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Duke & Cooke Property News |
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Published on: 26th July 2008 BURNOFFS UPSETTING TASMAN RESIDENTS BURNOFFS UPSETTING TASMAN RESIDENTSBurnoffs in the Tasman district are getting up the public’s noses, with a residents’ group calling for the Tasman District Council to look at the rules allowing companies to burn off land in preparation for subdivision. But council staff say there is little they can do about the fires because no rules are being broken. Complaints about outdoor burning made up the highest number of grumbles to the council in the past three months. Sixty-two of the 261 complaints received from April to June were about smoke. Of these, 44 were about outdoor burning in the Motueka area. Council compliance officer Carl Cheesman said in a report that complaints had come from as far way as Stoke and Nelson, and many people wanted to register their opposition to the practice of outdoor burning and its effects. Mr Cheesman said most of the fires were conducted in accordance with rules allowing outdoor burning, so there was little that compliance officers could do. (The Nelson Mail, Monday 21 July 2008) CENTRE OPENINGPrime Minister Helen Clark will open the new offices of the Nelson Environment Centre on Thursday. The premises at 215 Akerston St, which are shared with Forest and Bird, include more office space, a meeting room, display space and a resource library that is open to the public. The Environment Centre advises and helps the community with environmental issues such as composting, hybrid cars and home insulation. Miss Clark will be at the centre for the official opening from 1pm to 1.45pm. The public is invited to a blessing at 8am and a viewing of current projects from 3pm to 5pm on Thursday. (The Nelson Mail, Tuesday 22 July 2008) EXPORT CROP PEST FOUND IN NELSONA bug that has led to a ban on tomato and capsicum exports has been found in Nelson and Canterbury, says Horticulture New Zealand. MAF Biosecurity suspended the exports last month after the discovery of a bacterium in three Auckland commercial hothouse operations. It is believed to be transmitted by a small insect called tomato potato psyllid. Biosecurity New Zealand has been surveying glasshouse sites throughout the country. Horticulture New Zealand senior business manager Ken Robertson said the insect had been found in Nelson and Canterbury. The bacterium was probably also there but the organisation was still waiting for test results. Mr Robertson said the psyllid could be controlled with insecticide, in a similar way to controlling thrips and whitefly. (The Nelson Mail, Tuesday 22 July 2008) DEVELOPMENT PENDING ON RECLAIMED LANDA $1.4 million roadworks and subdivision project has started at Akersten St, Port Nelson, which signals a new phase in the city’s marine industry development. Several companies are in the final stage of negotiations with the Nelson City Council about setting up shop on reclaimed land earmarked several years ago for marina development. Diving Services New Zealand managing director Bruce Lines said New Zealand’s burgeoning oil industry had resulted in positive spin-offs for his commercial diving and vessel maintenance business, and he was now seeking to shift his business from its current spot at Port Nelson to Akersten St. The decade-long development process to subdivide the land next to the Nelson marina has been fraught with complications over what it could be used for. In 2004, the council released plans to sell or lease some of the land for commercial and retail space. The council said in a recent report that five tenders were received for the estimated $1.4 million realignment works, which include provision of services to the new subdivision. Tenders ranged from $1.4 million to $1.7 million, with the lowest tender from Oldfields Ltd Nelson accepted. Three tenders were received for the $124,973 electrical works contract and installation of street lights, which Oldfields also secured. The council said the tenders ranged from $160,469 to $167,176, excluding GST. (The Nelson Mail, Wednesday 23 July 2008) STOPBANKS WORK CHEAPERThe cost of upgrading the Motueka River stopbanks has been revised downwards from $24 million to $17m. The Tasman District Council has been investigating options for repairing the leaky stopbanks and yesterday projected the work, which is expected to take three to 10 years, would now cost $17.3m. (The Nelson Mail, Friday 25 July 2008) SEWAGE LAND PIPE PLEASES IWIIwi are pleased a controversial sewage pipeline running across waahi tapu (sacred) sites and traditional Maori seafood gathering areas in Tapu Bay near Kaiteriteri is likely to be replaced by a land-based pipeline. The Tasman District Council installed the existing 3.3km pipeline across Tapu Bay in 2005 because there were concerns about breaks in the original pipes. Iwi opposed the plan, resulting in the Environment Court ordering iwi and the council to form a taskforce to resolve wastewater issues in the coastal area from Marahau to Tasman. Yesterday, council utilities asset manager Jeff Cuthbertson presented a status report from the taskforce to the engineering services committee in Richmond. The key finding was that the presence of the Tapu Bay sewage pipeline was culturally unacceptable and that it should be replaced “at the earliest practical time” with a more acceptable option. Mr Cuthbertson conceded that “when we put in the pipeline through Tapu Bay it was not a happy situation with iwi”. The taskforce agreed that the best alternative was a land-based pipeline generally following the Riwaka-Kaiteriteri road and circumventing Tapu Bay. It would be considerably longer than the existing pipeline and would require either underground drilling or additional pump stations to pump the sewage from Kaiteriteri to a treatment plant in Motueka. (The Nelson Mail, Friday 25 July 2008) FELLING OF TREES ANGERS RESIDENTThe removal of six large trees from Collingwood St has Nelson man John Higginbotham asking whether we are creating a city of carparks or a city of trees. However, the Nelson City Council says 21 trees will be planted to replace those removed, and property-owners have had a chance to oppose the plans, which have been on the table for close to three years. The trees had to be removed in order for road resurfacing and kerb work to be done. Two trees would be replaced on the same sites, and 19 new trees would be planted elsewhere on Collingwood St. Affected residents had been sent details of the plans, he said. The trees would be planted sometime in the new year. (The Nelson Mail, Friday 25 July 2008) PROPERTY WATCHEco-village planned Homeowner takes hit Stevens store to open Site attracts tenders Blocks hold their value Lifestyle properties around the Motueka Valley and Moutere areas appear to be holding their values, according to First National agent Graham Durrant who this month sold two $500,000-plus properties in those areas. The first was a 150ha block in the Graham Valley which was initially tendered and then sold for $526,000 plus GST. The second was a 2.6ha Lower Moutere property with a small vineyard, cattle yards and two homes. It was priced at $699,000 and sold for “not much below that”. Its GV is $465,000. “We’re not seeing signs of fire sales like some reports are indicating.” Mr Durrant said he had also just signed up two properties in the $700,000 range which were yet to go unconditional. (The Nelson Mail, Saturday 26 July 2008) |
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