Nelson City Council has made an unconditional offer to purchase about 3000m2 of land at Akersten St for $1.6 million. This follows the completion of the due diligence process.
The purchase includes the existing hardstand facility, a wharf, jetty and the travel lift for lifting and moving vessels.
Completing this purchase means that travel lift services for marina users will continue and will be operated by Nelmac on council’s behalf.
Fees and charges for the hardstand and travel lift have also been approved by council. Both services will come into effect following the settlement date, which is expected to be around September.
It was identified as an important issue for the council in last year’s long term plan and a provision for funding of a hardstand area was made.
In late 2015, council entered into a conditional agreement to buy a new hardstand for the Nelson Marina.
(The Nelson Mail, Monday, July 4th, 2016)
The future of the grandstand on the Golden Bay Recreation Park will soon be in the hands of Heritage New Zealand.
The Tasman District Council is making an application to the independent body in which the grandstand’s heritage value will be assessed.
The application and its possible consequences was the subject of a meeting between the key grandstand supporters and the council earlier last week in Takaka.
Councillor Judene Edgar, chairwoman of the council’s community development committee, said the meeting was constructive and amicable.
It was acknowledged that despite construction of the new facility continuing while the application is being processed by Heritage New Zealand, the grandstand would remain in place. It was noted that it could be some months before the council received a final decision from Heritage New Zealand.
The building was earmarked for demolition to make way for a carpark as part of the Takaka’s new multi-million recreation facility.
A&P Show junior vice president Noel Baigent appealed to the Golden Bay Community Board in March to retain the building. Baigent asked the council to take heed of its historic importance and list it as a Category One heritage structure for preservation.
Many in the community, including the Golden Bay Heritage Society, also supported the preservation of the grandstand.
(The Nelson Mail, Monday, July 4th, 2016)
Some people living in the rural Golden Bay settlement of Pakawau are on the verge of nervous breakdowns as erosion threatens their homes, the Tasman District Council has heard.
Golden Bay Ward councillor Martine Bouillir told the council that sand push-ups to try and alleviate the problem were ‘‘not working there’’.
Council chief executive Lindsay McKenzie sought approval from the council for staff to engage with the Pakawau Coastal Residents’ Association on the proposal ‘‘to test whether or not the community has the capacity and desire to fund work’’.
In a report, McKenzie says the capital for the wall will either come directly from the 17 beneficiaries or they will agree to be rated for it and for maintenance.
The councillors approved staff engagement with the residents’ association. After consultation, the outcome will come back to the council for a decision.
(The Nelson Mail, Tuesday, July 5th, 2016)
The new roof of Trafalgar Centre will cost $310,000.
Nelson City Council will spend $240,000 on top of the previously budgeted $70,000 to put new roof cladding over the main building. The original budget was approved to repaint the roof. However, further inspections found severe corrosion under the overlaps of the roof cladding which led the council to explore other options.
Another option given to was to spend an extra $140,000 on top of the initial budget to treat the corrosion under the overlaps and repaint the roof. It was reported to the council the option would extend the life of the roof for a maximum of 20 years.
The final option was to treat the corrosion under the laps on the old roof, then put new battens across the old roof and install a new roof over the top at a total cost of $320,000. Councillors passed the new budget to replace the roof cladding on the main building of Trafalgar Centre at Thursday’s extraordinary meeting.
In April this year the council added another $600,000 to Nelson’s $12.95 million Trafalgar Centre rebuild.
The extra spending, some of which was from the project’s risk allocation budget, comprised $250,000 for the main stadium roof, $140,000 for work on the stadium’s western corridor, $80,000 on insulating and re-lining the northern wall and $130,000 on building administration offices. The new allocation of $240,000 will save $10,000 since the April funds allocation.
(The Nelson Mail, Tuesday, July 5th, 2016)
A $100 million Summerset retirement village has been approved by the city council as a Special Housing Area against advice of council staff.
The village near Saxton Field will have 220 homes, 64 assisted living suites, a rest home and will be a gated community.
It will be twice the size of Stoke’s Summerset in the Sun – the largest of the group’s 21 villages nationwide which it said had also been the fastest to sell.
Nelson City Council staff did not support the proposal as a SHA due to the lack of infrastructure on the land which has a rural zoning.
Summerset announced it had purchased the 10.28ha block about a month ago to capitalise on the booming retirement business in the region.
The new Summerset development is only 4.5 kilometres from an existing Summerset village on Sargeson St, Stoke.
If the Housing Minister Nick Smith signs off on the development it would be one of a number of large scale retirement villages in the Nelson region. Others include Stoke’s Ernest Rutherford, Richmond’s Oakwoods Lifecare, Nelson’s Green Gables Lifestyle Care and Village, Richmond’s Olive Estate Lifestyle Village, Summerset in the Sun in Stoke and a $125m village yet to be constructed on Princes Dr, Nelson.
The developers, during the public forum last week, said they pursued the SHA process due to the site’s rural zoning.
Summerset spokeswoman Michelle Brooker told the Nelson Mail the legislation streamlined consent timeframes and they would be ‘‘disappointed’’ if the development did not pass the final approvals but the company would still aim to build the village.
The latest designs aimed to include a theatre, hair salon, bar, library, bowling green and cafe and a rest home with 49 beds and is planned to be a ‘‘gated community’’.
Summerset chief executive Julian Cook said in May the concept designs would support a 400-person village and would create an estimated 60 jobs.
It will also require the approval of the Nelson Urban Design Panel.
(The Nelson Mail, Wednesday, July 6th, 2016)
The redeveloped Suter Art Gallery promises “lots of lovely surprises” when it reopens to the public in October.
A tour of the building amidst the construction work reveals a marriage between the historic elements of the original gallery, and the new contemporary features.
Suter Art Gallery director Julie Catchpole said the building phase was almost complete, and would be followed by testing of systems and fit-out before the gallery opened.
One of New Zealand’s oldest galleries, built in 1899, the original facade is still visible in the foyer through high windows.
The entrance, once hidden behind the reception wall is on show again, with the original window frames painted in “Nelson Red”.
The overall cost of the redevelopment is $12 million, which includes the build and landscaping.
The Nelson City Council has contributed $6 million to the project and the other $6 million has come from fundraising efforts and donations from individuals, grants from the New Zealand Lotto Grants Board, the Ministry of Culture and Heritage and the Rata Foundation.
(The Nelson Mail, Thursday, July 7th, 2016)
A continuing shortage of homes for sale is helping drive prices higher in the region.
Real estate agents say strong interest from out-of-town buyers, particularly from Wellington, is fuelling the demand side, creating a sellers’ market.
The latest QV statistics show an 11.4 per cent rise in Nelson house prices in the past 12 months, with an average current value of $460,495.
The average home price for Nelson in June 2015 was $412,534.
In Tasman there has been 9.8 per cent growth over the last 12 months, with the average value now at $456,144. In June 2015 the average price was $421,024.
By the numbers
Nelson experienced a 3.1 per cent increase in the last three months, Tasman increased by 3.4 per cent.
Since the 2007 peak period, Nelson housing has increased by 20.2 per cent, Tasman has increased by 13.6 per cent.
In the past year housing prices have increased nationally by 13.5 per cent.
Since the 2007 peak period, the national average house price has increased by 42.6 per cent.
(The Nelson Mail, Thursday, July 7th, 2016)
A proposed framework for growth in Wakefield has drawn concern from residents about indicative walkways on their land.
Under proposed plan change 58 to the Tasman Resource Management Plan, the Tasman District Council has indicated several areas in and around the village where growth could occur. Its suggested changes include proposed new residential zones north and north-east of Lord Auckland Rd, east of Pitfure Rd and on Edward St and a proposed new rural residential zone where the Tasman Great Taste Trail enters Wakefield with a minimum lot size of 800 square metres;
After a community meeting and a draft plan change, followed by another community meeting, the council approved the proposed plan change for consultation and it was notified in November.
A hearing before a panel of councillors was held on Tuesday. Cr Brian Ensor was chairman.
Ensor said the panel expected to conclude its deliberations and make a decision within ‘‘the next week’’.
(The Nelson Mail, Friday, July 8th, 2016)
Supporters of an historic Golden Bay grandstand say they won’t back down until an amicable agreement is made to retain the building.
The 117-year-old structure is earmarked for demolition as part of the bay’s multimillion-dollar recreation facility.
The building is now believed to have been built in 1899, ten years earlier than originally thought. The law states any building constructed before 1900 would need an authority to modify or destroy. However, the grandstand is not listed with Heritage NZ or TDC so it has no real protection.
Heritage NZ area coordinator David Watt said it was not part of their job to make the final decision about the grandstand.
The timeframe to complete the new centre is early-December and has a budget of $4 million, $3.2 million of which is being provided by council and the rest by the community.
(The Nelson Mail, Saturday, July 9th, 2016)
Kaiteriteri Beach Motor Camp has won an award for its $6 million upgrade.
The camp won the Resco Best Upgrade over $100,000 award at the annual Holiday Accommodation Parks Association of New Zealand (HAPNZ) conference in Rotorua last month.
HAPNZ chief executive Fergus Brown said upgrade to the camp had brought the facilities up to international standard.
Murchison Motorhome Park also won the PGG Wrightson Holiday Park Grounds highly commended award.
(The Nelson Mail, Saturday, July 9th, 2016)
The Tasman District Council wants feedback on its plans to protect outstanding natural features and landscapes in Golden Bay.
Environment and planning committee deputy chairman Brian Ensor said with the help of a working party of key interest groups and stakeholders, the council had identified 10 outstanding natural features and six outstanding natural landscapes it believed should have special protection.
The move is the latest step in the long-running issue.
Councils are required to identify outstanding landscapes for protection under the Resource Management Act. Friends of Nelson Haven and the Tasman Bay coastal conservation group have been trying to get the areas protected for more than a decade, including taking the TDC to the Environment Court.
The outstanding natural features in draft TDC rule changes include Farewell Spit, Paynes Ford and the Tarakohe cliffs.
The outstanding natural landscapes include Abel Tasman, the Parapara-Kahurangi ranges, large stretches of the coast and the Golden Bay-Mohua marine area.
The draft rule changes include measures such as new information requirements for resource consent applications, new landscape-related assessment criteria for subdivision consents and some changes to the consent requirements for new earthworks, structures, tracks, forestry and quarrying.
Outstanding features
Aorerer River, gorge and tributaries
Big River estuary
Farewell Spit
The Grove
Hanson Winter Reserve
Paynes Ford
Tarakohe Cliffs
Te Waikoropupu Springs
Wainui Bay Inlet
Whanganui Inlet
Outstanding landscapes
Abel Tasman
Parapara-Kahurangi Ranges
Northern north-west coast
Southern north-west coast
Golden Bay-Mohua marine area
North-west coast marine area
(The Nelson Mail, Saturday, July 9th, 2016)
“Kindness is the language
which the deaf can hear
and the blind can see.”
Mark Twain