Renovations at community venues

Community halls around our region benefited from a $400,000 funding boost through the Provincial Growth Fund - Renovation of Town Hall and War Memorials initiative.  

The money allocated is being used in various locations around the region to carry out much-needed improvements to these well-used community facilities.  

• Motueka Recreation Centre: Section of sports hall roof replaced, roof vents installed, insulation added to the ceiling and walls of the sports hall and lighting upgraded to LEDs. 
• Spring Grove Drill Hall - roof replacement. 
• Collingwood Memorial Hall - painting of the Hall toilets and the interior of the Library. 
• Lower Moutere Memorial Hall – interior painting of the hall. 

This funding is a real bonus for everyone who uses these facilities. It has allowed us to make these improvements sooner than planned and our residents can enjoy the benefits. 

Library Secondment Funding

The Department of Internal affairs has provided funding through until 2022 to bolster the workforce in libraries in order to provide a wider range of ways for communities to interact with them. 

The programme includes; 

• Digital inclusion support and to assist job seekers and learners. 
• Library workforce development by supporting an increasingly diverse workforce with community engagement.  
• Supporting community recovery and reading for pleasure.  
• Supporting wellbeing and Te Reo and Mātauranga Māori. 
• Supporting local iwi.  
• Content creation and curation of online New Zealand resources focussing on local resources. 

Libraries are vital community hubs, where people can get practical help during tough economic times. Librarians support lifelong learning and can assist those looking for work. Local libraries are safe spaces to access essential online services and to be supported in performing basic digital tasks, such as CV writing and accessing career services.

Throughout the country, the initiative is being lead by the National Library, working with key stakeholders in the library and local government sectors, including LIANZA, Te Rōpū Whakahau, Public Libraries of New Zealand, the Society of Local Government Managers (SOLGM) and Library Information Advisory Commission (LIAC).

Worker deployment on local roading projects 

Funding of $1.5 million from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) through the Provincial Growth Fund allocated in June has been used around our region to re-deploy workers displaced by the response to COVID-19. 

$1 million was earmarked for removing trees and other rural roadside hazards, with $500,000 allocated to improving roadside drainage to reduce surface flooding. 

As well as using existing databases to identify hazardous trees on rural roads, residents were also asked to nominate trees to be assessed. Trees were removed from 144 locations around the District. Where possible, the wood was collected and stockpiled. It will be cut into firewood, and distributed to families in need with the help of the Fifeshire Foundation and Mohua Social Services. 

This initiative created employment for 14 staff who had lost their jobs due to the effects of Covid-19. They came from a wide range of backgrounds, from kayak guides to retail sales staff but all adapted well to their new work.  

As part of the project, new staff completed Downer’s five-day Road Ready course, teaching them skills in traffic control, vehicle training and safety around construction sites. These skills will be valuable if they seek other roles in the roading or construction industries in future.  

Lower Motueka River stopbank refurbishment

Motueka River Stopbank Refurbishment is being funded under the Climate Resilience Programme via the Project Development Unit within the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. Council is also co-funding the project. 

We have been granted $7.5M for this as a ‘Shovel Ready’ project. Work is scheldued to start by February 2021 and has a 2023 completion date.

The project involves raising localised sections of stopbank and remedying structural defects to reduce the risk of stopbank failure and subsequent flooding. This will improve the resilience of the protected productive land and will contribute to increased local employment and spending in a post COVID-19 world. The work includes full project management of detailed design and investigation, tendering, contract management to successful completion stages. 

We'll bring you more information on this major project as it progresses. 

Over the past three years, central and local government have been considering the challenges and opportunities facing the system for regulating and managing the three waters (drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater). The Three Waters Reform Programme has come from that process.  

The Government has given us the opportunity of participating in the initial phase of the programme. We now have the aggreements in place which allow us Council access stimulus funding and have involvement in the programme as it evolves over the next three years.  

Through Crown Infrastructure Partners, we've been allocated a stimulus funding package of $4.89 million to invest in the three waters activities. 

We can also access a further $4.89 million from a $14.01 million package to be shared with Nelson City and Marlborough District Councils. 

This funding will provide local employment and some much-needed improvements to our three waters infrastructure.