Our Nelson Issue 175, 2 August 2023

Elma Turner welcomes community into expanded space 
Nelson City Council is pleased to welcome our community into the expanded Elma Turner Library with 70% of the public space now available following earthquake strengthening and repairs. 
After shifting 800 shelves and 25,000 books, the Elma Turner Library was reopened on Wednesday 26 July.
The public were welcomed with hot drinks made by library staff, an all-ages scavenger hunt, and a special visit from children’s songwriter and entertainer Kath Bee.
Library staff were joined by Councillor Tim Skinner, a member of the Library Reopening Taskforce. Councillor Skinner says getting back most of the library space and amenities is a great step forward.
"I am very happy that we are able to reopen more of the Elma Turner Library to the public. This is an important community asset, and I know that many people are eagerly awaiting the full reopening next year. The extended area will provide much-needed additional space and will allow the library to offer even better services.”
Nelson Mayor Nick Smith, who leads the Taskforce, was at the Local Government New Zealand Conference on the day of the reopening but was pleased the extended space was now available to the community.
“It’s been a long road to get here. When we opened the Elma Turner Pop-up Library extension in January, we were on track and on schedule to reopen the entire library in full at this time, but as is often the case with ageing buildings, structural damage was discovered and that pushed all our plans back.
“It has been through the sheer hard work and determination of our Council staff, engineers, architects, and contractors that we are able to reopen more of the library to our community, delivering double the floorspace, and reopening the main entrance, Research and Heritage Room and the main toilets.
“All of the ceiling tiles and ceiling grid in this area have been braced and secured, and access to the toilet facilities has been restored via a purpose-built, enclosed corridor. We are now looking toward February 2024 for the building’s full reopening.”
Elma Turner Library was closed in June 2022 after it was discovered heavy ceiling tiles throughout the building posed an earthquake risk. As work on the ceiling tiles progressed, buckling and splits in four trusses was found in the building built as an extension in 1985, likely caused by structural changes to the building.
The extended space means the library has more space to host events and can resume assisting people with their historical research in the Research Room. Additional seating, study areas, lounges, public computers and charging docks are now also available.
The total cost of the project is $2.7 million. Once the work is complete, the library will meet 67% NBS (New Building Standard) for the ceilings, and 34% NBS for the structure, giving the building a further five to ten years of life.

eBus OnDemand – Stoke: download the app now 
The app for Stoke’s new OnDemand bus service is now available on the Apple and Google app stores.
eBus OnDemand - Stoke kicked off on August 1 and passengers can now download the app, created by Liftango, that will be used to request a bus using their mobile phones. 
To find the app on the Apple or Google app store search: ‘ebus ondemand Stoke’. When passengers download the app they can set up an account and request a bus straight away.
People without a mobile phone can order a bus by calling the Nelson City Council Customer Service team on 03 546 0200. 
Here’s how the service works: 
Passengers request a bus using the app or by calling the number above. 
The service runs Monday to Friday, 9am – 3pm 
The app will show you how far away your bus is and when and where to meet it. 
Meeting places or ‘virtual stops’ are dotted throughout Stoke so you should never be more than a short walk from where you meet the bus.
Passengers who have ordered a bus by calling Council will be told when and where to meet the bus and have a text message sent to their phone
Try to be on time – the bus can only wait a couple of minutes. 
Pay for the bus using Bee Card or cash 
The service operates on the same fare schedule as the rest of the eBus service
Free transfers within one hour 
Remember, this is a bus ride sharing service and the bus doesn't travel on a set route. It will take the most efficient route to your destination based on the destinations of other passengers and yourself. 
Group Manager Infrastructure Alec Louverdis says the new service may take a little getting used to but is a significant upgrade on the Loop service. 
“Patronage on the current loop service is steady as it is well used by older adults in Stoke who get free travel with their Super Gold card, but it went to quite a limited number of places. We expect demand to increase as the new service will provide greater access to a larger number of people by operating where passengers want to travel rather than on a fixed route that doesn’t reach the entire community.” 
eBus OnDemand can take people as far afield as Marsden Valley Road and Monaco and passengers will have a better idea of when their bus is due to arrive, meaning much less waiting around. 
“Our transport team will be visiting retirement homes, community groups, Blind Low Vision and the library to give people a chance to see how the service works before or close to launch day,” says Louverdis. “We know there will be a learning curve for some people, but we’re confident that in time it will become second nature.
“What I am really interested to see is whether this will work as a service that we could roll out in other areas of our region. For instance, if it is a success in Stoke it might be useful in South or North Nelson as well.”
All Blacks bench gifted to community
Tasman Mako legends, All Blacks Shannon Frizell, Finlay Christie and Leicester Fainga’anuku, were back in town recently as part of a special ceremony to bless a hand-crafted bench gifted to our community from the All Blacks. 
Nelson was one of 26 communities selected from around the country to be a recipient of a bench, gifted from the All Blacks to thank Kiwi’s for their support ahead of the Rugby World Cup in France this September.
New Zealand Rugby Project Director Lauren Vosper spoke at the ceremony about the significance of All Blacks supporters being the ‘bench’ that extends well beyond the eight subs sitting on the field. 
“The bench is all of you, everybody that gets this team to the field wherever in the world the team are going.”
The ceremony, which took place on Sunday 23 July in Nelson’s historic Botanics Sports Field, aptly the site of the New Zealand’s first Rugby game in 1870, was attended by representatives from NZ Rugby, Nelson College and Junior Nelson Rugby Club, Nelson Mayor Nick Smith, Councillor Kahu Paki Paki and local kaumātua. 
Intended to provide a safe space for a moment of contemplation, celebration, or a place to sit down and have a chat, Mayor Nick acknowledged the gift as a reminder that the ‘bench’ is a place that unites and brings us together. 
“Now it’s our turn to have the backs of our All Blacks as they take on arch-rivals the Wallabies in the second 2023 Bledisloe Cup match, at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin on 5 August. Then it’s on to the Rugby World Cup 2023 in France. Go ABs,” Mayor Nick says.
Following the karakia and formalities, players from the Junior Nelson Rugby Club and Nelson College were given the opportunity to ask questions of the All Blacks, who spoke about how much the Nelson community means to them. 
The bench, carved from native timber features an exclusive All Blacks Tohu (symbol) designed by noted artist Tim Worrall (Ngāi Tūhoe) and message from the All Blacks team ‘Me Eke Mai’ meaning to ‘land/come and take/rest here’ which is a part of NZ Rugby’s whakapapa. 
The outer segments of the design are Taniwha which represent teams, at the centre sit two kākanō (seeds of potential) in the shape of eyes of a bird (Manu). The Taniwha have been repositioned for this design to appear as wings (Parirau) so those sitting on the bench will have the All Blacks team wings wrapped around them, further symbolising that we are all in this together.
Road Closures proposed for Nelson Mask Parade Carnivale
Nelson Arts Festival has applied for the following proposed road closures for the Mask Parade Carnivale event:
Hardy Street from Church Street to Morrison Street
Part closure of Montgomery Square Carpark
Entrance to Montgomery Square Car Park from Bridge Street and exit onto Hardy Street
Trafalgar Street from Bank Lane to Bridge Street
Bridge Street from Trafalgar Street to Montgomery Square Carpark
Park Street, Church Street, Morrison Street including, Trafalgar Square between Church Street and Trafalgar Square East, including the Church Steps 
Date and time of proposed closures: Friday 27 October 2023, 9am to Midnight. Specific roads have different start and end times, please view our website for further details.
There will be business access only at these times, when available. Access for pedestrians will be available. 
Wet weather day for the event is Friday 3 November 2023. 
Feedback for proposed closures to be given by Wednesday 16 August 2023. 
Email: enquiries@ncc.govt.nz  
Post: Nelson City Council, PO Box 645, Nelson 7040, Attention: Gillian Dancey. 
For all road closure information visit 
nelson.govt.nz/road-closures