Our Nelson Issue 159, 30 November 2022

Council approves urgent $1.4m library strengthening
On Thursday 24 November, Nelson City Council approved a recommendation from the Library Reopening Taskforce for urgent strengthening work on Elma Turner Library.
•	Phase 1 will expand the area of the Pop-up Library into the Maitai River side of the building. Completion of Phase 1 is currently predicted to be mid-January 2023. 
•	Phase 2a will cover the central public area, the entrance foyer and the returns room, and is scheduled to be completed by the end of summer 2023. Phase 2a may not open to the public until after Phase 2b is completed, as space will be required for storage of library collections during other construction.
•	Phases 2b and 2c include the structural work in the library’s southern section and staff areas. At this stage we do not have a set timeframe for completion, as the building consent and scope of construction required will depend on the detailed engineering design. Construction of Phases 2b and 2c will 
take approximately 10 weeks from the date a building consent is granted.
Nelson City Council project manager Lucy Clarke and Library Reopening Taskforce lead and Nelson Mayor Nick Smith examine the roof bracing at Elma Turner Library. The structural connections between the exterior walls and the roof bracing system in the southern end of the building (next to Halifax Street) need to be redesigned and strengthened.
Approximately 9,000 ceiling tile clips (pictured), 400 ceiling Gridloc braces, 900 “floating” perimeter braces and 650 metres of wall-angle Gridloc braces will be needed to affix the ceiling tiles securely to the ceiling grid. “The seismic strengthening work to the tiles and structure of the library is consistent with the recommendations by engineering experts. It upgrades the building from high risk to medium risk and means the library will not be deemed an earthquake-prone building,” Mayor Nick says.

Frequently asked questions: 
Couldn’t the library have stayed open?
While there was no legal obligation to close, Council was not prepared to accept the level of risk when it came to a high-traffic public facility with a number of vulnerable users. 
What does the strengthening work 
consist of? 
The ceiling tiles need to be clipped securely to the ceiling grid. 
The ceiling grid needs lateral bracing to the roofing structure to prevent movement during an earthquake. 
The ceiling tile system needs to be properly secured at the edges with floating edge pieces to enable some movement during an earthquake, but without failing. 
The structural connections between the exterior walls and the roof bracing system in the southern end of the building (next to Halifax Street) need to be redesigned and strengthened.
Can I still use the library while work is ongoing?
Yes! Staff and contractors will do everything they can to minimise disturbance to the public while work in different areas of the library is underway. There may be some noise and additional dust, and we will communicate about these in advance as much as possible.

Thank you
“We were only able to progress this strengthening work so quickly due to the commitment of Council staff to keep this complex project moving at pace,” says Mayor Nick.
“I want to acknowledge that library staff in particular have had their day to day work disrupted for months and have risen to the challenge by creatively adapting all library services for cramped quarters, from the Library Kiosk in the Customer Service Centre to getting the Pop-up Library set up and functional.
“I know the next six months is going to be challenging for our library team, but they are committed to providing the best possible service for library users.”

Do you have a story about Whakatū Nelson to tell?
If you have a story to tell about Whakatū Nelson’s diverse history, Tuku 23 could be the ideal platform. Applications are now open for community-hosted events to be included in next year's festival.  
Tuku 23 Whakatū delivers a range of events from 19 March to 30 April 2023 designed to share the unique cultural heritage of Whakatū Nelson. 
Every year, organisations and community groups are invited to run their own events around the city with support from Nelson City Council.
Council’s Group Manager Community Services Andrew White says the festival has become an important event for celebrating and supporting Whakatū Nelson’s community.
“Tuku 23 Whakatū events will feature diverse stories from Nelson’s past and offer a deeper understanding of our city and the community. In 2022, we enjoyed events like a guided walk hosted by Ngāti Kuia kaitiaki Lewis Smith on the importance of pakohe stone, a batik cloth dyeing workshop hosted by the Indonesian community, and a virtual reality experience of Sir Edmund Hillary’s Antarctic hut hosted by the Antarctic Heritage Trust. 
“Last year’s Tuku 22 included 83 events and was attended by about 14,000 people, bringing economic benefit to Whakatū Nelson. 
“We’re excited to see what our community comes up with for events that celebrate our people, stories and places.”
The word “Tuku” was gifted to Council in 2021 and means “to share” or “exchange” in Te Reo Māori. It is an expression of our unique stories, histories and heritage, and reflects the value of biculturalism. 
The deadline to submit ideas and lodge a grant application for the 2023 programme is 8 January 2023.
Grants of up to $2,000 are available to support individuals and organisations with ideas to host events or activities. 
Visit our website to learn more about hosting a Tuku 23 event: 
shape.nelson.govt.nz
As part of the Tuku 22 programme last year, Cultural Conversations showed a series of filmed interviews featuring migrants exploring their struggles, joys and feelings about Aotearoa New Zealand. Groups with ideas for the upcoming Tuku 23 programme are invited to apply now. 

Te Pā Harakeke
Nelson’s newest park, Te Pā Harakeke at Tāhunanui Reserve, was packed with happy children at its opening day last Saturday. Here, Taiki Luke, 7, walks across a beam. Opened with a blessing from Nelson City Council kaumātua Luke Katu and a speech by Mayor Nick, the park was full of climbers, imaginative play, sand-enthusiasts and model train-travellers throughout the afternoon. A big thank you to all involved, especially the Nelson Society of Modellers for running the popular model trains on the new extended track.

Keep dogs on a lead in livestock grazing areas
We've unfortunately found evidence of dogs attacking sheep at the Grampians and Sir Stanley Whitehead reserves this spring. 
Four lambs have been killed and two ewes have been badly injured. 
These reserves have signs alerting you when you are entering a grazing area (dogs should be leashed) and when you are exiting one (leash is optional).  
Please keep dogs on leash when entering these livestock grazing areas.
There are many lambs in these areas at the moment, and lambs are especially vulnerable to dogs. 
These rules are also in place to protect dogs. Uncontrolled dogs found attacking livestock can be put down, and no one wants that either.
Let's all please look after our animals and each other on our trails.