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The West Coast's four councils have secured $900,000 of funding to defer construction and demolition waste from landfill.
The Buller District Council, Grey District Council, Westland District Council (WDC), and the West Coast
Regional Council (WCRC) secured the funding from the Waste
… View moreThe West Coast's four councils have secured $900,000 of funding to defer construction and demolition waste from landfill.
The Buller District Council, Grey District Council, Westland District Council (WDC), and the West Coast
Regional Council (WCRC) secured the funding from the Waste
Minimisation Fund (WMF).
WCRC consents and compliance manager Colin Helem said the focus was primarily on the recovery, reuse, and reprocessing of construction materials such as timber and steel to cut down the significant volumes of building waste entering landfills.
"It is not about building a landfill for construction and demolition waste.”
WDC operations manager Erle Bencich said consultant company Tonkin + Taylor would complete a feasibility study to test the project’s market viability. The results were expected at the end of the year.
“We target January 2023 to review the outcome of the feasibility study and decide how to proceed," Buller District Council solid waste management coordinator Juliana Ruiz said.
The WMF supports projects in New Zealand that increase the reuse, recovery, and recycling of materials. The WMF was set up by central government and is financed out of waste disposal levies.
Have you read our June Seniors newsletter? In this issue we discuss the Older Workers Employment Action Plan, Budget 2022 and hear from Equal Employment Commissioner Saunoamaali'i Karanina Sumeo. Read it here now: bit.ly...
The chilly, gum boot wearing, kettle on, soup season has moved into town! Don’t get stung by your winter power bill neighbours, start shopping around now - even if you’re on a contract.
We asked neighbours why they’re not switching power providers and found out for many it feels a bit … View moreThe chilly, gum boot wearing, kettle on, soup season has moved into town! Don’t get stung by your winter power bill neighbours, start shopping around now - even if you’re on a contract.
We asked neighbours why they’re not switching power providers and found out for many it feels a bit baffling with so many options and not enough help. Read why Kiwis aren’t switching and the easy steps to get your power sorted before bill shock hits.
Need to keep it stress free? Call our NZ based team on 0508 226 672, it’s free!
We’re here to help you compare, save and smile!
Help Kiwis in need this winter by giving through the Trade Me Kindness Store. Trade Me has teamed up with three awesome Kiwi charities - KidsCan, RainbowYOUTH and Women’s Refuge. The Kindness Store’s virtual shelves are stocked with small things that make a big difference to the Kiwis these … View moreHelp Kiwis in need this winter by giving through the Trade Me Kindness Store. Trade Me has teamed up with three awesome Kiwi charities - KidsCan, RainbowYOUTH and Women’s Refuge. The Kindness Store’s virtual shelves are stocked with small things that make a big difference to the Kiwis these charities help.
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From local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
The West Coast Regional Council has increased rates by 10%.
But it has excluded a planned inflation adjustment of 2.3% as signalled in the long-term plan.
Last year rates went up 30%.
Faced with an overall 12.3% increase this year, chief executive… View moreFrom local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
The West Coast Regional Council has increased rates by 10%.
But it has excluded a planned inflation adjustment of 2.3% as signalled in the long-term plan.
Last year rates went up 30%.
Faced with an overall 12.3% increase this year, chief executive Heather Mabin told councillors it was not too late to amend the budget and revert "to a true 10%".
Cr Peter Ewen said the council needed to keep faith with the ratepayers.
"That to me is a public contract."
The council needed to address rising costs, which included compliance costs that were "a Government imposition" and directly affected ratepayers.
"There are some other things there we have got to address. It's never easy to cut costs but it's something we've got to get used to," Ewen said.
As an example, the council should be claiming back from the Government the full costs of formulating the combined district plan for the region, as it was now a national pilot.
"If we roll over and take it, why are we here? I don't mind being the guinea pig [but] it's another version of being set up to fail because the rates are going to be so high."
Cr Debra Magner said the council had to consider the risks in not cost adjusting, with projects and statutory obligations looming.
"It isn't just a matter of saying we can cut [2.3%] out without consequences."
Cr Stuart Challenger said he was mindful of the impact on ratepayers but the council had to meet its obligations.
"My concern is if we didn't have rate rises, and all of a sudden we have to make up for it. We need to cut our costs but we need to make sure we are doing what we're supposed to do."
Ewen asked what the 2.3% would represent in a budget adjustment.
Mabin said it was close to $95,000.
Ewen said that coincidentally represented the lease revenue for the council's Rolleston property (a 1080 factory), which might be reviewed to help the budget.
Cr Laura Coll-McLaughlin said the council, like everyone else, was at the "sharp end" with inflation.
It needed to budget for the unexpected while weighing the impact on ratepayers but without leaving the council financially vulnerable.
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To enter the competition, just tell us what you love about your neighbourhood. It could be your favourite spot, a … View moreAre you overdue a getaway? You could win a 13-day Sir Edmund Hillary Explorer South Island Rail & Coach tour by participating in Neighbourly’s 8th birthday celebration.
To enter the competition, just tell us what you love about your neighbourhood. It could be your favourite spot, a beautiful view, or something that makes you smile. You could be in for a once-in-a-lifetime getaway!
From local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
An assurance Ziman House at Reefton will not be permanently closed by the successor to the West Coast District Health Board has been affirmed by management after a final debate as the DHB wound up this week.
Veteran West Coast health advocate Peter … View moreFrom local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
An assurance Ziman House at Reefton will not be permanently closed by the successor to the West Coast District Health Board has been affirmed by management after a final debate as the DHB wound up this week.
Veteran West Coast health advocate Peter Neame took the board's management to task, and eventually got an assurance when chairman Rick Barker stepped in, asking for a simple "yes or no" answer.
The board as superseded today by the rollout of the new Health NZ and Maori Health Authority. The West Coast, however, one of nine regions selected for a 'locality' pilot which means the community will be consulted on the shape of the new structure and West Coast-specific service delivery.
Neame, an elected board member and retired psychiatric nurse, launched into management at the start of the meeting.
He said the public perceived the DHB's stated plan to reopen the Reefton facility was not genuine.
"There's general perception by the public that there is no intention of this board or a future authority that it would reopen (Ziman House)," he said.
The argument by the board that staffing was behind the temporary closure of the facility was something he "never, ever accepted".
DHB general manager Phillip Wheble repeated that aged residential care on the West Coast was "significantly challenged" at present due to the national nursing shortage and that meant reopening Ziman House was also a challenge.
The issue of staffing was regardless of the mix of private and public aged residential care in the region, he said.
"We've got to look at how we can provide a sustainable service that provides the outcome we want."
Neame replied: "I'm only getting a bureaucratic answer".
Wheble repeated that the board needed to be "innovative".
It was at this stage Barker stepped in.
"Is there a commitment to reopen Ziman House -- yes or no? Let's hear it, without all of the other things," he said.
DHB chief executive Peter Bramley responded with a simple "yes".
Wheble said the full-time equivalent of 5.6 registered nursing staff would be needed for "hospital level care" based on eight patients at Reefton.
Bramley, just appointed as interim South Island manager for Health NZ, repeated his affirmation that the Reefton care facility would open again.
"There is absolute commitment that we reopen Ziman House," he said.
However, that was "on the proviso" of providing a safe level of nursing care.
The risks to the public from two disused quarries on the West Coast are “huge”, with one local leader saying the situation is “incredibly urgent”.
Both quarries belong to the West Coast Regional Council – one is near Blackball and the other at Kiwi Point near Stillwater, east of … View moreThe risks to the public from two disused quarries on the West Coast are “huge”, with one local leader saying the situation is “incredibly urgent”.
Both quarries belong to the West Coast Regional Council – one is near Blackball and the other at Kiwi Point near Stillwater, east of Greymouth.
The council temporarily suspended its quarry operations throughout the Coast in May so it could “reset” its management of them and prepare a new tender process for each of its active quarries at Inchbonnie, Camelback (Kowhitirangi) and at Okuru in Haast.
A consultant was called in to review the current status of each quarry, including those no longer used.
Keri Harrison told the council meeting on Wednesday the quarries at Blackball and Kiwi Point would both need further technical safety work to cover the council's legal liability.
The Blackball one presented a risk to users on the recently widened Croesus Rd, “with rock looking to exit on to the road”.
It had been out of use for about a decade.
“It has fractured quite significantly in the past four years ... it's moving.”
The movement was visible from the road and the site needed updated signage. Ideally the site would be closed permanently, but mitigating the obvious risk at the site had to be undertaken to meet new legal requirements for quarry operators, Harrison said.
“A geotech report might recommend blasting the face and letting the rock fall and block access.”
Vibration from heavy machinery during the road widening would have accelerated rock movement, she said.
The road was improved in line with the opening of the new Paparoa Track Great Walk in late 2019.
Cr Laura Coll-McLaughlin said the Blackball issue sounded “incredibly urgent”.
“You don't know when it is going to go.”
Public safety was at stake and the council needed to act immediately to cover its liability, she said.
Coll-McLaughlin said it seemed the immediate risk should be notified straight away to at least warn the public.
Harrison said she had last looked at the Kiwi Point quarry in 2018, but it was hard to access this time.
Access to State Highway 7 had been previously flagged following reports in 2018 and 2021, which she described as "horrendous".
A WorkSafe notice in 2018 had restricted that quarry's use due to the difficult access.
“It is a hazard that needs to be addressed. My recommendation is to decommission ... the risks are huge.”
Rockfall risk there would have major consequences “but the likelihood is still moderate”.
However, a new assessment was needed to mitigate immediate danger.
Kiwi Point was coincidentally the site of a large slip that came down on the adjacent railway line, striking the TranzAlpine passenger train on the way to Greymouth early this month.
Unleash the artist within you, showcase your DIY creative skills and spruce up an old item or completely repurpose it! Resene and Neighbourly are challenging everyday Kiwis like YOU to take part in the Resene Upcycling Awards.
We want to see your amazing creations so don't be afraid to go … View moreUnleash the artist within you, showcase your DIY creative skills and spruce up an old item or completely repurpose it! Resene and Neighbourly are challenging everyday Kiwis like YOU to take part in the Resene Upcycling Awards.
We want to see your amazing creations so don't be afraid to go all out! Check out some of the previous entires here.
Take part in the 2022 Resene Upcycling Awards. There are four great prizes worth $500 up for grabs: a $200 Resene voucher and a $300 Prezzy® card!
Looking for a second-hand solar tube/sun tunnel/ dome flexi skylight please, to lighten up a dark hallway. Cheers.
From local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
Four-day waiting times for Reefton residents seeking a medical appointment is "pretty good," the final meeting of the West Coast District Health Board was told last week.
The town of 900 is currently without a GP, and the DHB has been … View moreFrom local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
Four-day waiting times for Reefton residents seeking a medical appointment is "pretty good," the final meeting of the West Coast District Health Board was told last week.
The town of 900 is currently without a GP, and the DHB has been "challenged" to ensure consistent locum cover for the next few months, general manager Philip Wheble said.
The board had been working on various options to provide cover on three out of five days at Reefton, either through in-person appointments or via telehealth consultations.
Wheble said in an update on Thursday it had seven out of nine sessions a day, staffed through a combination of nurse practitioners or by a locum.
"It's not ideal but something we want to ensure primary (care) access," he said.
Average waiting times in Reefton of four days was "pretty good" given the seasonal challenge of winter.
The pending arrival by August of a new permanent GP for South Westland would free up some locum cover to assist Reefton and for Westport "to provide consistency of care".
Board chairman Rick Barker said he understood the waiting time in Reefton to have a consultation was on average four days and asked what was the average waiting time for other West Coast centres.
Wheble replied it was longer.
Barker asked if that meant Reefton was "not out of synch" with long waiting times for a GP appointment elsewhere: "In actual fact, for people to get access in Reefton they are slightly better off than in Grey or Canterbury?"
Wheble confirmed that was the case.
As partners of the Elemental festival, Stuff Travel is giving away 2 amazing packages! For each you'll win 2 nights of luxury stay at Fable Auckland with a welcome dinner and daily breakfasts. You'll also get tickets to either the Takurua - Nafanua, The War Goddess or the Auckland Fried … View moreAs partners of the Elemental festival, Stuff Travel is giving away 2 amazing packages! For each you'll win 2 nights of luxury stay at Fable Auckland with a welcome dinner and daily breakfasts. You'll also get tickets to either the Takurua - Nafanua, The War Goddess or the Auckland Fried Chicken Festival.
Flights included for those out of Auckland.
Dear neighbours,
Every month, NZ Gardener runs a series of tested reader recipes using a seasonal crop. We are now on the hunt for tamarillo recipes, so send your best ones to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz before July 8, 2022.
Every published recipe wins a copy of our special edition Homegrown … View moreDear neighbours,
Every month, NZ Gardener runs a series of tested reader recipes using a seasonal crop. We are now on the hunt for tamarillo recipes, so send your best ones to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz before July 8, 2022.
Every published recipe wins a copy of our special edition Homegrown Recipes.
Are you overdue a getaway? You could win a 13-day Sir Edmund Hillary Explorer South Island Rail & Coach tour by participating in Neighbourly’s 8th birthday celebration.
To enter the competition, just tell us what you love about your neighbourhood. It could be your favourite spot, a … View moreAre you overdue a getaway? You could win a 13-day Sir Edmund Hillary Explorer South Island Rail & Coach tour by participating in Neighbourly’s 8th birthday celebration.
To enter the competition, just tell us what you love about your neighbourhood. It could be your favourite spot, a beautiful view, or something that makes you smile. You could be in for a once-in-a-lifetime getaway!
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