Closed consultation

Thank you for your feedback on the 2023-24 Annual Plan. Feedback on our 2023-24 Annual Plan closed on Sunday 30 April but you can still read about the issues, challenges and projects we'll be working on in the upcoming financial year. 

We are committed to our vision of making the Waitaki District the best place to be – whenua taurikura! Part of this involves developing an Annual Plan for each financial year, which shows the community outcomes we want to achieve for the district, alongside our finances, programme of activities, and rates requirements which are set through the Annual Plan programme. 

Read our 2023-24 Annual Plan Engagement Document(PDF, 7MB)  and the supporting documents in the information below.

Our vision and community outcomes

When we are planning our work for the year ahead, we are focused on our vision and our community outcomes.

We believe Waitaki can be the best place to be! A place where people are proud to live, work, and thrive in, and a visitor destination that is welcoming, and offers something for everyone.

Our four community outcomes are the pillars that we strive to deliver on to support our communities to thrive, and to make Waitaki the best place to be.

Our Strategic Priorities reflect the focus of our work for the next three years, to realise our ambitions for the district and deliver the outcomes.

All projects that we are proposing to progress in the 2023-24 Annual Plan align to at least one of our community outcomes. These outcomes are a key consideration in the work that we do.

For a list of the projects we are planning on delivering in the 2023-24 Annual Plan, check 2023-24 Annual Plan project list(PDF, 53KB)

Our key challenges & opportunities

We have some new proposals for this Annual Plan and some other proposals you may have already seen in our 2021-31 Long Term Plan(PDF, 9MB).

If you have seen some of the proposals  before, we may be looking at doing these a little differently, or we would like you to know more information about them. Have a read and let us know your feedback using our online feedback form.

Waitaki District Council is proposing to set up a new organisation to drive economic growth in the district. This Economic Development Agency will be set up to implement the Waitaki Economic Development strategy and deliver results. Feedback on 'New ways to support economic growth in Waitaki' has now closed.  

Why are we doing this?

Over many years, Council has invested a lot in economic development, including tourism marketing and promotion. While economic development staff within Council and from Tourism Waitaki Ltd have achieved a lot in this area, we believe the activity should be delivering better value for ratepayers and more measurable benefits for our community. We want to engage with stakeholders more effectively and form partnerships where appropriate, to increase the benefits from these activities.  

The Uplifting Waitaki: Hāpaitia te Waitaki Economic Development strategy was adopted by Council in September 2022. This evidence-based strategy was co-designed with Te Rūnanga o Moeraki with input from local businesses, organisations, and community members.  

The strategy is ambitious and aims for growth that is sustainable and inclusive of all the district and its communities. It outlines how the economy can grow by more than 8% above projected growth in the next ten years if the strategy is fully implemented, creating between $70 and $145 million additional GDP and 1350 additional jobs in the district in 2032. A 9% uplift across the well-being dimensions – social, environmental, cultural, and social – is estimated.   

Read the Uplifting Waitaki: Hāpaitia te Waitaki Economic Development Strategy(PDF, 2MB) .

What changes are we proposing?

1. Closing Tourism Waitaki Ltd and establishing an Economic Development Agency 

Consultation on the Interim Speed Management plan closed 31 March 2023.

The way speed limits are set throughout New Zealand is changing. This means that decisions on speed management will be able to be made at a more localised level in the future. Setting safer speed limits to address specific issues and community concerns on our network is something that Council has new systems and tools available to implement.

This plan is our first step on this journey and we’re reviewing speeds around schools so that we can all do our part in keeping our kids safe when they’re travelling to and from school.

As part of this, we are consulting on a proposed Safer Speeds Around Schools principle for speed management, and how this will be managed on the roads around our schools.

Why are we talking about speed?

Road safety risk can be reduced by investing in infrastructure improvements to make a road safer at current speeds, or by managing speeds through a combination of road design, risk targeted enforcement and education on safe behaviour, all reinforced by speed limits appropriate for the roads.

We align our road safety programmes with central government direction, research on road safety, learnings from crashes, local strategic direction and community outcomes, and the needs and interests of our communities.

Regardless of what causes an accident, we know higher speeds lead to more crashes and a greater chance of injury or death. In a crash, speed is the number one factor in determining your chance of survival or likelihood of serious injury. A small change in speed makes a big difference, especially when cyclists or pedestrians are involved. We are focussed on ensuring that all of our children can travel to and from school safely.

Speed Management Planning in Waitaki

This interim Speed Management Plan will help us transition from the way we have set speed limits in the past, to a new, more flexible approach that better acknowledges the local conditions and the surrounding environment.

Effective speed management is more than just setting speed limits, it is also about infrastructure and road design. Rather than looking at speed limit changes on a street-bystreet basis, this interim speed management plan establishes our first principle for speed management in our district. It identifies the changes we think are required to keep our children safe as they travel to and from school.

Later in the year, we will be preparing a Full Speed Management Plan to consider wider principles, appropriate speed changes and infrastructure changes to support road safety for the whole of our District roading network. Our future full Speed Management Plan will involve further community engagement and public consultation to formalise our speed management planning for the 2024-2027 period. This will include collaborating with Waka Kotahi (State Highways), and other Road Controlling Authorities such as the Department of Conservation.

Why are we talking about speed around schools?

Our children are some of our most vulnerable road users. We want to ensure that all children can travel to and from school safely and support all road users, whether they are walking, cycling or in vehicles.

One of the key action items in the Government’s direction on Road Strategy is to set safe speed limits around all schools by the end of 2027, with an interim target of 40% of schools by 30 June 2024.

Our interim speed management plan is being developed to meet this initial target, and to set our direction for all schools in our district.

Principle: Safer Speeds Around Schools

Safe speeds around kura/schools: Speed limits around kura/schools in Waitaki District are set to make it safer for children to get to school and home again. Safe speeds can be applied to schools through permanent or variable application (school drop off/pick up times), extending to a focus on our children’s journeys to and from school.

A lower speed limit decreases the chance of crashes occurring and reduces the injury severity if they do happen. This will reduce the risk for the students traveling to and from school.

How will this be applied?

The speed limit changes are no longer limited to just being outside the front gate, and are now focused on the journey to and from school. With this in mind, the Council has taken an area-wide approach around schools using a mix of permanent 30km/h and 60km/h speed limits as well as the option for variable speed limits on our busier roads that will operate for periods before and after school start and finish times to keep children travelling to and from school safe.

Applying safe speeds to our schools

We have assessed and prioritised speed changes as outlined below:

Phase one:

Category One Schools - Permanent 30km/h

• Macraes Moonlight School
• Hampden School
• Kakanui School
• Maheno School
• Totara School
• Weston School
• Papakaio School
• Duntroon School
• Waitaki Valley School
• Ōmārama School

Category Two Schools - Permanent 60km/h

• Five Forks School

Phase two:

Most of our Phase Two schools share the majority of the frontage with the State Highway, or journeys to and from school are closely connected to State Highway 1 in Oamaru and Palmerston. The speed limit outside these schools will change when Waka Kotahi produces their State Highway Speed Management Plan.

Ardgowan School and St Kevin’s College will have speed limits proposed in the full SMP, to align with planned infrastructure upgrades.

• Waitaki Girls’ High School
• East Otago High School
• Palmerston School
• Ōamaru Intermediate
• Te Pākihi o Maru
• St Joseph’s School (Ōamaru)
• St Kevin’s College (Ōamaru)
• Fenwick School
• Pembroke School (Ōamaru)
• Waitaki Boys’ High School
• Ardgowan School

Our phase two rural schools may have variable speed limits due to the nature of these rural roads and how students travel to and from school. A variable speed limit is when the speed limit can change due to the road and driving conditions. In this instance, the lower speed limit will be in operation for periods before and after school start and finish times.

What does this mean for our roads?

Research shows that speed limits in school zones are most effective between 300-500m long. Drivers are more likely to slow down if the zone is between these lengths. The maps we have prepared show what this would look like for our schools, however, the interim plan will enable the actual zones to be adjusted by Council if required.

Check out the maps below to see the areas where lower speeds are planned around our schools.

When will speeds change around our schools?

After Council considers consultation feedback and finalises our interim Speed Management Plan, we need to progress through Waka Kotahi certification and entry into the National Speed Limit Register.

We aim to have speed changes around our Phase One Schools implemented from 1 September 2023. Our Phase Two schools will be progressed in alignment with Waka Kotahi timeframes with implementation occurring as soon as practicable after this.

What about other roads?

This interim Speed Management Plan is the first step on our speed management journey. Once we have completed this stage, we will be considering how to manage safe speeds across our district.

Our second stage will be to develop our full Speed Management Plan which will outline our vision and priorities for speed management, establish further principles alongside our first principle of ‘Safer Speeds Around Schools’, and identify appropriate changes to speed on our wider network inline with these principles.

Any feedback you provide now, beyond Safe Speeds Around Schools, will inform our next step: the full Speed Management Plan. We will combine this with feedback we have already heard about speed and safety on our network.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens with my feedback?

Our Speed Management Plan and these speed limit changes is progressing through the following approval process:

• Pre-engagement with Schools and other stakeholders notifying them of the draft proposal was completed in January 2023.
• We are now engaging with our community about our draft interim Speed Management Plan.
• Consultation ran from Wednesday 3 March until 5pm on Friday, 31 March 2023.
• Feedback submitted through this consultation will be considered by Council as part of our final Interim Speed Management Plan.
• Plan approved - the final plan will be approved and adopted by Council in June this year. Following this, we will send our plan to Waka Kotahi for their approval.
• Implementation - we will implement our phase one speeds changes around schools and add these to the National Speed Limit Register, giving effect to these speeds from 1 September 2023.
• Our Full Speed Management Plan: We will be back in touch about wider speed management, our principles for speed management and appropriate safety and infrastructure changes as we prepare our full speed management plan at a later this year.

Submissions closed on the 27 February 2023

Background

The Otematata Golf Club seeks to continue operation of a golf course as currently occupied on the Recreation Reserve land described as Section 2, SO Plan 323871 situated at 2,740 Otematata-Kurow Road, Otematata. 

The Ahuriri Community Board recommends that a lease is established with the Otematata Golf Club.

Consideration to lease to the Otematata Golf Club, is subject to agreement on lease terms and conditions and public notification. Public notification of any intention to lease Recreation Reserve is required under the Reserves Act 1977. Council is required to consider all objections and submissions in relation to the proposal. The area marked in blue in the following map is the proposed location for the lease.

Location map

Proposed lease terms

Reserves Act and Reserves Management Plan

The land is Crown Land vested in Council as Recreation Reserve under the Reserves Act 1977.

Waitaki District Council is authorised by section 54(1) of the Reserves Act 1977 to grant leases on recreation reserve they administer for certain purposes including to “lease to any person, body, voluntary organisation, or society (whether incorporated or not) and area set apart for public recreation or enjoyment”.

The Reserves Act requires leases or licenses to be assessed to ensure activities are consistent with the purpose of the reserve and the management plan, and to show that the relevant statutory requirements have been met. 

The proposed use is consistent with these requirements in that the activity for which the land will be used is recreational and is a permitted use.

Section 54(2) of the Reserves Act requires that before granting any lease or licence the administering body shall give public notice specifying the lease or licence proposed to be granted and shall give full consideration to all objections and submissions in relation to the proposal.

Notice of Intention to grant lease of Recreation Reserve - Otematata

PURSUANT TO SECTION 54 RESERVES ACT 1977 The land described in this Notice (the land) is vested in Waitaki District Council (Council) pursuant to Section 26 of the Reserves Act 1977 as Recreation Reserve.

The Land is located at 2,740 Otematata-Kurow Road. Council is considering granting the lease pursuant to Section 54(1)(b) and 54(1)(c) of the Reserves Act 1977. Otematata Golf Club Incorporated have requested continuation of occupation which Council can issue for a maximum of 33 years. Council is not aware of any need for the land for any other purpose and believes it is desirable to continue use of the land as a Golf Club.

Pursuant to Section 119(1)(b) of the Reserves Act 1977 the Council has obligation to publicly notify its intention to grant such lease by way of this Notice.

The reserve is legally described as Section 2 SO Plan 323871.

What we would like you to do

Any person or organisation may support or object to the Council granting the lease referred to above, or make submission with comments on the lease.

If you would like to make a comment on this proposal, you can make an online submission using the form below, or download a printable version(PDF, 463KB).

Submissions close 5pm, 27 February 2023. 

If you have any questions or want more information please contact Lindsay Hyde, Recreation Manager by phone 03 433 0300 or email lhyde@waitaki.govt.nz

Make a submission

Thank you to everyone who took the time to provide their feedback during our engagement process on our draft Annual Plan 2022/23.  After considering feedback received, Councillors voted to adopt the Annual Plan 2022/23 at the Council Meeting held on 28 June 2022.  We are all facing increases in costs of goods and services.  The Long Term Plan 2021-31, which was agreed before the current inflationary pressures, projected a rate increase of 8.53%, part of this rise being a “catch up” from the zero rate increase two years ago which made the development of the Annual Plan together with budget and rate setting more challenging. Despite the increasing costs being imposed on Council, the Annual Plan 2022/23 supports investment in the infrastructure for the district and many projects with a lower than projected rate rise of 7.53%.

Our Annual Plan sets out what we plan to do, and shows you how much we expect it will cost, for the next 12 months. We're outlining some of the key issues and projects we'll be working on here.

The feedback period for our Annual Plan closed at 5pm, Wednesday 4 May 2022. 

Annual Plan 2022/23 Engagement Document(PDF, 6MB)

A little bit of background

In the 2020/21 financial year, while we really needed to increase rates by at least 3.5%, COVID came along. This meant we needed to rethink our plans and achieve a zero rates increase to support our community through the unforeseen challenges of the pandemic.     

While this was the right decision for our community at the time, rates pay for the services, facilities, and infrastructure we provide,  so rates must increase as the costs of providing these services rise.  

For the 2021/22 financial year, we increased rates by 7.69% in order to maintain services and to catch up on costs.  This year (2022/23 financial year), We are proposing an increase in rates by 7.47% which is lower than the 8.53% increase projected for 2022/23 in the 2021-2031 Long Term Plan. 

What do you need to know?

We have some new proposals for the Annual Plan, and other proposals you may have seen already in our Long Term Plan (LTP).  If you have seen some of the proposals in this engagement document before, we may now be thinking about doing these earlier, or a little differently.

Have your say

Feedback has now closed.

Key dates

Thank you to everyone who took the opportunity to make a submission on the Future of Forrester Heights. After public submissions were heard, Council made the decision to progress with a sale of the property in a manner that will ensure a financial return for the Council to use for the community’s benefit but will also address many of the important points raised by residents in the consultation process.  

Summary

Forrester Heights was given to the community for the community’s financial benefit. 

Most of the land at Forrester Heights is classified as ‘Endowment’ land and zoned residential. It was given to Council by the Crown ‘in aid of borough funds’. The Council planned to develop the land and sell it in 2006 to do just that – to aid borough funds by supporting the redevelopment of the Opera House from the proceeds of the sale, rather than increasing rates.

That development didn’t go ahead, since it was found a mistake had been made with one of the land titles 59 years earlier (in 1947). 

Now people are coming to us again wanting to buy the land, while others are wanting to turn it into a Reserve.

We know funds are tight. People are telling us they want to keep rates rises down. But there’s still a lot of things people want Council to do. How do we pay for the things people want? 

Should we do what the Council decided to do in 2006 – sell Forrester Heights? Or should we do something else with it? Selling some or all of the land could help pay for the things people want which benefit the community. Or could the land provide a benefit in other ways? 

What are the options?

Each option has its pros and cons. For a full explanation of the legal status of the Forrester Heights land click here.

Read the submissions

Submissions on the future of Forrester Heights closed 5pm Monday, 16 May 2022.

You can read the submissions on the Agenda attachments on the Council Hearings page. Watch the Live-stream of the Forrester Heights Submissions Hearings on our Youtube channel. 

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Could Forrester Heights be a Reserve?

Potentially. But it would take time and money, and there is no guarantee of success. Most of Forrester Heights - two of the three titles - is Endowment land, so its legal purpose is to raise funds for the community’s benefit. If we were going to make it a Reserve, then the Endowment status would need to be removed. Unless the land is sold to another party, only Parliament can do that. It would need to pass a Local Act removing the Endowments and creating the Reserve and that could cost $100,000 or more. You can find out more about what a Local Act involves.

For more information on the legal status of Forrester Heights land and the process of turning it into a Reserve:

• Explanation of legal status

 

How would Forrester Heights look if it was a Reserve and how much might it cost?

In addition to the costs of removing the Endowment status, it depends on what kind of Reserve it was. Because of the slope it would need to be developed like the Cape Wanbrow Reserve beside it. Planting native shrubs and trees would cost around $40,000 per hectare, making a total planting cost of $100,000 for the 2.5 hectares. It’s harder to say how much walking tracks would cost. It would depend on how long the tracks are, but track building costs are about $60 per metre so every 100 metres would cost $6,000. Maintenance costs for the Reserve would be about $5,000 per year for first 5 years.

Some money could be saved if jobs were done by volunteers but based on what’s happened in the past with Cape Wanbrow, paid contractors would do the bulk of the work.

What would Forrester Heights look like if homes were built there?

Right now, the land is zoned ‘residential’. That means houses can currently be up to 8 metres high. You can see how this would affect views from Lookout Point below, under current District Plan rules. If the land was sold, we would have extra rules (covenants) in the sales agreement setting lower height limits for houses and trees to protect the views from Lookout Point.

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Is the Forrester Heights land unstable?

No. Several geotechnical tests of the land have been done.  The reports show that most of the land can be built on. 

Summary of Geotechnical Reports

• Tonkin & Taylor (2005) Report(PDF, 6MB)
  This report generally provided positive geotechnical results demonstrating that 100KPA foundation bearing capacity could be achieved to 16 of the 17 scala penetrometer test locations, although wet loess and under-runners were found at excavated pit on Lot 9 

• OPUS Review of Tonkin & Taylor (2005) Report(PDF, 439KB)
  This review recommended that additional testing should be carried out surrounding proposed Lot 9 to gain a better understanding of the ground conditions to the eastern portion of the site.  It appears that no further testing has been undertaken in this area. It also recommended that proven engineering methods and site verification tests need to be established for the fill slope of 2H:1V for the road construction.   

• URS (2009) Report(PDF, 2MB)
  Overall, this report confirmed the positive geotechnical results of the Tonkin & Taylor (2005) Report.  All six excavated test pits taken under the proposed road location encountered firm to very stiff, dry to slightly damp loess.  No groundwater or under-runners were encountered.  All pits remained stable, with no signs of potential collapse.  One test pit revealed rotten rock 3.8m below the ground, which is above the expected road cutting base level.  Therefore, it is expected that some of the proposed road will need to be excavated into rotten rock 

How could the money be spent?

The Local Government Act 2002 does have rules about that. If Endowment land is sold, the money raised must be used to benefit the community. One way that could happen would be to use the funds to pay for some new service or facility that would benefit people, like helping to fund the Waitaki Events Centre or a new Reserve in another part of Oamaru that more people can access. Another way would be to take the money and invest to create an income stream for future generations. Or we could pay down debt or even do a mix of all those things.

The key thing is that we would need to spend the money in a way that makes a big difference and gives real benefit to the community. 

Wasn’t the money from Forrester Heights going to be used to help pay for the Opera House?

Yes, that was the plan back in 2006, when Council decided to sell the land. And that could still be done. But it doesn’t have to be. If we sell Forrester Heights now, we could use the funds to pay for other things - like developing one or more a new parks, paying off debt, funding another community project, or a combination of these things. We could also invest the money in ways that would give the benefit of a better financial return, to produce long term returns for current and future generations of ratepayers to enjoy.

Key dates

Thank you to everyone who took the time to give us feedback on our Class 4 Gambling and TAB Venues policy. After public submissions were heard, the Community, Culture and Regulatory Hearings Committee has recommended that officers modify the Class 4 Gambling Venues policy to include a sinking lid policy. This means no new venue licences will be granted and no new machine licences will be granted. This will go to the CCR Committee meeting on 26 April for a recommendation to Council.

Consultation background

The Gambling Act 2003 requires each Territorial Authority (TA) to review both its Class 4 Gambling and TAB Venues Policy every three years. Class 4 gambling venues operate gambling machines often referred to as pokies. It is very important to give all concerned (community, industry and other interested parties) a chance to feedback on the policies.

After reviewing the policies, Council have proposed the following options.

TAB Venues Policy

No Change

Class 4 Gambling Policy

Option 1: Status quo: Council chooses not to amend the policy
To keep the ‘Status Quo’ would mean that the policy would not change, and that the maximum limit of 140 gaming machines, and 22 venues and other restrictions (such as where in the district a venue may be established) would stay the same.

Option 2: Sinking lid policy (no new venue licenses will be given in Waitaki District).
Under this option no new Class 4 licenses will to be granted by Waitaki District Council. Venues’ licences would not be allowed to be transferred to another location, and once a Class 4 venue is closed it cannot be reopened by another operator.

Option 3: Sinking lid policy (no new machine licences will be given in the Waitaki District)
Under this option once the number of machines licenced to operate in a community decreases, council will not issue any other society a licence to replace those machines.

Purpose 

The purpose of options 2 and 3, is to prevent new gaming machine venues from opening, and to reduce the numbers of gaming venues and machines in the District over time.

Amendments to the Policy 

Under these options, Council’s Class 4 Gaming Policy would be amended through the addition of a section prohibiting any new venues from being established, or replacement machine licences being granted in the District.

How it would work 

Under a sinking lid policy, venues cannot relocate, and no new licences would be issued. This means that the number of gaming venues may reduce over time, as new venue licences will not be given.

It should be noted, however, that Section 98 of the Gambling Act states that territorial consent is only required for a venue if it has not been held by a public society for more than 6 months. Therefore, under this option a venue operator could get consent to take over an existing venue that had been closed for less than 6 months. This significantly undermines the effectiveness of a sinking lid policy. 

More information

Read the full draft policies and Statement of Proposal:

Statement of Proposal Class 4 Gambling and TAB Venues Policy(PDF, 500KB)

A few frequently asked questions are below:

Class 4 Gambling Frequently Asked Questions*

*source: www.ruapehudc.govt.nz

Have your say

Consultation closed on Tuesday 1 March 2022. 

Key Dates

Background

The convenor (Christina Bungard) of the ‘Palmerston Mini-show’ (a local registered charity providing an equestrian event catering to hundreds of horse riders south of Christchurch annually) has requested Council permission to site a storage container between the Squash Club and the Sports Hall at the Palmerston Domain (Showgrounds).

The Waihemo Community Board recommends that Council: 

1. Agrees to consider leasing part of Palmerston Domain to Palmerston Mini Show to be used for a storage container for equipment used for local events.
2. Considers any submissions from the public notification process before giving final approval. 

Waihemo Community Board’s recommendation to Council for agreement to consider leasing a part of Palmerston Domain to the Palmerston Mini Show, is subject to agreement on lease terms and conditions and public notification. Public notification of any intention to lease part of Palmerston Domain is required under the Reserves Act 1977. Council is required to consider all objections and submissions in relation to the proposal.

The area marked in blue in the following map is the proposed location for the container.

Reserves Act and Draft Reserves Management Plan

The land is Crown land, vested in Council as a Recreation Reserve under the Reserves Act 1977. 

Waitaki District Council is authorised by section 54(1)(a) of the Reserves Act 1977 to grant leases on recreation reserve they administer for certain purposes including to ‘lease to any person, body, voluntary organisation, or society (whether incorporated or not) any area set apart for public recreation or enjoyment’. 

The Reserves Act requires leases or licenses to be assessed to ensure activities are consistent with the purpose of the reserve and the management plan (if any), and to show that the relevant statutory requirements have been met. 

The proposed use is consistent with these requirements in that:

1. The activity for which the building will be used is recreational. 
2. The activity will have little or no effect on other activities on the reserve. 
3. The activity will have no additional effects on neighbours of the park.  
4. The scale of activity is consistent with that on recreation reserves.

Section 54(2) of the Reserves Act requires that before granting any lease or licence the administering body shall give public notice specifying the lease or licence proposed to be granted and shall give full consideration to all objections and submissions in relation to the proposal.

Notice of Intention to Grant Lease over part of Recreation Reserve – Palmerston Domain

PURSUANT TO SECTION 54 RESERVES ACT 1977 the land described in the Schedule to this Notice (the Land) is vested in Waitaki District Council (Council) pursuant to Section 26 of the Reserves Act 1977 as Recreation Reserve.  Palmerston Mini-show’ is seeking to lease a portion of the Palmerston Domain to site a storage container between the Squash Club and the Sports Hall. The land is located at Gilligan Street in Palmerston. Council is considering granting the appropriate lease pursuant to Section 54 of the Reserves Act 1977.  Pursuant to Section 119 of the Reserves Act 1977 Council has an obligation to publicly notify its intention to grant such lease by way of this Notice. The reserve is legally described as Sec: 82 Blk: XXXIII Twn: Palmerston. 

Proposed lease terms

Have your say

Comments on this proposal closed 5pm, 18 February 2022.  

We have been asking for public feedback on our draft Spatial Plan for Ōamaru, Weston and Kakanui.

The Plan sets out initial ideas of how development could happen in these areas over the next 30+ years.  The draft Plan was developed with Kai Tahu and informed by consultation with multiple stakeholders, as well as utilising data gathered on current trends and growth expectations.

Public engagement ran from 11 October - 19 November. The feedback period is now closed. All feedback received will be considered in the development of the final Spatial Plan, with the final Plan expected to be adopted in 2022. 

Read the Plan

• Read the summary Plan: Draft Oamaru Weston and Kakanui Spatial Plan SUMMARY(PDF, 13MB)
• Read the full Plan: Draft Oamaru Weston and Kakanui Spatial Plan - FULL(PDF, 34MB)
• Oamaru A3 Strategy(PDF, 579KB)
• Kakanui-A3-Strategy(PDF, 604KB)
• Weston-A3-Strategy(PDF, 701KB)
• Spatial Plan Factsheet
  
  (PDF, 1MB)

Hot topics

Have your say 

The feedback period closed on Friday 19 November 2021 

Community drop-in sessions

Background

The Dunback tennis pavilion was built through community effort and an insurance payment following a fire in the Green Valley Hall. 

A lease of the tennis courts and building to the Dunback Tennis Club was in place until 2007 when the tennis club dissolved. As landowner Waitaki District Council has inherited ownership of the building. 

In 2011 discussions with the Dunback Hall Committee, the Waihemo Community Board and New Zealand Motor Caravan Association (NZMCA) resulted in an intention to lease the pavilion to NZMCA for their use in return for their maintenance of the building and continued community access and use.  This was never formalised.

In 2015 concern over maintenance and availability for community use resulted in further discussions and a need to clarify and formalise a lease.  An alternative trust has also expressed an interested in leasing the pavilion on behalf of the community. The Waihemo Community Board have considered the options and have recommended the pavilion be leased to NZMCA as;

1. There was prior intention to lease to NZMCA.
2. NZMCA has the financial means to maintain the building.
3. NZMCA will provide access for community use.
   
   

Why are we recommending this?

Waitaki District Plan

23 Domain Road is designated ‘recreation’ in the Waitaki District Plan.  Use of the pavilion for gathering to support recreational activities including camping is consistent with this designation. 

Reserves Act and Draft Reserves Management Plan

The land is Crown land, vested in Council as a Recreation Reserve under the Reserves Act 1977. 

Waitaki District Council is authorised by section 54(1)(a) of the Reserves Act 1977 to grant leases on recreation reserve they administer for certain purposes including to ‘lease to any person, body, voluntary organisation, or society (whether incorporated or not) any area set apart for public recreation or enjoyment’. 

The Reserves Act requires leases or licenses to be assessed to ensure activities are consistent with the purpose of the reserve and the management plan (if any), and to show that the relevant statutory requirements have been met. 

The proposed use is consistent with these requirements in that:

1. The activity for which the building will be used is recreational. 
2. The activity will have little or no effect on other activities on the reserve. 
3. The activity will have no additional effects on neighbours of the park.  
4. The scale of activity is consistent with that on recreation reserves.

Section 54(2) of the Reserves Act requires that before granting any lease or licence the administering body shall give public notice specifying the lease or licence proposed to be granted and shall give full consideration to all objections and submissions in relation to the proposal.

Notice of Intention to Grant Lease over Recreation Reserve – Dunback Tennis Pavilion

PURSUANT TO SECTION 54 RESERVES ACT 1977 the land described in the Schedule to this Notice (the Land) is vested in Waitaki District Council (Council) pursuant to Section 26 of the Reserves Act 1977 as Recreation Reserve.  The New Zealand Motor Caravan Association is seeking a lease over the Dunback Tennis Pavilion. The land is located at 23 Domain Road in Dunback.  Council is considering granting the appropriate lease pursuant to Section 54 of the Reserves Act 1977.  Pursuant to Section 119 of the Reserves Act 1977 Council has an obligation to publicly notify its intention to grant such lease by way of this Notice. The reserve is legally described as PtS: 25 Blk: VIII SD: Moeraki.  

Proposed lease terms

Consultation closed 5pm, 29 October 2021.   

A Council hearing was held on 18 October to hear the 295 community submissions received on the location of the Waitaki Indoor Sports and Events Centre. 90% of submitters supported the recommended location for the Waitaki Indoor Sports and Events Centre – at Centennial Park, Ōamaru between the existing grandstand and Taward Street.

Following consideration of submissions from the community, On 26 October 2021 Council confirmed the location of the Waitaki Indoor Sports and Events Centre as Centennial Park. 

Link to Additional Council Meeting 26 October 2021

The site 

The proposed site is a Recreation Reserve managed by Waitaki District Council under the Reserves Act 1977. Multi-use recreation facilities and buildings are anticipated at Centennial Park under the Waitaki Reserves Management Plan. Council, Sport Otago, Sport Waitaki and other key stakeholders have identified Centennial Park as the preferred location.

Figure 1. Location of proposed Indoor Sports and Events Centre and adjacent parking in Oamaru

The benefits

Centennial Park is the preferred location as it would complement the wide range of sports already established at Centennial Park, and leverage the use of existing parking, toilets and changing rooms. 

The proposed sports-hub facility will encourage greater participation in sports, attract new codes and attract regional events. It is also anticipated to improve the wellbeing, fitness levels and general overall health outcomes for residents.

Why consult?

Council is consulting with the community around the use of the site for an indoor Sports and Events Centre as provided for under section 53 (g) of the Reserves Act 1977. The proposed development will change the use of the site from an outdoor sport field into a developed indoor space for recreational activities and supporting events.

More information

You can find more information in the supporting documents below:

• Certificate of Title - Centennial Park.pdf(PDF, 216KB)
• Waitaki Indoor Sports and Events Centre preliminary concept drawings.pdf(PDF, 7MB)
• Waitaki sport and recreation needs assessment and indoor recreation centre feasibility study.pdf(PDF, 6MB)
• Waitaki Indoor Sports and Events Centre Business Case 070721.pdf(PDF, 982KB)

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How to have your say

Submissions closed 1 October 2021

Key dates

Submissions closed 5pm, 2 August 2021.

At the full Council meeting on 8 Dec the 2021 Responsible Freedom Camping Bylaw was enacted. After public consultation the following changes have been made: Kakanui River mouth from Cobblestone Road to the Kakanui River is now Prohibited from Freedom Camping. Lake Ohau Road West of Lake Ohau village and Lake Ohau Road East of lake Ohau village (except opposite Lake Middleton) Prohibited from Freedom Camping.

• Waitaki District Responsible Freedom Camping Bylaw 2021(PDF, 3MB)

Purpose

The Waitaki District Responsible Freedom Camping Bylaw enables Council to effectively deal with issues caused by freedom camping through identifying district-wide standards for freedom camping, and specific locations within the Waitaki District where freedom camping is prohibited or restricted on Council managed land.

Draft Responsible Freedom Camping Bylaw 2016 Review Statement of Proposal

In the Draft Responsible Freedom Camping Bylaw 2016 Review Statement of Proposal you will see some information on the reasons for the current district wide standards and general conditions, and site-specific restrictions and prohibitions.

• Draft Responsible Freedom Camping Bylaw 2016 Review Statement of Proposal(PDF, 2MB)
• Responsible Freedom Camping Bylaw 2016 Review Consultation Document 
  (PDF, 442KB)
  (PDF, 3MB)

Key Dates

Consultation closed at 12 noon on 21 May 2021.

Purpose

The purpose of the Revenue and Financing Policy is to set out how Council proposes to fund the operating and capital expenditure of the activities it undertakes. The policy also demonstrates how Council has complied with section 101(3) of the Local Government Act. Council’s current approach is to review this policy every three years.

Draft Revenue and Financing Policy Statement of Proposal and Policy

In the Draft Revenue and Financing Policy Statement of Proposal you will see some information on how the policy was developed and an overview of the proposed changes. View a copy of the Draft Revenue and Financing Policy Statement of Proposal and the Draft Revenue and Financing Policy:

• Draft Revenue and Financing Policy Statement of Proposal(PDF, 348KB)
• Draft Revenue and Financing Policy(PDF, 705KB)

Key Dates

Consultation closed at 12 noon on 21 May 2021.

The purpose of the Policy on Development Contributions and Financial Contributions is to set out how Council proposes to calculate and levy development contributions. Under current legislation (Local Government Act 2002) Council is required to review this policy at least every 3 years.

Draft Policy on Development Contributions and Financial Contributions - Statement of Proposal and Policy

In the Draft Policy on Development Contributions and Financial Contributions Statement of Proposal below you will see some information on how the policy was developed and an overview of the proposed changes. View a copy of the Draft Policy on Development Contributions and Financial Contributions - Statement of Proposal and Draft Policy documents here:

• Draft Policy on Development Contributions and Financial Contributions - Statement of Proposal(PDF, 878KB)
• Draft 2021 Policy on Development Contributions and Financial Contributions(PDF, 2MB)

Key Dates

The Long Term Plan 2021-2031 consultation closed at 12 noon 21 May 2021.

All councils must prepare a long term plan every three years outlining their ten year budget explaining what projects and activities they intend to carry out and how these will be paid for.

Waitaki District Council's Long Term Plan (LTP) is our commitment to delivering the services and infrastructure our district needs to thrive. The LTP consultation provides an opportunity for everyone to shape the future of our district for the next 10 years. The consultation process ran from 21 April to the 21 May 2021. The Waitaki District Council Long Term Plan 2021-2031 was adopted on 29 June 2021 - read it here.

We review our plans regularly to make sure they're still appropriate. Any changes can be incorporated into our annual plans (our one year budgets) which gives us an opportunity to change course more quickly if we need to.

LTP Consultation Timeline

Read our Long Term Plan 2021-2031 Consultation Document

 (PDF, 13MB)Waitaki LTP 2021-2031 Consultation Document.pdf(PDF, 13MB)

This Consultation Document provides the community with a summary of the overall direction Council intends to take over the next 10 years, in line with Council's legal obligations, infrastructure needs and community priorities. The document includes an overview of our key issues, what we're planning, how we propose to fund the activities and services, and the impact this may have on ratepayers.

It is a balancing act between service realities, community needs and aspirations, and the community's willingness to pay.

The plan is underpinned by the supporting documentation below which provides more detail in regard to the infrastructure, financial budgets and activities of Council.

150 individual submissions were received on the St John Proposal to Lease Part of Awamoa Park(PDF, 566KB)  for a new purpose built ambulance base. (including one submission with an additional 25 signatures attached to it). Of the individual submissions, 59% of the community were in support of the proposal, 37% against and 5% maybe. The 25 signatures were all opposed to the proposal.

10 oral submitters presented at the Council hearing on 13 April 2021. Deliberations took place on 19 April 2021 when Waitaki District Council voted against leasing a portion of Awamoa Park to St John for a new ambulance base. The council voted to assist St John in finding another location for its facility.

The feedback period for public consultation of the Roading Bylaws 2020 closed on 20 July 2020. The results of the consultation were presented at the 22 September 2020 Assets Committee meeting. The Council will consider adopting the recommendations at the 6 October 2020 meeting with the Roading Bylaws 2020 becoming operative from 1 November 2020. Check out the feedback: Roading-Bylaws-Report-Assets-Committee.pdf(PDF, 245KB)

The feedback period for the final round of Speed limit review public consultation closed on 20 July 2020. Council recieved over 300 submissions on the final proposal with the results presented at the 22 September 2020 Assets Committee meeting. The Council will consider adopting the recommendations at the 6 October 2020 meeting with the new speed limits effective from 1 November 2020. Check out the report on the Speed Limit Review here: Speed Limits Report - Assets Committee(PDF, 250KB) 

A Waitaki Waste Management Survey was carried out in Nov 2020 as part of our Waste Management and Minimisation Plan (WMMP) as required by the Waste Minimisation Act of 2008. To assess its progress against the plan, the Council requires a statistically robust measure of how the district's residents are currently managing waste disposal. The research shows the relative differences in waste management by households, businesses, and farms in the Waitaki District. 

The aim of the survey was to find out the main facilities and services used by Waitaki residents and whether these amenities are meeting their needs, identify issues residents might be encountering with regard to waste disposal, record their views and look at how we can improve the current waste disposal processes and systems. Read all the survey results here:

Waitaki District Council - Waste Management Survey Draft Report 19102020(PDF, 10MB)

The feedback period for the Oamaru Gardens Waterplay Space is closed. Feedback is being included into planning for the redevelopment.

The masterplan for Ōmārama has been developed to assist in setting out the community’s vision for how and where the township will grow.  A vision for the future will support the community to understand what future growth in the area could look like and identify key components needed to enable that growth. The survey for feedback on the Ōmārama Masterplan Discussion document(PDF, 12MB)  closed on 6 September, 2019. A summary of the feedback we received can be found in the Ōmārama Feedback Summary document.(PDF, 3MB)

The Ōmārama Masterplan 2020 report can be viewed here: Omarama Masterplan 2020(PDF, 8MB)

The masterplan for Otematata has been developed to assist in setting out the community’s vision for how and where the township will grow.  A vision for the future will support the community to understand what future growth in the area could look like and identify key components needed to enable that growth. The survey for feedback on the Otematata Masterplan Discussion Document(PDF, 9MB)  closed on 6 September, 2019. A summary of the feedback we received can be found in the Otematata Feedback Summary Document.(PDF, 4MB)

The Otematata Masterplan 2020 report can be viewed here: Otematata Masterplan 2020(PDF, 7MB)

The feedback period for the Moeraki toilet replacement closed on 21 June 2019. The Council heard and considered submissions. Community agreed with proposed site. New toilet placed on this site.

After a period of public engagement, we used the feedback you gave us to make a draft plan for the Oamaru Harbour area. In August 2020 we ran a round of public engagement and asked you what you thought of the draft Oamaru Harbour Plan. This feedback was collated and presented to Council and the Harbour Area Committee. Read more about the project background and engagement process here.

The submissions were used to inform changes to the draft plan and help shape the final version of the Oamaru Harbour Plan which was published in February 2021. Read the Oamaru Harbour Plan in the link below:

Oamaru Harbour Plan 2020 and Beyond(PDF, 11MB)

Public consultation on the District Plan Review Discussion Document closed on 16 August 2019. The Discussion document was a first look at what may be in the new District Plan. There were no maps or detailed rules because we’re still working on those. It looked at the big picture and asked you: Are we on the right track? Are these the key issues? Are we dealing with them the right way?

We had over 50 responses to the District Plan Review Discussion document online feedback form plus many others via email, post and in our public engagement meetings. We have been analysing your feedback and we are using it to help draft the new District Plan for Waitaki. A summary of the feedback we received can be found in the Waitaki 2030 District Plan Review Discussion Document Engagement Summary Report(PDF, 3MB) . We plan to release the draft District Plan in mid-2020 for another round of public consultation and feedback.

The feedback period for the Moeraki toilet replacement closed on 16 August 2019. The Council heard and considered submissions. Community agreed with proposed site. New toilet being placed on preferred site. Check out the Assets Committee Meeting Confirmed Minutes - 27 August 2019(PDF, 19MB) for more details. 

The feedback period for the Kakanui mowing survey closed on 16 August 2019. The Council heard and considered submissions. Since the Community didn’t want changed service, the mowing service at esplanade remained the same in our new contract.

The feedback period for the Severn street wall replacement options closed on 12 April 2019. The Council heard and considered submissions and the preferred option was confirmed on 11 June 2019. Check out more information at 28 May 2019 Assets Committee Meeting Minutes(PDF, 7MB).

The feedback period for the Planning fees and charges closed on 30 April 2019. The Council heard and considered submissions and the new Planning fees and charges were then adopted on 25 June 2019. Check out  Planning fees and charges 2019.

The feedback period for the initial round of Speed limit review public consultation closed on 3 May 2019. Council received 134 submissions on the proposal and has tabulated the results regarding retaining speed limits, changing speed limits, and suggesting new sites. These will be submitted to Stantec to access with a final round of public consultation planned for October - November 2019. Check out the results of the first round of Speed limit review at 2 July 2019 Assets Committee Meeting Memorandum(PDF, 6MB).

The feedback period for the Building service fees and charges closed on 12 April 2019. The Council heard and considered submissions and the new building fees and charges were then adopted on 25 June 2019. Check out Building services fees and charges 2019.

The feedback period for the Strategic routes and priority thoroughfares closed on 31 March 2019. The Council heard and considered submissions and the proposed Strategic routes and priority thoroughfares were then adopted on 28 May 2019. Check out the Strategic routes and priority thoroughfares. 

The feedback period for the Representation Review 2018 closed on 9 December 2018. 

On April 10, 2019, the Local Government Commission’s Determination on the Representation Review 2018 for Waitaki District Council was received. It upheld Council’s final proposal to allow the Ahuriri Ward to not comply with section 19V (2) of the Local Electoral Act (commonly known as the ‘+/- 10%’ effective representation rule).

A key consequence of this determination is that the Ahuriri and Corriedale Ward boundaries will be redrawn (to replicate the Otago and Canterbury Regional Council boundaries), and Duntroon will become part of the Ahuriri Ward as there was felt to be a community of interest between those in the Duntroon area and the balance of the Ahuriri Ward. The new arrangement will come into effect for the Local Elections on 12 October 2019.

For more information see Ahuriri retains representation in 2019 elections.

In February 2019, the Council agreed that there will be no formal consultation on the upcoming 2019/20 Annual Plan, this is because the Annual Plan is not significantly different from what we said we would do for year two of the Long Term Plan 2018-28. The Council engaged with community utilising the District Plan Review and Oamaru Harbour Space campaigns, which included a public meeting, drop-in sessions, and a Council website have your say page. The Council considered the feedback and any subsequent impact on rates on 14 May and the 2019/20 Annual Plan was then adopted on 25 June 2019. Check out the 2019/20 Annual Plan.

The feedback period for the draft Alcohol Ban Bylaw closed on 15 October 2018. The Council heard and considered submissions and the policies were then adopted on 4 December 2018. To view the bylaw please check Bylaw page.

The feedback period for the draft Dangerous and Insanitary Building policy closed on 15 October 2018. The  Council heard and considered submissions and the policies were then adopted on 4 December 2018. To view the policies please check Policy page.

The feedback period for the draft General Bylaw 2017 closed on 3 August 2017. After considering 30 submissions Council formally adopted the General Bylaw on 26 June 2018. The new bylaw became operative on 1 July 2018. To find out more, please go to the Bylaw page.

The feedback period for the draft Long Term Plan 2018-28 has now closed. The Council formally adopted the Long Term Plan 2018-28 on 26 June 2018 and it became operative on 1 July 2018. To find out more, please go to the Long Term Plan 2018-28 page.

Submissions on the draft Waste Management & Minimisation Plan 2018-24 closed on 30 April 2018. The Council heard and considered submissions and the plan was then adopted on 26 June 2018. To view the plan please check Waste Management & Minimisation Plan 2018-24(PDF, 6MB) .

The consultation period for Easter Sunday Shop Trading closed on 18 October 2017. After considering over 150 submissions, Council voted on 15 November 2017 to keep the status quo. This means that the draft Easter Sunday Trading policy has not been adopted and there is no change to the current Easter trading arrangements.

The consultation closed on 7 July 2017. Since receiving the feedback we have reviewed the business case investment plan which is submitted to the Regional Transportation Committee in August 2017.

The feedback period for Annual Plan 2017/18 has now closed.  After considering 80 submissions Council formally adopted the 2017/18 Annual Plan on Wednesday 21 June.  To find out more, please go to the Annual Plan page.

Consultation closed on 1 February 2017. Council heard and considered submissions and the new fees was then adopted on 29 March 2017. To view the fees please go to fees and charges page. 

Submissions on the Freedom Camping Bylaw 2016  closed on 25 July 2016. Council heard and considered submissions and the policy was then adopted on Wednesday 14 September 2016. To view the bylaw please go to Bylaws page.

Submissions on the draft Annual Plan 2016/17 closed on 22 April 2016. Council heard and considered submissions on Monday 11 May and Wednesday 13 May. The 2016/17 Annual Plan was formally adopted on Wednesday 22 June. To find out more, please go to the Annual Plan page.