Building blocks for our region’s future

Larry Foster

Opinion

Happy 2021 to all, and I hope this year will bring much positivity and economic success to our great region.

It has certainly started on a high note with a successful Rhythm and Vines, and a big influx of happy visitors to our piece of paradise. We are experiencing a bit of a population boom with recent reliable figures showing over 50,000 now live here, including an increase of over 700 in our rural sector. There seems to be plenty of employment opportunities so we should expect the influx of new people to our region to continue. This presents challenges, with house prices sky-rocketing as the demand outweighs the supply, and the extra traffic causing some congestion, where patience is required.

The first council meeting for 2021 is on this Thursday with quite a small agenda of only 90 pages, but I am sure there will be plenty to discuss as this is Long-Term Plan year.

We have a public deputation from Tina Karaitiana from the Gisborne Park Golf Club regarding the Community Facilities Strategy. They are obviously concerned what the future looks like for the club and their 18-hole course if the strategy in its current form is implemented.

We have two reports from the chief executive and staff for us to decide on. The first is the Draft Estimates and the 2021-2031 Long-Term Plan (LTP), and the other is the Draft Trade Waste Bylaw 2021 to adopt for public consultation.

The focus of the 2021-2031 LTP is to deliver critical activities and to provide the building blocks for our region's future. In doing so the LTP aims to balance community needs and aspirations and the maintenance of our assets against affordability and financial sustainability.

a) A commitment to complete the wastewater treatment plant upgrade to improve water quality in Turanganui-a-Kiwa (Poverty Bay).

b) Accelerate delivery of the Waipaoa River Flood Control Scheme, giving greater protection to our community and more resilience against floods, safeguarding both economic development and wellbeing.

c) Continue to maintain our roads, four waters, and our reserves.

d) Protect our water supply and enhance biodiversity with our Waingake native restoration.

e) Increase our resources to be able to meet statutory obligations with our resource consents and our environment stewardship role.

f) With the financial assistance from central government, build a pool that is fit-for-purpose for our community both now and for the future.

g) Focus our building blocks such as regional plans, climate change, the environment, and working with our partners — tangata whenua and our communities — to deliver and get to where we need to be for the future.

h) Look after our environment, in terms of how we monitor and perform our stewardship role and restoring or managing contaminated land.

The Trade Waste Bylaw 2021 has a few changes for consultation.

1. Prohibiting mortuary wastewater being discharged into the council's wastewater system, and regulating its transport and disposal.

2. The regulation of tankered waste — including tracking and compliance for operators — has been simplified.

3. Industry biological demand (BOD) above 400g/m3 concentrations will be classified as a discretionary waste and subject to a trade waste consent and conditions.

4. Liquid pharmaceutical wastes above certain concentrations will be classified as a discretionary waste.

5. Halogenated aliphatic compounds above concentrations of 1g/m3 will be classified as a discretionary waste.