Councillor Notes

A big thank you to all those people who took the time to put nominations forward for the recent SWDC Civic Awards. The categories were, Young Achiever; Services to the Environment; Sport; Arts and Culture and Community Service. It was fantastic to hear about so many talented and community minded individuals and groups that had been nominated. Our own Maree Roy took out the Community Service award for an individual.  As many will know, Maree goes quietly about town answering those calls for assistance and help and steps in where needed.  She has walked many a mile around town and while on those walks has picked up a ton or more of litter.  We owe her our thanks for our litter free streets.

The supreme award for South Wairarapa Citizens of the Year went to the Waiohine Action Group. Congratulations to this talented group, they had come up with a flood management plan for Greytown and Carterton which saved ratepayers millions of dollars.  

Congratulations go to Amanda & Lindsey Goodman co-owners of The Drunken Nanny, on receiving not just one award but three gold, two silver and a bronze at the recent Outstanding NZ Producer awards.   The awards were for their delicious lemony lush, black tie, dill lush and fresh lush cheeses which are all made from goats’ milk. It is great to see all their hard work being recognised throughout the country.

  Councillors, Officers and staff have been working on the Annual Plan document for the 2019/20 year.  The Consultation Document was recently published and included in the Midweek.  This important document sets out how rate payer monies will be spent during this period and I am sure that each and every one of you wishes to have a say on this to ensure your money is spent on the services and facilities essential to our district. …..  submissions will close on the 8^th May, if you don’t have a copy of the Consultation Document, they are available in the library and council offices.

At the Council meeting on the 17^th April Councillors voted to join Wellington Water Ltd who would provide resilience, expertise and service delivery for our 3 waters. Wellington Water had previously assisted when we had our first outbreak of e-coli and are now helping, along with Regional Public Health, Lutra and Council staff to find the cause of our latest outbreak.  To date we have been unable to solve this problem.  To this end there was an extra-ordinary Council meeting on the 24^th April to look at the option of temporarily chlorinating the Martinborough water to enable the supply of safe drinking water to our residents and businesses.

There are exponents for and against chlorination, I myself don’t like the taste and smell. this is a small price to pay to ensure that residents and visitors don’t get sick. At this meeting Councillors have voted to complete their investigations of the impact of chlorination on the vineyards and breweries in Martinborough and actions are undertaken by the 13^th May to ensure chlorination does not adversely impact on the products from these businesses. Also, that officers arrange temporary chlorination as soon as possible after the above recommendation has been completed with a view to removing the boil water notice as soon as possible. From now until the 13^th Officers will be flushing the water systems to remove as much of the biofilm as possible before adding the chlorine.  

I was almost afraid to mention this issue but I wanted to thank everyone who has assisted in any way to get the ‘boil water’ notices out, businesses who have put in filters, provided bottled water, residents who have just got on with it, and those who provided constructive feedback to Council officers and staff.  When we all pull together in adverse situations, it shows what a great community we have and I am proud to be part of it.

I will have seen many of you at the Dawn Service on ANZAC day, when we came together to remember those men and women who have served our country be it now or in the past – and have made the ultimate sacrifice.  Our thoughts go out to those left behind; the last line of the RSA Ode says it all – “we will remember them”.

Pam Colenso

0274414892 or pam.colenso@swdc.govt.nz