Environmental education, camping and tourism development, including the potential for a gondola, will be fundamental parts of the Brook Recreation Reserve moving forward.
Nelson City Council adopted the Brook Recreation Reserve management plan in principle at Thursday’s meeting, but it needs to conduct further public consultation before the plan can take effect.
In order to align with public submissions around accommodating long-term camping and facilities that service activities happening off the reserve, the council has agreed to gazette land for a local purpose reserve (recreation), changing it from a recreation reserve under the Reserves Act.
Mayor Rachel Reese said the plan balanced the wishes of various stakeholders with the needs of the wider community.
The plan generated 45 written submissions during public consultation and eight verbal submissions to a hearing panel.
Once the council has consulted the community a comprehensive development plan will be created.
(The Nelson Mail, Monday, October 19, 2015)
Nelson homes are selling "significantly" above asking prices in a booming market as strong demand outstrips supply. A combination of out-of-town buyers flocking to the region, good interest rates and empty-nesters looking to downsize were fuelling the demand, said Bayley's Real Estate residential salesman Jeremy Matthews.
Demand is across the board - with some houses going well above their asking prices, he said. A home on hillside road Bisley Ave in Moana valued at $680,000 sold at auction for $824,000 earlier this month.
Recent QV statistics have shown a steady rise over the past year, with a 3 per cent year on year rise in September and August. The median for September was $417,934.
Out-of-town buyers in the older age bracket, many of whom were moving to the region from bigger cities like Auckland and Christchurch, were looking to Nelson for a different lifestyle and because their children are now grown up, said Matthews.
"The out-of-towners are coming in with a different value parameter for house prices and Nelson buyers are finding themselves competing against them," he said.
Matthews said the Nelson City Council needed to focus on providing additional inner-city apartments to relieve the demand.
‘‘We’ve got these people who have a good wad of cash who are looking around the centre of the city and there is nothing to live in. If there was ever a time for Nelson to build a boutique central city lifestyle it’s now,’’ he said.
(The Nelson Mail, Friday, October 23, 2015)
A major infrastructure project to improve flood protection also provides an opportunity to improve the accessibility, safety and functionality of Richmond’s Queen Street.
Richmond’s central business community will be canvassed for their ideas on how to lessen the upheaval of major work to Queen St.
The street will be dug up over two years as part of the 10-year $22m Richmond Central Stormwater Project.
The work is designed to channel stormwater away from the central business district and towards a Washbourn Gardens detention pond from where it will be piped to a drain.
The work on the $4.2m Queen St portion of the project will see the replacement of water, stormwater and wastewater pipes, plus the subsequent rebuilding of Queen St.
Funds from Tasman District Council’s water and wastewater accounts will be used to pay for the project.
Within the $4.2m budget is a $380,000 component to reinstate Queen Sts roading, kerb and channel, lighting, signage, pavement and planting
The work encompasses the length of Queen Street from Salisbury Road to Gladstone Road.
(The Nelson Mail, Saturday, October 26, 2015)
You will never 'find' time for anything.
If you want time, you must make it.
Charles Buxton