Spring is the time to renew our hopes & dreams, isn’t it?
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Michelle Ashby you’ll be very pleased to learn the proposal you have been suggesting for Tahunanui beach is now happening.
The beach has now become more accessible for everyone with the arrival of the Mobi-Beach Mat.
The mat, will allow wheelchairs & strollers etc to reach the sand & sea.
The mat is another community project funded by Nelson Host Lions Club with additional support from NCC.
A big thank you must also go to Toby Wild and his team at Moana Paddle Nelson who will roll the beach mat out on the sand & then bring it in & store it.
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JOB DONE - STOKE SKATE PARK
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Sarah Jones & Ru Dawson, you will be pleased to know that T & M Covers have now replaced the missing shade that was positioned on the Tahunanui beach front (adjacent to Mr Whippy). The new shade sail will be appreciated by beach-goers, providing the much needed shade you referred to. The large sail was damaged beyond repair during last winter & wasn’t replaced due to an oversight.
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Myra Jenkins you & your friends will be excited to learn the bridge being constructed (on the left as you approach the main gates of Isel park) is near completion & able to be used.
The new bridge is non slip therefore safer, with no steepness, wider & accessible to everyone.
Thank you Myra for your patience with the replacement of this bridge - good things take time, don't they?
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You will be interested to know Nelson Hospital is utilising 30% of the gas from the combined NCC/TDC owned York Valley Landfill. The gas is piped to the Nelson Hospital and used as an energy source to fire the 2.0MWth boiler located at the hospital. The boiler produces over 60% of the hospital’s thermal energy demand for heating, steam and hot water.
To further improve our environment a new enclosed flare has been installed at the York Valley Landfill & is running well, having combusted 768,000 m3 of landfill gas since December last year.
The old York Valley flare has been moved to Eves Valley & been installed.
The Eves Valley flare is estimated to be combusting 175 m3 per hour of landfill gas.
Measurements of the gas removed from the Eves Valley landfill show a methane content of between 65% and 70% methane.
Based on the data available the Eves Valley flare is removing around 13,750 tonnes of CO2 equivalent from being discharged to the atmosphere - which is the equivalent to reducing car travel by 81 Million Km.
Cutting methane emissions is key to slowing global warming, isn't it?
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Joss Cumming you will be pleased to know your concerns relating to the condition of the boardwalks and steps at Tahunanui Beach have been attended to by NCC contractor Nelmac.
A full condition assessment of all the boardwalks at the beach was undertaken and the offending boards have either been replaced or reattached and steps reinstated. Thank you for your patience and understanding in regard to this matter.
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As more and more people come to appreciate the beauty and value of nature, the Brook Waimarama Sanctuary visitor numbers climb.
The Brook Sanctuary is the largest (700 hectare) fenced Sanctuary for endangered/vulnerable creatures & plants in the South Island.
The main loop track takes approximately 45 minutes to one hour to walk & is suitable for people of all ages & abilities & is fully accessible for wheelchairs and mobility scooters.
The atmosphere in the Sanctuary is one of pure serenity as you walk through lush native bush, listen to glorious birdsong and then when you are fully immerse in nature there is a sense of peace & tranquility that can only be good for one’s health/wellbeing.
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JOB DONE - TRAFALGAR PLAZA IN LIGHTS.
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Don Poole you will be pleased to know the fountain in the Queens Garden pond has now been upgraded & is back working at it's best.
The upgrade will help aerate the water at the Suter Art Gallery end of the pond & improve the water quality in general.
Don, it's important you know the bottom of the pond is not sealed and it fulfills a critical storm-water retention function while adding an air of serenity to our beautiful Queens Garden.
Even the geese & their goslings are happy the fountain is working again.
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George Truman you will be pleased to know work on constructing a pathway along Poorman Valley Stream between Main Road Stoke & Neale Avenue has now been completed.
The gap you identified has been filled with a new 2.5 metre wide shared path. It runs along the true left bank of the stream from Main Road Stoke (by the Countdown carpark), past the Whareama Rest Home through to Neale Ave.
The pathway creates a connection between the recreation areas of Neale Reserve (& nearby sections of the Railway Reserve) & Isel Park & Greenmeadows Reserve.
It also provides an off-road connection, all the way from Marsden Valley & out to the Great Taste Trail on Whakatu Drive. Connecting/linking our community is important, isn't it?
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Amelia Crundwell & Lulu Armstrong I have great news for you. Council has commenced its planning for a major renewal/upgrade of the childrens playground at Founders Heritage Park. The project will be financed using some of the funds raised at the Founders Book Fair. NCC plans to refurbish the retro (more recent) items/equipment (roundabout & slide) but will be renewing the remaining play equipment. This will include accessible play equipment & consideration is also being given to other options for the surface of the playground, that should assist in alleviating the drainage issue. Council is starting work immediately on the sourcing/purchasing process & is aiming to get the project underway as soon as possible.
You will be interested to know that FHP playground is one of the most popular children playgrounds (among the 66) owned by NCC & is maintained with funds derived from Founders Heritage Park.
Playgrounds are so important for our children, aren't they?
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You will be interested to know since the introduction into the Brook Waimarama Sanctuary last year of over 100 rare orange fronted parakeets (native kakariki karaka), the sanctuary now has one of the biggest populations in NZ.
Also 30 of the most threatened giant Powelliphanta hochstetteri snails have been released into the sanctuary.
These unique snails are among the largest in the world & this particular powelliphanta (snail) is endemic to Nelson & Marlborough regions.
The backbone of the Sanctuary are the volunteers who collectively put in over 20,000 hours of caring last year - don’t you love our volunteers?
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How you’ve changed in 100 years.
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GOOD NEWS - UPDATE - REPAIRS TO CATHEDRAL STEPS & COLUMNS.
Jennifer Armstrong you will be pleased learn Council is about to commence work to restore & repair the damage caused in two separate vandalism incidents which have occurred over the last 18 months to the Cawthron Steps (Cathedral Steps). The incidents saw a pillar knocked down & a wall moved & in a second separate incident last October, brass finials broken off two stone pillars at the top of the steps.
NCC has obtained the services of experienced stonemasons Stone Works to undertake the repairs. Stone Works have worked on other high profile NZ heritage buildings, including the Christchurch Cathedral, Pre & Post 2011 & Victoria University Hunter Building in Wellington.
Work/repairs will also be undertaken on other heritage assets while the experienced stonemasons are in Nelson eg the Pitt Gates (Queens Garden Bridge St. side) & the Trask Gates (Queens Gardens Hardy St. side).
They are our heritage & we need to preserve them, don’t we?
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NEWS - ANOTHER FRESH IDEA.
Joanna Collins & Nikki Steyn thank you for shining a light on what the Wellington City Council are doing - replacing plastic dog tags with a metal 'One Tag' that lasts a lifetime
I will bring this idea/proposal to the attention of NCC & ask that it be given most favourable consideration.
The Wellington City Council says that the tags will help reduce the amount of plastic going into their landfill & that is around 60,000 tags thrown out in Wellington City in the last five years alone!
Dog owners will pay their annual registration fees as usual, but they'll keep using the same tag.
https://wellington.govt.nz/.../our.../2021/05/one-tag
This would have to be good for Nelson too (less plastic to landfill) & greater efficiencies at registration time for both dog owners & NCC, don’t you think?
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THE STOKE ORACLE - "THE FUTURE IS IN OUR HANDS".
You will be interested to know the Cast Bronze sculpture adjacent to the Stoke Library is the work of Nelson sculptor Grant Palliser & was installed in December 1996. It is titled – Oracle, two piece sculpture of the fingers & thumb of a hand. The hand emerges from the ground in a cradling fashion inspired by advice “never let an opportunity slip through your fingers”. The piece has been described as a “sheltering hand”, related to the sheltering band of hills surrounding Nelson & represents the artistic hand of many craftspeople in our region. The sculpture includes several endangered native snails (Powelliphanta), under threat from forestry, climbing their way up the underside of the thumb. Their slow progress signifies the inability of some creatures to adapt quickly to change. They are representative of hanging on to the good things about Nelson & the things of the past.
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GOOD NEWS - UPDATE - LITTA TRAP TRIAL EXTENDED.
Craig Kempton, thank you for your enquiry regarding the Litta Trap trials being undertaken by NCC in the Central City. You will be interested to learn the initial round of testing/trialling of the 4 sump litter baskets has been completed. The test/trial results have shown a need to extend the trial & to get further sites & test results for comparison. The testing of sediment samples & waste inspections will continue to be undertaken for each trap, which helps NCC to understand better what & where the issues are.
These results will be used to development a Stormwater Quality Improvement Strategy in partnership with Cawthron Institute.
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GOOD NEWS - IMPROVED WATER QUALITY & VISIBLE LITTER REMOVED - QUEENS GARDEN POND.
Don Poole you will be pleased to learn the quality of the water is to be improved & visible litter in the pond at the Queens Garden removed.
There will be an upgrade of the pond fountain in the next few months to help aerate the water at the Suter Art Gallery end of the pond. This should help to alleviate algae growth (which primarily occurs at that end of the pond) and improve the water quality in general.
Don, NCC gardening team are generally very responsive in removing visible litter from the pond, however they have lined up a wader walk-through next week to collect any missed litter that has settled on the bottom of the pond.
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You will be interested to know Stoke is to have a youth park & construction will start by the end of June. It will feature a basketball court, skate park & container stage will be built, following feedback from Nelson’s young people.
NCC has been working with the local schools, along with Whanake Youth & the Nelson Youth Council to come up with the design for what the park could look like, which will be situated in what is currently the car park adjacent to Stoke Memorial Hall on Main Road Stoke.
It is planned to have seating, a timber deck, drinking fountain, climbing tower, seating mound & plantings too.
There are also some exciting proposed additional features, which could also be included if external funding can be found, including installation of shade sails, a barbecue, catenary lighting and a deck extension.
You will be interested to know Stoke is to have a youth park & construction will start by the end of June. It will feature a basketball court, skate park & container stage will be built, following feedback from Nelson’s young people.
NCC has been working with the local schools, along with Whanake Youth & the Nelson Youth Council to come up with the design for what the park could look like, which will be situated in what is currently the car park adjacent to Stoke Memorial Hall on Main Road Stoke.
It is planned to have seating, a timber deck, drinking fountain, climbing tower, seating mound & plantings too.
There are also some exciting proposed additional features, which could also be included if external funding can be found, including installation of shade sails, a barbecue, catenary lighting and a deck extension.
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