Our Nelson Issue 160, 14 December 2022

Progress report
December 2022 

Four months ago:
•	A state of emergency was declared on 17 August 2022 after continuous heavy rain caused severe landslips and flooding.
•	The rain caused more than 450 landslips in Whakatū Nelson.
•	At least 1,200 people were evacuated from their homes.

Homes with red and yellow placards and a history of the peak:
•	We are now at 21 red and 86 yellow. 
•	At the peak (24 August) we had 104 red and 82 yellow. 
•	There has been an almost 80% decrease in red placard homes. Note that many red homes have become yellow, which is why we have not seen such a significant decrease in that number.

Parks and infrastructure – what has been fixed:
•	95% of trails are now open to the public.
•	Maitai Dam raw water pipeline is repaired.
•	Maitai Valley Road and Grampians Road are repaired.
•	Four main Maitai river swimming holes have been cleared of debris and gravel and reopened.

Helping hand for affected residents:
•	Early on we held regular community meetings and drop-in sessions to put residents in touch with agencies, geotechnical engineers and Council teams that deal with building and resource consents.  
•	We have grown our Navigator team from one person to a team of five, available to help people affected by the severe weather event.
•	Our drop-in Navigator Hub opened in the State Advances building on Tuesday 29 November. The drop-in hub is open Monday-Friday 9:30am–5pm. 
•	The Nelson Tasman Mayoral Relief Fund had a whopping 933 donations received from our generous local, national and international communities. More than $700,000 has been paid out in grants to around 200 households. 
•	Regular email updates with information, with 12 email updates sent out to more than 150 affected residents so far.

Most trails now open as focus turns to Maitai Hub
More than 200 slips occurred on Council reserves during the August 2022 weather event, and staff and contractors have been working hard to reinstate trails. The majority of trails in council parks are now open, including all walking tracks within the Grampians.
Council staff are now looking into the best ways to reinstate the Maitai Recreation Hub, including determining the most appropriate location for the pump track. Once flooding engineers have advised on design options and the location agreed with stakeholders, we will be able to schedule the rebuild.
The Maitai River requires gravel extraction at the Waahi Taakaro golf course to reduce the risk of further damage to the course. This is due to start Monday 5 December and be completed before Christmas. 
Following this, a temporary bridge will be constructed while a permanent bridge is investigated and designed.
A slip originating on private land has blocked the Maitai Walkway between Nile Street and Clouston Bridge and investigations are underway as to how best to fix it. 
The Coppermine Trail is open with a detour in place from Four Corners to Third House due to slips. The ‘pipeline’ section between the Maitai Dam and Smiths Ford (exit of 629) is also closed with the Maitai Valley Road as the alternative. The downhill section between the saddle and the Maitai South Branch is rough, and remedial work is programmed for 2023.
Glider Road in the Marsden Reserve is now open, together with connecting trails including Involution. 
A significant slip in Codgers has closed Hulk’n Hogan (the same slip that affected Tasman Journeys and Pipeline), and work is underway to determine the best way to reinstate the trail and also reroute the exit away from the Lower Jacks climbing trail.
Sir Stanley Whitehead Walkway remains closed from the Centre of NZ, however the zig zag track above Founders is now open, with exits at Whitehead Place or Pearse Way.
The Maungatapu Track is closed to all users until further notice, with considerable damage to the track and network utility infrastructure. 
The damaged road and storm water drains at Marsden Valley Cemetery are scheduled to be repaired prior to Christmas, however, this is dependent on the contractor’s timings.

Nelson awarded $5m from Waka Kotahi to improve cycling connections
Nelson's cycling and walking network will be boosted by improved east-west connections due to a $5m Transport Choices programme award from Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency.
The $5m funding will make up 90% to 100% of the budget for improved transport connections between the Brook area of Nelson and Waimea Road, including protected cycle paths, safer pedestrian crossing facilities and dedicated speed control measures. 
Waka Kotahi’s Transport Choices programme aims to help people with low-emission transport choices by making it easier to travel in ways that are healthy and aid our environment. Household transport is responsible for 25% of New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions. 
Group Manager Infrastructure Alec Louverdis says the funding will allow Council to accelerate plans to make cycling and walking a safer and more viable option for our community, with the knock-on effect of reducing our greenhouse gas emissions.“ 
“National census data shows Nelson already has high rates of walking and cycling, but we need to build on that enthusiasm and provide more safe and convenient connections for people who want to make the choice to take a bike or walk for their journey.” 
The Transport Choices programme is a distinct but complementary round of funding that will build on the success of the award-winning Streets for People programme by creating a safe east-west transport route from the Railway Reserve, across Waimea Road and out to the Brook. 
Council’s initial Streets for People project, called Innovating Streets, saw changes to the road layout between the Railway Reserve and Kawai Street South, which slowed down traffic and prioritised pedestrians on residential streets. The results of the award-winning trial were positive with traffic volume and speeds substantially decreasing close to places like Nelson South Kindergarten and Nelson Intermediate School.  
The next stage of the Streets for People programme is now in its planning stages and involves extending that safe route all the way past Nelson Hospital and across Waimea Road, providing more schools, businesses, hospital staff and visitors, and residents with a safe and convenient way to cycle and walk through these key strategic sites. 
Nelson Mayor Nick Smith welcomed the funding support from Waka Kotahi, saying an east-west link from the Brook to Waimea Road was an important part of improving Nelson’s cycling network. 
“Improved cycleways are good for Nelson. The key is getting the community engagement right on the detailed design, so they work well for cyclists, other modes of transport, and the neighbourhoods they travel through."   
Refined concept design for the project will be produced in the new year and will be followed by community engagement to ensure the new connections best serve the people who live and travel through the area. 
Waka Kotahi Manager Urban Mobility Kathryn King says she is pleased Nelson City Council has received funding as part of the Transport Choices programme. 
“The Transport Choices programme is supporting councils to give people more options in the way they travel. I’m pleased to say we received an outstanding response from councils around the country, embracing the opportunity to provide greater transport choices for their communities. 
“Funding criteria specified projects that would deliver strategic cycling/micro mobility networks; create walkable neighbourhoods; support healthy school travel; or make public transport easier to use. 
“The aim is to open up streets so everyone can get where they need to go in ways that are good for their health and the planet.” 
Transport Choices funding is currently indicative until Waka Kotahi works with councils to explore how projects can be progressed in line with Transport Choices timeframes. Funding allocations may be adjusted after this consultation.
Big Give
On Monday 12 December, Mayor Nick Smith visited volunteers donating their time to the Fifeshire Foundation's The Big Give 2022, an annual Christmas giving appeal to help families in need over the holiday period. 
Volunteers wrapped and bagged gifts of food, toys and more. 

Nelson City Council maintains AA/A-1+ credit rating with a stable outlook
S&P Global’s credit rating report for Nelson City Council outlines the financial balancing act required to meet the costs of August’s severe weather event. The agency maintained its AA/A-1+ rating with a stable outlook.
Noting an expected bill of between $40m to $60m to repair Council infrastructure, the report predicts “moderate after-capital-account deficits and higher debt than in the past”, but with the expectation that Nelson’s debt will remain in the mid-range of other councils over the next two years. 
Nelson Mayor Nick Smith says while it is pleasing to see Council maintain its stable rating, there would be some hard decisions ahead as to which projects are delayed and which stay on track. 
“It is good news that we have retained our good credit rating despite the large costs from August’s severe weather event. It matters because it affects the interest rates we pay and our ability to raise funds for future projects or disaster events.   
“This report from S&P Global gives us confidence in Council’s robust financial management. We now need to navigate a way forward that gets our infrastructure fixed while keeping our rates affordable for the current generation and debt manageable for future generations. 
“S&P correctly notes Council will manage the unexpected cost from the August 2022 storm by delaying some other capital expenditure items. The financial challenges facing Council this term will be the toughest in decades. We have the combination of the August storm costs as well as the economic storm of the rapidly rising interest rates and the highest inflation in 30 years.  
“It is inevitable rates will need to be increased next year, but our challenge is to keep these increases affordable at a time when households and businesses are also under pressure. We will need to take a careful approach to debt and manage it prudently while ensuring we invest in the infrastructure to improve Nelson’s resilience to major weather events and increase our capacity to meet housing growth.” 
The report assumes Nelson will spend $59m a year on capital work, a substantial increase from pre-pandemic levels of $30 to $35m. This elevated programme was mainly responsible for debt remaining higher than in the past.

A fond farewell to CE Pat Dougherty
Pat and his wife, Leigh, moved to Nelson from Dunedin in 1986, where he commenced his role as Water and Drainage Engineer on 21 July 1986. 
This was followed with a move to Manager Technical Services in 1998, Divisional Manager Corporate Services in 2001 and Deputy Chief Executive in 2007. 
While he left in 2008 to take up the role as CEO of the Kapiti Coast District Council, he completed the circle by joining Nelson City Council as its CEO on 11 December 2017.
“You have been a first-class leader and a true local government servant in every sense,” says Group Manager Infrastructure Alec Louverdis. “Whilst you may not want your praises sung, your legacy besides your achievements in Kapiti (of which there were many) is not only secured but remarkable – you were the driving force behind water metering and our water treatment plant, and these are examples of the good counsel you gave to the Council of the day, who made these important decisions for our city but were guided by your solid technical advice.
“Pat, I speak on behalf of everyone and we are beyond sad to see you go. But on the positive side: what an impact you have made. 
“You have led us through the COVID-19 pandemic and prepared us well for whatever central government decides to, and continues to, throw at us. We are a stronger, more resilient organisation because of you.”
Mayors Message
My first six weeks as Mayor have been frantic with lots of on the job training. 
Good progress is being made with big decisions on the flood recovery and the Elma Turner Library. Councillors are working well together; the appointment of Rohan O’Neill-Stevens as Deputy Mayor has been well received and we have appointed experienced CEO Lindsay McKenzie as our Interim Chief Executive. I am gradually coming to grips with my new role and loving living in Nelson full time after 33 years of commuting to Wellington.
I want to put on record a huge thank you to Pat Dougherty, who leaves us on 18 December. Pat has given outstanding public service to our community. The last five years with the 2019 fires, Covid emergency and the recent August floods have been an extraordinarily challenging time in which Pat has given our city strong leadership.
My top priority remains the recovery from August’s horrendous storm. A key milestone was achieved in November getting the critical pipeline from the Matai Dam fixed after a 12m section was wiped out by a landslide. The next big infrastructure hurdle is getting SH6 to Marlborough fixed and reopened. The temporary Origin Air Service to Blenheim is being well used and we have managed to arrange an alternative escorted forestry road access for the isolated Kokorua community.
The biggest challenge remains the property damage from hundreds of landslides. The bulk of the geotechnical reports will be done by the end of January. We now have five full-time navigators to help the hundreds of families with complex insurance claims. Council is proposing at its next meeting to extend the rates holiday for families unable to reoccupy their homes. It will still be a tough Christmas for them, and I am grateful to the Rotary Club of Whakatū for helping sponsor, with Council, a $100 Christmas package for these families.
I particularly want to acknowledge all those people giving their time and money to make Christmas special. Trevor Marshall and the Nelson Santa Parade Trust did an outstanding job – and thanks to all those groups and companies that provided a float. It was particularly special to see so many of our ethnic communities proudly sharing their culture.
Our Cathedral and Council of Churches are once more hosting Carols by Candlelight at our iconic church steps at 8:45pm on Christmas Eve. I also want to thank the unstoppable Murray Leaning and his team of helpers for assisting me host the Mayoral Christmas Dinner at Greenmeadows on the big day.
The most valuable gift of Christmas is time for our loved ones. Enjoy the holiday season and my best wishes to all for 2023.
Councillors’ Comment
Thank you for participating in the recent local election and for voting into office a well-balanced team who, in my judgment, possess the skills, attributes and strength of character necessary to grapple with the many challenges we face as a community and Council. 
We have certainly hit the ground running since being officially sworn in as councillors, with Mayor Nick leading the way, determined to see that progress does not get bogged down by the process. He is striving for greater efficiencies and prompt decision-making – to that end, the number of committees and workshops have been dramatically reduced and replaced with seven taskforces designed to work on specific projects and report back to the full Council with recommendations. The taskforce working to have the Elma Turner Library open and running again is doing its job – the library will reopen as soon as possible in the new year.
An Annual Plan taskforce has been established to focus over the next six to seven months on Council’s Annual Plan 2023-2024 and amendments to the Long-Term Plan 2022-2032. It is vitally important that the city’s finances, costings, budgets and plans are at the forefront at this time. Our community, businesses and families are facing an unprecedented number of challenges – the weather event, storm and flood damage; landslips in August; severe cost-of-living pressures, high inflation, rising interest rates and much more. 
The Council has the responsibility to plan for our future through annual plans and long-term plans. Nelson City Council officers and your elected members have been working hard on what we can reprioritise and whether some expenditure can be brought forward, and other spending be pushed further out. We are looking at budget items line by line but our priority, above all else, is infrastructure investment and community recovery, support, welfare and well-being. 
When we work together, we are at our best. We acknowledge that this Annual Plan and the Long-Term Plan amendments will be the most important documents for the Council, our community, businesses and families in a generation. We have recently had our Standard & Poor’s credit rating affirmed at ‘AA/A-1+’. This is encouraging. The new Council is committed to our responsibilities and looking at the various funding opportunities that may arise. We will report back to you in March to share Council's plan for recovery.

Call goes out for 'first in the field' response volunteers 
The team you’ll often see on the frontline during disaster events is now seeking a different kind of swift response – tracking down some skilled and motivated volunteers. 
Expressions of interest are being taken to fill a number of operational and support roles in our Nelson Tasman Emergency Response Team (NZ-RT2). 
NZ-RT2 are a crucial cog in the Nelson Tasman Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) machine. 
They are the men and women who are hands-on in the field during local and national emergency events – from surveying situations and reporting back to CDEM to finding and rescuing those in need. 
The team has been deployed to assist with numerous events from the Christchurch and Kaikōura earthquakes, Tasman wildfires and extreme weather events such as August’s “river of rain” that caused extensive damage and disruption to the region. 
In joining the team, your skills will find a valuable place within our operation. 
We are looking for team players and those with leadership ability. 
Attitude is your greatest strength – especially when the going gets tough – as is a desire to make a positive difference in the community. 
Ideally, you’ll live close enough to ensure you can respond quickly in the event of a call-out across our region and have the flexibility to get time off work in an emergency. 
You’ll also take part in regular training sessions to make sure you are the best version of yourself when responding to an incident.
If being part of this critical emergency management crew sounds like you, please register your interest by emailing nzrt2-recruitment@ncc.govt.nz or phone 03 543 7291. 
A candidate selection process will follow, including interviews and a practical exercise weekend for those shortlisted.

Night works on our roads for essential maintenance
As we undertake essential work on our roads, we appreciate it can be very disruptive for road users, especially during periods of heavy traffic. 
To minimise any inconvenience to all users, we have obtained a Resource Consent that allows us to work during the evenings (RM205196).
While night work will be less disruptive, we understand it might still be noisy for some residents and businesses.
Night resealing:
The following are the areas planned for resealing this coming summer (2023).
Saxton Road
Sunday 8 January to 12 January 2023 – Main Road Stoke, Saxton Road
Sunday 8 January to 10 January 2023 – Saxtons Road West
Wednesday 11 January to 12 January 2023 – Saxton Road Roundabout
Main Road Stoke
Sunday 15 January 2023 – Elms Street and Main Road Stoke (Between Bunnings and Salisbury Road)
Echodale Place / Fuji Court 
Monday 16 January 2023 – Cul-de-Sacs.
Bisley Avenue
Tuesday 17 January to 18 January 2023
Trafalgar Street, Hardy Street, Wildman Avenue and Riverside
Estimated timeframe - March/April 2023
Earplugs are available for free at any of our libraries (Nellie Nightingale in Tahunanui, Stoke Library or Elma Turner Pop-up Library), or our Customer Service Centre. If you have any concerns, queries or complaints regarding the works, please feel free to call the Nelson City Council Customer Service Centre (03 546 0200). Each complaint with then be assessed, and where possible, actions or additional monitoring undertaken to control noise. 
More information is available on Shape Nelson: shape.nelson.govt.nz/night-works-our-roads
Rutherford Street Stormwater Upgrade
The crews working on Waimea Road and Rutherford Street have made great progress in recent weeks. We're pleased to confirm Waimea Road will reopen before the holidays during the week of Monday 19 December; the exact date will depend on the weather forecast. 
The huge 1.8m stormwater pipes are installed, two new watermains are completed and work to reconstruct the roads is underway. This will mean that the detour on Van Diemen Street will be removed and traffic flow will essentially return to normal. 
There will still be some traffic management on Waimea Road to keep people safe as some of the finishing touches, such as linemarking, may not be complete. Traffic will be able to head back up Van Diemen Street to Trafalgar Street, like it was before the project started, but the temporary roundabouts will be left in place until the project is completely finished. 
As you drive through, you may notice the fencing that runs along the top of the Nelson College for Girls football pitch (Little Wembley) has been replaced. 
What’s happening in early 2023? 
Work is planned to commence back on site by 16 January 2023. We are now working on some of the smaller parts of the project before 
finishing altogether.
Work looking to start in the new 
year includes:  
Completion of sewer pipe and watermain works at the bottom of Bronte Street; 
Safety improvement work at the Van Diemen Street/Rutherford Street intersection;
The reconstruction of concrete islands along Rutherford Street; and Reinstatement of asphalt.
Thank you
Nelson City Council and Fulton Hogan wish to thank the public, including those businesses affected by the works, for their cooperation and understanding throughout the project so far. We understand parts of this project have been challenging, but once done, the resilience of the city will be greatly improved.  

Project Mahitahi: two years, 100,000 plants
Project Mahitahi has now reached its two-year milestone, with over 100,000 native plants planted in the Maitai Catchment Area. 
The project aims to restore the ecosystem of the Maitai/Mahitahi Valley through a programme of pest animal and pest plant control, planting of 125,000 taonga species, with a side-benefit of stimulating local employment.
The first two years of the project were supported by a grant of $2m from the Department of Conservation Kaimahi for Nature Fund, while funding of $1.7m from the Ministry for the Environment continues until 2025.
Planting was of course affected by the August weather event, but fortunately most of the newly planted trees survived. 
“This project has benefited greatly from several community groups,” says Group Manager Environmental Management Dennis Bush-King. 
"We’ve had volunteers from Nelson College for Girls and participants from the Tuia Rangatahi (Mayors Taskforce for Jobs) Conference who helped with the planting. Nelmac contributed an additional 2,000 plants at their team planting day within the Maitai Arboretum and Friends of the Maitai continue their excellent and dedicated work to the Mahitahi Wetland area. I think everyone was relieved that the floods didn’t have a major effect!” 
Pest control is a vital part of the project, given the need to protect more than 100,000 newly planted species.
Trapping networks have been established over 90ha in the upper Maitai, and around the Brook Sanctuary targeting rats and mustelids. Mahitahi staff have now trapped more than 2,400 possums in the Maitai Waterworks Reserve, and a single hunter employed for one day per week, managed to cull 93 goats and 20 deer. 
Staff have also reduced the impact of pest trees on planting sites, particularly willow trees. Many willow trees were felled by the August flood and were then turned into mulch, chip or fuel bricks. 
Over the past two years, five people have also been supported into work by Project Mahitahi at the Brook Waimārama Sanctuary. As a result, a number of fantastic resources have been produced to enhance the experience for visitors to the sanctuary and to showcase all that is on offer including the recent introduction of both the kākāriki karaka and hihi.
For more information on Project Mahitahi please visit: nelson.govt.nz/project-mahitahi

Using a reserve during fire risk season 
In 2019, two forest fires in Nelson and Tasman highlighted the risks to people using reserves when the weather is hot and dry.   
Nelson City Council’s Parks team have worked with Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) to refine the way fire risk is communicated to reserve users and how decisions are made about reserve closures due to fire risk.
“We are committed to ensuring that people have the information they need to use Nelson’s reserves safely. The approach allows people to make their own risk assessment prior to entering a reserve, however, Council will act on FENZ’s advice to close reserves if needed for safety reasons.” 
Look out for new signage at reserve entrances that indicates the fire season status and displays safety tips for those who choose to use reserves. Reserve fire risk information will be shared on social media and Antenno as the season progresses.  
Stay safe during fire season 
Who: let someone know where you are going and when you will be back. Your phone could be your lifeline make sure it is charged before you set off.  
Where: know your exit points so you can get out quickly if a fire starts  
When: fire risk is lower in the morning and evening – before midday or after 7pm.
Summer Events Guide is in your letterbox
The Summer Events Guide is back! It’s filled with incredible events to enjoy around our region. 
Look for the guide in your home letterbox or pick one up in the Nelson City Council Customer Service Centre at 110 Trafalgar Street. You can also download a copy online at nelson.govt.nz.  
This year’s guide has all the kai, music, markets and experiences you can handle, and then some. 
For kids and families there are incredible activities like the Umbrella Market (11 and 17 December) and the Teddy Bears’ Picnic (8 and 18 January). 
You’ll find outdoor summer entertainment like the Buskers Festival (19–22 January) and movie screenings around the region. 
Many events in the guide are absolutely free, and others are low-cost or koha gold coin. Get into it, Nelson! 
All Council supported summer events are also listed on It’s On: itson.co.nz 

Wanted! Sightings of blue passion flower 
Last summer the Nelson City Council Biosecurity team began tackling a new pest in town – blue passion flower. 
This notorious vine weed smothers trees, but fortunately is not yet widely established in the region and we want to keep it that way.
The striking flowers and soft, 5–7 lobed, hand-shaped leaves make it easy to identify at this time of year. From mid-summer, the vines produce small round orange fruit. These aren’t good eating but can help to identify vines hiding in the tops of hedges and trees.
The main area affected by this pest is Nelson South between Konini Street and Franklyn Street. Over the next month or so, contractors will be visiting properties in this area and offering to control this pest vine free of charge. 
If you live in this area and have it on your property please get in touch on 03 546 0200 or email biosecurity@ncc.govt.nz and we can arrange a visit. 
We are really interested in finding any other sites where this pest weed is growing. If you have seen this plant, please take a picture and report it, with the location, to biosecurity@ncc.govt.nz or via the Antenno app. 
Blue passion flower is sometimes mistaken for two other common and closely related plants: 
Black passionfruit is not weedy, but is commonly grown in gardens for its delicious, large purple fruit. The flowers are similar, but the leaves of the black passionfruit are three-lobed and shiny. 
Banana passionfruit vine is an established weed pest all over Whakatū Nelson. It has long pink flowers that hang down and leaves with three lobes. The large oval fruit are green-yellow when ripe. This vine smothers native vegetation and should be removed whenever possible, but does not need to be reported.

Fostering resilience in our coastal ecosystems 
By Scott Butcher, Nelson City Council Environmental Programmes Adviser
The investment Nelson City Council is making to build resilience in coastal ecosystems has multiple benefits – for sequestering carbon, adapting to the impacts of climate change and enhancing biodiversity. 
As climate change increasingly impacts our coastlines, it’s important that we build resilience in our remaining coastal ecosystems, especially saltmarsh and sand dune systems. 
Airport Peninsula is a Council coastal park that provides a good example of Council’s work in this space. Prior to development, the area would have been covered in healthy coastal vegetation including foredune sand-binding plants such as pingao (Desmoschoenus spiralis) and spinifex (Spinifex sericeus), dune slack wetlands with a range of sedges and rushes, and dryland coastal forest including tōtara (Podocarpus totara) and kānuka (Kunzea ericoides). The Peninsula today is largely dominated by exotic species with very few native plants remaining.
The recently completed Airport Peninsula Ecological Restoration Plan sets out actions that can be taken to improve the ecological integrity of the site over the next 10 years. This includes the reestablishment of the indigenous vegetation communities that have been lost and expanding those that are still present. Extensive weed control and restoration planting of suitable species are a big part of this work –ecosystems that are more robust will be better able to respond to extreme weather events. 
The Ecological Restoration Plan also focuses on gathering better data on species that currently inhabit this site. With increasing pressures on coastal ecosystems from sea level rise, there is an urgent need to better understand what indigenous species – such as penguins, lizards and geckos – are currently using our coastal ecosystems. Council is continuously working to improve its data on coastal species and ecosystems. 
Coastal dune ecosystems like the Airport Peninsula are rare in Whakatū Nelson; in close proximity to Nelson City there is only one other large sand dune system – Tāhunanui Beach. Ecological Restoration at Tāhunanui Beach has been very successful and has seen the expansion of many species, such as spinifex, which had previously declined.

Recycling right – busting a few plastic recycling myths
The region’s Rethink Waste team receives questions from the public about plastic recycling on a regular basis. To get answers, we decided to go right to the centre of operations to chat with Yuri Schokking, National Resource Recovery Manager for Smart Environmental and boss of the MRF (Materials Recovery Facility). 
The MRF in Richmond services Nelson City and Tasman District Councils and is one of the largest of its kind in the country, processing an average of 5.5kg of plastic per person per year in our region. Plastics are sorted and baled at the MRF before being transported to New Zealand recyclers, such as Flight Plastics, and used to make new plastic containers. 
Q: How clean does recycling need to be – does it matter if there’s a bit of food left in containers? 
A: Food waste can lead to recyclers rejecting plastics so it’s important people rinse plastic containers clean. And no, we don’t wash them as we don’t have that equipment, so if food is left in, it gets pretty smelly! 
Q: What about lids and spray nozzles? 
A: Lids and spray tops should be removed and binned. This is because they fall off and jam the sorting equipment, and trap food or liquid in containers which leads to contamination. We’d rather get the bulk of recycling right by leaving lids out.
Q: So anything made of plastic can be recycled?
A: If it’s a rigid plastic container and it’s got 1, 2 or 5 stamped on it, then it can be sorted at our MRF to be sent to recyclers for recycling. Plastics 1, 2, and 5 make up the majority of the containers we purchase from the supermarket. 
Big items, soft plastics, and items made out of more than one plastic can’t be sorted locally in our kerbside system and sent on for recycling. If you can’t see a number, or it has number 3, 4, 6 or 7 on it – unless you can reuse it, it goes in the rubbish bin. The government is phasing out some of these plastics to make it easier for everyone, and you might want to consider checking that the products you are buying are sorted locally AND recyclable – unless you are planning to reuse them. 
Q: What are soft plastics?
A: If you can scrunch a piece of plastic in your hand then it’s soft plastic and it cannot be sorted at the MRF. The Packaging Forum has a scheme to get soft plastics collected and remade into items such as fence posts. They don’t have drop-off bins in our region yet, but you can buy pre-paid courier bags for soft plastics at NZ Post shops.
To wrap up (pun intended), the best and first choice is packaging we can reuse. But if we can’t reuse, recycling right is the next best thing. If you have any more questions (or would like to subscribe to the Rethink Waste Whakaarohia newsletter), email rethinkwaste@ncc.govt.nz. You can also find heaps of information on the recycling sections of the Nelson City Council and Tasman District Council websites. 

Recycling right – busting a few plastic recycling myths
The region’s Rethink Waste team receives questions from the public about plastic recycling on a regular basis. To get answers, we decided to go right to the centre of operations to chat with Yuri Schokking, National Resource Recovery Manager for Smart Environmental and boss of the MRF (Materials Recovery Facility). 
The MRF in Richmond services Nelson City and Tasman District Councils and is one of the largest of its kind in the country, processing an average of 5.5kg of plastic per person per year in our region. Plastics are sorted and baled at the MRF before being transported to New Zealand recyclers, such as Flight Plastics, and used to make new plastic containers. 
Q: How clean does recycling need to be – does it matter if there’s a bit of food left in containers? 
A: Food waste can lead to recyclers rejecting plastics so it’s important people rinse plastic containers clean. And no, we don’t wash them as we don’t have that equipment, so if food is left in, it gets pretty smelly! 
Q: What about lids and spray nozzles? 
A: Lids and spray tops should be removed and binned. This is because they fall off and jam the sorting equipment, and trap food or liquid in containers which leads to contamination. We’d rather get the bulk of recycling right by leaving lids out.
Q: So anything made of plastic can be recycled?
A: If it’s a rigid plastic container and it’s got 1, 2 or 5 stamped on it, then it can be sorted at our MRF to be sent to recyclers for recycling. Plastics 1, 2, and 5 make up the majority of the containers we purchase from the supermarket. 
Big items, soft plastics, and items made out of more than one plastic can’t be sorted locally in our kerbside system and sent on for recycling. If you can’t see a number, or it has number 3, 4, 6 or 7 on it – unless you can reuse it, it goes in the rubbish bin. The government is phasing out some of these plastics to make it easier for everyone, and you might want to consider checking that the products you are buying are sorted locally AND recyclable – unless you are planning to reuse them. 
Q: What are soft plastics?
A: If you can scrunch a piece of plastic in your hand then it’s soft plastic and it cannot be sorted at the MRF. The Packaging Forum has a scheme to get soft plastics collected and remade into items such as fence posts. They don’t have drop-off bins in our region yet, but you can buy pre-paid courier bags for soft plastics at NZ Post shops.
To wrap up (pun intended), the best and first choice is packaging we can reuse. But if we can’t reuse, recycling right is the next best thing. If you have any more questions (or would like to subscribe to the Rethink Waste Whakaarohia newsletter), email rethinkwaste@ncc.govt.nz. You can also find heaps of information on the recycling sections of the Nelson City Council and Tasman District Council websites. 

Ho ho ho! Who wouldn’t go? Mayoral Community Christmas lunch in Stoke

Mayoral Community Christmas Dinner
Christmas Day: Sunday 25 December, from 11:30am
Pūtangitangi Greenmeadows Community Centre, corner of Songer Street and Main Road Stoke. Tickets are free. To book your seat call 021 340 553 or email famcarp123@hotmail.com

Nelsonians without other plans can enjoy some festive cheer on Christmas Day with a traditional Christmas lunch, a visit from Santa and carols for the community.
The annual Mayoral Community Christmas Lunch will be at Pūtangitangi Greenmeadows Community Centre from 11:30am on Christmas Day, and it’s free. 
Anyone who would like to spend time with others and enjoy a free meal on Christmas Day is welcome. 
“Christmas Day is all about giving and enjoying the company of others and being thankful for Nelson’s many blessings. This year is extra special after two years of disruption and such community events being cancelled,” says Nelson Mayor Nick Smith.  
“Murray Leaning, the Nelson Youth Theatre singers and a whole team of elf helpers are creating this great opportunity for the community to enjoy the spirit of the season.  
“If you would like to share a meal and some company on Christmas Day, you are very welcome to join us.”  
Numbers are needed for catering, so to book your free ticket to the Mayor’s Christmas lunch, or inquire about transport to the community centre, please call or text 021 340 553 or email famcarp123@hotmail.com.
Summer reading is here
Join the libraries’ summer reading challenge and read your way to fabulous prizes! This year there are three exciting challenges:
For the youngest adventurers
Do your tamariki fancy themselves explorers? Do they feel like breaking away from the trodden path? Sign them up for Summer Side Quests these holidays! 
They will take part in exciting challenges to test their stamina, creativity, constitution and charm. Complete Side Quests in any order and earn fabulous loot!
For young adults 
Teens are put to the test with the young adult reading challenge – Bookopoly! Readers can play on their own or challenge friends. They will make their way around the board to win movie vouchers, books, pizza and more. 
For all ages 
You’re invited to Choose Your Own Adventure… reading adventure that is. There's a list of suggested challenges to inspire your reading over summer. Complete as many challenges as you like and let your local library know by filling out a bookmark from any of our three branches. Each adventure completed gives you one chance to win a hamper full of mystery prizes. 
Be sure to visit the display in the Elma Turner Pop-up Library for inspiration. You can read one to one hundred books – it’s up to you!
Registration for all three challenges opens Friday 16 December. To register for a summer reading challenge talk to your friendly local librarian or visit: nelsonpubliclibraries.govt.nz

Repair culture continues to grow in Nelson
Nelson City Council has awarded funding to two community organisations for activities that encourage a repair culture and reduce waste to landfill in Whakatū.  
The Nelson Tasman Climate Forum (through the Tasman Environmental Trust), and St Stephens Anglican Community Church have both received a waste minimisation grant from Rethink Waste Whakaarohia to support repair cafés in 2023.  
Repair cafés help to extend the life of consumer goods and reduce waste to landfill by carrying out repairs or helping people learn to repair their own household items.  
Nelson City Council’s Acting Group Manager Infrastructure Lois Plum says the funding aligns with regional plans to minimise waste and reduce carbon emissions.  
“Repairing things rather than throwing them away helps to save money and the environment. When we reduce waste to landfill it reduces our greenhouse gas emissions as a Council and it helps to make our whole waste system more sustainable.  
“We’re delighted to be able to help these experienced organisations take action to reduce waste and build a culture of repair in Nelson Whakatū.” 
The Nelson Tasman Climate Forum will receive $5,925 to support ten repair café events in 2023. As part of the grant, the group will also contribute to the development of a national repair café manual being developed by Repair Café Aotearoa.  
St Stephens Anglican Community Church has been awarded $2,000 to promote their Silver Service Repair Café, which is held weekly at ReStore on Tāhunanui Drive. 
To learn more, and find links to repair café events visit: nelson.govt.nz/repair-cafes  
Public Notice
Alcohol ban in Tāhunanui Reserve on 5 February 2023
Nelson City Council approved a resolution on Thursday 24 November to impose a temporary ban on the consumption and possession of alcohol at Tāhunanui Recreation Reserve on 5 February 2023 between the hours of 7:00am and 9:00pm, pursuant to clause 6.15 of the Amended (No225) Urban Environments Bylaw 2022.
This is when the Beach Break concert takes place in Tāhunanui. 
The normal alcohol ban on Tāhunanui Recreation Reserve from 9:00pm–7:00am also still applies.

Conewatch
Completed
Te Pā Harakeke, Nelson Crematorium Flue Repairs

Ongoing
Project name	Likely 
end date	Location	Benefit	
Saxton Creek Upgrade Stage 4 	End of Oct 2023 	Main Rd, Stoke 	Flood mitigation 	
Washington Valley Infrastructure Upgrade – Stage 1 (Hastings Street) 	May 2023  	Hasting Street 	Improve stormwater network and reduce flooding risk 	
Awatea Place Wastewater Pump Station 	June 2023 	Awatea Place & Parkers Road 	Improve wastewater network capacity and protect environment from overflows	
Wastney Terrace Stormwater Upgrade 	February 2023 	Atawhai Crescent (Corder Pond) via private property to Wastney Terrace 	Improve stormwater network capacity and reduce flooding risk	
NRSBU Sewer Line Installation Section 8 	March 2023 	Saxton Road, Stoke 	Improve the wastewater network	
Hill Street North Watermain Renewal 	February 2023 	Hill Street North 	Renewals	
Bayview Road Playground 	November 22 	Bayview Road (in new Subdivision) 	Community Playground	

Meetings
The following meetings of the Nelson City Council have been scheduled. 
Council meeting
9am	15 Dec

Christmas holiday hours
Customer Service Centre
23 December: closing early at 3pm
24 December – 3 January inclusive: closed
24/7 phone service will still be available
Nelson Public Libraries 
24 December: closing early at 1pm 
25 – 27 December inclusive: closed  
1 – 3 January inclusive: closed
NBus service
25 December: no service
26 – 27 December: Routes 1 and 2 run a Saturday timetable. Routes 3–8 are NOT running. 
1 – 3 January inclusive: Routes 1 and 2 run a Saturday timetable. Routes 3–8 are NOT running.  
Marina office 
24 December: closing early at 3pm
25 – 27 December inclusive: closed
1 – 3 January inclusive: closed
Waste Recovery Centre
24 December: closing early 
at 2:30pm
25 December: closed
26 – 27 December: open 
10am–4:30pm, last vehicle entry 
at 4:20pm
1 January: closed
2 – 3 January: open 10am–4:30pm, last vehicle entry at 4:20pm
Broadgreen Historic House
25 December: closed
Founders Heritage Park
25 December: closed
Isel House 
24 – 26 December: closed
31 December – 2 January: closed

What’s On.., at a Council venue near you
Saxton Field
FTSNT Kirikiti – Saturdays, 3, 10, 17 December, 10am – 1pm
Saxton Stadium
Table Tennis Nelson - Junior Coaching – Monday 8 August 2022 – Tuesday 8 August 2023
Saxton Oval
Dream 11 Super Smash T20 Cricket – Saturday 21 January, gates open 10am
Trafalgar Centre
Jimmy Carr – Monday 16 January, 8pm
1903 Square
Umbrella Market – Sunday 11 December and Saturday 17 December, 10am – 12pm
Nelson Buskers Festival – Thursday 19 – Sunday 22 January, 10:30am – 2:30pm
Buskers on the Church Steps – Saturday 21 – Sunday 22 January, 6pm – 8:30pm
Rutherford Park
Bay Dreams – Thursday 5 January, 12pm – 11pm
A Summers Day Live ft UB40, Jefferson Starship and Dragon – Friday 6 January, 4:30pm – 10pm
Taste Tasman – Saturday 14 January, 1pm – 9:30pm
Founders Heritage Park
Founders Summer Reads Book Fair – Saturday 10 December – Sunday 15 January, 10am – 4:30pm
Jazz on the Village Green – Sundays 15, 22, 29 January, 12:30pm – 2:30pm
Evolve Festival – Friday 27 – Sunday 29 January, 6pm Friday – 5pm Sunday
Stoke Memorial Hall – Temporarily Closed
Trafalgar Street
New Year’s Eve Countdown – Saturday 31 December – Sunday 1 January, 7pm – 12:30am
Isel House and Park
Isel Twilight Market – every Thursday, 4:30pm – dark 
Teddy Bears’ Picnic – Sunday 8 January, 10:30am – 1pm
Nelson Public Libraries:
Elma Turner Library – Open as the Pop-up Library 
Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 9:30am – 6pm
Wednesday: 10am – 6pm
Saturday: 10am – 4pm
Sunday: 1pm – 4pm
Pop-up Pukapuka – Wednesday 14 December, 5:45pm – 6:30pm
Start Your Summer Side Quest – Saturday 17 December, 10am – 12pm 
Christmas Music – Tuesday 20 December, 12:30pm – 1pm
Elves Workshop – Wednesday 21 December, 10am – 12pm
Nightingale Library Memorial 
Hours: Monday – Friday: 10am – 4pm
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: 10am – 2pm
Christmas Shared Reading – Wednesday 14 December, 11am – 12pm
Tea & Tales – Dementia Friendly Book Group, every Wednesday, 11am – 12pm
The Library of the Enchanted Nightingale with Geronimo Stilton – Wednesday 11 January, 10am – 12pm
Wellby Talking Café – Thursday 12 January, 10am – 11:30am
Pass Your Owls – A Harry Potter Event – Wednesday 18 January, 10am – 12pm 
Side Quest Completed – Celebration Event – Wednesday 25 January, 10am – 12pm
Stoke Library
Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 9:30am – 5:30 pm
Wednesday: 10:00am – 5:30pm
Saturday: 10am – 1pm
Sunday: Closed
Start Your Summer Side Quest – Friday 16 December, 3pm – 5pm 
Museums and Galleries:
Broadgreen Historic House
Hours: 10:30am – 4:30pm daily
A Christmas Past – Lit up for Christmas – Sunday 18 December, 6:30pm – 8pm
Jags in the Park – Sunday 8 January, 10am – 3pm
Table Loom Set Up and Weaving Weekend – Saturday 14 – Sunday 15 January, 10am – 4pm
The Suter Art Gallery & Theatre
Hours: 9:30am – 4:30pm daily
Exhibition: Bird in Space – Saturday 19 November – Sunday 12 February
NSAS Summer Cash and Carry – Tuesday 22 November 2022 – Sunday 22 January 2023, 9:30am – 4:30pm
Exhibition: Place Holder – Saturday 5 November – Sunday 26 March 2023
Refinery ArtSpace 
Hours: Monday – Friday from 10am – 5pm, Saturday from 10am – 2pm
Forest Bathing – Helen Mitchell – Monday 5 December – Saturday 14 January, during opening hours
A Border Has no Boundary – Monday 5 December – Saturday 14 January, during opening hours
Nelson Provincial Museum 
Hours: Weekdays from 10am – 5pm, Weekends & Public Holidays from 10am – 4:30pm