Closed consultation

Below you can find the outcomes of recently closed consultation with our community.

Annual Plan engagement document cover

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.

Message from the Mayor and Chief Executive

He karere mai nā te Koromatua nā te Tumu Whakarae

Life is challenging for many Waitakians right now. 

Local, national, and international trends and events are continuing to cause ripple effects within and across our district’s communities. Many of you may be finding yourselves affected by any number of pressures, such as affordability of food and housing, mortgage payments, business rents, or planning for approaching retirement.

Adding to these pressures, you may be feeling a sense of uncertainty in relation to the Government’s plans for the future ownership and control of our Three Waters assets, along with other proposed Government reforms, and what this means for you, the people, and the places of Waitaki you care about.  

Council is feeling these same pressures, dealing with the government reforms whilst seeing the cost of goods, services, projects, and infrastructure increase significantly. Therefore, we empathise with anyone and everyone who is doing it tough right now.  

Our approach to the Annual Plan for the upcoming financial year, as outlined in this engagement document, has been to take into account the increasing pressures our communities are facing. 

Our commitment and focus is on ensuring the wellbeing of Waitaki’s communities. This involves striking a delicate balance between ensuring Waitaki’s communities have robust core infrastructure, services and facilities, on the one hand, and maintaining a level of service provision which is affordable, on the other.  

To find this balance for the upcoming financial year, we have been working extremely hard in the lead up to this engagement period, to find ways we might be able to limit the rates increase for 2023-24, whilst ensuring you remain as supported by us as possible.  

As a result, we are proposing some changes to our programme of activities and finances, which were originally developed as part of Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP) for 2021-31.  

The 2023-24 LTP year included projects and general costs which required an overall 9.3% increase in rates. This was calculated on a low inflation rate of 1.5%. The situation has since changed and we are now dealing with an inflation rate of more than 7%, which would put the proposed rates increase closer to 15%. So, we are changing our plan, reducing our projects, and limiting the increases, to lower our proposed average rate increase to 8.06%, though this will vary for each ratepayer.  

We would like to hear your thoughts on the proposed changes presented in pages 10-13.  

Council is continuing to take a look at how we can work better for our community. Through our Transformation Programme, we are looking at every aspect of how Council works with a view to making it more efficient and effective in how it delivers. We need to consider the changing needs of our communities, and the reforms we are subject to. Over the coming year, we will put considerable effort into this programme and look forward to people across the district starting to see the benefits of the changes we plan to make.    

We encourage you to read the Annual Plan engagement document and share your feedback with us.

Alex Parmley 
Chief Executive | Tumu Whakarae  

Gary Kircher 
Mayor for Waitaki | Koromatua 

 

Our vision and community outcomes

Waitaki vision and Community Outcomes.PNG

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

Waitaki’s population is changing…

What’s happening?

Our population is growing. Our total district’s population growth was 0.4% in 2022, higher than the national population growth for the same year (0.2%). People are moving from cities to regional areas such as Waitaki. Our population is ageing, with 23.4% of residents over 65 years, despite our growing Māori and Pasifika population being younger.

Why is this a challenge?

Different age groups have different needs in terms of health care, housing, transport, and recreation. The things we do to remain connected change over time. Those over 65 are more likely to be on a fixed income. While overall population growth is good for our district, it can place strain on our infrastructure and service capacity if we don’t plan ahead.

Our response

We’ve worked to keep the rates increase to a minimum, while still delivering the services you need. We have some projects planned that are being funded through Better Off funding to improve our community wellbeing through investment in our towns and hospital. We have also received a grant to improve our roadways and connectivity.

we have a housing issue...

What’s happening?

Like the rest of New Zealand, house and land values in Waitaki have increased significantly. In 2020, QV house values increased by 33.7% and land by 45.4% since 2017. Values continued to increase through 2022, though they are now easing. With building costs increasing, building material shortages, and new bank lending rules, it is harder to build or buy a home. Waitaki also has a shortage of smaller homes available to rent or buy. 

Why is this a challenge?

Buying, building or renting a home costs a lot more now meaning people are looking for more affordable options. The shortage of smaller homes across Waitaki means that many singles or couples are living in large family homes. Our ageing population is living in larger homes that are hard to keep, due to the low number of units and small houses. The average house price in Waitaki (Sept 2022) was $480,990.

Our response

Supported by Better Off funding, we are delivering our housing strategy to have healthy, affordable and appropriate homes for all. We want to work with partners on affordable homes projects, and our new District Plan will let people build smaller homes in some areas. The District Plan will be ready for your feedback in the next 12 months.

...and rising costs and affordability

What’s happening?

Events in New Zealand and across the world are impacting our supplies and costs of everyday items, as well as our inflation and interest rates. From the pandemic, to the war in Ukraine, coupled with the recent damage caused by Cyclonem Gabrielle, things aren’t getting any easier.

Why is this a challenge?

Rising costs mean that those on a fixed budget have less to spend on living. Costs of basic needs such as food, clothing and shelter are becoming unaffordable, which reduces our quality of life.

Our response

We’ve had to take a hard look at what work we can afford to do this year to keep our rates down and ensure the services you need are affordable, and that you see value for money in what we provide. Our Transformation Programme will improve Council efficiency to deliver a better customer experience and will look at other ways we can support our district.

as well as ongoing skill shortages…

What’s happening?

Finding the right people to fill jobs in Waitaki is hard. Across the country and internationally, skilled workers are in short supply, and housing challenges mean employers are finding it tough to get the workers they need. Additionally, without any local providers of higher education we risk losing our young people once they leave school.

Why is this a challenge?

Businesses across Waitaki are struggling to fill positions which places increased workloads on people covering vacant roles. This has resulted in employers having to offer staff more money to fill roles, or turn down work, or contract out work, in order to manage workloads. These additional costs for employers impact on affordability.

Our response

Our Economic Development Strategy proposes combining the management of economic development and tourism to build a more prosperous community. The implementation of some parts of the strategy will be funded by Better Off funding, including looking at how we support developing skills locally and how we attract skills our businesses need. We are partnering with others, such as Business South, to make this happen. 

COVID is still impacting us…

What’s happening?

The lockdowns may be over but COVID’s still very much present in our district. COVID is affecting our people through ongoing infection, our ability to access health services, and our business-asusual operations due to shortages in staff and supplies.

Why is this a challenge?

COVID is still causing disruption to supply chains, business hardship, and loss of income. The presence of COVID limits access to workplaces, services, events and recreation, which affects the quality of everyday life.

Our response

We’re trying to support our community by keeping rates as low as we can without impacting the services you receive. Implementing our Economic Development Strategy will bring benefit to our district and help overcome the challenges created by COVID and more recent events.

our climate is changing...

What’s happening?

The world’s climate is changing. We can see that in New Zealand and in other countries too. And the climate scientists say more change is coming in the decades ahead. The events we are seeing are becoming bigger and are impacting our communities and infrastructure.

Why is this a challenge?

We’ve seen the damage caused by Cyclone Gabrielle and earlier storms in the North Island. The scale of these weather events may be repeated. We may see warmer temperatures and droughts, less snow, extreme winds, an increase in storm intensity, and sea level rise. Loss of properties and loss of land are likely in these events.

Our response

We need to be prepared for more events. We have planned work to improve our infrastructure networks, and we’re looking at coastal erosion concerns. We are remediating coastal landfill risks, and we have a Better Off funded biodiversity project focused on our natural environment. We will be working with communities to help improve resilience and readiness for future emergency events.

...and so is our political environment

What’s happening?

The Government is making big changes that will affect all councils and our communities. The Three Waters reform means Council will no longer own or manage the water infrastructure. Four new entities will take over those services. RMA reforms will see changes to the planning system that means planning will be undertaken at a regional level, not locally. There are other big changes in the pipeline coming from Government.

Why is this a challenge?

The reforms will impact the way you receive the services you are used to getting from Council. As a resident there may be some anxiety toward the changes proposed as the future service structure is not clear.

Our response

We brought some projects forward last year to future proof our 3 Waters infrastructure. Some of these will continue this year and some new ones have been added to improve our community resilience. Our Transformation Programme will reshape the Council to respond to the reforms and ensure we can deliver better outcomes for our communities.

 

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.

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

 Engagement period opens  13 April 2022 
 Community Drop-ins Waihemo
Thursday 21 April
@ the Palmerston Library from 3.30-5.30pm
 
Ahuriri
Friday 22 April
@ the Kurow Information Centre from 3.30-5.30pm
 
Oamaru
Sunday 24 April
@ the Oamaru Farmers market from 9.30-12.30pm
Engagement period closes   4 May 2022
 Council Hearings  16 & 17 May 2022
 Annual Plan adopted by Council  28 June 2022
 Annual Plan in effect  from 1 July 2022

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? 

Forrester Heights quick facts

Forrester Heights area map

  • Located above Ōamaru Harbour, below Lookout Point, between Avon and Test Streets 
  • About 2.5 hectares (6.2 acres) in three separate parcels
  • Most of it is ‘Endowment land’* (in green and orange on the below map), the rest is ‘Freehold land’* (in blue on the below map)
  • All of the land is zoned ‘residential’ 
  • In 2006 Council wanted to develop and sell 27 sections at the site but this project stalled after it was found a mistake had been made with one of the land titles 59 years earlier (in 1947)
  • This was corrected in Parliament with a Local Act (the Waitaki District Council Reserves and Other Land Empowering Act 2013). The Act confirmed the majority of Forrester Heights is Endowment land.



*What is Endowment Land?

‘Endowment land’ is land given to (vested in) a Council to be used for revenue generating purposes. A Council can sell Endowment land in accordance with Local Government Act 2002, and the sale proceeds must be used for purposes consistent with the Endowment. In this case, the Endowment purposes are: “aiding Waitaki District Council funds” (in orange on map) and “for the general purposes of the Corporation [of the Borough of Ōamaru]” (in green on map). For an explanation of the Forrester Heights land legal status click here.

*What is Freehold Land?

‘Freehold land’ is land owned outright by a Council. In this case the ‘freehold land‘ was formerly legal road. The road status was removed some time ago, and the land can be used for other reasons. This means it could become a reserve or be sold.

        

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.

OPTION 1 - Make Forrester Heights a Reserve

We could try to turn all (or some) of Forrester Heights into a Reserve, with new plantings and walking tracks. But it wouldn’t be easy because most of it is Endowment land.

If the land was Freehold, the process to make it a Reserve is relatively easy. The way to do that is set out in the Reserves Act 1977. But most of Forrester Heights is Endowment land. To properly classify and administer the land as a Reserve, the legal status of the land would need to be changed. There are only two ways to remove the Endowment status: 

  1. through an Act of Parliament; or 
  2. by selling the land. 

A new Reserve at Forrester Heights would not be accessible for everyone.  If we were to invest in more greenspace reserve, would it be better to it have it somewhere else where more people could use it and enjoy it?

Pros:

✓ We would have a new Reserve that would add more of what people enjoy on Cape Wanbrow now.
✓ New plantings would add more habitat for wildlife in this area.
✓ The land would not be built on so it would stay open space.
✓ Some people think Forrester Heights is a reserve now. This would make it one.

Cons

✘ Changing Forrester Heights from Endowment land to a Reserve would need us to have a local Bill passed in Parliament to create a new law. That would cost money, it could take several years, and in the end, may not get passed.
✘  Setting up the new Reserve would also add to the rates bill. We already spend nearly $2 million per year looking after parks and reserves. Another Reserve would add to that. 
✘  Forrester Heights may not be the best site for a new Reserve. Because of its slope, it would need to be developed the same as other parts of the Cape. We have most of Oamaru’s reserves in the South End of town while there is very little in the North End.
✘  The land would not be sold, so we would not have additional funds to use for purposes consistent with the Endowments.

OPTION 2 - Sell some or all of the Forrester Heights land

We could do this in a number of ways. We could call for tenders or sell it on the open market. Council could be the developer and sell the sections on its own. Or we could set up a joint venture.

If Forrester Heights was offered for sale, the market would set the price. But we would only sell if the price was right. Council would definitely have conditions that would keep the character of the area. Those conditions will include height limits and house design rules. 

If our conditions were met and a sale went ahead, the proceeds could be used in several ways. We could use the money to pay for a new service or facility like a new reserve in another part of Ōamaru or to help fund the new Waitaki Events Centre. Or we could invest it to generate a return to support services and reduce rate increases. We could also pay down debt, or even do a combination of all those things. See more about this in the FAQs.

The key thing is that we would need to spend the money in a way that made a big difference and gave real benefit to the community - now and in the future. 

If Council decided to offer Forrester Heights for sale after considering community feedback and all the pros and cons, and a sale did go ahead, the community would be consulted on specific options for how the money would be used. If the decision was made to sell only part of the land, then one of the other two options would apply to the remainder. 

Pros

✓ The money from the sale would be used for the community’s benefit.
✓ Any new households on Forrester Heights would pay rates.
✓ As landowner, as part of any sale, the Council would set rules (called covenants) that would control development even more than the current planning rules. The rules would deal with height limits, house design, and would protect views from Lookout Point.

Cons

✘ If the land was developed by Council before sale, it might mean extra costs and risks for us.
✘ With houses on the land, it would look different and some open greenspace would be lost.
✘ Having height and design rules may mean we get less when we sell the land.

OPTION 3 - Leave Forrester Heights as it is for now

Do nothing. Don’t develop it or change it. Spend the bare minimum on it now. Because of how Endowment land must be used, we would eventually have to use the land to generate revenue – just not right now.

Pros

✓ The land may continue to gain value, meaning a potential higher return in future.
✓ Council could focus on other priorities and projects.
✓ We would retain the value some people see in the land as open, undeveloped space for now.

Cons

✘ We could be missing the best time to get a good return on the land.
✘ We would not have money from the sale to invest or use for other things people want.
✘ Development costs are likely to go up over time. This may be the cheapest time to develop the land making it more attractive to a potential buyer.
✘ Council would not actively invest in the land and some people think it’s a bit of an eyesore in its current state.
✘ Doing nothing doesn’t solve anything. It just puts the decision off for another day.
✘ The land would continue to have ‘holding costs’ (rates, etc) while generating no return.

      

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:

 

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.

View From Lookout Point Wooden Seat

View From Lookout Point Wooden Seat (current District Plan rules)

(JPG, 422KB)
Elevation profile from Lookout Point Wooden Seat

Elevation profile from Lookout Point Wooden Seat

(JPG, 608KB)
View From Lookout Point Carpark (Not visible from this angle of view)

View From Lookout Point Carpark under current District Plan rules (Not visible from this angle of view)

(JPG, 503KB)
Elevation profile from Lookout Point Carpark (Not visible from this angle of view)

Elevation profile from Lookout Point Carpark (Not visible from this angle of view)

(JPG, 703KB)
View of Forrester Heights land area

Forrester Heights land area

(JPG, 412KB)

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

 Consultation opens  1 April 2022 
 Drop-ins at the Oamaru Farmers Market  Sundays 10 & 24 April, 8 May
 Consultation Closes   16 May 2022

 Council Hearings
(Hearings will be live-streamed on Council's Youtube channel)

 11.00am - 3.00pm, Monday 30 May 2022 and
9.00am - 4.00pm (could be extended) Tuesday 31 May 2022

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*

Will implementing a sinking lid policy hinder district-wide development?

Gambling has been associated with increased government revenue and overall economic growth on a national scale as Central Government earns revenue from gambling. At the local and territorial level, the economic benefits are less clear cut. A few gambling industry funded studies report a beneficial relationship between employment and wage impacts in casino-hosting regions overseas. The positive impact on employment and earnings appears to last only for about 5 years and is limited to the hospitality and entertainment sector. This is with casinos though, and not the Class 4 type of gambling venues.

Conversely, other research studies argue that the losses offer a sharp contrast to any local economic gains. They report that money for gambling is diverted from savings and/or other expenditure and can have a negative impact on local businesses and the economic health and welfare of whole communities. The reports suggest that even in instances where gambling creates employment opportunities, a comparison of gambling and retail in terms of jobs created for every million dollars spent shows that gambling creates about half as many jobs as retail. They further argue that any jobs and economic activity generated by gambling expenditure are easily replaced and would exist elsewhere if that money was spent outside the gambling industry.

Don’t most gamblers just have a quick flutter on the machines - a bit of bright lights and harmless fun?

Gambling is meant to be a fun and social form of entertainment. It offers the player a chance of winning but all forms of gambling are designed to pay out less than they take in. Pokie machines do this particularly well and are designed to make money for their operators. They do that by getting players to stay at them for as long as possible; but each spin will have as much chance of winning as the last one, so it doesn’t matter if you have a system, you can’t beat or cheat a Pokie machine. Rather than being harmless gimmicks, the bright lights and sounds the machines make are deliberate features designed to grab attention and pull players into the machine. While many people are able to gamble without significant or long-term impacts, there are members of our community who become addicted; and as a consequence, they (and their families) suffer from gambling related harm.

What does adopting a sinking lid mean for community and sports groups that receive funding from machine operators?

Sinking lid policies do not result in immediate or drastic cuts in funding available for community groups this is a misconception. Sinking lids are long-term strategies to balance the reduction of Pokies, and Pokie - related harm, with the need to provide funding to benefit the community. Sinking lids are policies, of attrition, venues are not forced to close or remove their Pokies it simply means if a venue closes, Pokies cannot go to another pub and no new operator’s license will be issued. There are many councils around the country with sinking lid policies which have seen no reduction in the amount of funding available because they are designed for long-term effect.

*source: www.ruapehudc.govt.nz

Have your say

Consultation closed on Tuesday 1 March 2022. 

Key Dates

Consultation opens   Tuesday 1 February 2022  
Consultation closes Tuesday 1 March 2022 (by 5pm)
Council Hearing 22 March 2022
 Deliberations 22 March 2022 
Adoption of final policy 26 April 2022

 

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.

location map  

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

 

Term   5 years   
 Renewal Lease review after 4 years, with a lease extension or renewal a consideration  
 Purpose  For the use to site a storage container
 Free holding rights  Nil.
 Rent  $1 per annum if demanded.
 Termination  The land leased shall be used solely for purpose specified.
 Compensation for improvements On termination of the lease or surrender of the lease the land, together with all improvements, shall revert to the lessor without compensation payable to the lessee unless Council requires the lessee to remove the improvements or Council determines the improvements are of value to them and offers to pay to the lessee the value of the improvements or the improvements may be sold to an incoming Lessee.
Erection of buildings Council approval is required for any construction or modification.  NB: Lessee must still comply with and obtain any necessary consents eg Resource or Building consent.  
Statutory Compliance   Lessee shall comply with all legislative requirements including the Reserves Act, Reserve  Management Plan, District Plan, Council Bylaws, Health Regulations, HSNO requirements, Resource Consent Conditions, Health & Safety Requirements.
Lessee shall comply with any requirements of any land covenants and easements including those between Council, Crown and Meridian Energy.
 Standards  Lessee will be required to maintain the site in a presentable, usable and hygienic state.
Outgoings    Lessee will be responsible for any maintenance costs and compliance costs.

 

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

Hot topics

Parks and Reserves

Public open spaces haven’t been targeted for sale to housing developers. This draws rather a long bow, and simply isn’t true.

There is no suggestion that reserves are ‘for sale’ or that a reserve transfer process is being fast tracked. Any sale of specific reserve land would need to be extensively publicly consulted on before it was considered.

We’re simply asking if you think any parts of our reserve land, (which ratepayers pay to maintain), could be put to better use. Think our reserves should stay exactly as they are? Let us know – that’s what this feedback period is all about. 

Multi-story buildings and medium density housing

Affordable housing is a big problem in New Zealand and we’d like to be part of the solution. 

This doesn’t mean the South Hill will look like the Gold Coast overnight.

But we can’t ignore this problem in favour of the status quo. Should we plan to build smarter on the land that we have, or continue spreading out forever? Tell us what you think.

Oamaru living space - finding more homes for people

5 key facts on the National Policy Statement on Urban Development and how this relates to the Spatial Plan.

  1. Central Government’s National Policy Statement on Urban Development (NPS-UD) came into effect on 20 August 2020.

  2. The NPS-UD requires councils to plan for growth and ensure the delivery of a ‘well-functioning urban environment’ for all people, communities and future generations – this means ensuring that people can live close to jobs, community services, public transport, and other amenities.

  3. The NPS-UD directs all applicable councils, including Ōamaru as a Tier 3 urban environment, to enable more housing that meets the diverse needs of the community by allowing new development both up and out. It is important to note that the NPS-UD only directs that intensification be ENABLED not REQUIRED. Just because it may remove the barriers to higher density housing this doesn’t mean that it will necessary happen.

  4. In the context of Ōamaru, intensification must be provided for in accordance with the level of accessibility or demand. The Council has completed an initial assessment and identified the areas where intensification could occur. Council will undertake a further accessibility and demand assessment to inform intensification locations as required under the NPS-UD. The areas shown in the Spatial Plan are an indication of those areas where further assessments will be undertaken to determine if they are suitable.

  5. The policy direction from the NPS-UD tells us which areas must be enabled for intensification and include those that:
  • are in or around the town centre, or any other area that provides employment opportunities; and
  • areas with high accessibility by active or public transport; and
  • areas with high demand – guidance in the NPS-UD tells us that this includes areas around the town centre, near schools, areas close to open space or areas with good outlooks/views.

So, there's no need to panic about this, but we DO need to start thinking about how a larger population could be accommodated. Check out the draft plan, we'd love your feedback. 

Growth promotion

We ARE growing and we DO want to attract more people to Waitaki, making it thriving place, and building the future of the district. 

To stimy growth when we have an aging population is to step on the district’s neck. We’re losing too many of our bright young things to towns with more opportunities. 

 

Have your say 

The feedback period closed on Friday 19 November 2021 

 

Community drop-in sessions

Ōamaru   Scottish Hall Tuesday 2 November 2021
  • 12.15pm – 2.15pm
  • 7.00pm – 9.00pm 
Weston   Weston Hall  Wednesday 3 November 2021
  • 12.15pm – 2.15pm
  • 7.00pm – 9.00pm
Kakanui   Kakanui Hall  Thursday 4 November 2021
  • 12.15pm – 2.15pm
  • 7.00pm – 9.00pm   

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

 

Term   5 years   
 Renewal Lease review after 4 years, with a lease extension or renewal a consideration  
 Purpose  For the use as a communal meeting place.
 Free holding rights  Nil.
 Rent  $1 per annum if demanded.
 Termination  The land leased shall be used solely for purpose specified.
 Compensation for improvements  On termination of the lease or surrender of the lease the land, together with all improvements, shall revert to the lessor without compensation payable to the lessee unless Council requires the lessee to remove the improvements or Council determines the improvements are of value to them and offers to pay to the lessee the value of the improvements or the improvements may be sold to an incoming Lessee.
Erection of buildings Council approval is required for any construction or modification.  NB: Lessee must still comply with and obtain any necessary consents eg Resource or Building consent.  
Statutory Compliance   Lessee shall comply with all legislative requirements including the Reserves Act, Reserve  Management Plan, District Plan, Council Bylaws, Health Regulations, HSNO requirements, Resource Consent Conditions, Health & Safety Requirements.
Lessee shall comply with any requirements of any land covenants and easements including those between Council, Crown and Meridian Energy.
 Standards  Lessee will be required to maintain the building in a presentable, usable and hygienic state.
Outgoings    Lessee will be responsible for any maintenance costs and compliance costs.
 Access NZMCA will make the building available for local community group use and for bookings by other responsible domain users. A local phone number and contact for key pick up must be clearly visible to visitors of the domain from the outside of the building.

 

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.

Centennial Park 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:

Sports and Events Centre concept drawing exterior

Sports and Events Centre exterior concept

(JPG, 663KB)
Sports and Events Centre concept drawing interior

Sports and Events Centre interior concept

(JPG, 1MB)
Sports and Events Centre concept drawing interior

Sports and Events Centre interior concept

(JPG, 1MB)

How to have your say

Submissions closed 1 October 2021

 

Key dates

 Consultation opens   Monday 30 August 2021
 Consultation closes  Friday 1 October 2021 (5pm)
 Council Hearing (if required)   Monday 18 October 2021

 

 

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.

 

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.

Key Dates

Consultation opens
 Friday 2 July 2021
Consultation closes
 Monday  2 August  2021 (by 5pm)
Hearing Monday 16 August 2021
Council decision – Bylaw is amended or continues without amendment
 Wednesday 8 September 2021
Letters sent to submitters
 By mid-October 2021
Implementation of reviewed bylaw and confirmation of non-regulatory approaches
 By 21 October

 

 

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

May - November 2020 Policies, strategies and projects are developed
December 2020 - February 2021 The consultation document and supporting information are developed
1 - 30 March 2021 The consultation document and supporting information is audited
19 April 2021 The consultation document and supporting information is adopted by Council
21 April - 21 May 2021 Formal consultation with the community
24 and 25 May 2021 Hearings and deliberations
29 June 2021 Adoption of the 2021-31 Long Term Plan;
Rates set for the 2021-22 rating year
1 July 2021 New rates effective
July 2021 Post engagement with the community

 

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.

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:

 

Key Dates

Consultation opens
 Wednesday 21 April 2021
Consultation closes
 Friday 21 May 2021 (midday)
Council hears submissions(1)
 Monday 24 May and Tuesday 25 May 2021
Council deliberates on submissions
 Monday31 May and Tuesday 1 June2021
Council adopts the 2021 Revenue and Financing Policy
 No later than Tuesday 29 June 2021

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:

 

Key Dates

Consultation opens
 Wednesday 21April 2021
Consultation closes
 Friday 21 May 2021 (12 noon)
Council hears submissions
 Monday 24 May and Tuesday 25 May 2021
Council deliberates on submissions
 Monday 31 May and Tuesday 1 June 2021
Council adopts the 2021 Policy on Development Contributions and Financial Contribution
 No later than Tuesday 29 June 2021

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.

 

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 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) 

 

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

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 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 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)

 

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.

 

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 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 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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

 

 

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