Our Nelson Issue 185
20 December 2023

Merry Christmas Nelson!
Nelson has faced a challenging 2023 with households and businesses feeling the squeeze from decades-high inflation and hikes in interest rates. I am proud of how our community has responded with so many groups setting up to help our most vulnerable residents through these difficult times.
Council work has been dominated by the aftermath of the August 2022 storm – fixing the roads, water mains, pathways and reserves. The toughest problem is the hundreds of landslides. We are ahead of schedule on the repairs and have secured a Government support package that reduces our net cost to $59.8 million. We will be consulting next year, as part of the Long Term Plan, on a $330 annual levy over a decade to meet this cost.
A big achievement in 2023 was the introduction of the new eBus service on 1 August. This is the type of practical work we need to do to address climate change. I am hugely encouraged by the 71% growth in patronage and have my eye on a million passenger trips by 2025.
We also got on with fixing the Elma Turner Library and it will be fully reopened on 17 January. The discovery of contaminated sawdust at our iconic Tāhunanui Beach is the headache we did not need but we aim to have it cleaned up next year.
I am excited about the potential for 2024. There is a discussion to have on the revitalisation of our CBD, consultation on our 10-year Long Term Plan and the prospect of a City Infrastructure Deal with the new Government. 
My thanks to Councillors, our NCC staff team and the community for all you do to make Nelson such a great place. I wish all Nelsonians a Merry Christmas, a safe holiday break and a Happy New Year.
Best wishes,
Mayor Nick

A Christmas thank you
Around 45 volunteers attended a morning tea earlier this month, hosted and supported by Nelson City Council’s Parks and Science and Environment teams to thank them for their hard work throughout the year.
Volunteers who carry out pest/animal trapping, weed control, tree planting and aftercare work in our parks and reserves were all in attendance.
Those involved in the Adopt a Spot programme were given a special mention, given how the scheme has grown significantly over the last four years, largely as a result of this community support.
More than 200 regular volunteers are involved in 41 Adopt a Spot projects across our parks and reserves network, with more waiting in the wings.
The knock-on effect in environmental gains stemming from the programme is testament to the energy and care these dedicated volunteers put into preserving and restoring our natural places in Nelson.
Volunteers have planted more than 5,700 native trees and grasses this year, including some provided by the volunteers themselves from their personal eco-sourced home nurseries.
Nelson City Council’s Environmental Programmes Adviser, Scott Butcher, says the hard work of volunteers has been essential.
“Volunteers play an important role in helping to address the combined climate and biodiversity crisis, the work that volunteers do means that we have much more resilient and robust ecosystems. 
“The work the volunteers do also creates optimism in the face of these challenges." 
Parks Team Leader, Sarah Clarke says the volunteers show a real joy in being a part of making Nelson a great place to live. 
“The mahi they have done, with the support of NCC staff, is essential to our biodiversity gains and in creating amazing places for all Nelsonians to enjoy’.
Nelson Mayor Nick Smith also spoke at the event and praised the dedication of volunteers.
“I love the work and community spirit of Adopt a Spot. This effort from volunteers is not just helping us better care for Nelson’s unique natural habitat but building a stronger sense of community and ownership of our environmental challenges. Councillors have been so impressed with the results that we are looking to expand it in the Long Term Plan.”
In total, it was calculated the total number of hours donated by volunteers this year has come to a massive 16,837 hours to date.
Elma Turner Library to reopen in full in January
Elma Turner Library will open to full capacity on 17 January 2024, marking the end of almost two years of strengthening work and repairs.
The community is invited to join the celebrations as the library reopens the last of its closed areas, the Halifax Street entrance and adjacent space, from 10am on 17 January. The library will be closed for nine days from 8 – 16 January inclusive, to allow staff time to prepare and repopulate the space. 
The library will be hosting a range of special events and activities, including a comic book-themed escape room, on the day of reopening with a full-day sci-fi and fantasy fiesta to celebrate the completion of the work and thank the community for their patience while the earthquake strengthening and repair work was carried out.  
In addition to its regular hours, Stoke Library will have extended hours while Elma Turner is closed, and will open Saturday 13 January, 10am to 4pm and Sunday 14 January, 1pm to 4pm. Nightingale Library Memorial will also open for longer hours, 10am to 4pm, on Wednesday 10 January. People who have books on hold will be able to arrange to collect them from Stoke Library or Nightingale Library Memorial. More information about what services will be available during this time is available through the libraries’ website. 
As we reach the final stages of the work, the main library toilets will be closed from Wednesday 13 December as contractors remove the temporary walkway in preparation for the reopening. The toilets in the children's area remain open, and two portable toilets will be installed just outside the library entrance for customer use. They will remain in place until 8 January, when the library closes for the reopening preparations. 
Acting Manager Libraries Kate Miller says it is a welcome relief to be closing this chapter of the library’s history. 
“Although it may only be a small part of the library we will reopen on 17 January, it marks the end of almost two years of ongoing disruptions that have been challenging for both our library staff and our customers. During this time the library has been closed, shrunk, shuffled, and rearranged many times, and I am so thankful to the staff and our visitors for the understanding they have shown throughout. 
“We are all looking forward to welcoming the community into the fully reopened library in January and celebrating the end of the strengthening and repair works.” 
Elma Turner Library was closed in June 2022 after it was discovered heavy ceiling tiles throughout the building posed an earthquake risk and the ceiling grid itself was in some parts of the building under 34% NBS (New Building Standard), meaning the building was earthquake prone.   
The total cost of the Elma Turner Library earthquake strengthening project and additional truss and roof repairs 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 5 to 10 years of life while longer-term solutions that meet the needs of the community are considered. 
If you’re looking to get around the libraries this summer, eBus Route 2 will take you from the city, through to Tāhunanui and on to Stoke, so you can visit all three if you choose. Other eBus routes will also drop you nearby, no matter where you’re coming from. See ebus.nz to plan your trip.
Have your say on speed in Nelson Tasman

Have your say on speed in our region! In communities across Nelson Tasman, we've heard that there is support for more appropriate speed limits, and now there is an opportunity to bring all views together into a plan.
We're presenting four options for urban roads and four options for rural 
roads and asking for your feedback. Leave your feedback online at 
shape.tasman.govt.nz/speed-review or scan the QR code below.

Plan Change 31 (The Junction) decisions made
At a meeting on 14 December 2023 Council has accepted the recommendations of the Hearing Panel and approved Plan Change 31 with no amendments. 
As of 23 February 2024 (if there are no appeals), the Nelson Resource Management Plan is amended in accordance with these decisions.
A copy of the decision report can be viewed on the council website shape.nelson.govt.nz/plan-change-31. Copies of the decision can also be viewed at terminals located at:
Nelson City Council Customer Service Centre, Ground Floor, Civic House, 110 Trafalgar Street, Nelson; 
Elma Turner Library, 27 Halifax Street, Nelson; 
Nightingale Library Memorial, 2 Beach Road, Tāhunanui; and 
Stoke Library, 35 Putaitai Street, Stoke.
A copy of the report can also be obtained by emailing environmental.planning@ncc.govt.nz.
Notice of the decision has been served on all persons who made a submission and/or further submission.