group members were also
responsible for a Halloweenthemed skateathon to fundraise
for participants Chloe Gorton and
Kataraina Harris’ bid to build a
skatepark shelter in the town.
“That’s what those things are all
about, really: getting people to
come together and connect with
one each other, by supporting what
we already had here in Riverton. It
would create those conversations
all through the community. The
purpose of the job was about the
kids and the youth, but it went so far
beyond just them,” Tanya says.
The group also took on anti-bullying
efforts as a pet project. The Boo to
Bullying campaign encompassed a
number of initiatives; opportunities to
get their anti-bullying message across
included the ‘Riverton’s Got Talent’
show, a Christmas tree hunt that got
businesses in town involved, events
aimed at parents to reinforce ideas of
prevention and intervention, and a
pink shirt day, to name just a few.
Their efforts garnered a win at the
2014 Trustpower Awards, where the
youth focus group took out the title of
Regional Winners in Education and
Child/Youth Development.
Tanya didn’t know they were going
to win, but she wanted to make sure
every member of the youth focus
group was present in the audience: not
only to feel valued for the work they
had been part of, but to be inspired by
those creating positive change in other
southern communities.
They all went to town for the awards ceremony. “I
wanted them to feel inspired. I wanted the kids to see
what other people have done in their communities, and
go, ‘I can do that too’.”
Working with young people has been part of Tanya’s life
for close to two decades. Previously, she worked with
young people as a high-performance junior squash coach.
“When I was growing up and playing squash myself, I
did have a really good support network and I think I’ve
always been really lucky in terms of having good mentors
and stuff. I think sometimes all kids need is somebody
else helping them out,” she says.
When she arrived in Riverton to live with partner Adrian
and his two boys (Levi, now 13, and Nick, 11), Tanya was
“very naïve” and admits it took some time to figure out
how a small community worked.
Now their family has grown to include daughters
Lakisha, 5, and three-year-old Mia. Tanya’s parents have
since made the move south too, relocating to Riverton
from Taupo.
“I guess, with our kids, I have a vested interest in making
sure Riverton’s young people have opportunities available
to them. Now, with my parents living here as well, it’s
really made me think about how important it is to get
everybody supporting one another.
“I think for me, you just want to be in a community that’s
really positive. You want life to be fun and interesting
with lots of opportunities, whether you live in a big city
or not. You just want people to have the chance to give
different things a go,” Tanya says.
While the youth facilitator role is no longer in operation,
Tanya says she was incredibly lucky to have been able to
work with Riverton’s young people while in the role.
Now in real estate, she would love to continue helping
young people make a difference.
“The thing with kids is, you don’t know the impact you
have on them. You don’t really know what impact you’re
making on them, because it’s such a long-term thing.
But if you can bring people together, that’s got to be a
good thing.”
17
Winton hall gets
mod makeover
John “Chub” McHugh and Cr Darren Frazer
in the new-look Winton Memorial Hall.
Winton’s Memorial Hall has been
given a contemporary makeover to
celebrate its 60th birthday.
A raft of improvements were
scheduled, with Barry Stewart Builders
the main contractors.
The hall was opened in 1956, and
former Winton Community Board
chairman John “Chub” McHugh said
that before the revamp she looked
every one of her 60 years.
Foremost was seismic strengthening
work. While the hall met the minimum
standard, Mr McHugh said the board
felt that if they were going to spend a
The upgrade was instigated by the
Winton Community Board and
was three years in the making.
Recently retired Winton Wallacetown
councillor Lyall Bailey was a
passionate proponent of the project.
Venture Southland community
development planner Tina Harvey
was tasked with surveying user
groups to find out what they wanted
to see done about the hall. Feedback
included better heating and lighting,
and making the facility more user
friendly.
Council’s property management
department was responsible for
ensuring the project was completed
to meet the Council and community
board’s expectations and Doug Riley
from Southern Quantity Surveyors
was commissioned to manage the job.
lot of money on improvements they
wanted to see the seismic resistance
improved.
This work was probably the most
time-consuming aspect of the work,
he said. The hall had a false ceiling
and no-one knew what was above it.
The whole ceiling required alteration.
Southland District Council, which
owns the building, approved
unbudgeted expenditure of more than
$560,000 to complete the job, out of a
total project budget of about $900,000.
The massive refurbishment
programme included electrical
upgrades, painting the hall, plumbing
and flooring improvements, doubleglazed windows with aluminium
frames, new toilets and foyer for
the women’s toilet, a wheelchairaccessible toilet, new kitchen and
servery, new bar and servery,
improved insulation throughout and
new furniture.
Some changes are cosmetic, but some
have a more practical purpose. “We
widened the foyer by changing the
doors,” Mr McHugh said. “One of the
requests I had one day was from the
local undertaker. They had difficulty
getting caskets in through the doors.”
Electric window openers were
installed and acoustic panels fitted
throughout, to dampen the sound of
the big airy room.
A lick of paint on the outside has
brightened the hall’s exterior and
added a smart sheen to a facility that
should serve its community well for
many years to come.
Did you know our District Plan variations have made it easier to
build a house in some of Southland’s townships?
Variation 2 of the District Plan makes it easier for people to meet the
rules required to build a house in the rural townships of Athol, Curio
Bay, Dipton, Drummond, Fortrose, Garston, Gorge Road, Limehills/
Centre Bush, Orepuki, Thornbury, Waianawa, Waikawa, Waimahaka,
Wairio and Woodlands.
To find out more, visit www.southlanddc.govt.nz or talk to the
Resource Management team on 0800 732 732.
18
Wood Energy South model
wins praise at national level
Southland businesses
embrace product innovation
A leading consultant has heaped praise on Southland
businesses’ positive approach to new concepts and
product innovation.
Saskia van der Geest has fronted three of the four
business innovation breakfasts facilitated by Venture
Southland. The breakfasts have proved popular,
with Southland businesses wanting to progress new
product concepts.
Saskia van der Geest says the enthusiasm to embrace
innovation around product development is evident
within the Southland business community.
Bioenergy Association chief executive Brian Cox wants
to clone the Wood Energy South model and replicate it
nationwide.
Mr Cox says the Wood Energy South initiative
provides a pathway for other regions to follow.
“The work being undertaken by Wood Energy South is
invaluable and proves that real progress can be made
towards the large-scale conversion of industry and
other large fossil fuel users to a bioenergy alternative.
“Wood Energy South have not just successfully sold
the concept, they’ve proved ongoing fuel supply in
the region and highlighted long-term financial and
environmental gains. We now need to see the same
work undertaken all over New Zealand.”
Saskia van der Geest with Alistair Adam.
“Southlanders have a very positive and forwardthinking approach to product innovation. There’s
no problem with taking advice or trying something
new. Southland businesses have a progressive can-do
attitude that is often lacking elsewhere.
“Venture Southland is to be applauded for the
work being undertaken to promote diversification
and product development within the southern
business sector.”
Venture Southland business services manager Alistair
Adam says it’s been great to see so many businesses
learn about innovation and design thinking.
This series is a progression of the work that Venture
Southland has undertaken over the past three years to
introduce new innovation and development pathways
for businesses.
“These programmes tie in well with the R&D grants
and support programmes that Venture Southland
delivers in partnership with Callaghan Innovation,”
Mr Adam says. “On the back of this success,
Venture Southland is now looking at extending the
programme to provide more education and direct
learning and support for Southland businesses.”
The three-year $1.5 million partnership between
Venture Southland and the Energy Efficiency and
Conservation Authority is proving to be a successful
one, with 17 biomass boilers installed or in the
commissioning stage in Southland. There are also a
number of large-scale systems in the pipeline.
Wood Energy South co-ordinator Cathy Jordan says
that the project is now gaining really positive traction
as it reaches its final six months. In the past few years
we have focused on establishing the foundations
and building confidence by identifying and
mitigating barriers.
“One of the most valuable components of this project
has been the partnership between Venture Southland
and EECA. This, combined with the knowledge
sharing and support with Bioenergy Association
and industry, is an incredibly progressive and
positive approach.
“With the collaboration between EECA and Bioenergy
Association and its members it is possible to make
some strong headway over the next few years as New
Zealand works towards meeting its Paris targets.”
Businesses have until 31 December to be eligible for a
subsidy towards a feasibility study, and until 31 March
for capital grants towards a conversion to
wood energy.
19
Action on
Oreti Beach
Southland has a new action plan
to protect its famous Oreti Beach.
Seven southern agencies have signed a Memorandum of
Understanding for the management of the beach, after
grave concerns were voiced about damage caused by
years of motorbikes, quad bikes and four-wheel drives
being driven over the fragile sand dunes, as well as
dangerous driving on the beach, littering and dumping
of abandoned vehicles.
The agreement specifies responsibilities for monitoring
activities on the beach, its conservation and maintenance.
Sharing the task are Invercargill City Council, Southland
District Council, Department of Conservation,
Environment Southland, New Zealand Police, the
Ministry for Primary Industries and Waihopai runaka.
Southland District Council group manager
environmental services Bruce Halligan says “it’s really
positive that there’s an inter-agency memo and we need
to work with the other agencies. Collectively we need to
build more community buy-in and awareness around the
asset that we’ve got there”.
The memorandum was developed after a steering group
of interested parties was formed in 2014. The group was
chaired by Invercargill city councillor Alan Dennis.
One of the most vocal proponents of the management
scheme is Invercargill resident Allan McMurdo, who has
witnessed the “devastation” and reckless, dangerous
behaviour on the beach for much of his life. An avid
fisherman, whitebaiter and duckshooter at the mouth of
the Waimatuku River, about 2km north of the Ferry Road
entrance to the beach, he says he has been pushing for
action for 12 years.
“We’re always picking up their pieces after they’ve
left from the damage they do,’’ he says. “And giving
them rides back to their cars after they come off their
motorbikes and injure themselves. Broken collarbones,
ankles, wrists … you name it.
“They just go hell for leather down
the beach, and no idea. As soon
as they hit the soft sand they keep
going and the bike just digs in.”
- Allan McMurdo
20
A public meeting will be held soon to discuss how the
resolutions in the memorandum will be put in place, and
what effects these will have on Southlanders using
the beach.
Mr McMurdo hopes user groups like motorcycle and
four-wheel-drive clubs will come along to talk about the
issues, “and hopefully we’ll minimise the damage that’s
happening to our beach”.
This includes the potential damage to the fragile toheroa
fishery that exists below the beach surface.
Mr Halligan says before the memorandum was signed,
there used to some “grey areas” about which agency was
responsible if, for instance, cars were dumped or carcasses
washed up.
The memorandum clarified each agency’s role so that
members of the public didn’t get “bumped around from
one place to another”.
By law, New Zealand beaches are classified as roads,
allowing local authorities to set speed limits and police to
enforce traffic laws, such as registration requirements. Mr
McMurdo says people often don’t understand that road
rules apply on the beach.
“When you’re walking through the sand dunes you don’t
want to be confronted by a motorbike doing 30 or 40 k’s.
Allan McMurdo points out some of
the damage done at Oreti Beach.
“If you took your car down Oreti Beach and you didn’t
have a warrant of fitness or registration, and a cop stopped
you, you’d get prosecuted. But a motorbike can go on
the beach that’s not warranted or registered, rip up the
sand dunes, go racing up and down the beach at 60 or 70
kilometres and hour and get away with it.”
Despite this, both he and Bruce Halligan believe education is a better way of spreading the message than brute
enforcement. Letter drops on the windscreens of cars parked at the beach and information leaflets at motorcycle
dealerships are just two suggestions Mr McMurdo will bring to the table.
Mr Halligan also thinks initiatives such as having schoolchildren involved in beach regeneration projects might create
better community buy-in than stern public warnings.
“You’d like to think that in 100 years’ time maybe you’ve got much less vandalism and more community ownership,’’ he
says. “I’m not sure we’ll do that by putting signs up everywhere telling people not to do this, that or the next thing.”
Mr McMurdo hopes the management plan will be in effect by Christmas, an opportune time to spread the word with
more people at the beach.
In the meantime, people should report instances of dangerous driving, littering, abandoned cars or distressed marine life
directly to Invercargill City Council.
21
21
22
New adventures at
Wyndham
The Wyndham camping ground
has been given a new lease of life.
Mr Garthwaite knows the area well.
He went to school at Wyndham
Primary School and Menzies College,
and his mother was a teacher at
Menzies and is still a relief teacher
there.
He’s returned after going to
university and spending eight years
working for Fonterra in Taranaki.
Mr Garthwaite has formed a new
business, Southern Style Adventures.
Initially, it’s set up as a campervan
rental company, but he has big plans
to run guided fishing tours. He see the
two businesses as complementary.
“If they’re renting campervans off me
they can stay at the camping ground
for free,” he said.
Adventure tourism operator James
Garthwaite has taken over the
lease and day-to-day running of
the camping ground, which was
previously administered by the
Wyndham Community Board and
council community engineer.
He’s also telling locals, “hey, we’re
still here, accommodation’s available,
come down for a barbecue and a night
away from home”.
Community engineer Kushla Tapper
said running camp grounds was not
Council’s area of expertise.
“Leasing the grounds to a motivated
individual such as James Garthwaite
is a win-win situation for the local
community and private enterprise,”
she said.
Historically, the camping ground had
required significant local rate funding
to support it, she said.
Leasing the camp ground had been in
the pipeline for about five years.
Mr Garthwaite has spent his first
weeks on site improving the grounds
and facilities and is approaching
local groups and businesses to form
mutually beneficial relationships.
“We hope that this new venture will
help bring more visitors to the town
and encourage them to stay longer,
energising the town and creating
more business opportunities,” Mrs
Tapper said.
The Wyndham Community Board
and Council thank Lynley Wright,
who was custodian of the camping
ground for more than 18 years.
Fortrose beach cleanup
The Fortrose community came out in force to celebrate their
beach.
About 40 children and 60 adults pitched in to clear rubbish
off the beach and informally launch five years’ worth of
enhancement projects on the foreshore.
Four quad bikes with trailers carted rubbish collected off the
beach while ute crews worked on roadside cleanup.
Southland District Council community engineer Kushla Tapper
said an old dump site in the area that was slowly eroding into
the sea added to the list of interesting items found.
“Two wheelbarrow loads of red bricks were separated out to
put in someone’s garden as edging. There were a few slabs of
concrete, quite a lot of glass, big chunks of corroded iron, and
something that looked like an old engine piece.
“Some netting and subsoil drainage pipe had washed down the
river from a past flood.”
In all, about three trailer loads of rubbish were take away.
Afterwards, an unofficial Fortrose foreshore improvements opening was held, to say
thank you to the many groups who had been involved with various enhancement
projects at the foreshore in the past five years.
Speeches were led by Waihopai Toetoes councillor Paul Duffy, with contributions from
Toi Tois Tokanui Lions Club president Russell Crosbie, Steve Beker, John Ellenden,
Phillip Golden and Mrs Tapper.
23
Rural Fire
The new national fire service is taking shape.
A transition project is under way to establish Fire and
Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) from more than 40
separate organisations including rural fire authorities, the
New Zealand Fire Service and the National Rural
Fire Authority.
Cabinet this year agreed to unify urban and rural fire
services, which required a new funding model, repealing
two current acts of Parliament and creating new
legislation. The Fire and Emergency New Zealand Bill is
before the House of Representatives and, subject to the bill
passing, New Zealand’s fire services will be amalgamated
on 1 July 2017.
So what does this mean for you?Under present legislation
Rural Fire Authorities are only legally mandated to
respond to fires within their area while the New Zealand
Fire Service also has a rescue role., The role of firefighters
has changed greatly, with teams responding to medical
calls, motor vehicle accidents, civil defence emergencies,
hazardous substances, swift water rescue and urban search
and rescue. The FENZ Bill reflects the changing needs of
the fire services and communities’ expectations.
In future a fit-for-purpose service for your local areas will be
developed. FENZ will establish local committees to provide
the regional voice in the delivery of services. Committees
will consult with the wider community and stakeholders to
ensure risks and needs are well understood. It is important
you have your say during this process. You will be kept
informed on when this will happen.
In most areas there will be little change, and in others there
may be a shift to better fit the local community’s needs.
At present a levy is collected from property and motor
vehicle fire insurance which funds the New Zealand Fire
Service. Rural Fire Authorities are largely funded from local
government, Department of Conservation and the forest
industry. This has historically been an area of disparity as
rural people pay the same insurances but are also expected
to cover the cost associated with any wildfire.
The proposed new levy FENZ will collect will fund the
whole of the service and be the primary source of
funding. Currently the bill is in the select committee stage.
Only when the bill is passed can FENZ start to put in
place the requirements of the new legislation and form
one organisation.
For advice call 0800 7733 63, or find out more at www.southernruralfire.org.nz
Rubbish and recycling tips for Stewart
Island this summer Keep it simple.
That’s the message from SIESA this holiday season. Those on the island are urged
to put their rubbish and recycling out on Tuesday mornings during December and
January – not
ot the night before – to prevent the risk of kaka and rats attacking the items.
Some handy
for rubbish and recycling collection this summer are:
dy tips fo
• Don’t forget to wrap all sharp items before placing
them in your rubbish bags
th
Bags weighing more than 15kg will not be collected
• Ba
• Recycling bins should only contain clean, recyclable
products. Put bottles on the bottom, followed by tins,
cans and plastics, with paper and cardboard on the top.
Goods for 2nd Chance will not be collected.
DON’T FORGET – people looking after holiday homes are responsible for
checking the rubbish and recycling guests put out. Make sure you follow
these basic rules to ensure your rubbish and recycling collection stays
hassle-free this summer.
24
STEWART ISLAND
Rakiura Resource Recovery Centre
CHRISTMAS HOURS
Mon 26 Dec 2016
Closed
(Community & business collection as normal)
Tues 27 Dec 2016
Closed
(Rubbish truck will collect as normal)
Wed 28 Dec 2016
9.30am - 4.30pm
Thurs 29 Dec 2016
9.30am - 4.30pm
Fri 30 Dec 2016
9.30am - 4.30pm
Sat 31 Dec 2016
8am - 12 noon
Sun 1 Jan 2017
Closed
Mon 2 Jan 2017
Closed
(Community & business collection as normal)
Tues 3 Jan 2017
Closed
(Rubbish truck will collect as normal)
Emergency Management
Beach safety this summer
Not much beats lazy summer days
at the beach.
With the festive season almost here,
Kiwis are flocking to the seaside
to enjoy some time in the sun with
family and friends.
But a disaster could happen any
time. It could happen while you’re
on holiday.
That’s why it is so important to
ensure you know how to stay safe
in the event of an emergency, no
matter when or where it strikes.
Spending so much time near the
water is a great time to remind
ourselves of the need to be ready for
natural disasters such as tsunamis.
One handy tip to remember in the
event of an earthquake while near
the water is ‘Long or Strong, Be
Gone’.
The best warning system that a
tsunami is on its way is the natural
warning system. If you feel an
earthquake that is long (more than
a minute) or strong (knocks you offbalance), don’t delay. Head inland
or to high ground immediately,
and keep an ear out on the radio
for more information about the
tsunami risk for your area. If you’re
holidaying overseas, make sure you
know how to stay up-to-date with
emergency alerts there.
No matter what type of disaster
hits, it is important you are ready
and have plans in place to stay
connected with family and friends.
If you are on holiday when a
disaster happens, you may be far
from home and it might not be so
easy to drive to where you need
to be. If mobile devices have no
connectivity, how do you get in
touch with our loved ones? If you
are on holiday or even at home, it
is crucial you have plans to stay
connected in place and your loved
ones all know how they can reach
one another.
If you take some basic emergency
preparedness steps before heading
away these holidays, you can
prevent yourself from being in a
scary situation.
Plan well, understand your environment, and have a safe and happy Christmas and New Year.
Work to prepare a co-ordinated
response to a major earthquake in
the South Island is under way.
Project AF8, funded by the Ministry
of Civil Defence and Emergency
Management, is being led by
Emergency Management Southland
and involves civil defence groups
from throughout the South Island.
Emergency Management Southland
manager Angus McKay says the recent
earthquakes in north Canterbury are
a timely reminder of what the entire
South Island will face when the Alpine
Fault – the border between the Pacific
and Indo-Australian tectonic plates –
ruptures.
“An Alpine Fault rupture will affect
every region in the South Island and
will require co-ordination across
regional borders, nationally and
internationally,” he says.
“The fault line is estimated to produce
a magnitude eight earthquake
every 300 years. The last time this
happened was in 1717, so we need
to have a plan in place for when the
next event happens.”
happen when the fault erupts: how
the earthquake may occur, the
effect it will have on the landscape,
and the impacts of this event on
people and infrastructure.
Project AF8 started with a twoday workshop in Christchurch,
which brought leading earthquake
scientists from across the country
together.
The next step of the project will
be to hold regional civil defence
workshops to understand the local
response and identify potential
gaps in planning and resources.
The workshop was organised by Dr
Caroline Orchiston of the University
of Otago, who is leading the risk
workstream of the project.
Those involved in the project are
working closely with government
agencies, emergency services and
key lifeline providers throughout
New Zealand. A full-time project
manager, Jon Mitchell, has been
appointed to co-ordinate the work
being carried out through the
project and produce a response
plan.
“Project AF8 has started with a
bang, bringing together science and
emergency management to come
up with a credible scenario for an
Alpine Fault rupture and to define
the impacts that will affect the South
Island,” she says.
Once the response plan is
completed, it is expected a South
Discussions at the workshop
Island-wide exercise will be held.
produced a scenario on what will
25
compliant
wi
with all Environment Southland
standards.
consent standard
There were some iinitial performance issues, which
resolved, he says.
have now been reso
Worm bed sites were extended, and fine screening
was installed to further
furth reduce the amount of solid
matter making its way
w into the worm beds.
Worms
doing Wonders
The humble earthworm is doing the hard yards for the
environment in the Edendale and Wyndham area.
Worms are chewing their way through about
300 cubic metres of wastewater every day at the
Edendale/Wyndham sewage plant, breaking it down
and performing an important function in the treatment
process. When the innovative technique was conceived
more than five years ago, it was the first of its kind
in the country.
Southland District Council strategic manager water
and waste Ian Evans says a significant amount of work
has been done since the plant opened in 2011 to get the
system working efficiently and to ensure that it is fully
Now th
the plant is servicing about 530 houses in the
Edendale and Wyndham area, with a typical average
daily flow of 300 cubic metres.
Wastewater passes through two sets of screens to
remove solids that could block the sawdust bed, then
passes into balance tanks from where it is pumped
onto the worm beds.
After the worms have done their magic work the
wastewater is pumped into a series of settlement
tanks where a chemical is added to remove
phosphorous before it passes through an ultraviolet
disinfection unit and out to the Mataura River.
Mr Evans says he cannot say how many worms
are in the beds, “but it is fair to say having a
reasonably consistent product and keeping the beds
well aerated are the key to maintaining a healthy
worm population”.
The system relies on the natural breeding cycle of the
worms to maintain a healthy, stable population.
Cycle Trail decision ‘disappointing’
Southland District Council is
disappointed the Environment Court
has found in favour of an appeal
by Fish and Game Southland against
the Oreti River section of Stage Two
of the Around the Mountains
Cycle Trail.
“On behalf of our communities in
Northern Southland, I am deeply
disappointed by the Environment
Court decision.
26
The economies of areas like
Lumsden, Mossburn, Five Rivers,
Garston and Athol are reporting
significant benefits, which small
business owners and locals attribute
to increased visitor numbers as
a direct result of the Around the
Mountains Cycle trail development,”
Southland District Mayor Gary
Tong said.
“This is a blow not only for those
communities but for the good work a
large number of people have put into
the development of cycle tourism
throughout the country, as part of
the Prime Minister’s national
cycleway project.” Council would
now need to evaluate its next steps in
regards to the project, Mr Tong said.
“We need to assess the findings
of the Environment Court more
thoroughly and complete an analysis
of where we go from here in regards
to the Around the Mountains Cycle
Trail project.”
27
Water
Water Engineer
takes out top award
Upgrade to pipe
at bridge given the
go-ahead
A proposal to upgrade a water pipe
at one of Southland’s historical
landmarks has been given the
green light.
Council’s strategic manager
water and waste Ian Evans says
plans to upgrade the pipe at the
Clifden swing bridge, just outside
Tuatapere, have been in the works
for about three years. The proposal
has now been approved by Heritage
New Zealand.
Built at the end of the 19th century,
the suspension bridge spans the
mighty Waiau River. It is built
out of 27 steel cables attached to
concrete pillars and still has its
historic wooden decking, which
hundreds of people walk across
every year as part of their visit to
the area. Equally popular with local
visitors and those from outside the
region, the swing bridge is listed
as a Category I Place by the New
Zealand Historic Places Trust.
Water and waste operations/project engineer Matt Keil (left) with Trevor Whyte, who owns the
farm where the new water intake, reservoir and treatment plant is located at Orawia.
Southland District Council has once again been recognised for its work
nationally, with water and waste operations/project engineer Matt Keil
winning a prestigious award for his work on upgrading the Orawia
water supply.
The win in the Improving Water Quality section of the Water NZ awards
recognises the hard yards that went into designing and building a new water
system for the small western Southland community.
Mr Keil says the upgrade aims to improve the community’s water supply
and ensure it meets national drinking water standards. “It’s been one of
those jobs that a few people had a go at over the years. I’m just pleased we’ve
been able to deliver a tidy project for the Orawia community, on time and
under budget,” he says.
Financially the upgrade was not one of the water team’s bigger projects – it cost
about $100,000. However, it provided some unique complexities because of the
wide range of issues that had to be considered.
Those includes limitations around the supply’s geographical location, power
supply, treatment process and the physical location for the new water
treatment plant.
The Orawia upgrade was a collaborative effort between Te Anau Earthworks,
Downers, Filtec and the rest of the water department. Council was fortunate to
work with an accommodating landowner – also on the Orawia Water Supply
Committee – which made for ease of delivery during the project, he says.
28
“This project is not one of our
team’s more significant projects
in terms of cost, but it is very
significant in terms of the
complexities around actually
completing the upgrade, given the
historical nature of the site and
other aspects tied in with that,
including working with multiple
agencies even before the project can
begin,” he says.
The pipe that will be upgraded
is part of the Eastern Bush Otahu
Flat Water Scheme and runs
underneath the spans of the bridge.
It is currently not usable, and so the
scheme relies on a temporary pipe
that has been placed over the top of
the bridge.
“We’ve now got permission to
use the pipe under the bridge as a
conduit to put another pipe through
to connect the different parts of the
supply,” Mr Evans says.
It is hoped the new pipe will be
installed before Christmas.
Animal Control
Visitors reminded
to protect one of
RESPONSIBLE
dog ownership this
summer
Visitors to Curio Bay are being
reminded to ensure they practice
responsible dog owner behaviour
this summer.
Dog owners are being reminded to
take care of their furry friends as
the weather warms up.
Southland’s gems
Dog control officer Jill Munro says
people need to be particularly
vigilant that their pets are well
looked after during summer. “It’s
great to be out and about enjoying
the sunshine with your family,
friends, and your dogs.
Southland District Council
environmental health manager
Michael Sarfaiti says it is important
everybody plays their part in making
sure the pristine natural environment
at Curio Bay – and the wildlife that
lives within it – is protected.
Curio Bay in the Catlins is home to
wildlife including hoiho (yelloweyed penguins), sea lions, Hector’s
dolphins and little blue penguins,
as well as a 180 million-year-old
petrified forest.
“Curio Bay is such a special part of
our district. We want to encourage all
Southlanders to go and explore the
area, but they have to make sure that
if they are taking their dog with them
they stick to the rules about where
they can and can’t go,” he says.
“If you’re visiting the area, please
make sure you do not take your dog
into areas where they are prohibited,
and make sure your dog remains
on a lead if you are in an on-leash
area. Council’s dog control officers
regularly patrol the area, and if
you’re found breaking the rules
you may be issued with a $300
infringement notice.”
Signage in the area makes it clear
where dog owners can and cannot
take their pets, he says.
But there are a few things dog
owners need to remember as the
temperatures rise,” she says.
Visitors are also urged to report
irresponsible behaviour by others.
“If you see anybody breaching the
rules, please call the animal control
team on 0800 732 732. You can call 24
hours a day, and your details will be
kept confidential.”
The new signs make it easy for
dog owners in our district to
remember where they can and
can’t take their pets, where
they have to be on a leash, and
where they can be exercised.
They will help you know if the
area you’re in is a dog exercise
area, a dogs prohibited area, or
an area where dogs must be on
a leash.
If you break the rules, you
could be fined up to $300.
• If you’re out and about with
your dog, make sure you stick
to rules around the areas
you can walk your pet on and
off-leash
• Don’t leave your dog
unattended in public places
where they may come into
contact with strangers
including children
• Don’t leave your dog in your
car. Even a vehicle with the
windows wound down can
heat up rapidly, and dogs
cannot regulate their body
temperature. Keep your pet safe
• Make sure your dog has access
to plenty of fresh water at all
times
“It’s important we all play our part
in keeping not only our dogs safe,
but other people around us safe
too,” Mrs Munro says.
29
Libraries
crafty
Getting
in Te Anau
After school on Fridays is giving
children in Te Anau the chance to
fine-tune their crafty skills in the
library’s Crazy Craft Group.
Each week the children taking part
work with a selection of different
materials. So far the kids – and even
some parents – have tried their
hand at knitting, making pom poms,
puppet-making, baking, crafting salt
dough models, wind socks and lots
of paper crafts.
With
Te Anau
being home to
a diverse range
of cultures, the
children are also
encouraged to share
their own talents,
interests and knowledge,
so origami and other Japanese
arts have also featured. At the session
before Halloween, children made
Lib
Library
Christm Hours
Christmas
their own
crafty bats.
The only limit
is the children’s
own imagination.
If you’re keen to get
involved or have a great
idea about some crafts that could be
featured, contact the Te Anau Library.
All Southland District Council libraries
will close at 12 noon on Friday,
23 December (or the nearest usual
opening date and time).
RIVERTON LIBRARY
Fri 23 Dec 2016
WINTON LIBRARY
Fri 23 Dec 2016
8.30am - 12 noon
Sat 24 Dec 2016 - Tues 3 Jan 2017
Closed
Normal hours resume Wednesday 4 January 2017
LUMSDEN LIBRARY
Fri 23 Dec
10am - 5pm
Sat 24 Dec 2016 - Tues 3 Jan 2017
Closed
Wed 4 Jan 2017
11am - 4pm
Normal hours resume Thursday 5 January 2017
WYNDHAM LIBRARY
Fri 23 Dec 2016
Closed
Thurs 5 Jan 2017
2 - 5pm & 6.30pm - 8pm
Closed
Wed 28 Dec - Fri 30 Dec 2016
10am - 4pm
Sat 1 Jan 2017 - Tues 3 Jan 2017
Closed
Normal hours resume Wednesday 4 January 2017
OTAUTAU LIBRARY
Fri 23 Dec
8am - 12 noon
Sat 24 Dec 2016 - Tues 3 Jan 2017
Closed
Normal hours resume Wednesday 4 January 2017
TE ANAU LIBRARY
Fri 23 Dec 2016
8am - 12 noon
Sat 24 Dec - Tues 27 Dec 2016
Closed
Wed 28 Dec - Fri 30 Dec 2016
10am - 5pm
Sat 1 Jan 2017 - Tues 3 Jan 2017
Closed
Normal hours resume Wednesday 4 January 2017
Normal hours resume Friday 6 January 2017
MOBILE BOOKBUS
Normal timetable until Friday 16 December 2016
Service resumes Tuesday 23 January 2017
30
8am - 12 noon
Sat 24 Dec - Tues 27 Dec 2016
STEWART ISLAND LIBRARY
Fri 23 Dec 2016
8.30am - 12 noon
Sat 24 Dec 2016 - Tues 3 Jan 2017
Closed
Wed 4 Jan 2017
8.30am - 12 noon
Normal hours resume Thursday 5 January 2017
Mobile Library Timetable
Nov 2016 – April 2017
* Denotes a public holiday
Athol
Shop
Noon-1pm
Tues
29-Nov
Balfour
Tavern
4.30-6.30pm
Tues
13-Dec
School
1.30-3.00pm
Thurs
1-Dec
Blackmount
School
10-11am
Mon
28-Nov
Dacre
Hall
9-10am
Fri
Dipton
School
11-Noon
Drummond
School
Edendale
Car Park
School
24-Jan
21-Feb
21-Mar
*
7-Feb
7-Mar
4-Apr
26-Jan
23-Feb
23-Mar
20-Apr
23-Jan
20-Feb
20-Mar
*
16-Dec
10-Feb
10-Mar
7-Apr
Tues
13-Dec
7-Feb
7-Mar
4-Apr
10.30-Noon
Wed
14-Dec
1-4pm
Fri
2-Dec
10.30-Noon
Fri
16-Dec
27-Jan
8-Feb
8-Mar
5-Apr
24-Feb
24-Mar
21-Apr
10-Feb
10-Mar
7-Apr
Fortrose
Picnic Area
3-4pm
Fri
16-Dec
10-Feb
10-Mar
7-Apr
Garston
School
1.30-2.30pm
Tues
29-Nov
24-Jan
21-Feb
21-Mar
*
Village
2.30-3.30pm
Tues
29-Nov
24-Jan
21-Feb
21-Mar
*
School
1-2pm
Fri
16-Dec
10-Feb
10-Mar
7-Apr
14-Feb
14-Mar
11-Apr
20-Feb
20-Mar
*
5-Apr
Glenham
Gorge Rd
Hall
11am-12.30pm
Tues
17-Jan
Hauroko Valley
School
1-2pm
Mon
28-Nov
Heddon Bush
School
1.30-2.30pm
Wed
14-Dec
8-Feb
8-Mar
23-Jan
Hedgehope
Hall
11am-12.30pm
Fri
9-Dec
3-Feb
3-Mar
Isla Bank
School
9-10am
Wed
14-Dec
8-Feb
8-Mar
Limehills
School
9.15am-10.30am
Thurs
8-Dec
2-Feb
2-Mar
Longbush
Kindergarten
9-10am
Fri
2-Dec
27-Jan
24-Feb
24-Mar
Mossburn
RSA
9.30-10.30am
Tues
29-Nov
24-Jan
21-Feb
21-Mar
*
School
1.30-3.30pm
Tues
13-Dec
7-Feb
7-Mar
4-Apr
2-4pm
Thurs
8-Dec
2-Feb
2-Mar
20-Feb
20-Mar
*
15-Feb
15-Mar
12-Apr
22-Feb
22-Mar
19-Apr
Ohai
Community Centre
Orepuki
Main Street
Otara
Hall
Pukerau
28-Apr
30-Mar
27-Apr
5-Apr
21-Apr
30-Mar
27-Apr
3-4pm
Mon
28-Nov
2.30-4pm
Wed
18-Jan
School
9.30-11.30am
Wed
30-Nov
Rimu
School
10.30-11.30am
Fri
2-Dec
27-Jan
24-Feb
24-Mar
21-Apr
Riversdale
School
11am-12.30pm
Thurs
1-Dec
26-Jan
23-Feb
23-Mar
20-Apr
Community Centre
2-4.30pm
Thurs
15-Dec
9-Feb
9-Mar
6-Apr
Roslyn Bush
Playcentre
9.15-10am
Tues
17-Jan
14-Feb
14-Mar
Ryal Bush
Community Centre
2.30-4pm
Fri
9-Dec
3-Feb
3-Mar
31-Mar
28-Apr
Te Tipua
School
9.30-10.30am
Fri
9-Dec
3-Feb
3-Mar
31-Mar
28-Apr
Thornbury
Hall
3-4pm
Wed
7-Dec
1-Feb
1-Mar
29-Mar
26-Apr
Tokanui
Main Street
1.30-4pm
Fri
25-Nov
17-Feb
17-Mar
*
School
9.30-11am
Mon
12-Dec
*
6-Mar
3-Apr
1-2pm
Wed
7-Dec
1-Feb
1-Mar
23-Feb
23-Mar
9-Feb
9-Mar
6-Apr
22-Feb
22-Mar
19-Apr
Waianiwa
Hall
Waikaia
School
Community Centre
Waikaka
Main Street
23-Jan
31-Mar
25-Jan
20-Jan
9-10.30am
Thurs
1-Dec
10.15-11.30am
Thurs
15-Dec
26-Jan
2-4pm
Wed
30-Nov
25-Jan
20-Jan
11-Apr
29-Mar
26-Apr
20-Apr
Waikawa
Hall
10am-Noon
Fri
25-Nov
17-Feb
17-Mar
*
Waimahaka
School
11.30am-1pm
Wed
18-Jan
15-Feb
15-Mar
12-Apr
Waituna
PlayCentre
9.30-10.30am
Wed
18-Jan
15-Feb
15-Mar
Wallacetown
Community Centre
9am-Noon
Wed
7-Dec
1-Feb
1-Mar
12-Apr
29-Mar
26-Apr
Wendon
Hall
Noon-12.30pm
Thurs
15-Dec
9-Feb
9-Mar
6-Apr
Wendonside
Hall
9.30-10am
Thurs
15-Dec
9-Feb
9-Mar
6-Apr
Willowbank
School
12.30-1.30pm
Wed
30-Nov
22-Feb
22-Mar
19-Apr
Woodlands
Shop
2-4pm
Tues
17-Jan
14-Feb
14-Mar
11-Apr
School
2-4pm
Mon
*
*
6-Mar
3-Apr
25-Jan
Any queries, requests or renewals: please telephone the Winton Library 0800 732 542.
Note: the following areas have fortnightly visits: Balfour, Riversdale, Waikaia, Mossburn, Edendale, Tokanui, Woodlands.
Renewals can be made by email to: [email protected]
31
ards
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A
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Community
Three Tuatapere people have
received Southland District Council
Community Service Awards.
Quinton Donald and Clifden
farmers Wendy and John Knowler
were nominated by the Tuatapere
Community Board for outstanding
service to their community. They
received their awards from
Mayor Gary Tong.
All three are deeply involved in
organisations and activities in the
western Southland town.
Mr Donald, former owner of Waiau
Hotel, was a staunch supporter of
sporting clubs, the Tuatapere Pipe
Band and Highland Dancing and the
Axemen’s Athletic Club.
He is a member of the Tuatapere
Hump Ridge Charitable Trust,
Tuatapere Lions Club, Tuatapere
Golf Club, and the Pukemaori
Bowling Club.
Mrs Knowler has been in a long list
of community groups, including
Clifden Rural Women, Tuatapere
Quinton Donald, left, Wendy Knowler and John Knowler with their Community Service Awards.
Victim Support and the Western
Southland Parish Church council.
She has been a co-ordinator for Clifden
Meals on Wheels, a member of the
Tuatapere Medical Services Trust
and Lions Club, and she is patron of
Tuatapere Plunket.
Mr Knowler’s extensive involvement
includes serving on the Tuatapere
Community Board, Tuatapere
Lions Club, Clifden School PTA,
the Clidfen Hall Committee, Waiau
River Liaison Group, Clifden Domain
Board, Tuatapere Cemetery Trust, the
Tuatapere Amenities Trust, Western
Southland Catholic Parish Committee
and the Operatic Society.
Opening hours change in Te Anau
The opening hours for Te Anau
Library have changed to better suit
those in the community.
At the end of November, the new
hours of 8.30am – 5.30pm during the
week and 10am – 3pm on Saturdays
were introduced.
District libraries manager Lynda
Hodge says while the hours may have
changed, customers could still expect
the same high level of service from
their librarians.
The changes to the Te Anau Library’s
opening hours made accessibility
around the district more consistent.
WiFi access is available
from 8.30am - 6pm
between Monday and
Friday, and 10am - 3pm
on Saturdays.
32
“These hours are in line with other
Southland District Council libraries
and offices and reflect the times that
residents in our communities like to
access our services,” she says.
Internet services are available within
the library during opening hours.
CONTACT
DETAILS
All Offices & Inquiries....0800
732 732
Fax ................................. 0800
732 329
District Libraries ...........0800
732 542
Rural Fire Permits ........ 0800
773 363
Email .............. [email protected]
Website .......... www.southlanddc.govt.nz
15 Forth Street, PO Box 903, Invercargill 9840