Q: What does the service fee in the accounts (DCR) cover?
A: Council is unclear what fee is referred to and requested more information.
Q: Why have dog registration fee's increased when the accounts show a surplus from the previous year?
A: The accounts only show a small surplus for 18/19 and 17/18 because funds have been transferred from the dog control reserve account to cover the costs. Registration fees have been adjusted to better cover the full cost of the activity without the need to rely on reserve funds that are now nearing depletion. The increase in costs generally stem from an increase in the cost for the contractor undertaking this service effective from 1 July 2018, the addition of IT support costs, the increase of legal costs for prosecutions and costs for the pound extension in 17/18.
Q: There has been a large amount of money transferred out of the Dog Control Reserve account where has that money gone?
A: The dog control accounts operate on a cost-neutral basis for ratepayers meaning dog owners through their registration fees and other fees cover the costs of the dog control service
Q: Would Council could give consideration to having a children's playground at the local Bishopdale reserve. Residents have witnessed an increasing number of young families moving into the neighbourhood in recent years and believe a children's playground would be a wonderful addition to the reserve.
A: Opportunities for play equipment in Bishopdale Reserve will be explored in the medium term through the Parks Activity Management Plan. There is no development of a playground programmed to date which is largely due to Cattle Market Reserve being reasonably close (400m away). However park asset managers are aware of the increasing development happening on Bishopdale Avenue which will result in a number of newer properties being outside the 1,000 meter walking distance to a playground, which is the Council's desired level of service. This information will inform the decision to develop a playground on Bishopdale Reserve.
Unsafe Trees
Q: There is concern about the number of dead or dying trees at the Wakapuaka Cemetery, and the fear that the trees pose a health and safety risk for visitors to the cemetery.
A: The trees at the Wakapuaka were inspected last August. Tree inspections occur on a 2 year rotation, however following the summer drought, this may have had an impact on the health of some trees, especially the Silver Birches. We are going to do an immediate visual inspection of the Cemetery trees now, and a further detailed arborist inspection will be conducted in spring in line with the spring growth.
Q: There is concern about the state of creek flowing under Bolt Road, Otterson Street, and through properties in Chandler Street out to Golf Course.
A: The compliance staff have undertaken an investigation this morning, and discovered that there has been a pollution incident. Enforcement is likely, and remediation is underway.
Bayview Road Development
Q: When will when the gates at the end of Bayview Road (where it meets the gravel section) be reopened to provide access to walkers, runners and cycles?
A: The land at the end of Bayview Road is privately owned, and any access along it to date has been at the goodwill of the landowner. There are currently no public easements or agreements with Council. Therefore any enquiries in relation to access across this land should be directed to the owners of the land. Council is aware of the desire for a route through and will continue to work with the owners as development progresses and as opportunities arise. While construction activities are in progress we would encourage everyone to comply with all signage erected by the owners.
Q: When is the development of the 155 sections expected to start? And when will Frenchay join up with Bay View Road?
A: Timing is up to the developer and depends on a range of parameters - permits/contractor availability etc. Ultimately the messaging regarding access onto their land needs to come from Bayview Subdivisions LTD, but Council will relay any information as soon as it is received.
Resource Consent
Q: What is the likely time-frame for completing the Mountain Bike Club's resource consent.
A: I have spoken to the consents team and they have let me know that the consent has been logged and that the application is on hold to enable the applicant to obtain written approvals. How long this takes varies hugely. So at this stage there is no definite answer.
Q: What are the latest traffic volume numbers? The last report on the 2018 monitoring had all the travel time metrics but not the actual vehicle counts. Is there data that shows what % drop there is in traffic (particularly at peak times) during school holidays?
A: The graph below shows the arterial traffic volumes. Bold lines are averages. There was a problem with the tubes at Rocks Road and Main Road Stoke. They are circled below. Hence there isn't a line for 2018 for Rocks Road. The lighter dotted lines are the actual counts, hence show the peak and troughs of the school terms and holidays. This is not broken down into peak hours. There is also data up to May 2019 loaded, but the way the graph works it doesn't update easily until the year is complete.
Back Beach Carpark
Q: Please advise when the excess sand will be removed the from Back Beach carpark?
A: This should happen in the Spring. One car park is permanently closed and a new car park will be constructed later this year (the date is to be confirmed). The sand in the third carpark is being left at present, as it will be needed for the formation of the reinstated second one. This is occurring in an area adjacent to where the closed/retired one is.
Council Candidates
Q: Is there a list of previous candidates for the last 3 elections, including those standing for Council or the Mayoralty? Please include the 150 word blurb and their name.
A: See the list of 2013 and 2016 election candidates
Candidate-profiles-2010.pdf (3.1MB PDF)
Candidate-profiles-2013.pdf (532KB PDF)
Q: How many commercial ratepayer properties are there in the Nelson Area?
A: As at 10 June 2019, there were 1468 commercial rating units in the Nelson local authority. These are split as follows:
275 Inner City Commercial
36 Stoke Commercial
1157 General Commercial
Council Debt
Q: What is the exact amount of Council debt, and does it fluctuate?
A: As at 30 June 2019 net Council debt was $85.6 million. Net debt is borrowings less cash and deposits. This figure does fluctuate day to day and month to month due to cashflow patterns. At the same time last year, net debt was $84 million. The Annual Plan for the current year forecasts that net debt will be $91. 7 million at 30 June 2020.
Candidate Blurb
Q: Why is the Candidate Blurb for the 2019 Elections voting papers restricted to 200 words
A: There are a large number of candidates for the election this year, so the word count was restricted to make it more manageable and accessible for voters who are reading all candidates' responses. However, candidates may choose to expand on the questions on their own websites or through social media, as we will be making candidate links available via our website.
Q: Who chose the questions Candidates were asked to provide answers for?
A: The chosen questions were a collaborative decision.
Marina Security
Q: There is an area of the Marina with poor lighting or no security cameras that has been subject to frequent boat break-ins, despite security cars driving by at night from time to time, and the installation of PIN access to some areas. Can something more effective be done to prevent this?
A: It has been bought to Council's attention recently that there has been a spate of thefts from cars in the area identified. We are unaware if this area has been targeted in the past, by thieves. I hope that these thefts were reported to the police. We experienced burglaries on the other side in the Marina in the boat storage yard and have since moved the yard and installed CCTV cameras, to mitigate the thefts. This has reduced theft instances in this area, but apparently now increased in other areas, notably between Akerston and Vickerman Streets. This area is mainly occupied by private industrial building owners, therefore may restrict CCTV coverage. We wish to ensure that property and users of the Marina are within a safe environment, therefore installing more CCTV cameras is a possible option, but I need to advise we haven't budgeted additional CCTV cameras this year. The lighting may need further review, as we haven't received other concerns about the lighting in this area.
In regards to the PIN system, this is part of a wider security system we're working on across the entire Marina, including showers, toilets and the Hardstand.
City Centre Survey
Q: A council executive staff member (with a clipboard) was observed conducting a survey last weekend. Who authorised the survey?
A: The Senior Leadership Team
Q: What was the purpose of the survey?
A: The Public Life Survey (PLS) is about counting and observing people in public realm areas of our City Centres. Combined with retail spend, residential growth, safety, vehicle speeds, and amenity (number of seats, tables, etc.) the PLS will help provide an accurate indication of how the City Centre is moving forward as a social, people-focused hub.
Q: What were the questions being asked of residents?
A: The PLS work is strictly observational and did not involve direct engagement with the public. Consequently, no questions were asked of residents.
Q: Who will receive the survey results.
A: The City Development Team undertook the survey and it will inform the City Centre Programme Plan.
Q: What is the likely cost of the survey to ratepayers - remembering the person carrying out the survey was a member of Council's executive team.
A: No members of Senior Leadership Team were involved in the survey and the Council Officers that participated, did so on a voluntary basis, together with volunteers from NZIA, NZPI, NMIT and Volunteer Nelson. Den Aitken (Aitken Taylor, a Blenheim based landscape architect) leading this work for Nelson City Council. The estimated costs of Den's contract which includes training volunteers and Council officers and analysing and reporting on the results are expected to be in the region of $30,000.
Q: When will the Welcome Cloak be hung on the building in Millers Acre?
A: The Welcome Cloak is fully repaired and is ready for attaching to the building in Millers Acre. However, the Millers Acre building has been inspected recently and it was discovered that the cladding needs maintenance before the Welcome Cloak can be hung. A repair assessment is under way that will dictate the timing of the artwork installation.
Q: When will the sculptures donated by the airport be displayed in the city?
A: The former airport sculptures are at varying stages of install. The Goddess of Flight is currently being installed at Saxton Field. The Miyazu Sculpture is to be considered for the new library, and may be housed in Elma Turner Library in the meantime as it is unsuitable for outdoors. A new site for the Flight of Imagination is proposed for Pepper Tree Park on Cambria St, which will be considered by the Arts Selection Panel, iwi and the delegated Councillors. New locations are also being scoped for Happy Travellers and the Daryl Frost fence.
Community Investment Fund Recipients 2019-20
Q: Who were the successful recipients in the latest allocation of grants by the Council's Community Investment Fund?
A: See the list of 2019-20 Community Fund Recipients
Parking Spaces - Trafalgar Sq East
Q: Business owners in this area would like to have the "no stopping" (broken yellow lines) removed from the eastern side of Trafalgar Square East northern end. Alternatively, would consideration be given to approving two set-down/pickup spaces directly in front of these business premises?
A: Council currently have two Loading Zones on Selwyn Place, around 70 meters away. Loading Zones are situated where they provide the largest serviceable area and encompass a vast range of businesses. Loading Zones are not typically situated outside individual businesses on request, the aim is to provide a balance between parking, safety, access and convenience for all. There are also longer term ideas for Trafalgar Square to consider. These include, but are not limited to, making it one way, thus allowing parking on one side which would gain more inner city/city fringe parking. The impact of making this section of road one way would need to be reviewed following the permanent closure of Upper Trafalgar Street, and after modelling the subsequent traffic demand and flows.This process would also require consultation.
At this point in time, Council Officers do not support installing a Loading Zone here, given the longer term options for Trafalgar Square.
No Stopping Zone - Stoke
Q: Has Council considered marking no stopping/parking yellow broken lines on the roadside from 646 A Main Road Stoke up to the corner of Byron Place, to alleviate the congestion/accident danger at the T-junction of Polstead Road and Main Road Stoke?
A: The suggested introduction of no stopping at the intersection of Main Road Stoke and Polstead Rd has been investigated and reviewed by staff at the Road Safety Meeting. It was decided the location does not warrant additional parking restrictions at the moment. The proposed subdivision of the Baptist Church is for one house only with onsite parking. It is not expected to contribute significantly to the current parking occurring in the area.
Pensioner Flats
Q: How many NCC pensioner flats is the council planning to sell? And how many does it own or manage in total?
A: Council owns 142 community housing units situated at nine locations around Nelson. During consultation on the draft Annual Plan 2019/20 Council consulted with the public on a proposal to divest some or all of its community housing assets. On 4 June 2019 Council resolved:
Approves the divestment of Council's community housing assets, conditional on a sale and purchase agreement (or agreements) which achieves, in Council's assessment, an appropriate level of protection for both tenant wellbeing and ratepayer interests;
See the minutes of the 4 June 2019 Council meeting.
Nelson Festivals Trust
Q: Is the Nelson Festivals Trust a Council Controlled Organisation?
A: No, the Trust is not a Council Controlled Organisation
Nelson City Council's relationship with the United Nations
Q: What is Nelson City Council's relationship with the United Nations?
A: As a local authority, Nelson City Council is not directly bound by any directives or guidelines issued by the United Nations. New Zealand has a dualist approach to international law, which distinguishes between the government's domestic and international obligations. The government's international treaty or other obligations are not directly enforceable domestically unless incorporated into domestic law by Parliament. Local authorities, such as Nelson City Council, may have a role in implementing international treaty obligations where they have been incorporated by Parliament into domestic law affecting local authority functions.
Q: Does Nelson City Council recognise the Kyoto Protocol?
A: In relation to the Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol, consistent with the above, New Zealand's implementation is led by the Ministry for the Environment and includes meeting international reporting obligations and implementing domestic legislation such as the Climate Change Response Act 2002. However, as a local authority with responsibilities for the wellbeing of our community, Nelson City Council is committed to responding to climate change impacts and has a range of work already in progress.
Nomination rules for Local Body Elections
Q: What are the rules for nominating an Election Candidate?
A: The rules around nomination of candidates are contained in Sections 25, 55 and 58 of the Local Electoral Act 2001
Q: Can nominators be relatives?
A: Nominators can be related to the candidate.
Q: Can they be minors?
A: Nominators cannot be minors as they are required to be on the electoral roll for Nelson City. Individuals need to be 18 years or older to be eligible to go on to the electoral roll. See the Vote NZ website for details relating to the requirements for enrolment.
Q: Can they have business partnerships with the Candidate?
A: Nominators can have business partnerships with the candidate.
Q: Can the Candidate if elected give cushy jobs to the nominators?
A: Candidates, once elected, are required to declare any interests in accordance with the Local Authorities (Members' Interests) Act 1968
Attendance Records of Elected Members
Q: What is the attendance record of Elected Members in the last triennium?
A; Record of Attendance since 2016
Coal use in Nelson
Q: Who is still burning coal in Nelson?
A: There are four organisations still legally burning coal: Nelson Hospital, Victory School, South Pine and McCashins Brewery. As well as coal, there are a number of organisations using diesel, gas and light fuel oil for industrial heat processes.
There are also a small number of residential multi-fuel burners which have not been phased out in Airshed C, which may still be using some coal along with wood. As these burners reach the end of their life they can be replaced with compliant wood burners under the Nelson Air Quality Plan, so over time there will be a reduction through natural attrition.
Council staff are planning to initiate discussions with existing discharge consent holders to explore what opportunities there are to encourage a move away from coal and other fossil fuels.
Q: Has consideration been given to installing traffic lights on the Annesbrook Drive / Parkers Road intersection?
A: Any changes at this intersection is part of the work being considered as part of the Nelson Future Access Study.
There is a very informative website about that process and when public engagement is scheduled to occur.
Stoke Tennis Courts
Q: Are the public permitted to use the Stoke Tennis Courts?
A: Council is in the process of drafting a Deed of Variation to the Stoke Tennis Club lease in order to provide some clarity around ownership of fixtures and fittings at the courts as well as guidelines around public access.
In the meantime the Club have been contacted and advised that they cannot prevent members of the public from using the courts when they are not in use by the Club.
Relay for Life - March 2020
Q: Why is the Cancer Society's 2020 Relay for Life event not being held in Nelson?
A: Most of Nelson's summer grounds are unavailable on weekends in March because of sporting commitments: Cricket; Athletics; Netball; Touch; summer soccer. Also the event is very harsh on the turf and causes long term damage which impacts other users.
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