Our Nelson Issue 197 – 5 June 2024

Budget support for flood protection 
Flood protection projects from the Maitai to Queens Gardens can get started due to an injection of Central Government funding secured by a consortium of regional and unitary councils.
The Before the Deluge 2.0 business case was provided to Central Government in 2022 not long after the August 2022 weather event. The business case includes 80 ready-to-go flood management projects, from the tip of the North Island to the foot of the South Island.
In today’s Budget, Minister for Regional Economic Development Shane Jones announced a Regional Infrastructure Fund worth an initial $200 million for flood resilience infrastructure. Of this, up to $101.1 million is committed, along with co-investment from recipients to 42 flood resilience projects that are close to getting started.
Nelson will receive $9 million for a series of flood protection and repair projects in the first tranche of funding. Projects include improvements to the resilience of the Maitai River, a rebuild of the flood intake at Cleveland Terrace, flood repairs in Devenish Place, and upgrades to the Todds Valley and Hillwood Streams.
Nelson Mayor Nick Smith says the funding would enable $15 million of investment in improving Nelson’s flood resilience.
“I have spent considerable time lobbying central government to secure this award and I’d like to thank Prime Minister Luxon and Ministers Willis, Jones, Mitchell, Bishop, Brown and Patterson. This extra support is perfectly timed for Nelson as we move from fixing the damage from the August 2022 storm to improving our resilience to future events.
“Storms will always be a risk for Nelson, even more so due to increased frequency and intensity due to climate change. This investment reduces flood risk significantly for hundreds of Nelsonians.”
Acting Group Manager Infrastructure David Light thanked staff for the work put into the business case.
“Members of our infrastructure team have put in a huge effort to secure this funding for Nelson, working collaboratively with Councils right across New Zealand. We’re looking forward to getting these projects started once funding is received from Central Government.”
Costs for the projects are shared with Government on a 60/40 split, with the Government taking the larger share.
For a full list of projects please read the story on the Our Nelson website.

Long Term Plan 2024 – 2034 
Nelson City Council’s deliberation outcomes for the Long Term Plan 2024 – 2034 (LTP) are now available on our Shape Nelson page.
Visit shape.nelson.govt.nz/long-term-plan-2024-2034 to read about the outcomes and how they will impact our 10-year work programme.

It’s time to renew your dog registration
All dogs who are (or will be) three months of age or more on 1 July 2024 must have a current registration. Registrations are due on 30 June 2024. 
For more information on changes to dog registration fees from 1 July 2024, visit our dog ownership fees page at nelson.govt.nz.
Once registered, the registration is required to be renewed annually by 30 June.
There is a grace period of up to one month, however failure to register your dog before 31 July will incur an infringement fine as well as late registration fee.
Dogs can be registered online at nelson.govt.nz. Please note that tags will be sent by post when you register online.

The newly reconstructed pump track at the Maitai Recreation Hub is ready to ride!
Mayor Nick, Councillor Matty Anderson and Councillor Trudie Brand, along with Principal Parks and Facilities Activity Planner Paul Harrington and Project Manager Claire McLean met with some young riders at the recently completed pump track at the Maitai Recreation Hub.
The Maitai Pump Track was initially completed in May 2022, only three months later, it was destroyed in the 2022 August floods. Empire of Dirt returned from Christchurch to build it back even better than it was before and managed to salvage 80% of the materials from the previous build.
There's still some bits and pieces to finish off like seating and landscaping but it's now open and ready to ride!

Top tips for school lunches 
School lunches have been in the media spotlight. Sometimes a lunch can go straight from the lunchbox to the bin without anyone seeing it.
Some New Zealand schools have done food waste audits. One classroom threw away 18kg of edible food a week. The most common foods thrown are half-eaten sandwiches and apples.
Our food waste expert Karen Lee has been looking at ways families can reduce food waste.
Meal plan with your kids
You know what your child eats but involving them in the meal planning process can help kids eat more lunch. Do they want a banana or an apple? Carrot sticks or celery sticks? Chips or popcorn?
Keep track
See what children bring home before it goes in the bin. If the same foods come back, consider a swap.
Keep lunch boxes chilly
An insulated lunch box/ice pack will keep food fresh.
Repurpose other meals
If they eat it for dinner, they’ll probably eat it for lunch. By packing leftovers, you’ll reduce your household waste. 
Win-win!
The freezer’s your friend
If you can prep school lunches by making muffins, mini-pancakes or banana bread, pull a slice from the freezer the night beforehand.
Interview with Councilor 
Matty Anderson 
Councillor Anderson is on the board of two schools, has four school-age boys and his partner is a teacher.
What do your kids bring home uneaten?
We have the “journey apple”. It stays in the lunchbox for a few days. When that’s gone I know they were hungry. They eat heaps when events are on or forget on a full-on day.
Absolute winners your kids will always eat?
Unhealthy packaged snacks and home-baking are winners, but also celery (even without extras like peanut butter)! I use a serrated peeler to make cucumber and carrot Thai salad.
What’s hardest when arranging lunch boxes?
Messy yoghurt pots! It’s hard to find a lunch box that won’t break. Too many compartments cause challenges like fitting in an apple.
Are there any interesting trends you’ve noticed in kids’ lunch boxes?
Biggest issue is kids missing lunch and breakfast. A very good social indicator of how much money and time parents have. Feeling pressured to make a small hotpot in a thermos, or to provide a food that fits each lunchbox compartment is stressful for parents whose pantry is looking a bit sad or when it isn’t pay week.

Government’s Māori Wards bill opposed by Nelson City Council 
Nelson City Council Deputy Mayor Rohan O’Neill-Stevens and Chief Executive Nigel Philpott have co-signed a submission to the Local Government (Electoral Legislation and Māori Wards and Constituencies) Amendment Bill asking the Government to reconsider its position regarding Māori Wards. 
O’Neill-Stevens says there are a range of views about how local government's electoral arrangements should be determined, but legislation should be consistently applied, and there is no question of the need to ensure Māori participation within local government.
“I’m concerned the Bill recreates the distinctions between Māori wards or constituencies and others, which do not require polls.
“We are calling on the Government to treat Māori wards and other wards consistently, recognising the key principle of localism in local government.”
The submission also cites concern at the short timeframe provided for submissions on the Bill, which has not allowed Councils across New Zealand the time to formally consider their position.
Consequently, Council has asked the Justice Select Committee to consider the submission as preliminary. Once Council has had the opportunity to discuss the Bill at a workshop scheduled this week, and to formally confirm its position at a meeting scheduled for 6 June 2024, it may provide a supplementary submission.
O’Neill-Stevens says Mayor Nick Smith has delegated the role of leading the Nelson City Council submission on this bill because of his appointment as Chair of a national working group on local government electoral reform.
“This role as Chair will involve working with a range of Mayors and Councillors who hold different views across the country on the issues covered by the bill such as the process for establishing wards and postal voting. He would prefer not to take a position on these issues ahead of this electoral reform work.”
As a result, Nelson City Council was not initially one of the 52 signatories of a letter sent by Local Government New Zealand opposing the bill sent to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters and Minister of Local Government Simeon Brown.
“Our submission aligns with the content of that letter and following the delegation of this work to me, I have added my signature to it,” says O’Neill-Stevens.

Reminder that Wakatu Lane, from Trafalgar Street into Wakatu carpark is closed for the remainder of the year (reopening over the Christmas period).
This closure is for the construction of a new building on Bridge Street.
Access to the Wakatu carpark is via Achilles Ave off Rutherford Street. The businesses in Wakatu Square are still open and would love to see you!

Find all upcoming meetings on the Council's website: 
nelson.govt.nz/council/council-structure/council-meetings